19 at the UNO Park Community Center for a request night.

Welcome to Kelly on her first visit.

IN: Steve, Sean, Tim, Zach, Chris, Amy, Matt, Julie, Nicole, Reimi, Kelly, Norm & Hope, Sam & Ruth, Rob, Danny, Rachel P, Carol

5×5 City (led by K-ban) 2024 30-minute city building tile drafting game, where players build various buildings in their city. Each player has a city board of 25 squares representing vacant lots, that are divided into various types of compartments depending on the city planning card selected at the start of the game.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/264638/5×5-city

Canopy: Evergreen (led by Matt) 2024 drafting, set collection and push your luck game where players compete to grow the tallest trees, collect sets of wild plants, and create bountiful habitats to help native animals thrive. In the game, players take turns selecting new cards for their forest from three growth piles. Each time you look at a pile, you may select it and add those cards to your rainforest tableau, or return the pile face down, adding one additional card to it. As the piles grow, players must search for the plants and animals that will benefit their forest the most — but choose carefully as mingled in with the flora and fauna are dangers in the form of fire, disease, and drought. After three seasons, the player who has grown the most bountiful rainforest wins!

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/391886/canopy-evergreen

Dogs of War (led by Tim) 2014 area majority/influence game with a tug of war element, where players, each wielding a unique and powerful advantage over the others will raise armies to do their rulers’ dirty works, fight their endless wars, and win at any cost. Allegiances – only as deep as players pockets are lined. Every turn a single play might sway an entire battlefield to victory, acquire new armies, tactics, and gold, turn a hard-won skirmish into a crushing defeat, or hollowly divert attention from your true motives.At the end of three long years of bloodshed, only the Dog of War most steeped in battlefield trophies and influence with the prevailing Houses will stand victorious. During three rounds, battles between six “noble” Houses take place. Each player controls a Dog of War, choosing which House to support at each moment by sending their Captains leading Soldier Companies into battle. As a House emerges victorious from battle, it becomes more valuable for the players who have influence with it. There are many paths to victory for the Dogs of War. While earning influence with the prominent Houses is key, victory may also be achieved by defeating one’s opponents in battle and earning bountiful rewards and riches. 

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/158435/dogs-of-war

Five Reigns (led by Chris) Chris’ prototype played and critiqued by the table. Chris expressed his sincere thanks to all who gave their valued opinions.

Castle Combo (led by Rachel P) 2024 tableau building card game. Each player will spend coins to draft 9 cards from 2 open markets on the table, with the messenger pawn, determining which market is open this turn – creating a 3×3 square of people interacting with each other to trigger instant effects and end-of-game bonuses. Each turn, players add a character to their tableau—a seemingly straightforward action that packs a punch regarding strategic decisions. Carefully managing one’s keys will be needed to carefully manage one’s Keys to influence the Messenger pawn at critical moments, as it controls which characters are available for recruitment from two different areas – peasants and nobles. Balancing one’s gold reserves is equally important, ensuring a player can afford the characters that best suit their strategy throughout the game. Selecting the right characters is crucial to maximising their immediate effects and the points they will contribute at the game’s end. Finally, carefully arranging these characters on one’s 3×3 board is key to unlocking their full potential. 

A new expansion,  Out of the Oubliette!, has just been released, adding 12 new cards and a new rule: padlocks allow players to delay some card effects until a later turn, creating even greater combos.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/416851/castle-combo

Bazaar (led by K-ban) 1967 classic Sid Sackson trading game played on the original 3M set. Trade tokens using 2 randomly selected exchange rate charts to purchase ware cards as exactly as possible. It has been reprinted numerous times, including a German Parker Brothers version that used beer caps and coasters – called Bierborse.

This was the first game that Herb Levy taught Sandy & me back in the 1980’s.

Artistry (led by Sean) 2025 drafting and set collection game where players are struggling ambitious young artists determined to make their workshop the talk of all the latest artistic journals. Each round players will take turns using their artisans to draft material tiles in specific shapes from the market and using those tiles to craft patterns for renown. As each player crafts more patterns, they will gain new artisans or advance their existing artisans from apprentice to journeywoman to master crafter, giving them access to new shapes and better options when drafting from the market. At the end of the game, players tally their renown based on the artisans they have gained and patterns they have crafted, and the player with the most renown wins!

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/432858/artistry

Take Time (led by Tim) 2025 limited communication cooperative game where players must strategically play 12 cards facedown around a clock, following specific rules for each Test. Players can work together through a series of games to pass all 40 Tests available in the game.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/440540/take-time

Elfenland (led by K-ban) 1998 network/route building and drafting game designed by Alan R Moon (Ticket to Ride, Santa Fe, San Marco author). It was German SdJ (Game of the Year) winner and a reimplementation of 1992’s Elfenroads.

The game is set in the mythical world of the elves. A group of fledgling elves (the players) are charged with visiting as many of the twenty Elfencities as they can over the course of 4 rounds. To accomplish the task they will use various forms of transportation such as Giant Pigs, Elfcycles, Unicorns, Rafts, Magic Clouds, Trollwagons, and Dragons.  Transportation tiles are drafted over 3 rounds and then placed in turn order on roads in mountains, desert, meadows and forests for all players to utilize. Players then can play their matching card from their hand to move their Boot-shaped marker and claim cities. After 4 rounds, whoever has visited the most cities and is closest to their secret home location is the winner. 

This was the first Eurogame that Herb Levy taught to Long Island Gamers.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/10/elfenland

Steve