Talisman
I moved to Goshen in the summer, and was quite lucky in that my neighborhood was crawling with gamers. The first game I played in Goshen was over at Matt’s house. It was Talisman, a fantasy-themed adventure board game. I was hooked, and over the next few years it would occupy many of my afternoons. Nothing sucked quite so much to spend two hours tromping through the wilderlands, gaining power only to be sucked into the Inky Black Void at the end of the quest.
Tigris and Euphrates
Six years ago, I received an email invitation to play Tigris and Euphrates on my friend Carl’s server. Carl had written an implementation of the game and for awhile, me and several others were regularly working to build our empires and gain prestige. Eventually the game fizzled, but it appears that there is a little bit of activity on the site now. Actually, it looks like someone has been waiting for me to take my turn.
Tichu
I’ve written about Tichu's Mah Jong card. The game has some interesting rules and strategic decisions. I personally take credit for introducing my area to Tichu. In fact, my local bookstore now stocks the game. By last count, I believe I’ve played Tichu with over 30 different players.
Ticket to Ride
Ticket to Ride is one of the three legs of the “Introductions to Family Strategy Games;” The other two are Settlers of Catan and Carcassonne. Each of these three games have relatively simple rules which are accessible to a wide variety of players. The games have a high re-playability factor, having plenty of room for competing strategies.
Through the Desert
When you hear a charged emotionally frustrated cry of “Not enough camels!” you know there is something special about Through the Desert. Originally, the game gained popularity as an import from Germany, landing State-side as “Durch die Wüste.” By American’s, who’s powers in umlaut pronunciation have greatly waned since the 1800s, it was often pronounced “Durch die Wurst” or “Through the Sausage.” Ultimatley Through the Desert has the feel of a multi-player game of Go.