2026 Session Reports

5/6/2026 – Berkshire Gamers Session Report #26-18

20 at the UNO Park Community Center for an evening of Sequels and Expansions
5/6/2025 @ UNO Park Community Center
IN: Steve, Sean, Zach, Tim, Armando, Chris, Nicole, Tony, Amy, Julie, Reimi, Danny, Norm & Hope, Samuel & Ruth, Rachel P, Cady, Carol, Rob
ON OUR TABLES:
Zoo Vadis (led by Zach) 2023 re-theming/revision of Knizia’s 1992’s negotiation game, Quo Vadis, from the Roman Senate to zoo animals taking things over and campaigning to be the star attraction. The addition of Peacocks who roam the grounds (and can be bribed for their support), asymmetrical animal powers that can only be used to help opponents and a two-sided board to accomodate 3-5 or 6-7 players vastly improves this classic game that finishes in 30-45 minutes. The production is drop dead gorgeous, especially the 3D wooden animals and the coins for the deluxe edition.
Pixies with Flower Power expansion (led by Nicole)
2024 drafting, set collection and connections card game, where players move through the seasons to meet little creatures emerging from a flower or sheltering in the hollow of a tree. Choose one of the revealed cards, but be careful which ones are left to one’s opponents! Players place the card drafted in their playing area according to its number. Cards placed one on top of another are validated and earn players points at the end of the round, as do the largest color zone and spirals… but watch out for those X’s (penalty points). 

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/411875/pixies

Formaggio (led by Sean) 2025 sequel to 2024’s cheese making game, Fromage. Players are Italian cheesemakers in the early 20th century making, aging, and selling their artisanal cheeses. Become the most prestigious cheesemaker in all of Italy by running a highly successful creamery and crafting exceptional cheese. With both games put together, players can combine any 4 board quadrants, and draft any combination of structure tiles for more variety and more paths to victory.

Formaggio is a simultaneous worker-placement game where players place Workers to make cheese and gather resources from the quadrant of the board facing them. Once all players have placed their Workers, the board rotates, aging any cheese that was made, and presenting each player with a new quadrant to place Workers into. Score Prestige Points by selling cheese to the four locations, and by efficiently managing and upgrading your creamery.

Formaggio features 4 new board quadrants with all new puzzling mini-games:
• Pair your cheese with the wines at the Vigneto.
• Sell cheese to restaurants along the Venetian canals and attract customers.
• Distribute cheese across the regions Italy.
• Deposit cheese in the Banca. (Yes, there is a real bank in Italy that accepts cheese as collateral for loans!)

Other new features:
• Platinum-tier cheeses.
• Reap various rewards in each of the Seasons.
• All new abilities on the Player Boards and Structure tiles.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/430533/formaggio

Potion Explosion (led by Tony)  2015 set collection and pattern recognition game where players take an ingredient marble from the dispenser and watch the others fall. If marbles of the same color are connected, they explode and can all be taken as well. Players complete their potions using the marbles they collect, and drink them to unleash their magical power. Remember, though, that to win the Student of the Year award, being quick won’t be enough: players also need to brew the most valuable potions! The 6th Student expansion was used.
Evolution: New World (led by Chris) 2023 stand alone sequel to 2010’s Evolution: The Origin of Species. It includes both well-known animal traits and new ones, complete with refined descriptions and colorful illustrations. Food is now generated using Area cards, and animals can use shelter to hide from predators.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/344992/evolution-new-world

Lancaster: Big Box (led by Zach) 2015 update of 2010’s original worker placement, area majority/influence game, Lancaster.  Each player takes the role of the head of an ambitious aristocratic family and secures their family’s legacy, provides the best support for the young king and becomes the most powerful Lord of the realm. By using their resources strategically and wisely, players can progress from being a simple Lord to being the most powerful ally of the king.
The New Laws expansion was used.

The Lancaster Big Box contains the following items:

  • Lancaster – the base game
  • Expansion 1 – Lancaster: The New Laws, 18 new laws for the Lancaster board game
  • Expansion 2 – Lancaster: Henry V – The Power of the King, which consists of two expansions that can be added to the game either independently or in combination: At the King’s Court & The King’s Resentment
  • Queenie 1 – Lancaster: Reward Tiles, containing 9 tiles for use with the basic game and 3 exchange tiles for use in combination with the expansion “Henry V – The Power of the King”.
  • New game Board – board with new artwork to play Lancaster

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/170815/lancaster-big-box

Azul: Summer Pavilion (led by K-ban) 2019 stand-alone (and my favorite of the Azul family) where tiles are drafted, pavilions in 6 colors plus a central multi-colored one are constructed, with scoring bonuses earned for completing each color and a few other categories. One building type is wild in each of the 6 turns.
Azul Queen’s Garden (led by Sean) 2021 3rd stand-alone sequel to Azul. Players are tasked with arranging a magnificent garden for the King’s lovely wife by arranging beautiful plants, trees, and ornamental features.

Using an innovative drafting mechanism, the signature of the Azul series, players must carefully select colorful tiles to decorate their garden. Only the most incredible garden designers will flourish and win the Queen’s blessing. This is the most complex of the Azul series.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/346965/azul-queens-garden

 
Railroad Ink Challenge – Lush Green edition (led by Tony) a 2021 stand-alone version of the original roll & write puzzle game. It has everything players love from Railroad Ink games and a lot more, with an all-new focus on player interaction thanks to in-game goals! Only those who achieve them first get the reward, so players have to keep an eye on what their opponents are doing and try to complete the goals before they do! A different set of goals is available each time, so no two games will be the same! Draw unprecedented, mind-bending route configurations thanks to the new dice! Connect special structures to your network to trigger new effects: factories allow you to duplicate a die, villages give bonus points if they are close to a station, universities unlock extra special routes — use these effects wisely and score big! The lush green version deals with forest landscapes.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/306881/railroad-ink-challenge-lush-green-edition

Other Games Played
Knarr (led by Chris) 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.
Just One (led by Chris) 2018 co-op that’s become our group’s favorite party game. The group scored 11 of a possible 13 points!

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/254640/just-one

Steve

20 at the UNO Park Community Center for an evening of Sequels and Expansions 5/6/2025 @ UNO Park Community Center IN: Steve, Sean, Zach, Tim, Armando, Chris, Nicole, Tony, Amy, Julie, Reimi, Danny, Norm & Hope, Samuel & Ruth, Rachel P, Cady, Carol, Rob ON OUR TABLES: Zoo Vadis (led by Zach) 2023 re-theming/revision of Knizia’s 1992’s negotiation…

20 at the UNO Park Community Center for an evening of Sequels and Expansions 5/6/2025 @ UNO Park Community Center IN: Steve, Sean, Zach, Tim, Armando, Chris, Nicole, Tony, Amy, Julie, Reimi, Danny, Norm & Hope, Samuel & Ruth, Rachel P, Cady, Carol, Rob ON OUR TABLES: Zoo Vadis (led by Zach) 2023 re-theming/revision of Knizia’s 1992’s negotiation…

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