Holiday boardgames

 

Since we were all home for a couple of weeks over the Xmas break, we took the opportunity to fit in a few boardgames.  My wife isn't the keenest gamer but even she agreed it was nice to be doing something that all 3 of us took part in for a change.  The common theme to all of these games is that I was soundly gubbed in each one!

First up was Carcassone with the addition of the Inns and Cathedrals set which was a xmas pressie from my son.  For some reason I didn't get enough meeples out on the board which is a fairly crucial tactic (!).  My son is a bit of a master of making the most of placing farmers: these only score at the end of the game but can reap (pun intended) pretty high scores.  And I came last...

 

Next up, my son and I had another game of the rather lovely White Castle boardgame.  I posted about it recently... it's a very nice worker placement type game.  In our last game we both seemed to quickly build up an 'engine' where one action generates several follow on actions automatically, but in this game for some reason, it didn't quite gel in the same way... I guess due to dice scores which determine actions.  Still great fun and, like Carcassone,  a game with a definite end point.  And I came last...

Kingmaker... optional rule, eat a Celebration whenever plague strikes!

Last up was a game of Kingmaker (the new edition which came out in 2023 (nearly said 'last year' but managed to stop myself in time!).  We've played a lot of 'old' Kingmaker and several games of the newer version but my wife hadn't tried KMII

In KM II the game can be won by accruing Prestige points as well as the traditional "kill all the other Royals" approach and initially I'd shot into the lead by seizing Henry VI but in the space of 2 turns the Event Cards struck and, I'd lost my most powerful noble to an outbreqk of plague in Oxford, and then Henry was summoned to Ravenspur to meet an emissary from the Emperor where he was jumped by a gang of my son's nobles, plunging me back into last place.  

My wife nearly ruined my sons schemes by capturing York, crowning a Yorkist as a rival, and lowering my sons Prestige points at a stroke.  Sadly the Event Cards struck again and he seize was delayed by bad weather, allowing my son's Northern heavies to sweep down and disperse their rivals and giving him the victory.  Great fun and very dynamic.  

And I came last...