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"Hase und Igel"
("Tortoise and Hare")
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Manufacturer: Ravensburger
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Number of Players: 2 to 6
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Complexity: Low
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Average Time: 1H
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Synopsis: This game was originally sold in England and then
in Germany. In spite of the subject matter, this is not a children's game.
The premise of the game is based on the fable of the Tortoise and the Hare
(or the Hare and the Hedgehog in Europe). To move around the board you must
chew carrots. Carrot use is exponential with the number of spaces you want to
move, so you never seem to have enough carrots on hand. You can earn more carrots
in various ways, including moving backwards. A great game with a lot of difficult
decisions. Very little is left to luck. This was Germany's very first
"Game of the Year" back in 1979.
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"Heimlich & Co."
("Under Cover")
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Manufacturer: Ravensburger
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Number of Players: 2 to 6
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Complexity: Low
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Average Time: 1H
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Synopsis: A very elementary bluffing game. Players are different colored "secret agents",
and only the player himself knows what color he represents. On your turn you can move any of the secret
agents on the board to different buildings which are worth varying points. If a secret agent happens to land
on the "Secret Case File" then all secret agents score the points for the building they are currently occupying.
The trick here is to move your secret agent so that it scores well without making it obvious which one is yours.
A very light game, but still fun. It makes a great filler. This was Germany's "Game of the Year" in 1986.
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"History of the World"
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Manufacturer: Avalon Hill
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Number of Players: 2 to 6
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Complexity: High
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Average Time: 3 - 4H
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Synopsis: Risk type of "take over the world" game, except players vie for
the most points instead of taking over the world. The game is played in several
"epochs" (rounds) in which a player gets an historical civilization. He then
places that civilization's armies on the map, possibly battling other player's
armies that are in his way. Points are scored for all of a player's armies on
the map (even ones from previous epochs) so the object is to establish
civilizations that will stand the test of time. A very clever game.
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"Honeybears"
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Manufacturer: Piatnik
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Number of Players: 2 to 4
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Complexity: Low
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Average Time: 20 - 30M
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Synopsis: A silly game about bears racing to a cave full of honey. You use cards to make different
colored bears walk or run. When one of the bears reaches the cave the game is over. The problem is that everyone then
scores points for the cards that they have left in their hands that correspond to the position of the different colored
bears; the closer the bear is to the cave, the more points he's worth. So, if you use all of your red cards to make the
red bear move closer to the cave the scoring round will find you with very few red cards in your hand. A fun game with
with the right crowd. Very light, but still quite enjoyable.
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"Honor of the Samurai"
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Manufacturer: Gamewright
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Number of Players: 3 to 6
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Complexity: Medium
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Average Time: 1H
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Synopsis: This game has you running two "houses", one of a Samurai and the other of his Daimyo.
In the game you compete against other players to gain Honor. You can do this by attacking other players or forming
alliances with players in order to gang up on other players. Having certain possesions will also gain you Honor. You
can employ Ninjas to steal possesions from other players or even assasinate their Daimyos. A good game with strong
play. It also has some of the nicest artwork you will ever see in a game.
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"Hornochsen"
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Manufacturer: Amigo
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Number of Players: 2 to 6
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Complexity: Low
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Average Time: 20 - 30M
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Synopsis: A distant cousin to "Take 6" ("6 Nimmt"). On your turn you can play from 1 to
3 cards on a tableau. Cards must be played in ascending order and if you play the fifth card on a row you
take the row. However, some cards are worth positive points (1 or 2 green bullheads) but many are worth
negative points (1 to 7 red bullheads). You have to try to figure out how to take a row full of positive
points without getting stuck with too many negative points. Bonus cards allow you to add 5 points to your
score or multiply it by 2...positive or negative! A good game with much more strategy than "Take 6".
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