This month, I'd like to discuss games from a slightly different angle. Therefore, I'm asking that my editors at CT please turn the column upside down on the web page. Sure, it will be a pain for all of you to have to turn your monitors over to read it, but you'll sure have a different perspective on gaming when we're done.
I'm kidding. I'd really prefer this column was left right side up so that we all have an easier time reading it. The different angle I'd like to take this month deals with the number of players of a given game. Specifically, I'd like to highlight some nice TWO player games this month.
It's not always easy to get a group together for a game, or, if you're on vacation with your significant other, you might want to take some games along to enjoy during some times when you have nothing else going on. While some people would have no problem walking the halls of the hotel or the aisles of the campground yelling "D-n-D game starting in 10 minutes! Follow me if you want to play D-n-D!", others of us simply want something that we can pretty much play on a whim without either attracting a crowd to play along, or committing large blocks of time to.
Our first entry this month is "Shipwrecked", from "Out of the Box Games". "Shipwrecked" is good for from 2 to 4 players, and in its 4" x 6" x 1" box, is easily portable. It's kind of a whimsical survival game, in which players use tactical thinking to bid on resource cards that they need to win. Illustrated by "Dork Tower" artist John Kovalic, the resource cards are divided into 4 categories: Food, Shelter, Water, and Friends. In each group, the resources are "valued" by the quality of that resource. For instance, a cave is a better shelter than a palm leaf. The better resources carry a better point value, and the game is won by accumulating either 100 points in one category of resource, or 150 points in a combination of categories.
To get the cards, though, you're doing more than just a random draw from the deck. Players have to "bid" on the cards, using a rather unique bid system that involves more than just having more gemstones (represented by flat glass marbles) than the other player(s). This forces a certain amount of strategy to how the game is played, rather than simply the "luck of the draw". Game time is typically around 20 to 40 minutes, and with only two players, you can figure on staying closer to the low end of that estimate. The game is purely "family fare", and should contain no elements that anyone might find offensive. Out of the Box games can be found on the Web at .
Our second entry this month is "Safari Jack" from the Hip Pocket Games Division of Cheapass Games. "Safari Jack" is rated as a 2 player game, though with the addition of a second set, 3 or 4 players can play. Some might find that sounds like a ploy to get people to buy more, but at roughly $5 for the game, it's not really a hardship to pick up a second set if you want to play in a larger group. "Safari Jack" requires the addition of a few extra items before playing, basically a "pawn" to represent each player, and some form of "marker" for each player. We simply used two figures from a Lego ® set for the pawns, and picked up another color of the flat glass marbles, using those and the ones in "Shipwrecked" for our "markers".
The object of "Safari Jack" is to move from your base camp across different terrains to "end caps", which have a point value. Only the first player to reach a given end cap earns the points for that cap, and this is where the markers come in. Once you take an end cap, you place your marker on it. Another player can move onto that place, but they earn no points for doing so. Gameplay involves drawing a card from the deck, then playing one card from your hand onto the play surface, connecting it to either another card of the same terrain, or else to a base camp. You then move your pawn, but not onto the card you just played. This keeps you from holding the good "end cap" cards until you're in just the right position, then playing them and moving onto them in the same turn. To throw a real curve into things, the deck also contains extra move cards which let a player move more than the normal one space per turn, and other cards that let a player move their opponent to any other space. Place that great point value card, and you might find your opponent moves you as far from it as possible. In the two player version, the first player to accumulate 15 points wins. Playing time runs about 20 to 30 minutes, and the game's 3" x 4" Ziploc style bag makes for easy packing. Cheapass Games are at http://www.cheapass.com . Despite the company name that you might hesitate to say in Church, "Safari Jack" is still purely "Family Fare" gaming.
Our third and final entry this month is "Groo: The Game" from "Archangel Entertainment". "Groo: The Game" is based in the popular comic book, "Groo the Wanderer" by Sergio Aragones. The game is in essence a card game form of "Hot potato", where the "hot potato" is none other than the title character himself. If you've never read "Groo the Wanderer", I'll fill you in just a bit here. Groo is something of a parody of the "Conan" style hero. Groo is extremely good with his swords, but basically dumber than a box of rocks. Any ship he boards is guaranteed to sink. Towns that he visits are likely to end up in ruins. Any battle he happens upon could very well end up with both sides lying dead at his feet. In short, if Groo comes to your town, it's a good time to get out of town.
The instructions for "Groo: The Game" are written simply for the slow of mind. For 2 to 4 players and essentially, each player is the ruler of a town. Using resource dice and cards drawn from the deck, each player attempts to build up their town and their armies, sometimes laying waste to other player's towns in the process. The cards are whimsically illustrated by Sergio Aragones, and the dice are simply blank dice with illustrated stickers applied to them for the various resources. An additional die controls the movement of Groo, either leaving him where he is, or moving him 1 or 2 spaces to either direction. If Groo is in your town, you'll likely suffer some damage, therefore, you want to make sure Groo is kept away from your town as much as possible.
The winner is the first player to have 7 victory points at the end of his or her turn. The basic set of "Groo: The Game" is sufficient to play, though an expansion pack is around to add more elements to the game. The basic set is currently back in production after being out of print for several years, though at this writing, the expansion is not back in production. It can be found from time to time on places like eBay, but expect to not be the only person bidding on it. "Groo: The Game" is also "family fare", though you can expect a certain attitude of killing and maiming to be associated with the game, if the players are in any way familiar with the Groo comics. Again, expect about a half hour per game. If, about this time, you are asking, "What did you mean, 'slow of mind'?" you are definitely ready for the Groo game. Make sure to stock up on cheese dip first. At this time, it does not appear Archangel Entertainment has an active website.