So last week seen some more ‘first time’ games for this year as well as some firm family favourites.
First up was Takenoko – players are bamboo farmers in the Imperial Palace in Japan, eager to please the Emperor and keep his pet panda happy. The panda is happy when he is chomping on bamboo shoots. This does not make the poor groundskeeper happy. Keeping both in check will score points for the players. A firm favourite with varying strategies to win the game and score points.
Next up was a first for me – Ca$h n Gun$ 2nd edition. Players in this game are mobsters involved in heists trying to vie for a cut of the loot each round, the cash. What differentiates this game from others is the props that come with the game – foam guns that players can point at each other each round. Players will play a bullet card each round. There are 3 actual bullets and the rest are blanks. This brings an element of bluffing to the game. Finally there’s the Godfather who can tell a crook to point the gun at someone else each round. Shenanigans and laughter ensues.
Last up and I can’t believe at least 4 months have passed since we played Small World. This time we mixed in all expansions to vary things up and spice the game a little. Good times. Players select different combinations of races and traits and proceed to carve out a section of the world before going into decline and a new race comes to the fore. Some combinations we had were Were Pygmies, Mounted Leprechauns and Rampaging Skeletons.
