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This
sounds tricky, but it really isn't. However, the vast freedom granted
by this system does require players to pause a bit before making
a play. It is quite easy to get stuck ... or to stick someone else
... with unwanted cards. It can be quite nasty! If you enjoyed NICHT
DIE BOHNE, you should adore STICHELN!
STRAND CUP: A card game about beach volleyball? C’mon …
this sounded simply awful. But, you know … it is simply a
blast to play!Strange as it sounds, you really get the feeling you are playing volleyball! One player taps the ball to a fellow teammate, who then sets it for the third teammate to slam over the net. Then, the opponents have to toss a card which equals or exceeds the strength of the hit. If they can't, a point is scored. If they do manage to stop the hit, then they set and return the ball in a similar fashion. The event cards allow for blocks, slams, saves, sun blindness, etc. All are designed to throw neat twists into the game. For speed, we allow a point to be scored no matter who is serving. The game is fast, fun, exciting and incredibly tense. Put on those speedos and thong-backs and get ready for some fun in the sun! M: When I first saw mention of this abstract tile-laying game, it didn't appear to be something which would be of interest to me. However, after my first playing, I immediately purchased a copy and have played probably a dozen times since. It is quite clever, challenging and fun. The game, which is designed by Martin Schlegel, is decidedly abstract, with no attempt being made to paste on a theme. There is no board per sé, but one develops as players lay tiles to the table. However, tiles are also removed during the course of the game, so the board is constantly changing in both size and shape. Players lay tiles onto the grid, attempting to grab scoring disks from their opponents and trigger scoring rounds which will be beneficial to them, but harmful to their opponents. Since you only score two colors at the end of the game, it doesn't take long to figure out that you only want to collect tiles from two colors. Of course, that would be the ideal world. In reality, it is quite possible to trigger scoring rounds which will have the end result of forcing your opponents to take tiles which they do not want. This is very similar to the deliciously evil MIT LIST UND TUCKE, which uses a similar scoring mechanism. I find the game to contain a good mixture of puzzle solving, hand management and deductive skills, with some nice 'slam' potential thrown into the stew. I do think, however, that most of this is not evident with just one playing. It does take awhile to recognize all of the possibilities and tactics available, so it really shouldn't be judged after just one playing. With 2001 just about wrapped-up, I can’t wait to find some more pleasant surprises in 2002. Golly! Greg Schloesser hosts the “Westbank Gamers”, is a founder of “Gulf Games” and is the president of “Strategy Gaming Society.” |
 MEANDER
is a brand new boardgame from Holland. It’s about creating
five downhill runs with five balls in order to get all five
across. One round of play, between two players, will take
about ten minutes. Learning the basic rules takes only one
minute. So only eleven minutes after you first open the box,
you have a score and wonder if the game is really that simple.
Well, it isn’t. Apart from creating your own five downhill
runs, you should also learn to obstruct the other player,
who tries to achieve the same. Step by step you’ll discover
MEANDER is a strategy game with some twists of luck thrown
in for good measure. Once you’ve totally mastered Basic MEANDER (and some people do get bored after a hundred-or-so games) it is time to add one more simple rule. Doublesided MEANDER is one level deeper, with a reduced element of chance, which at stages can be compared with short-track chess. One more simple rule and you’ll get Doublesided Open MEANDER, a 100% mental battle with absolutely no luck involved. In this third and final stage a good theoretical guide about how to open and develop your network of routes would be very useful, but there is no such book yet. After five years of intensive testing among MEANDER-addicts no one has yet to come up with a flawless strategy.  Children
will start enjoying MEANDER from seven years and up, and the
nature of the game encourages them to invent their own rules
— and many new rules are possible. Primary schools appreciate
MEANDER as an educational game. Moreover, MEANDER has proven
to be one of those games children and adults can play without
one of the two sides getting bored. And the climax always
works. When all twenty-five pieces have been meticulously
placed, forming a unique and beautiful network of channels,
the balls finally are released. Some run smoothly; some get
caught or sidetracked. Just watching them get across, or not,
is a treat for the child within. One of the funnier things you can do with MEANDER is to play it in a public place. It is a highly intriguing crowd-stopper and sure to get you involved in conversations.
The Essence of MEANDER
Five balls are provided to each player. One player wants them to make a free, downhill run from East to West. The other player plans five runs from North to South. First the board is empty. No routes are available yet. In turn the players place a piece, taken from a blind stock. The full board is tilted for the first player, who one by one releases the balls. No more manipulation is allowed; the player just lets them go. Balls that sidetrack and end up in the corners do not count. The board now is tilted for the second player for five more runs. The Winner is the player guiding the most of his five balls to his own opposite side. By the way, the extra rules for the two deeper levels may not be printed in the game’s accompanying booklet. Here are those additional rules: Doublesided Meander, level 2: when the board is full, the player descending North-to-South may opt for a South-to-North crossing. Likewise the East-West player can change over to West-to-East. Now the entire board comes into full play.
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