Sunday, August 28, 2005
Kremlin: brief comments
School started last week. Since it started I started doing the Thursday night game group at the Boys and Girls Club, again. Unfortunately, the club will be closed this week and I won't have a weekday evening off for the next couple months. Brought Niagara and Blood Feud in New York last Thursday evening. Ended up playing Niagara with 3 others. Two kids had to go before the game was finished. That left me and one kid. I hadn't brought any two player games, so we continued with Niagara. Then he had to leave before we finished.
After a dozen or more plays, I have to reiterate that Niagara is a very good family game. I haven't played any of the other Spiel des Jahre nominees, but Niagara was a good choice to win the prestigious award. Kids really like the game, and adults won't get bored with it either.
I also got a chance to play my second game of Kremlin with 4 other adult gamers, not kids. It is a classic game published by the old Avalon Hill. In Kremlin players vie for control of polititians, power, and the party in a game based upon the old Soviet empire.
I've tried for two days to write a synopsis of the game and can't come up with anything that I like. Here's the description from Boardgamegeek, it is better than anything I came up with:
A game of political intrigue set in the Soviet Politburo. Players secretly influence politicians, using them to expunge other players politicians to Siberia, promote their own, or wheel and deal. The player who successfully gets their controlled Party Chief to wave 3 times at the May Day parade wins the game. Nice balance of chrome and playability, and the theme fits tightly.
Yes, the goal of the game is to wave 3 times. It is not near as hoaky as it may sound.
After two plays I don't think I will play again. It is a clever game. As the description says, it is a very nice balance of chrome and playability. I understand the appeal this game will have to many gamers, in the heyday of Avalon Hill Kremlin must have been an outstanding game.
I can't really put my finger on all the reasons why I don't care for it, but it is just too long and chaotic for me. If it was only a two hour game it would be much better. Unless a player gets lucky and waves 3 times early, the 10 rounds of play will last 3.5-4 hours. It's just not interesting enough to hold my attention for 4 hours.
Good gaming.
After a dozen or more plays, I have to reiterate that Niagara is a very good family game. I haven't played any of the other Spiel des Jahre nominees, but Niagara was a good choice to win the prestigious award. Kids really like the game, and adults won't get bored with it either.
I also got a chance to play my second game of Kremlin with 4 other adult gamers, not kids. It is a classic game published by the old Avalon Hill. In Kremlin players vie for control of polititians, power, and the party in a game based upon the old Soviet empire.
I've tried for two days to write a synopsis of the game and can't come up with anything that I like. Here's the description from Boardgamegeek, it is better than anything I came up with:
A game of political intrigue set in the Soviet Politburo. Players secretly influence politicians, using them to expunge other players politicians to Siberia, promote their own, or wheel and deal. The player who successfully gets their controlled Party Chief to wave 3 times at the May Day parade wins the game. Nice balance of chrome and playability, and the theme fits tightly.
Yes, the goal of the game is to wave 3 times. It is not near as hoaky as it may sound.
After two plays I don't think I will play again. It is a clever game. As the description says, it is a very nice balance of chrome and playability. I understand the appeal this game will have to many gamers, in the heyday of Avalon Hill Kremlin must have been an outstanding game.
I can't really put my finger on all the reasons why I don't care for it, but it is just too long and chaotic for me. If it was only a two hour game it would be much better. Unless a player gets lucky and waves 3 times early, the 10 rounds of play will last 3.5-4 hours. It's just not interesting enough to hold my attention for 4 hours.
Good gaming.
# posted by Coldfoot @ 6:08 PM 
