Is that something Nokosu Dice?
That needs to be fixed
Not much gaming scheduled for this month, as I’m about to go on holiday for half of it.
Nothing changed for my 20x5 challenge at all. Because the only multiplayer games I played was 2x Dorfromantik which is already „done“, 1 x Planet Unknown which is not (yet?) in and 1x Earthborne Rangers (also not in).
I did complete a few games for my solo 12x12:
- Daybreak 12+
- Naturopolis 12+
- Sprawlopolis 12+
- Terraforming Mars 12+
(I had a very satisfying app play with Interplanetary Cinematics the other day, including Venus Next on the Elysium Map. I finished Terraforming a generation early and was able to go for points, yay. 88 is a decent score)
- Trailblazers 12+
- Harmonies 12+
—this is newly completed
- Cascadia 12+
—newly completed, next solo scenario that is up is #12 from Landmarks
- Planet Unknown 12+
—newly completed, I was inspired by our multiplayer game to play a few games. Lost most of them, too. The solo is hard when BGA doesn‘t mess up the round counting
- Food Chain Island 8/12
- Tetrarchia 8/12
- Spirit Island 6/12
- Guild of Merchant Explorers 7/12—new entry into this list, replacing Next Station Paris. I was „inspired“ by the SdJ Kennerspiel nomination to give this another go. I am not sure this will hit the 12/12 because after 7 games it began to feel samey.
Other notable solos I played this month include
- Darwin‘s Journey 2x but I guess it will remain at that count
- Hoplomachus Victorum—I played all 4 acts of a campaign which in my accounting makes for 4 games. It might break into the top 12 if I manage to try again soonish.
- Earthborne Rangers: 2x solos added to the campaign and 1 multiplayer. At the moment I am motivated to play BUT… it takes a long long time to play 1 game. I doubt it will break into the top 12
- Terraforming Mars Ares Expedition: just 1 solo this month but with previous solos it might get in. It plays reasonably quick and I quite enjoy the engine building of this.
- Tamashii Chronicle of Ascend: 2 more solos added to the campaign. But unlike Earthborne Rangers this campaign is not really drawing me in. I know it is only a dozen scenarios total of which I have now played 4 but… the gameplay is mostly uninspired. I mean the idea with the pattern programming is not but the way it ends up presenting itself in the game is… Growth options are limited to unlocks and „getting better at it“
So I feel that I‘ll be finishing the 12x12 this year. Shouldn‘t be difficult there are a bunch of really good games I still get to play and I know that I‘ll be sitting down on purpose at some point to get those last few games completed. But that is what I enjoy about the „dynamic challenge“ it evolves for the most part and I just play whatever I feel like until just short of completion and then… I challenge myself for the last few games
So I’m taking Oathsworn off the list because people have decided that yes, we are officially done with it and there’s no interest in going back. The group is currently playing our way through Divinity The Board Game (based loosely on the video game), and it has some pretty tight writing tied to some… well, “loose” rules? We’ve had a few situations where a rule is vague, but we muddle through somehow. The death-kiss of the Kickstarter… rulebooks that are written by enthusiastic amateurs.
The partner and I have started playing Lands of Galzyr, and it’s been a delightful distraction so far. Heavy into the story, a little dicey but in a statisfying kinda way. I’m leveraging it in to replace Oathsworn instead of Divinity because we’ve already played Divinity a half-dozen times and that seems unfair.
Other than that, I finished my last university course (I’m not getting another degree… I’ve giving up because I’ve run out of time and money), so that will free up some brain-cycles to do other stuff. Like finish my next novel! And my painting commission! And maybe also play a few games. I’d like to get TI4 on the table in the next few weeks… that might involve finishing the painting commission though. But that should be doable.
Played a bunch of other stuff… had a staff dinner where I taught my colleagues Take 5, Ito, Spicy, and Fake Artist Goes to New York, and fun was had by all. Somebody asked me if it feels like work when I’m teaching my coworkers how to play games, and I dodged the question because yes, it absolutely does.
Okay, technically I don’t own Ito, but I have poker chips and The Mind and so I’ve played it about 6 times now. Good fun… I still think Wavelength is slightly better but it’s also way less portable. So.
Well, got Through the Desert to the table twice in June, so I did play at least one new title! So half progress.
Looking at the year for playing my unplayed games:
January - 2/2
February - 2/2
March - 1/2
April - 0/2
May - 0/2
June - 1/2
So, 50% of my goal, which is actually better than I thought. Birthday month this month, so fingers crossed I can improve that ratio.
Haven’t added much this month due to non-gaming holiday.
Game | Plays |
---|---|
Rallyman: GT | 23 (+2) |
Sentinels of the Multiverse: Definitive Edition | 16 |
Kabuto Sumo | 9 |
Rallyman: DIRT | 9 (+1) |
Nokosu Dice | 7 |
War of the Nine Realms | 7 |
Imperium: Horizons | 6 |
Project L | 6 |
Rallyman | 6 |
Trio | 6 |
I’ll be doing a 20x5 instead of a 10x10! - 58/100 done!
Game | Plays |
---|---|
Age of Innovation | 5 ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Brass Birmingham | 5 ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Brass Lancashire | 5 ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Cascadero | 4 |
Cthulhu Wars | 2 |
Dominant Species | 1 |
Escape: Curse of the Temple | 2 |
Evolution | 0 |
Feudum | 0 |
Food Chain Magnate | 4 |
Glory to Rome | 5 ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Imperial/Imperial 2023 | 3 |
Impulse | 1 |
Irish Gauge | 1 |
MarraCash | 2 |
Nokosu Dice | 6 ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pax Renaissance | 9 ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pax Transhumanity | 4 |
Ride the Rails | 1 |
Stephensons Rocket | 3 |
Through the Twenty Ages - app plays included because…
8/10
10 plays of Huang - 2/10
MicroMacro Challenge - 1/4 done
Original- Full House - in progress
- All-In
- Showdown
- Bonus Box
NOTES: slow. I was trawling through my unplayed
July was pretty okay for gaming, honestly… turns out that when you’re not pouring all your time and energy into university courses, you can have a few more gaming nights.
Andy and I have been pretty diligently working on Lands of Galzyr, which I will admit is growing on me. I missed the rule that said you get 1 free reroll every time you attempt a skill test, and that’s helped a fair amount (no rerolls is very unforgiving!). Neat game, and the story its telling is interesting.
Also got one Battletech game in against my buddy Nick. We tried playing the Aces variation, which has Clan mechs controlled through a deck of cards. It worked pretty well, honestly (although there are 4 decks of cards, and Clan Stars have 5 mechs, which is a little annoying, but whatever). I think we’re going to try again this Sunday. Nick is due to have another kid sometime this month, so I think this will be the last gaming night with him for a few months at least (this is his 3rd).
I also managed to get two games of Divinity Original Sin in, and it’s… fine. It’s fine. The writing is good, but several of the mechanics are… let’s say “Kickstarter Quality” and leave it at that. But all that aside, I’m still enjoying it.
Played a game of Eclipse 2nd Dawn, and came in second, which reminded me that I do, indeed, like Eclipse… going to try and get 3-4 plays of it in for August before getting the group into Twilight Imperium for September.
No new games this month! I picked up the expansion to Alice is Missing, which I still have to find a good time to try, but I think that’s it… oh, and the Bug Hunt expansion for the solo RPG Five Parsecs from Home, which I am very excited about trying at some point when I have time.
Hope everyone has an amazing August of gaming!
Had a decent July! Got three new games played: namely Targi, Furnace, and Cthulhu: Death May Die. Met my goal for the month and even exceeded it.
So now I’m at:
January - 2/2
February - 2/2
March - 1/2
April - 0/2
May - 0/2
June - 1/2
July - 3/2
Let’s see if I can keep the momentum going!
(Rather late) June results
10 X 10 Challenge
Game | Month | Total | Status |
---|---|---|---|
Black Angel | - | [3.9/10] | |
Race for the Galaxy | - | [2/10] | |
Arkham Horror: The Card Game | 1 | [1/10] | |
Concordia | 2 | [2/10] | |
Terraforming Mars | - | [1/10] | |
Imperium: Classics | - | [1/10] | |
Total | 3 | 10.9 |
Needless to say, it’s not been a great first half of the year for the 10x10 challenge . But! all is not lost, as there’s still six months to rectify the situation.
Opportunity 50 x 2 Challenge
Game | Month | Total | Status |
---|---|---|---|
Black Angel | - | [3.9/2] | ![]() |
The Gardens | 1 | [4/2] | ![]() |
Android: Mainframe | - | [2/2] | ![]() |
Concordia | 2 | [2/2] | ![]() |
For Northwood! A Solo Trick-Taking Game | 2 | [2/2] | ![]() |
The Hunger | 2 | [2/2] | ![]() |
Keyforge Adventures: Fall of the House Gormangeist | 2 | [2/2] | ![]() |
Mint Works | 2 | [2/2] | ![]() |
Mykerinos | - | [2/2] | ![]() |
Oh My Goods!: Longsdale in Revolt | - | [2/2] | ![]() |
Race for the Galaxy | - | [2/2] | ![]() |
Sprawlopolis - Points of Interest expansion | - | [2/2] | ![]() |
Sprawlopolis - Wrecktar expansion | - | [2/2] | ![]() |
Under Falling Skies | - | [2/2] | ![]() |
搜索 (Scout - One More Game! Edition) | 1 | [2/2] | ![]() |
Arkham Horror: The Card Game | 1 | [1/2] | |
Elevenses | - | [1/2] | |
Give it to the King! | - | [1/2] | SOLD |
Lost Ruins of Arnak | - | [1/2] | |
Imperium: Classics | - | [1/2] | |
Queendomino | 1 | [1/2] | |
Villages of Valeria | - | [1/2] | |
Progress | 36% |
An excellent month for this component.
KeyForge Grim WoE 100 Challenge
Set | Deck | Month | Total |
---|---|---|---|
WoE | Finally Educated Órækja | - | 8 |
WoE | Poole of Saliseat | - | 9 |
WoE | Rumpleadder, the “Protector” of Curses | - | 2 |
WoE | [deck name redacted] | 6 | 6 |
GR | Arrowshadow, Spawn of Superval | - | 15 |
GR | Gasga, the Cobbler of the Tower | - | 9 |
GR | Bourdet, Mauallan’s Conqueror | - | 4 |
GR | LumiluLibrarian, the “Traitor” of the Past | - | 3 |
GR | Saint-Germain of Saurtonne | - | 1 |
Progress | 9 of 31 decks played | [57/100] plays |
Netrunner 15 Challenge
No change
Tekeli 20 Challenge
No change
(Also quite late) July Results
10 X 10 Challenge
No change
Opportunity 50 x 2 Challenge
No change
Played quite a few previously unplayed games (Dieson Crusoe, Trick Taking in Black & White, Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs…) but unfortunately they don’t count under the strict rules of this challenge, as they weren’t already owned at the start of the year.
KeyForge Grim WoE 100 Challenge
Set | Deck | Month | Total |
---|---|---|---|
WoE | Finally Educated Órækja | - | 8 |
WoE | Poole of Saliseat | - | 9 |
WoE | Rumpleadder, the “Protector” of Curses | - | 2 |
WoE | [deck name redacted] | - | 6 |
GR | Arrowshadow, Spawn of Superval | 2 | 17 |
GR | Gasga, the Cobbler of the Tower | - | 9 |
GR | Bourdet, Mauallan’s Conqueror | - | 4 |
GR | LumiluLibrarian, the “Traitor” of the Past | - | 3 |
GR | Nextikaod, the Footman of The South | 2 | 2 |
GR | Saint-Germain of Saurtonne | - | 1 |
Progress | 10 of 31 decks played | [61/100] plays |
Loads of KeyForge played in July, as I made it to a Vault Tour
, but not so many decks from this list.
Netrunner 15 Challenge
No change
Tekeli 20 Challenge
No change
Hope everyone is having an audacious August of gaming!
Informal 10×10:
Game | Plays |
---|---|
Rallyman: GT | 27 (+4) |
Sentinels of the Multiverse: Definitive Edition | 18 (+2) |
Kabuto Sumo | 12 (+3) |
Rallyman: DIRT | 11 (+2) |
Imperium: Horizons | 10 (+4) |
Project L | 9 (+3) |
Nokosu Dice | 8 (+1) |
Rallyman | 7 (+1) |
War of the Nine Realms | 7 |
Lemminge: Wer Springt Zuerst? | 6 (+1) |
Trio | 6 |
I wouldn’t have predicted Imperium Horizons at the start of the year, but I’m glad it’s made it into the top ten. All of these seem good candidates for getting to ten plays except for War of the Nine Realms, which I like a lot but I mostly play when demoing at conventions.
Two more big playing cons this year for me (Tabletop Scotland and ACWest) so there’s room for something to come from behind. Sea Salt & Paper is sitting at five and I’ve had it for less than a month.
A good month for gaming, but not for games on the list. Ah well, such is life.
Managed to get in 3 games of Eclipse Second Dawn, which was fun despite doing very badly in each of them (I came in last or 2nd last each time out of 6 players). My own fault: early game I don’t focus enough on the possibility of having resource-poor (specifically money) worlds and adjusting fast enough. Still a good game, though, although I am kinda happy to be done it and moving on to Twilight Imperium for September.
Picked up one new game in August in the Mandalorian: Adventures game. Designed by the same team as did The Initiative, and that’s a very good thing since that was a dang neat game, but I think they’ve improved on that underlying DNA. It’s good! I think it makes a nice palette cleanser after games of Lands of Galzyr, which I like a lot but is very narrative, low combat (and dice heavy). TM:A is no dice, heavy combat and little story (the story occurs between chapters, rather than as the chapter).
I think that’s the last game on my personal purchase list until after December…
I’ll be doing a 20x5 instead of a 10x10! - 65/100 done!
Game | Plays |
---|---|
Age of Innovation | 5 ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Brass Birmingham | 5 ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Brass Lancashire | 5 ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Cascadero | 5 ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Cthulhu Wars | 4 |
Dominant Species | 1 |
Escape: Curse of the Temple | 2 |
Evolution | 0 |
Feudum | 0 |
Food Chain Magnate | 5 ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Glory to Rome | 5 ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Imperial/Imperial 2023 | 5 ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Impulse | 1 |
Irish Gauge | 1 |
MarraCash | 2 |
Nokosu Dice | 6 ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pax Renaissance | 10 ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pax Transhumanity | 4 |
Ride the Rails | 1 |
Stephensons Rocket | 4 |
Through the Twenty Ages - app plays included because…
8/10
Abandoned 10 plays of Huang - 3/10
MicroMacro Challenge - 1/4 done
Original- Full House - in progress
- All-In
- Showdown
- Bonus Box
NOTES: Lagging behind. Abandoned Huang as I’m happy not owning either T&E nor Huang
August Results
10 X 10 Challenge
Game | Month | Total | Status |
---|---|---|---|
The Lord of the Rings Adventure Book Game | 18 | [18/10] | |
Race for the Galaxy | 2 | [4/10] | |
Black Angel | - | [3.9/10] | |
Arkham Horror: The Card Game | - | [1/10] | |
Concordia | - | [2/10] | |
Terraforming Mars | - | [1/10] | |
Imperium: Classics | - | [1/10] | |
Total | 12 | 22.9 |
Best month yet for the 10x10. Not sure I’m ever going to make it through The Mines of Moria or this challenge though.
Opportunity 50 x 2 Challenge
Game | Month | Total | Status |
---|---|---|---|
Android: Mainframe | - | [2/2] | ![]() |
Arkham Horror: The Card Game | - | [1/2] | |
Au Griffon fonffon | 1 | [1/2] | |
Black Angel | - | [3.9/2] | ![]() |
Concordia | - | [2/2] | ![]() |
Elevenses | - | [1/2] | |
For Northwood! A Solo Trick-Taking Game | - | [2/2] | ![]() |
The Gardens | - | [4/2] | ![]() |
Give it to the King! | - | [1/2] | SOLD |
The Hunger | - | [2/2] | ![]() |
Imperium: Classics | - | [1/2] | |
Keyforge Adventures: Fall of the House Gormangeist | - | [2/2] | ![]() |
The Lord of the Rings Adventure Book Game | 18 | [18/2] | ![]() |
Lost Ruins of Arnak | - | [1/2] | |
Mint Works | - | [2/2] | ![]() |
Mykerinos | - | [2/2] | ![]() |
Oh My Goods!: Longsdale in Revolt | - | [2/2] | ![]() |
Queendomino | - | [1/2] | |
Race for the Galaxy | 1 | [3/2] | ![]() |
Race for the Galaxy - The Gathering Storm expansion | 1 | [1/2] | |
搜索 (Scout - One More Game! Edition) | - | [2/2] | ![]() |
Sprawlopolis - Points of Interest expansion | - | [2/2] | ![]() |
Sprawlopolis - Wrecktar expansion) | - | [2/2] | ![]() |
Under Falling Skies | - | [2/2] | ![]() |
Villages of Valeria | - | [1/2] | |
Progress | 40% |
One foot in front of the other.
KeyForge Grim WoE 100 Challenge
Set | Deck | Month | Total |
---|---|---|---|
WoE | Alarming “Megavolt” Hayk | 6 | 6 |
WoE | Finally Educated Órækja | - | 8 |
WoE | Poole of Saliseat | - | 9 |
WoE | Rumpleadder, the “Protector” of Curses | - | 2 |
WoE | [deck name redacted] | - | 6 |
GR | Arrowshadow, Spawn of Superval | - | 17 |
GR | Bourdet, Mauallan’s Conqueror | - | 4 |
GR | Gasga, the Cobbler of the Tower | - | 9 |
GR | LumiluLibrarian, the “Traitor” of the Past | - | 3 |
GR | Nextikaod, the Footman of The South | 1 | 3 |
GR | Saint-Germain of Saurtonne | - | 1 |
Progress | 11 of 31 decks played | [68/100] plays |
“Megavolt” into action, quite a fun deck.
Netrunner 15 Challenge
[6/15]
Startup decks rebuilt for Rebellion Without Rehersal and back into the fray.
Tekeli 20 Challenge
[8/20]
Points for crowdfunding and Carcassonne.
Have a scintillating September of gaming everyone!