I was there!

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

BGG 2016

Board Game Geek con, Nov 2016

We went to the best convention ever! BoardGameGeek holds conventions that are just amazing. They bring ~4000 games to a convention center to set up a game library, and then people come and play games! I had so much fun I was losing my voice by the end. Here are most of the games we played.

Day one you check in-get your badge, get your free games, find your friends. After games we ate BBQ at Hard Eight-five stars!

Peptide! Scientifically accurate with a reasonable game mechanic.

We were the first to play this from the library so we got to punch it out.

OMG! If we had played no other game I still would have been happy because we played Fireball Island. You are running to get the jewel and bring it back to the boat...but the island spews fireballs-red marbles to thwart your plans.

It's from the 80's, molded plastic.

Fireballs precariously perched

to knock you over!

We had a real back and forth at the end where the jewel changed hands 5 times!

In the end Biggles was victorious-well done!

Day 2

Our first game of the day-from the hot games tables!

Exactly as described, you place animals on the land and move up the track. A little fiddly but ok mechanics.

One of my favorites from the hot games, it really is a game of civ in 45 minutes. I really like the level of interaction

A bunch of the civ cards.

7 Wonders Duels, a 2-person version. Really enjoyed this-the same feel as the full game, but for two.

A super quick kids game.

You add monsters to the platform

but someone falls off when there are too many. You don't want to be the person who makes it fall off!

We got taught by the developer-a very good complex game that fits exceptionally well with the theme.

Hire stars, place programs, draw in viewers, make money, repeat!

Best trivia game ever!

Everyone guesses the answer to the trivia question (which is just a little opaque) and then everyone bets on the answers!

One of the top ten during the conference-clever premise, oh Vlaada, we love you so! It encourages clever word play.

Might be best with a group where everyone knows each other the same amount-we split the spouses and ended up balanced (together we would have totally won!)

Last game of the night...we really didn't give it a proper chance. It seemed like a good mechanic, but I felt like we just couldn't get the hang of the co-operation mechanic.

I didn't get to play this, but had to grab a photo for all my quilting friends! Not the best score on BGG, but I want to play it!

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Books and theater, Sept-Oct 2015

In Vegas there is a free monorail between Aria and Bellagio. One of the platforms has a Turrell in it?!? Small space, two windows, outlined in pink. Not an ideal setting like a museum but such a nice surprise in an unexpected setting.

-by Jane Smiley
Early Warnings: the second in the trilogy...oh man, now I have to wait for the last one. Continuation of the story of the family Langdon.

by John Buchan
-The 39 Steps: I saw the play of this a couple years ago and so when I saw it was a book I had to check it out...turns out the book was first-1915! and was one of the first spy novels. Then there was the Hitchcock film (which I had to watch after reading the book). Turns out the book and film are like Ian Fleming and the Bond movies....some similarities, but more the spirit of the thing. A couple other films were made, then the play in 1995 and spoofed the Hitchcock film-only 4 actors, references to other of his films. I liked the book-makes me want to go back to Fleming....

-By Paula Hawkins
The Girl on the Train: This is one of those best sellers where I read it and went, really? I mean, yes, it kind of pulled you along and again getting into the heads of people. And a bit of a mystery but you won't ever get the clues to solve it....and it is all about unpleasant people. Meh, I prefer Jane Smiley.

-by Ernest Cline
Ready Player One: I know I am late to the game...but yes, this is so fun!! Totally written for the 40-ish nerd crowd and a fast read.

Delicious drinks and snacks in Vegas!

-edited by Pamela Smith Hill
Pioneer Girl by Laura Ingalls Wilder: I loved the Little House on the Prairie series growing up, so had to read about the origins. Turns out to be an interesting story-the first version LIW wrote was non-fiction, intended for adults. No publisher was interested, so she and her daughter, Rose, rewrote it for children. And it was no longer true non-fiction. More like historical fiction, where she tried to be as true to the facts as possible, but often re-ordered them to make a better story. Now I want to re-read the series....

-by Erich Segal
Love Story: I'm in a reading challenge and one book was "came out the year you were born". So I looked up the bestsellers for 1970 and this was at the top of the list...and one that I knew I had in my library. It has been a while-I was surprised at how short it is...and well written-concise. Maybe I should watch the movie too!

-by Neal Patrick Harris
A Choose Your Own Autobiography: such a fun set-up. Love NPH! And the evolution of he learned to act and the roles he played is interesting. Since we saw him in Hedwig and the Angry Inch I was blown away by what a demanding role it is, now I understand how he did it.

-by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Between the World and Me: Anyone who thinks that racism no longer exists should read this. Hard to read, but harder to not read...

More good Vegas drinks

Why yes, that is a blue cotton candy martini...at the famous Serendipity where dessert was frozen hot chocolate.

-by John Burdett
Bangkok Haunts and Bangkok Tattoo: more in the series of a Thai detective.

-by Paul Tough
How Children Succeed:interesting take, you do best if you have character qualities like grit and determination, which can be built up just like you can improve how smart you are-goes well with the Carol Dweck book.

-by Allie Brosch
Hyperbole and a Half: Just had to re-read this...so much funny and important packed into a small space. If you have never heard of her, just go read this
http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/09/party.html

by Haruki Murakami
Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage: Okay, so I really liked the first book I read and then was luke warm on the second. This was more like the second, a nice story, well told, but the ending leaves me feeling a little hanging....not sure I love him enough to read more.

Eurydice
performed by the Shotgun Players in Berkeley: Wow this was amazing. A modern retelling of the classic story.

-by Neil Gaiman and various artists
Sandman: this is just something I have to re-read occasionally-inspired by the play above since the Sandman has a version of the Orpheus story. Only made it through vol 1 and 2 of the giant compilations

-by Art Baltazar and Franco
Tiny Titans, starting with Return to the Treehouse. This is a fantastic series! It is great for beginning readers, but fun for all ages! Look at the art-so cute!!