Top 5 Additions to my Board Game Collection in 2014

We have truly entered a Golden Age of board gaming, and I try not to be too much of a hipster in noting that I've been heavily into hobby board games since "before it was cool" in the US, around 2007.  But I'm super excited about the spread of our hobby into the mainstream, from Ben's design of the "Cones of Dunshire" on Parks and Recreation - a disturbingly accurate parody of overly complicated board games that any hardcore gamer can appreciate - to every new appearance of a good, non-Monopoly game on the shelves of Target or Wal-Mart.  For every game that penetrates into the general public consciousness, though, there are hundreds released in the hobby realm, and gamers can be overwhelmed by the sheer number of options.  For me, I try to pick and choose my acquisitions, focusing on overlooked classics as well as the "new hotness," and make every effort to maintain close to a "zero sum" collection, trading or selling old games as new ones find their way in.   I don't have the time, space, or gaming budget for a stack of never-played games.  Given those parameters, I present my top 5 new board game acquisitions in 2014, which I expect have found a permanent home in my collection and hope to bring them to the table time and again.

 

5. The Manhattan Project
Worker placement games, in which you generically have "dudes" that you put in spaces to get "stuff" in order to work towards certain goals, can often suffer from relatively boring themes.  Manhattan Project scores points for uniqueness by having players compete to build atomic bombs.  It's also very accessible, not overly dense like some WP games can trend toward.  Use engineers, scientists, and laborers, as well as spots on both a common board and your own board, to gather resources and work towards developing Fat Man and the like.  You can use spies to co-opt other players' spaces for your own use and bomb their buildings to hinder their progress.  Excellent graphic design a bit reminiscent of my beloved Fallout video games and gameplay that starts a bit slow but escalates quickly, just like the real nuclear arms race. 

 

4. Tie: The Resistance and Coup
These tie because I wanted to include them both on the list and involve similar mechanics but are for different numbers of players.  The Resistance, for 5-10 players, has definitely seen the most play of anything this year.  It's a quick, quasi-party social deduction game in which players are secretly divided into two teams - the Resistance and spies.  The spies get to know who each other are, but the Resistance members have no clue as to anyone's identity.  Over a series of up to five missions, players are chosen to participate on each, and everyone votes on whether a good team has been selected.  Then the chosen mission members secretly vote if the mission succeeds or fails (Resistance members must vote success, spies can choose).  Almost all of the game is in the "meta game," trying to deduce who's who and using bluffing and misdirection to hide your true identity if you're a spy.  It's interesting for the varied reactions it produces among groups - my friends in Kansas tried to game out all the different probabilities and possibilities, while my girlfriend's family basically devolved into yelling at each other - but everyone has a good time.  Another version is Resistance: Avalon, which in Arthurian themed and adds Merlin, a good guy who knows who the bad guys are, but if the good guys win the baddies get a chance to assassinate Merlin, and win instead if they are successful - so Merlin has to be very careful and oblique as to how he uses his knowledge.  (If King Arthur isn't for you, plain Resistance could easily add this element by labeling one of the Resistance cards a "double agent" or some such.)

 

Coup is another quick social deduction game set in the same thematic universe of the Resistance but for 2-6 players.  Each player gets two character cards and the goal is simply to be the last person in the game with character cards remaining.  On your turn you do one action, which might involve actions specific to certain characters.  But because your characters are hidden and there are 3 of each character in the deck, you can bluff about which characters you have.  It's then up to the other players to call BS on you or not; if they catch you lying you lose a character, if you were telling the truth they lose one.  Characters are also lost through assassinations and the titular coup if you build up enough coins to pay for one.  Easy, plays in minutes, and rewards those with the best poker faces and deductive prowess.

 

3. Telestrations
Telestrations is the best new party game I've played in years - as high in humor potential as Cards Against Humanity and unlike that, it can be played with anyone.  Simply put, it's the classic "telephone" game but with drawing.  You have a flipbook and dry erase marker.  Pick a word and draw it.  Then pass your book to the next person, who has to guess what you drew.  Then they pass it to the next person, who must draw their guess.  Continue around until you get your own book back, and laugh at how messed up the drawings got.  Repeat.  I've played this several times and never actually kept score - like the best party games, its fun comes simply from the activity of doing it.  Given that this game could technically be played with pen and paper, it also has a very nice presentation that makes it worth the money; the flipbooks are very well constructed and should help to provide your friends and family with plenty of laughs for years to come (though you might need to replenish the marker supply).  (And for those adults out there, there's always the possibility of using CAH cards in Telestrations...)

 

2. Chinatown
OK, this is a bit of a cheat as I just got my copy and haven't played it yet (hoping to fix that the day after I'm writing this), but I played it a couple years ago and immediately wanted a copy.  Unfortunately I couldn't get one as it was out of print at the time and used copies were going for upwards of a Benjamin.  This fall Z-Man Games strangely came through with what must have been a stealth, limited reprint, because new copies appeared in online stores at a great price and I just happened to check on it one day, snagging one before they all disappeared again (meaning I could probably sell my copy for a juicy profit if I really wanted to).  Chinatown is as close to a pure negotiating game that I've played.  Each player receives a set of lots on the game board representing Chinatown, and tiles representing businesses that could go in those lots, like laundromats or restaurants.  The goal is to have ownership over businesses that are connected and several tiles large, as that gives you big money bonuses at the end of each round.  You construct those tiles through trading "anything and everything" with other players - lots, tiles, money, and whatever else you can think of - choice of restaurant for post-game dinner, maybe?  The simple rules enable a very cutthroat, entertaining game, and I can't wait to subject my friends to it.

 

1. Suburbia
I reviewed Suburbia in-depth after I first played it in 2013, so be sure to check that out for more detail, and added it to my collection this year after a new print run.  For me it still holds up as "SimCity on a board" after several plays.  I love all the different tiles - there are enough that you get a slightly different set every game - and trying to balance out your income and population growth as your city expands and becomes less efficient.  I do need to focus more on the common goals, however, as trying to brute force my way to victory while largely ignoring them has gotten me skunked two games in a row.  But that's all part of the learning process, and I anticipate many more games of Suburbia in my future as a city planner.

Bonus pic: Maria (the purple marker) pointing out that she completely demolished me in a recent game of Suburbia.  Happy gaming!

The Top 11 Video Games I Played in 2014

No long-winded intro this year, if you're actually reading this you know the drill, so let's get started:

11. Hotline Miami
One of the first games I played in 2014 and I already knew at that point this game would likely be my "indie darling" of the year.  As is well-documented, I loathe stealth games, but by boiling stealth down to its purest form, complemented with an infinite number of lives and super-fast respawns, Hotline Miami turns stealth into a tactical puzzle game that is intensely satisfying.  Simply figure out how to take out all the thugs on a floor without getting hit once, using punches, foot stomps, and a variety of melee weapons and guns, then proceed to the next challenge.  The top-down retro graphics are colorful and truly evoke the '80s vibe.  And then there's the completely awesome, thumpin' soundtrack, which solely inspired me to take a chance on this game in the first place.  That I really enjoyed the gameplay was the icing on the cake.

10.  Bully
The first Rockstar game I've ever played to completion (actually, only the second I've ever played, after a brief dalliance with GTA3).  Bully's unique premise sets you up as the new kid in a boarding school full of the usual cliques - nerds, preps, greasers, and jocks.  Your quest is, of course, to interact with these groups and work your way up the social ladder to become the kingpin of Bulworth Academy.  The open-world GTA style of gameplay translates really well to this setting, offering you freedom of choice to attend classes, take on missions for the different groups, explore the town, buy new threads, play arcade games, get a part-time job, and a plethora of other activities.  And while there's violence, it's all kept completely nonlethal, which is a nice change from the norm in video games.  Now if Rockstar would only make a sequel, or better yet, get handed the reins on the Harry Potter / Hogwarts game that should have always been made (a pipe dream, I know).

9. Ys: Origin
I also dived into the Ys series for the first time this year with this PC prequel.  This classic series of action JPRGs is perhaps best described as old-school Zelda style but with most of the puzzle solving stripped out and the combat ramped up to 11.  In other words, right up my alley.  The lack of portable healing items particularly makes for an interesting challenge, though it can be lessened somewhat through level grinding (but it's not too necessary or monotonous).  The action is frantic with nary a slowdown, the boss battles are creative and epic, and the J-rock soundtrack really gets your blood pumping.  Based on Origin, I'm looking forward to trying my hand at more games in the Ys universe.

8. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
This game deserves its due as the only output of 38 Studios before a variety of factors doomed its lofty ambitions.  It's an open-world fantasy adventure that was definitely overshadowed by Skyrim.  And while the Elder Scrolls game surpasses KoA in crafting an interesting, detailed world and fairly engaging story, I found myself consistently returning to Amalur.  I appreciated the colorful, cartoonish look of the graphics, and the game ran flawlessly on my not-too-powerful PC.  The third-person combat was infinitely better than anything that an Elder Scrolls game has ever offered, with many options for variety - I enjoyed being a big, bulky dude who could swing a massive hammer but also roll around and throw magical chakrams.  Having a massive world to explore is great, but can come up short if the mechanics of what you do there fall flat.  If 38 Studios could have improved on its storytelling, it could have been on the trail of something truly remarkable.  It's too bad it'll never have that chance.

7. Civilization 5
I was a latecomer to Civ 5, mainly because I enjoyed Civ 4 so much it seemed unlikely that Firaxis could improve on it to an extent that would make an upgrade worthwhile.  But I eventually picked up Civ 5 on the cheap in a Sid Meier bundle, and now I see what all the hype was about.  The streamlining of Civ's myriad systems in this version is truly impressive, and the easy flow of play is such that I understand how it was able to draw in so many new players to this series.  Changing the map to hexes instead of squares and disallowing unit-stacking also introduce tactical options to combat that kept it fresh and engaging.  Very specific social policies allow for more customization than religions and governments did, and the sheer number of included civilizations to try out will keep me coming back to this updated classic for some time.

6. Mario Kart 8
After missing the last couple entries in this venerable franchise, I'm strapped back in for the Wii U version.  I hear MK Wii was disappointing, but 8 does feel like a great step forward for a series that can be a little too iterative.  The tracks are truly inventive, with underwater, antigravity, and gliding sections to keep things interesting, and some of the redone classic tracks are very well done, including a new version of the SNES Rainbow Road - the only true Rainbow Road in my opinion - that almost lives up to the white-knuckle intensity of the original.  Everything looks superb and the game runs great right out of the box, which seems to be an increasingly rare trait of triple-A games in 2014.  There are even hints that MK could be going in the Smash Brothers direction, with the addition of Link, an F-Zero track, and pieces from other franchises being introduced in DLC.  It's still Mario Kart, meaning you still have to deal with item-based rubber-banding that seems downright unfair, and they basically ruined the battle mode by placing it on regular tracks instead of open arenas (this move is completely inexplicable).  But there's no denying my girlfriend and I have had a blast with Mario Kart 8, including challenging others online...and generally finishing in the middle of the pack.  Always room for improvement.

5. The Secret World
I've long been fairly intrigued by MMOs, but never took the plunge to pay a monthly subscription to play one.  I dabbled in free-to-play MMOs but they never grabbed me all that much.  Finally I was absorbed into The Secret World, which I got on sale for $10 and doesn't require a monthly subscription.  It has a fairly unique setting, especially for an MMO, in the modern, "real" world except that every conspiracy theory you can possibly imagine is true and secret societies such as the Templars and Illuminati fight both each other and supernatural threats to human existence.  I sunk 60 hours into TSW and didn't even make it out of the first of three large areas, a Lovecraftian-inspired New England town.  The combat is fairly deep (much more than click-click-click) and the mission variety kept me involved; especially appreciated were the Investigation missions that required actual Internet research to solve.  Character customization is almost limitless but unfortunately fairly obtuse as a result.  Hopefully someday I'll give it some more of my precious gaming time, but I enjoyed what journey I did undertake in The Secret World.

4. Super Mario 3D World
I've mostly fallen out of the Mario games of late owing to not possessing a Wii or 3DS, but the addition of a Wii U to my gaming lineup made my decision to go with a Mario game as a pack-in a no-brainer.  3D World doesn't quite reach the amazing heights of Mario 64 (I plan to go back and visit the Galaxy games in the near future), but it does feature expert and creative level design that keeps you wanting to see what the game's gonna throw at you next.  The graphics are crisp and colorful and the Mario Big Band soundtrack is quite fitting.  Multiplayer works well and isn't too chaotic, and the presence of another human actually does help in getting some of the more hard-to-reach stars.  The sheer number of levels present is astounding, and unlocking them all presents a challenge to even the most seasoned platformer (in other words, I'm not there yet).

3. Bioshock Infinite: Burial at Sea
I'm not huge on most DLC packs, but it should come as no surprise that I'd eagerly want to return to Rapture in this follow-up to my favorite game of 2013.  The long-awaited opportunity to explore the underwater city "before the fall" in the first part of this pack lived up to expectations, and the shift in combat styles in the second half brought a fresh twist to the shooty-shooty gameplay.  It may have been stealthy, but it was stealth that I could handle and appreciated.  The story wraps up in a neat way (some might argue almost too neat), but if this is the last we ever see of the Bioshock multiverse, it was a great way to go out.

2. Wasteland 2
I never played the original Wasteland and would probably find it difficult to go back to that 1980s progenitor of post-apocalyptic PC RPGs.  But I love the Fallout series that took its inspiration from Wasteland, and eagerly anticipated the true sequel to the granddaddy of them all.  It didn't disappoint.  It took me a few hours to really get into, but eventually I was hooked, guiding my team of Desert Rangers around the wastelands of Arizona and California, doling out justice as I see fit.  It's very well written, though maybe doesn't quite reach the highs of Fallout: New Vegas.  The XCOM-style turn-based combat is engaging and addicting, with just enough variety to give you options without being overwhelming.  I'm super glad that Wasteland 2 appears to be at the forefront of a new era of "classic style" PC RPGs, with more on the way in 2015.  If this game is any indication, some of those will be appearing on my list in a year.

1. Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
This game basically single-handedly justified my purchase of a PSP.  Take the gameplay of Final Fantasy Tactics, one of the greatest strategy RPGs ever, and overlay the theme, classes, and music of Tactics Ogre / Ogre Battle (an underappreciated gem on the Super NES).  That's Tactics Ogre, and I gleefully poured dozens of hours into its addicting battles, deep character growth, and a story complex enough for Game of Thrones fans to appreciate.  This might be a short entry, but there's really not that much else to say about it, other than the music is truly awesome, featuring new arrangements of classic Ogre Battle tunes, including the following, probably my favorite, known in the original game as "Santa's Coming" (which should be subtitled "to kick your ass!").  Merry Christmas!

White Storm from Tactics Ogre PSP

Life at 33 - The Difference of a Year

I'm not one to blog about personal matters that often, or generally put them out there in cyberspace for the whole word to digest.  But I've had a bit of an eventful year, and the occasion of my 33rd birthday on July 26 seemed a proper time for some reflection and sharing.  This story is still moving forward, but I want to share in the hope it might offer a bit of evidence to all those thirty-somethings out there - who are fast approaching potential mid-life crisis age - that it's always possible to turn your life around and find a new direction.

I went through a divorce last year.  I won't get into the details; I'll just say that in the end it was the best decision for both of us.  But that doesn't mean it was easy or didn't hurt tremendously.  As a natural consequence we also had to get rid of our house, though fortunately that process was not as painful as it might have been.  I was able to find a pretty good apartment for myself, but the idea of restarting my life alone in Albuquerque was still a tough one to swallow.

June 2013

Though there would still be some hurdles to overcome, I tried not to let my newfound single status prevent me from moving on with my life.  One decision that I made at about the same time my marriage was ending was to lose weight.  I've never been morbidly obese, but have been slightly chunky for as long as I can remember, except for my year in Germany, when months of walking kilometers and eating not-overly processed food made me look severely undersized in most of my clothes (being introduced to Wisconsin bratwurst and beer took care of that issue depressingly quickly).  However last summer a couple influences inspired me to get serious about shedding some pounds.  First was my friend David, who had lost a good chunk of weight himself and was looking great.  I asked him how he did it and it really didn't seem that difficult, and I figured if he can do it, why not me?  Second was the tragic death of video game journalist and one of my favorite podcasters, Ryan Davis, at 34.  It was not made publicly known how Ryan died other than "natural causes," and it's obviously not my business, but he was a pretty big fella, and it stands to reason that his weight may have played a role in his untimely passing.  I don't think I'm the only nerd who was motivated to make something positive out of Ryan's tragedy and take greater control of their lives.  Wherever he is, I hope he knows he continues to inspire gamers everywhere.

July 2014

Beyond that, I think I really just saw it as something to focus on as I was going through some tough times.  I got a scale and became pretty obsessive about weighing myself, almost every day.  I also became very diet-conscious, reduced portions, cut out unhealthy snacks and soda, and counted calories and fat (though not religiously - didn't keep a food journal or anything, mainly just watched what I bought in the store).  I started walking even more than I usually do.  And that's really about it.  Slowly but surely the pounds started coming off.  I don't want to make it sound like it was easy, because I know that losing weight is something that many, many people work very hard at and struggle with.  I guess I'm just saying I didn't have some magic secret, I just kept at it.  A year later, I'm down about 40 pounds and am maintaining a very healthy weight.  I had a wellness checkup yesterday that pegged my BMI at a healthy 22.2, by far the lowest I ever remember it.  Back in the embarrassing days of taking it in gym class it was always somewhere in the 30s.  Thankfully those days are history.  I'm certainly no muscle-y cut dude - that would require more effort than I'm probably willing to put in - but I've never felt better about how I look.

In addition to losing weight, I also kept busy by beginning an online Doctor of Public Administration degree through Valdosta State University in Georgia last August.  My academic career has had a lot of twists and turns, but I settled on this program - through a real brick-and-mortar school rather than a for-profit diploma mill - as a good way to achieve my long-held goal of obtaining a doctorate (which I fully intend to be my terminal degree), while still being able to work my full-time job.  Three semesters later, it has been a lot of work, but I am making good progress towards that end.  If everything goes according to plan, I'll finish classes next spring and my dissertation in the spring of 2016, thus crowning me Dr. Miner, DPA.  Where I'll go with my career after that is anyone's guess, but I'm excited to be within reach of a top-level, quality degree.  I'm also looking forward to traveling back to Valdosta in August to reconnect with my classmates whom I've largely only known through online discussions this past year.

Despite these positive developments, I was pretty lonely in Albuquerque and remained set on leaving, given that I wasn't exactly attached here other than my job in Santa Fe (which I almost moved to, but decided to stay in ABQ due to lower cost-of-living and just being better established there).  For that to happen, though, I needed a job.  This spring I applied to several in locations like Kansas City and even Washington, D.C.  Nothing really panned out - the only one that came close was a job with the Federal Reserve in KC, which I had two phone interviews for, but didn't get the call to come in person.  I was bummed about that, and momentum died when nothing else came to fruition and I got really busy with my summer semester.  I was frustrated but figured I would try again this fall.

Then something completely unexpected happened.  I went to a meetup house party with a couple friends of mine.  At this party was a rather attractive young woman named Maria.  I remember introducing myself but stupidly not talking to her much after that.  Then, late in the night, a group went to the dance floor for one last set and got me to join them.  Over the course of a few dances, Maria and I just kinda started dancing with each other.  Afterward I told her she was a good dancer, but fortunately that wasn't it - a short time later my friend Manny told Maria she should ask me to dance.  She did, and I readily accepted, and it was great.  We struck up a conversation afterward, swapped numbers, and agreed to hang out.  We had our first date on July 4 - dinner at Cheddar's and walking around my neighborhood looking at fireworks being shot off.  We've been seeing each other pretty regularly ever since - watching movies, going contra dancing, cooking together, playing board games, etc.  She's even picking up some German, and I've promised to finally attempt to learn some Spanish in return.  She is incredibly nice and supportive, and inspires me to work to better myself.  I feel really lucky to have met her - she almost didn't go to the party, and I almost left before we danced.  Things just seem to have worked out, and we just recently declared our "official" boyfriend/girlfriend status (though it feels rather lame to be using those terms in my 30s, the English language doesn't seem to provide anything better).  I'm excited to spend more time with her and see where things go between us; I knew she was a keeper when I told her we could do whatever she wanted and her reply was "I want to play another board game with you."  Suffice to say, my plans to leave Albuquerque are on hold.  A slightly better civil servant job in God-knows-where can wait.

Celebrating my 33rd birthday with Maria at the Fox and Hound

So compared to where my life was a year ago, it's hard to believe how much has changed.  There were some tough times to be sure, but things have really seem to have turned a corner.  I don't mean this to be some grand inspirational Lifetime movie of the week or whatever, but I just felt it was a good time to share my experiences of the past year in case people may have been wondering.  Know that I am doing well and if you've taken anything away from my story, then I'd feel this wordy narrative was worth the effort.

Congratulations for having made it this far, now it's time for the shameless plug!  As a sort-of culmination to the past year of events, I've committed to taking part in Extra Life 2014 on October 25.  This is something I've wanted to do for years but never did - but this year I'm all-in.  Extra Life is a nationwide 24-hour gaming marathon organized by the Child's Play charitable foundation to benefit Children's Miracle Network hospitals across the country.  As a young lad I spent a great deal of time at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City due to my eye conditions, and while I don't remember the details, I know that me and my family were also helped by organizations like the Ronald McDonald House and the local Lions Club.  I guess I see this as a way to give back for all the care I received, while also getting to engage in my favorite hobby at the same time.

It's really simple.  Basically I - and everyone else participating in the event - play games for as long as we can manage on the 25th.  Any kind of games are viable - board, card, video, etc. - and as a devotee of all three I plan to mix things up as much as I can, and am definitely challenging myself to last the entire 24 hours.  For the kids.  Anybody that wants to donate can do so at any time up to and including on the 25th, for any amount they choose.  On the big day I'll be posting updates and pictures about what I'm playing and how my fundraising is going, and if I'm really ambitious will attempt to livestream some video game playing, including taking game requests for small donations.  All donations that I receive are tax-deductible and will 100% benefit the University of New Mexico Children's Hospital in Albuquerque.  I'm really looking forward to the event.  Gaming for a good cause - how could I not be?

If you'd like to learn more about Extra Life, you can do so at www.extra-life.org.  If you'd like to make a donation, please do so through my fundraising page here.  Thanks for your support and for reading this lengthy post.  All the best to you and yours.