Game Night logs for August 2001

Before we get into Saturday Game Night, I must post a note about Friday's Mini Game night

We decided to play a quick game and a cigar (cloves for Jen) (extra booze for Prich) before we watched "The Mexican". The game was Danger, we played it again on Saturday, I would say everyone likes the game, it's very simple but not too simple, it's a bit too luck-based to make it past being a filler-game, but goon, none the less. Everyone loved "The Mexican", I think would have made it in my top ten list from the past year or so. Other movies on my list, O' Brother Where Art Thou?, Dude, Where's My Car and Gladiator.

I'll send out a small synopsis of game night, and Ed can post the scores. I can tell you it started with many people, but the kids took their toll on the parents and by the time Pete and Michelle came over, there was just me and the full 'Martindale Contingency'. The drink of the night was the MOJO-JOJO which Pete liked "very much". To much I think the rest of us would say. (Suffice it to say that the MOJO-JOJO comes in a large glass with a whole banana and Pete ate the banana with the flare of a spear fisherman!)

We played "DANGER" or something like that. It is simple, easy to learn and not demanding. Great low key game. The game reminds me of those 70s game shows where you try to get the closest to 15 without actually going over. When you do, every goes "wa-wa-wa-waaaaaaah". There are four colors and if you are not the lowest total (or busted) in each of the colors, you score their total. A perfect score for a round would be four colors of 15 points each, or sixty. Most high scores are in the upper thirties. You play one round per player and add 'em up. Note: Do NOT through your cards into the reshuffle desk until Ed writes down your (or his) score! Ok, two side notes: 1. yes, I was the one that screwed up, we should have used poker chips, I was keeping score and didn't log my score first. Jen thought I was done and racked my cards. I took 30 because I had three valid rows, but that said, I don't think I would have beat Ray, I would have needed an extra 10 points. 2. I would give Jen the win, because she didn't get to play the first round and she was still only 18 points away from Ray.

Danger Winner Ray 169 - Ed 160 - Jen 151 - Pete 138 - John P. 130 - Michelle 105

We also played "Limit", which I call "The contest not to end up with a score less than zero" game. It's actually like a card game version of Liar's Dice. You have to remember what is played and how big the risk is of guessing. Get it right, 1 point. Get it wrong, -2 points!!!!! I think I like this better than Liar's Dice, because you have a tad more control. It would be a little easier without booze, but not as fun!

Limits Winner Tie John P./Michelle/Pete 1 - Ed 0 - John M. -3 - Ray -8
Limits Winner John P. 1 - Michelle/Ray 0 - Ed -1 - Pete -2 - John M. -5

Ed and Prich and I then finished up with a game of Condottiere, which found Ed with 5 "10" cards in the last round. He won.

Well, what started as a memo ended up as a missive. I was just going to say that I plan on attending the "annual video games auction" at the State Fair grounds on Saturday, September 8th. I hope that someone will go with me!!!

Mike and Christine were over, so I wanted to play something that Mike could play before they left. We had a great game of Cartagena. I think I have developed a perfect formula, attempt to draw two cards every turn. That way, when you are close to winning, and have 6-8 cards, you can make a run for the finish without getting stalled trying to take cards! One day I will win a game of Cartagena, I am just luring Ray in with a false sense of supremacy! What better way than coming in last every game?

I continue to love this 'Take 6' type card game. A similar type game, but it requires a completely different strategy. Pat and Jenny joined us, it was great to see them again. Like all new players to this game, they did not see the 'slap in the face' coming. That's when both players with a higher water level with you lower their total and suddenly your low 5 is the high water level. Shocking, but hilarious for the other players. I think it is better than Take 6, but it can only be played with 3-5 players, that makes Take 6 the better game in the long run.

I suggested this game because of its VAST stupidity, eh I mean simplicity. There is absolutely no theme to think of, just try to get your 4 colors close to 15 without going over or ending up with lowest point total (assuming that NO ONE goes over on that color). Well, invariably it is a miracle is a color completes without a bust. So mostly, you just stop whenever you get to 9 or higher. (Note, you can not stop if your in last place in a color). It is just so mindless, that you can play at 1am with lots of rum, and still win. What more could you ask for in a Tiki bar?

After the clans had finished their cook-out of meat and things. After the kids had wound down. After we shook off the weariness of the day. It was time for... fun.

We decided to try a new game first, and reached for Galloping Pigs because the rules were the shortest. So was the fun. The game was just too simple and too luck based to really be challenging. It was like candyland, each pig moved to the next available square when you played its color. If you moved any pig to the front, you got some slop. But it came down to who could move their pig to the front on the last card. If you could not, no points. What card would you need? Who knows. Suzanne ate the most slop.

Galloping Pigs Winner Suzanne 12 - Ed 6 - Ray 4 - Steve 0

This is a more complicated version of Banana Republic. You have 10 cards, 6 are money, one is a hit man, one a DA, and two reporters. You are bribing government branches for contracts to build things. Apparently your a corrupt union. After the first turn (there are 4), Pete was in front, I did not get a single contract. After turn two, Pete was WAY in front, I was "Johnny no shoes". Steve was ahead of me for almost last by one contract. So, whenever I tried to screw Pete (who I affectionately referred to a 'c*ck') I avoided hurting Steve. See the results? I am a dope.This game is too long to be fun. It just does not warrant 4 rounds. MAYBE 3.

Corruption Winner Steve 3.1mil - Jen 2.6mil - Ed 2.5mil - Pete 2.2mil - Michelle 1.8mil - Ray 1.5mil

I was thrilled to hear that Suzanne wanted to play Mississippi Queen. I love this game and it really is a great story. I went first, and picked up the first passenger. But I could not really get a good line on the second one, and after a few turns found Ed in front of me with both of his passengers already on board. So, I made a mad dash for the front. I out maneuvered Ed, and took the lead, but I still needed a second 'bitch'. (We determined our passengers were ladies of the evening, "Me love you long time Joe".) I positioned myself so that I was centered and ready to pick up my last passenger and still get out at least next to Ed, if not in front. (All this time, Pete had moved from almost last to right on Ed's heels). As a approached what would surely be a easy pickup, the roll was made and the next river tile was revealed. As I saw the turn my heart sank. What had been an easy left turn to victory. Or a fair straightaway to a close race, turned into a HARSH right turn which left me caught in a lagoon. I had to make a 180 turn, to which Ed and Pete rammed me back into the lagoon as they passed. I also did not get my passenger. I was the only player who had missed the coal depot (that's how I got into first), and thus on my last move, realized I was going 1 knot too fast. I crashed right in front of the finish line. No matter though, I was in last anyway. Think of it as a fiery death.

Mississippi Queen Winner Pete - Ed - Steve - Ray (beached)

We had lots of drinks. Ed brought a box of limes and all drinks were made with fresh lime juice. What a difference. YUM!! Pete brought his own bananas so he could enjoy his 'MOJO JOJO' drink. Everyone else was having 'Dune's, a drink I invented!! I am so proud. Spiced rum, vanilla rum, falernum (which is sugar cane and lime juice mixed into a syrup), dark coconut rum and pineapple juice. (The spice must flow). Yes, Ray gets two big thumbs up on this one!

This week, game night took on a kidless existence. We had gone out to dinners with the Manson's and got back closer to 8:30pm. Still, had plenty of people. Just got started a little later than usual. I had done some research on 'Mojito', a Cuban drink featuring mint sprigs, sugar cane, rum and fresh lime. Since sugar cane is rare in Michigan, I used Barbados sugar cane rum. It was a very fine drink. But a whole lime makes it a scant tart until the ice melts a bit. Still, very good. Ed made an attempt at bartending as he mixed up a wiki woo. He needs professional help. Personally I liked the Wiki Woo more than the Mojito

This first game up was the 1986 game of the year "Under Cover". It is a spy based theme. Due to some German thing that we do not understand, the German title is "Heimlich & Co.". I assume it must be a reference to something, but we'll never know. Anyway, the game is very simple. Well, first we played the basic game. You are one of 7 agents (yes, up to 7 players, yeah!). Each turn you roll the die and move whatever agents you want around the crime scene board. It is a neighborhood with clue point from 1-10, a -3 place, and a zero place. 12 spaces total. You can move any piece, but when a agent piece lands on the clue location (marked with a safe door? looking token), all the agents score points based on their current location. Firs player to 42 wins. Then you find out who was each agent as they reveal their card. Until then, you really don't know for sure who is what agent.

"Kinda lame" you say? "Why not just always move yourself into good positions and through everyone else to the -3 square" you say? Well, you want the advanced game. Here is where the real fun began. In the advanced game, as soon as the first agent makes it past 29 points, you have to guess what color agent each player is. You record it and store it until an agent reaches 42 points. Then you get five points for each right guess. We outsmarted ourselves thoroughly on this, spending tons of energy throwing people off. Only Jen got four right. No one else got more than 2 right. Actually I think most of us got ONE right.

ADULT Heimlich & Co. Winner Jen 55 - Tie Pat & Ray 45 - Beth 44 - Tie Jenny & John P. 41 - Ed 35

We had some fun with agent nick-names. Alias Johnny was easy, But Pat was "Agent Pat-O".

The next game was a card game called Pisa. We false started this game twice before playing "Under Cover", so we had some practice before playing. Sort of like hearts on steroids. You have to bid on trump, whether cards run 0 to 13 or 13 to 0 and the goal of most tricks or least tricks. If you lay low on the decision making bids, you get more points so I pays to bid wisely. Then you play out the cards. Really a nice 4-5 player card game. This makes 3 great new card games, and even saying that, zero is not that bad either.

I pulled this out because we had not played it in AGES. I was so embarrassed. A simple building placement game and at the end of turn 1, I had a SINGLE POINT. (There are only 4 turns). After turn 2, I had like 6 points. Only due to the fact that I had no chance to win, did the other Donald Trump bastards cut me some real estate slack. I clawed my way up to 3rd on a massive final turn.

Ed	Jen	John M.
John P.	Michelle	Pete
Ray	Tim

Ed	Jennifer	John P.
Mike M.	Pat	Ray

Ed	Jen	Michelle
Pete	Ray	Steve
Suzanne

Beth	Ed	Jen
Jenny	John P.	Pat
Ray