&games

Played Roads and Boats again for the first time in a couple years.

What a great game. I bumped my rating from a 9 to a 10. It was even better than I remembered.

A methodical, empire building, pick up and delivery game that can be played either viciously or as multi-player solitaire (little to no interaction between players) or any degree in between. The game was designed by a couple of Dutch college students who have designed some other classic games, and have since gone on to work real jobs.

The game takes many hours to play. We played a two player game for 5 hours, but I will swear on a stack of Bibles that it felt like less than 2 hours. It is a very engaging game.

The game is on its third printing and there are literally only several hundred (maybe 2000) copies in existence. It may be available for fairly big bucks on a couple on line game stores, and is occasionally available on E-Bay for a couple hundred dollars. On the BGG Marketplace there are currently copies available ranging in price from $90 (beware, too good to be true) to 550 Euro (outrageous). I got my copy way-back-when for 80 some odd dollars. The game has nearly 1500 pieces and at the time I bought it games with not nearly so many components were going for that price. Roads and Boats has since nearly reached "legendary" status and commands a premium amongst boardgamers.

If I were to lose all my games in a fire, R&B would be at the top of my priority list for replacement, and I would pay through the nose.

A niche game to be sure, but I am squarely in that niche. Win or lose, I love building an empire from nothing and looking for ways to eek out an advantage here and there.