I’m a gamer, always have been. Problem is for a large number of years that’s really just consisted of the video variety. That’s a huge mistake on my part, to not enjoy the video game’s analog brethren… the board game. There’s actually a vibrant and intense board game world out there that’s been pushed to the sidelines by game players such as ourselves for too long. In this column I’ll be diving into this world, looking at games that hopefully you’d like to try out for yourself.

Fluxx is really a simple card game of “draw a card, play a card” and there’s no way to win. At least, that’s how it starts. Once someone plays a goal card, then the table has something to play towards. Except, that goal card could get changed. Then the next thing you know someone plays a new rule card and everyone’s strategy goes out the window.

Fluxx advertises itself as “The Card Game of Ever Changing Rules” and it most certainly is just that. During the game the players not only have the ability to change the rules of the game, but also the victory conditions as well. It’s lighthearted, fun, and simple to learn since the rules and how to play each card is printed right on each card. So once you get the brief overview of how it works you can usually answer any question you might have by reading the cards themselves. Now since the game is always in Fluxx (ba-dum-dum) it is a game based largely on luck. It’s meant to be more of a party type game, something to play while drinking and telling stories. It’s nonsensical, goofy, and chaotic (but in a good way).

So that’s Fluxx, but this is totally different. This…. is Fluxx…. with Aliens! (more…)

(We talk about this game at length in Ep #00026 of the Perpetual Geek Machine podcast)

In Dominion you’re trying to increase the size of your Estate by adding villiages, markets and such until it becomes a…wait for it… DOMINION. In actuality you’re acquiring victory points (hopefully more than your opponents). I have to admit, I wasn’t thrilled about the idea of Dominion. It was sold to me as “It’s like Magic: The Gathering except you don’t have to buy booster packs.” Turns out that definitely sells the game short. While the game does revolve around building a deck of cards over time it’s the initial simplicity, the developing depth, and the unique way it provides endless replayability that makes it a game worth playing. Let’s take a look at how the whole thing works.

(more…)