We celebrated 2 games that BGG users have rated 8.0+ as well as some requests from our table leaders

Our May 15 session will feature tile laying games from among: Cascadia, Carcassonne (and expansions), Calico, DorfRomantik, Take It Easy, Savannah Park/Caldera Park, Castles of Mad King Ludwig, Cacao, Kingdomino, Castles of Burgundy, Sprawlopolis and many more.

Starting this coming Thursday, May 16, we will be starting a monthly afternoon of traditional and family games for adults at the Milne Public Library in Williamstown. The 2-5 PM sessions will be non-curated – bring favorite games like SCRABBLE, Backgammon, Dominoes, Rummy Q, Chess & Checkers. Steve and Sandy will gradually introduce easy party and gateway games to the monthly sessions. If you’d like to assist, please do.

We were sad to hear that Drew Davidson moved from Bennington to suburban Philadelphia and Libby will be moving soon to Oregon. They will both be missed.

If you have friends who you think would enjoy our voyage of modern board game discovery, please invite them as your guest to our Wednesday sessions

Harmonies (led by Tim) 2024 abstract pattern game, with simple rules, and a beautifully implemented nature theme. Players optimize by synchronizing, but at the same time try to outbalance luck by diversifying their scoring options, while growing a beautiful 3D habitat in front of them. Landscapes are built by placing colored tokens and creating habitats for their animals. To earn the most points and win the game, players must incorporate the habitats in their landscapes wisely and have as many animals as they can settle there.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/414317/harmonies

The White Castle (led by Tim) 2023 resource management, worker placement and dice placement game. Over three rounds, players will send members of their clan to tend the gardens, defend the castle or progress up the social ladder of the nobility. At the end of the match, these will award players victory points in a variety of ways. White Castle is earning much praise as well as current awards overseas.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/371942/white-castle

SetUp (led by K-ban) 2023 tile rummy game with 5 colored suits numbered 1-10.  game of strategic tile placement, making sets of numbers of matching suits. Advance planning is difficult as the tiles stack resulting in an ever changing board.  Players create a set or sets, scoring points to move around the board. How many points on each turn depends on how good players are at spotting sequences and by playing a set which will create multiple combinations on the board. Even when it’s not your turn, unwitting opponents may inadvertently gift you points by creating sets using tiles in your bonus spaces, so players must always keep their eyes peeled to claim those extra points. A good family game for 3-4 players.

Pillars of the Earth (led by Tony) 2006 worker placement game based on the Ken Follett 1989 best selling novel set in 13th century medieval England (first in a trilogy that included World Without End and Columns of Fire – both also made into board games). At the beginning of the 13th century, construction of the greatest and most beautiful cathedral in England began. Players are builders who try to contribute the most to this cathedral’s construction and, in so doing, score the most victory points. Gameplay roughly consists of using workers to produce raw materials, and then using craftsmen to convert the materials into victory points. Workers may also be used to produce gold, the currency of the game. Players are also given three master builders each turn, each of which can do a variety of tasks, including recruiting more workers, buying or selling goods, or just obtaining victory points. Getting early choices with a master builder costs gold, as does purchasing better craftsmen. Players must strike a balance between earning gold to fund their purchases and earning victory points.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/24480/the-pillars-of-the-earth

Big City: 20th Anniversary Edition (led by K-ban) 2019 jumbo edition of the original 1999 city building game. Players draft cards in eight different neighborhoods, then use them to lay out buildings either one, two, or three spaces large. The points they receive for a given building is a base score, plus bonuses for the buildings surrounding it. Someone must play city hall (scoring no points for themselves) in order for anyone to start placing any structure beyond the simple residences and business. This edition is a piece of art with larger neighborhood tiles and 3D resin buildings. This Franz-Benno Delonge (TransAmerica, Fjords, Container) has stood up well over time. 

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/261424/big-city-20th-anniversary-jumbo-edition

Mind Up (led by K-ban) 2023 card game that bears similarity to the classic Take5/6 Nimmt. Players start with a line of cards on the table, with as many cards as players. Each turn, players pick a card from their hand and simultaneously reveal it to make a new line, ordered from the lowest to the highest card. Each player then takes the card in the previous line at the same position as the one they just played, adding it to their tableau. These cards will score points at the end of the round, depending on their color and the order they were picked. After being scored, they become the player’s hand for the next round. High score after 3 rounds wins. If you like Take 5 you should like Mind Up as much or more.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/377515/mind-up