Ludocracy Now

So even though I’ve whittled my collection down to 60 games (Sorry, Annie, I accepted an offer on Hannibal that I couldn’t refuse), I still have 16 that are unplayed.  That is unconscionable.  I’m not sure all of these will survive further consolidation but I wanted to see if these games have fans out there who can convince me to keep them around.

Games I Will Most Definitely Keep and Play ASAP

Vanuatu - When a game has a modular hex board and is described as “brutal,” one can be sure that I will snatch it up.  The playing time isn’t too bad but it has been rare for me to find more than two opponents as of late.  I can give this a 9/10 on the “I will play it” scale.  Plus, the box got all torn up that I doubt it will fetch much of a resale price.

Lowenherz - Another game with a modular board and a reputation for being “brutal.”  I’ve read the rules to this one twice in anticipation for plays and it involves ducats so I know Erik will be willing.  9/10 on the play scale.

Games I Will Probably Play and are Consequently Worth Keeping

Tigris & Euphrates - An absolute classic that contains quite a few of my favorite game mechanisms: modular board, shared (or ambiguous ownership of) game assets, ziggurats.  This could quickly become a Ludocracy staple, but there are a few games waiting in line for the player count of four. 8/10 on the play scale.

Ra - Knizia hits the list again with his auction game about the sun god.  I’ve heard good things, I like auctions and the game has prescribed shouting. And I think it’s ok with three?  That gives it a solid 8/10.

A Game of Thrones: The Board Game - Time is the biggest barrier for getting this some air time.  Time, and table space.  With the weather turning, it may be possible to convince five friends to stay in and backstab each other for hours.  Annie loves the series, I don’t think anyone else is familiar with it.  I predict that this gets to the table, but we only play a half game.  And then I resell it.  Or not!  7/10.

Indonesia - This is actually more of a “I will probably play it and probably not keep it” since a friend owns it and, if I play it, it will be with him.  I did spend two hours reading BGG session reports of this game and I still have a lingering feeling of intrigue toward it.  It can play three players, but it’s a long game.  Describing it as “mergers & acquisitions” might help it, though.  7/10.

Brass - Just got a shrink wrapped copy of this for trade (Goodbye forever, Ora & Labora!) and I think that if I just master the rules I could get this played.  Again, this suffers from the fact that it’s four player which is a too-rare player count for our group and too-common player count for games higher on this list.  6/10.

Goa, Imperial, Louis XIV - 6/10.  All were donated in a future purge, Sept 2012

Games I Probably Won’t Play but are Not (Yet) On the Chopping Block

Die Macher - Long, insane, but I’ve heard relatively straight forward.  I can’t part with this one because it has square tomatoes.  1/10 on the play scale.

Java - Modular hex board.  3/10 on the play scale.  Gone in the great purge of Sept 2012

A Game of Thrones: The Card Game - The collector in me bought this right after watching the entire first season in nearly one sitting.  It could actually get played, but, yeah,  it’s a four player card game so it probably won’t.  4/10.

Games on Their Way Out

Manifest Destiny - First off, I don’t know why I own a game with a title that evokes genocide but I do.  It’s also apparently five hours long?  Why was this on my wishlist again?  0.5/10

Macao - Ugh, let’s just play Burgundy. 0/10.

Wars of the Roses: Lancaster vs York - I do want to play this game but my table is too small.  It’s been in three sales of mine and no one else wants to play it either. 1/10.  Left the collection Sept 2012

Moral of the Story

I now know that I could probably survive on a game collection of twenty games (idea for a future post?), but perhaps it took me ballooning my collection to over 100 to realize it.  Buying new games is fun, I get it, and I bet I will buy anything Summoner Wars related but I think, and, don’t quote me on this, that I’m pretty much good for now and have inoculated myself against hype.

What does this mean for Ludocracy Now!?  Nothing, really, I basically play the same ten games over and over anyway.  Just expect me to achieve even better insight into those ten games and share the fruits of my knowledge with you.

Now my words to you: Stop buying games, start playing them.  And tell me all about it.  You too could be a Ludocracy Now! satellite blog!