Essen Experience: Friday

Friday morning I was at the fair really early and I take a seat at Days of Wonder booth to try BatlleLore: just a few minutes and SdP reach me.

A short introduction and we are ready to play.

I really enjoyed he game (I won 6-0), but I'm a Memoir'44 fanatic and also I really like the fantasy setting.


I think that is just a bit more lucky dependent than Memoir'44 but it could be just an impression. In the first scenario (the one you can try in Essen) there was no leader rules and simple units: footmans, bowmans and knights. The game plays like Memoir'44: first you have to play a card and activate the units according to it; than move the units and finally resolve the combats. Bowmans could fire at 4 hex and they can also move and so the game is more deep than the usual memoir'44 scenario.

The morale rule (you get the possibility to battle back with an unit if you are adjacent to two or more units of your side) make the formations an important aspecto to keep in mind.

At the end of the turn you get the possibility to draw 2 magic cards (and keep one) or just to take one and some Lore or just Lore. Lore is the fuel for magic using and you get it also when you get a lore symbol throwing attack dices (a sort of compensation for the unluckly event of getting an useless result).

The graphics and materials are great and I hope to get my copy soon!

Our next stop was at Super Ape Games booth to play Evolution.

Despite the fact that it is really not a gamers game, we get a funny time: the designer and the girl at the booth was really nice. The aim of the game is to be the first to diplay and complete 6 evolution cards. The card must be displayed in chronological order starting from early ages until the era close to human ages. The era are 8 and since you need 6 cards to win you can skip only 2 era. During your turn you take a card and play, unless it has an usefull site on it. You can play cards on your evolution track or on another player track only if it has not yet a card with the same era (number): otherwise you have to replace the card. You are not allowed to replace a usefull card. If you (or someonelese) play a card with a number lower than the one your pawn is, you have to go back: so playing card on other player track could be a way to move them back. After playing the card you can move your pawn one step forward or sideway. when you reach the last step of the 6th card in your track and you survive for a full turn you win.

Of course the game has a lot more: volcanos, safe sites, events and a lot more.

I won the game, but was an hard fight and I was just saved from loosing by the arrive of the meteorite.



This first picture show Viki discovering a Volcano is jus erupting close to him: he has to go back at the beginning.



Here the designer, Monty and the nice girl.

Just a short visit to Pokemon stand to try the boardgame against Monty: I was totally destroyed! The game, obviously, is for kid but the pieces are really good!



Monty is thinking about the move that will kill me!



Here the Hardcore Gamer Team!

Now was the time for Haba games! We all three was looking for games for kids: daughters and nephews.

We try Monza and Happy Farmer.

It was great and we got really a lot of fun! We played it twice: Viki won the first game and I won the second one.



You can see Viki and Monty playing with big attention. You can also see Viki before making the shoot give him the victory!



Than we move to try something deeper and we approde at Roads & Boats stand.



I was really curious to try this game and I enjoyed it quite a lot (Monty and Viki dislike it, indeed): obviously we didn't finish our game.

I was interested in buying the game but it was really too much expensive.

Waiting for the IGA celebration we get the time to try Silk Road at Z-Man Games booth.



I think the game is quite good, not really the kind of game I would like to play often but not bad.

I run away from the game before the end (but I was in a good position for winning) to be in time at Caylus booth for the IGAs.

It was really nice to be there so I have the possibility to meet Mik, Gregg, Rick and to know new people like Ben Baldanza.





After the IGA celebration I grab Gregg for an interview for Radio Impronta Digitale: he explains to Italian people what is IGA.



After Gregg was time for Rick to explain what is BoardGame News. Tinuz and Paoletta do really a great work and you can hear the interviews here (Look for "Frequenza Ludica").



After the IGAs there was still time for some games with SdP and two friends.

Our first stop was for Section X. I was really disappointed by this game that I found without anything really new and with rules not clear (after both the explanation and readings). We was so bored that we didn't finish our game.





After that we have a real great meeting: the Ninja Master himself explain us Ninja Galaxy.



The game was nice and funny: enough interaction, enough randomness, nice graphics and simple rules. It is too much on the simple/easy side for me but I have a good time playing it and SdP bought a copy (and I regret to not get a copy myself too).





And now was 19:00 and the closing time. I just go to catch Monty e Viki and we run for the Digers dinner at Istra.

We arrived really early and the only one there was Benjamin but we start soon to drink and laugh. Then was the time for Geoffry to be there and both, drinks and laughs, start to dramatically increase! We got really a good time and we was able to eat twice the normal amount of food a single person could eat!





















The dinner was really good, how can you see from that picture: the Hardcore Gamer Team in front and Geoff in the back!



When I was back to Jung it was quite late but there was still time foe 1-2 games before going sleep.