22 at the UNO Park Community Center for a multi-themed session – GREEN (Ireland and 2F Games) and games rated 8.0+ on BGG. With our lead Irishman temporarily sidelined, there were a couple of games set in Ireland that were missing – that can be remedied at next week’s request night.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes from the group.

Our playing facility is rapidly being upgraded – I added a 5 ft round table for larger games, card games, etc (funded by our membership dues) – as we are running out of table space due to our growth in membership. Our landlord is expecting delivery of 30 new stacking padded meeting room chairs sometime this week. The community center has been recently repainted and a wallpaper mural added.

IN: Steve, Armando, Tim, Zach, Chris, Ethan & Amy, Tony & Rachel, Kenneth & Rachel, Sam & Ruth, Norm, Rob, Danny, Julie, Nicole, Sean K, Reimi, Carol, Cady

Fishing (led by Tim) 2024 Friedemann Friese (Power Grid, Fool – and many others all beginning with an ‘F’) trick taking card game where players try to catch as many tricks as possible over eight rounds, with each card caught being worth 1 point. You then use your caught cards for the next round — and if you didn’t catch enough tricks to fill your hand, you’ll draw fresh cards from the ocean stack, which will introduce new cards for the fishers to fight over. At the start of each round, players have 8-13 cards in hand, depending on the player count and the round. In the first round, the cards go from 1-10 in four colors. Standard trick-taking rules apply, with players needing to follow the color led and the highest card of the led suit winning the trick. New cards come into play from the ocean stack in waves, with higher-value cards in the four colors, a green trump suit from 1-16, 0 cards that let you snag a card from the trick, and special-powered buoy cards that can always be played into a trick regardless of what you have in hand. With buoys, you can steal the lead or determine which color must lead the next trick, force players to pass cards or lose points; you can even steal all other cards in a trick, ideally netting yourself huge fish for use next round. At the end of each round, score 1 point for each card caught and whoever lands the most points after eight rounds wins. As usual this game designer, with his green hair, is quite innovative.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/419195/fishing

PowerGrid/Funkenschlag (led by Zach)  2004 Friedemann Friede (he of the green hair) classic network building and auction game that has spawned several editions and many expansions. We played on the Irish mapoard (UK & Ireland) so Zach could rightly say that he accomplished two themes while playing his favorite game. 

The objective is to supply the most cities with power when someone’s network gains a predetermined size. Players mark pre-existing routes between cities for connection, and then bid against each other to purchase the power plants that they use to power their cities. However, as plants are purchased, newer, more efficient plants become available, so by merely purchasing, you’re potentially allowing others access to superior equipment. Additionally, players must acquire the raw materials (coal, oil, garbage, and uranium) needed to power said plants (except for the ‘renewable’ wind farm/ solar plants, which require no fuel), making it a constant struggle to upgrade your plants for maximum efficiency while still retaining enough wealth to quickly expand your network to get the cheapest routes.

Fuji Flush 2X (led by Armando) we hadn’t played this quirky hand shedding card game since autumn 2021 (our first year at Purple Dragon Games). We were able to comfortably get 7 around the new table. The object is to be the first player to rid their hand of cards, but strange alliances form, as those who play the same numbered card get to add them together, often flushing seemingly invincible cards played previously.

Rebirth (led by Ethan) 2024 Reiner Knizia tile laying game with a double-sided mapboard (for both Scotland and Ireland). Each turn, players draw a tile from their supply and place it strategically on the board. These tiles represent your clan’s contribution to rebuilding the land. The game rewards strategic foresight and clever tactical play, with tougher decisions emerging over the course of a relatively short game that tends to elicit repeat plays. Points are scored for chains of food farms & energy farms, residences, castles controlled, as well as private goals achieved through cathedrals. Fittingly, we played the Ireland side of the mapboard, where players also get to race for public goals (on top of private goals) and the towers to score big points or get other bonuses such as getting to play a 2nd tile on a turn.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/417197/rebirth

So Clover (led by K-ban/Tony) 2021 cooperative word association game. Play as a team to get the highest score. Get Keywords and secretly write their common features on your Clover board; these are your Clues. One ‘red herring’ card is mixed in to make things more challenging. The other players then work together to try to figure out each player’s Keywords. At the end of the game, add up your score according to how many Keywords you found and write it in the Record of Legends. Try to beat your high score each game! Our group of 6 amassed 17 of a possible 24 points.

Harmonies 2X (led by Armando/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.

Project L (led by Ethan) 2020 charming combination of puzzle solving with engine building. Players start with 2 acrylic puzzle pieces and earn additional shapes by completing puzzles. Players select from among several actions – drafting puzzles, upgrading pieces, placing pieces and the important master building action. The game rewards efficiency in the drafting and in use of their 3 actions per turn. There are two recently released expansions to try, as well as a spin-off similar game recently released called Square One.

Knarr (led by Armando) 2023 race, set collection and drafting card game.  Players are leaders of a band of Vikings that are sent to new destinations. Manage the recruitment of your crew, and choose the best territories to explore. Depending on the destinations reached (for trading or influence) and the Vikings who accompany you, players can increase their reputation to gain even more wealth. On each turn players either place a new member in their Viking crew, activate the effects of all of them with the same icon, and get another one from those available under the matching color on the central board, or they can explore new destinations, with the opportunity to trade with those places and get more gains or reputation.

Steve