I avoided Great Western Trail for as long as I could. I wasn’t avoiding the theme or mechanisms – those would have been acceptable reasons to show little interest in a game. No, my disinterest was caused by something much more trivial – the box art.
It had been a running joke among some of my board gaming group that the original box art for GWT was simply the centered cowboy. The other two men on the box were actually board gamers that stared too long into the cowboy’s eyes and were sucked into the art, like a board game themed episode of Doctor Who. These poor gamers were now destined to blankly stare out at other players, hoping to suck them into the box as well.
Absurd? Yes. Fun to talk about? Yes. Did it keep me from playing a game that I enjoyed? Unfortunately, yes.
When I was finally prodded into playing GWT, I found that I enjoyed it. It’s a heavy title, and there was a lot to take in and keep track of, but once it clicked, it clicked, and I enjoyed the game. Picking the best movement, managing the cattle cards in your hand, hiring workers, the trains – GWT marries theme and mechanisms as good as any heavy game I have played.
While I still think that the box characters look a little too Great Western Trail of the Damned, and I still avoid looking them in the eyes due to the running gag of that’s the way of gamers get trapped into the box art, I don’t avoid the game and I kind of regret that I passed on the game for so long.
So, the question for this week is – Have you avoided a game, for whatever reason, to finally play it and find that you really enjoyed it? Let us know on the Everything Board Games Community page or on twitter at @ETBoardgames.
There were several great picks to hit Kickstarter this week.
The top vote getter from the EBG review staff is PARKS: The Board Game. This was my (Nick S) pick and I had its campaign launch circled on my calendar for weeks. For those following along at home, its no secret that I am a huge fan of Keymaster Games and from what I seen and read about PARKS, it is going to deliver exactly what I have grown to expect from a Keymaster Game – beautiful art and solid gameplay. In PARKS, players take on the role of two hikers trekking through different national parks over the course of a year, collecting memories and mementos along the way. PARKS plays 1-5 and takes between 30-60 to play. PARKS is, at time of writing, 348% funded with 19 days to go.
Next was Race for the Chinese Zodiac. In this title, players take on the role of an animal racing to reach the heavenly place and reserve their spot in the Chinese zodiac. A simultaneous action, hand management game, Race for the Chinese Zodiac is for 3-5 players and takes 40-70 minutes to play. At time of writing, Race for the Chinese Zodiac is 58% funded with 20 days to go.
The final spotlight goes to Yokohama Duel. As the name suggests, this is a two-player experience based on the original Yokohama. Players are merchants in Yokohama, attempting to grow their businesses and gain prestige. Players must visit the various districts in Yokohama to gather seafood, copper, tea and silk, and build trade posts. At time of writing, Yokohama Duel is 361% funded with 22 days to go.
Other titles receiving votes this week include 1001 Odysseys (141% funded, 28 days to go), Beast Masters Duel (104% funded, 28 days to go), The Champion of the Wild (325% funded, 22 days to go), and Dead Man’s Cabal (209% funded, 15 days to go).
Did we miss your pick, or do you have a game that applies to our question listed above? Let us know on the Everything Board Games Community page or on twitter at @ETBoardgames.
Nick Shipley – Reviewer
FEATURED KICKSTARTER PROJECTS
|
EBG STAFF PICKS: KICKSTARTER OF THE WEEK
|
||
Dane Trimble PARKS: The Board Game |
Dave Merrell Yokohama Duel |
Brody Sheard Race for the Chinese Zodiac |
David Jensen PARKS: The Board Game |
Stephen Gulik Yokohama Duel |
Alexa Chaplin The Champion of the Wild |
iframe Here or Game |
||
Nick Shipley PARKS: The Board Game |
Nicholas Leeman PARKS: The Board Game |
Delton Perez Race for the Chinese Zodiac |
George Jaros PARKS: The Board Game |
Derek Dez Maggs Chocolatiers |
Jeremy Davis PARKS: The Board Game |
Benjamin Kocher PARKS: The Board Game |
James Freeman 1001 Odysseys |
Rodger Moore Hyperspace |
NEW KICKSTARTER PROJECTS
See all our Featured Kickstarter.com games and those coming up HERE!
