Stats Review 2011

It’s the end of the year and time for a blog post, which is something that’s been uncommon in 2011, maybe I’ll do better next year.

This is the 2011 review of games played at the club; corresponding articles for 2008 - 2010 are linked from the years. As last year I include a comparison with the previous year. I expect to update the stats pages over the next week or so.  For a rundown beyond the top 5, there is a geeklist of all the games played here. Note this won’t appear on the geek front page of the Geek.

Games Played

We played a total of 187 games this year which is an increase from 176 in 2010, spread over 73 different ones compared with 98, when play was a lot more spread. The number of games new to our tables was 30 including the number 3 game.

The total player time for the year was 776 player hours an decrease of 15% on last year’s figure of 910.

The most played games (in terms of player time) were as follows:

1. Power Grid (9 plays, 77.8 player hours)

Power Grid continues to be the most played game, this year being a clear winner with better than twice the player time of its nearest rival. There was no new board this year and most of the play was seen on the Benelux/Central Europe board with various combinations of power plants from both full decks and a few promo plants.

2. Caylus Magna Carta (6 plays, 35.5 player hours)

When it first appeared in 2005 and then the following year, Caylus was played a lot at the club, being 2006’s most played game and still holding a position of 5 in the all time list despite having not been played at all since 2006. Caylus Magna Carta seems to have supplanted it and this year has seen the most play of that game having been played a few times each in most years from 2007 (exception 2008)

3. King of Tokyo (18 plays, 31.1 player hours)

The big new game of the year having only first appeared in June. A nice little dice game that has become the club’s preferred filler game. This was the most played game in terms of number of plays.

4. London (5 plays, 31.0 player hours)

Martin Wallace’s game from Essen last year has seen steady play throughout the year, interesting all 5 games featuring myself, Steve H and Donald.

5. Battlestar Galactica (2 plays, 27.5 player hours)

We played this in January using the newly published Exodus expansion, which didn’t go down that well. On the basis of that I shall think very carefully about buying any future expansion. The other play was in November stripped back down to the base game with 2 new players.

As noted further up, the most played game in terms of games played was King of Tokyo.

What happened to last year’s top 5?

As last year the 2 survivors from the previous year are Power Grid and Battlestar Galactica, the other 3 games having fallen way down. Last year’s number 2 was World Without End (also top in terms of games played), which saw 5 plays this year and appears at number 6 on the list.

Number 4 last year was Louis XIV, which has only been played once this year and stands at 42. Number 5 was Homesteaders, which also had 1 play and is at 35.

Games that have stood the test of time

There are still 2 games, played every year since 2003 with both Vinci and Industrial Waste being played again this year although with only 1 play each.

3 other games had been played every year since 2004, of these both Power Grid and San Juan have been played again, although Kremlin did not make it to the table this year.

I now have records for 9 years (only partially for 2003) and the following have been played in at least 7 of the 9 Years.

Games played in 9 of 9 years

Vinci
Industrial Waste

Games played in 8 of 9 years

Power Grid
Amun-Re
San Juan
Acquire

Games played in 7 of 9 years

Ra
Kremlin
Guillotine
Citadels

Now let’s see what 2012 brings.

7th September, 2011

So tonight we had an embarrassment of riches with ten - yes, count 'em: 10 - people in attendance. It's been a while since I remember quite so many - in fact, it may go back to when Gordon used to come and bring Daniel and co to play one of Dave C's RPGs.

Anyhoo, after much to-ing and fro-ing about who would and would not be playing Andy's Quarriors - no-one, as it turned out - we split into a four for Caylus: Magna Carta; and a six for Power Grid.

Dave F, Anna, Mike and I settled in to one of my favourite games in Caylus: Magna Carta. Mike and Dave F both started strongly whilst Anna, on her first play, was learning the mechanisms as she went. I started in sleep-deprived dad mode, but woke up around half way through when Mike built the Cathedral for three stone and two gold, giving him 14VP.

I've had success before by picking up favours as fast as I could in an attempt to end the game quickly (in fact, the last game I played with Dave F and Steve H came in at under 45 mins because of this) but as I was last player for the first turn, that option wasn't really open if I wanted to stay in the game. Dave was actually first to use the lawyer, but missed out on first prestige build. He then built the statue for 6 and was quickly followed by Anna, who built the hotel for 6. This left me last in the prestige race because I'd been buying as many favours as I could early on; so, having taken my turn at the lawyer, I built the monument for 10, then waited as the others played for further prestige buildings, noting that no-one seemed that fussed about wood late in the game and I managed to get the town hall out. I'm not sure, but I think Dave and Mike were each concentrating on the other's game and forgot to watch me. The others built their second prestige buildings too; but I'm sure it was the early stocking of favours which gave me the win.

We then went on to play King of Tokyo for my first ever win... in fact, the first time I've actually survived until the end. I won by virtue of some lucky points-scoring dice rolls plus the card that allows you to combo rolls of 1-2-3 for points, but also use the dice in other combinations. A good night for me, then!!! Probably the last for some time as this kind of fortune never lasts.

Over on the other table, it was 6-player Power Grid. Unfortunately, I didn't get any low-down on this, so maybe Dave D can fill me in? I don't even know which map was used.

Session Report - 1st September 2011

In the absence of other stuff, here's my summary of some games I played this week, and some others I didn't.

First up, I didn't play Paris Connection, which was played by Dave F, Andy, Claire, Steve Pe and Mike; however, I have played it before and think it's a cracking, fast-paced economic game with tons of depth for its length. Six railway companies start from Paris(?) and build lines out to other towns and cities on a hex map of France. So far, so Chicago Express (apart from the France bit); but PC is a much simpler game. On a player's turn they may take one action only: lay up to 5 sections of track for any company; take a share; or trade a held share for two identical shares of a different company. Laying track to new destinations increases the share value of a company, and the aim is to hold the highest combined share value at the game's end.

Yes, really, that's it; and that is its genius. The game is further simplified by the facts that there is no cash money: shares double as track and comprise the game's only currency. The more track one lays (provided it connects to a town or city), the higher the share value climbs whilst the scarcity of shares (and, as a consequence, track) increases.

Anyone can play this game, and it's over in 45 mins, but in that time each player has had to make some tough decisions: do I sell my share in red, which looks spent, to buy two blue as the price climbs? or do I lay track in green to a random spot in the woods just to deplete resources because I don't hold any green shares? Simple, involving and very, very good. I liked it so much, I bought the game... but anyone who knows me knows that's not saying much.

Andy, Steve H, Dave D and I played Roborally. I don't have a heck of a lot to say about it other than I was narrowly beaten by Dave when I got a handful of turn cards when in his laser sights and he shot me to bits. We played Dave's Wizards of the Coast version which, component-wise, beats my Avalon Hill version hands down. I do prefer some of the later AH rules (for example, timer for other players once the first has programmed his registers) and the player boards with damage accrued. The only naff rule in WotC is the "virtual" robots, but it's not terrible, just not very consistent in my opinion.

Roborally is both simple and complex; both logical and chaotic. I love it to bits. We should play more.

Steve romped away with Ra: the Dice Game by virtue of his propensity to flood. He won by some margin.

On the other table, after Paris Connection, they played 7 Wonders with the Leaders expansion. I've yet to try Leaders, and am curious to see how it plays, but there are so many games that are just plain better than 7 Wonders that I haven't quite got around to it yet. It's not that 7 Wonders is a bad game - I just find it a bit ordinary. It ploughs a furrow of mediocrity that's all too common. Pick a card, pass; pick a card pass. Its tendency is toward being a game about managing the player following in a similar fashion to Puerto Rico - at least, that's the mechanism I'm most reminded of.

Scores anyone...?

Session Report - 23 February 2011

6 this week and a 3 way split.Games were London, Ra: The Dice Game, 20th Century and Puzzle Strike.

Session Report - 16 February 2011

8 this week with Steve and Paul down from Telford and we were also joined by Miguel from Spain, who is working in the area for a short time. We split 3/5, games played being World Withoout End, Peleponnes, Heckmeck and Animal Olympics.

Session Report - 9 February 2011

We were down to 6 this week with a split of 4 & 2, allowing Steve H and Andy E to partake of a couple of rounds of Command & Colours – Ancients, while the rest of us played London, followed by Ra – The Dice game.

Session Report - 2 February 2011

9 this week and the split was 3/3/3. Games played were St. Petersburg, San Juan, Ra (2 games on 2 tables), Jamaica, Louis XIV and Heck Meck (note I have assumed this is the game identified as Pickomino on BGG, maybe someone could confirm or deny this for me).