Category: Games

Mystery Rummy
US Games Systems, Inc. 1998

Do you like to play Rummy, but are bored by the same old game every time? Check out this series of Rummy games. In Mystery Rummy, you not only play rummy, but are also trying to be the first to solve a mystery. You can find Mystery Rummy in five variations: Jack the Ripper, Jekyll and Hyde, Murders in the Rue Morgue, Al Capone and the Chicago Underworld, and Escape from Alcatraz. First published in 1998, these games have been a favorite of mine since their first appearance.

By playing victim, scene, suspect and evidence melds, you build a case against your suspects to convince the authorities of their guilt. Whichever suit has the most cards played when the player goes out is the guilty party, but if all the victims come out first, then the murderer escapes!

Mystery Rummy has a lot more strategy than regular rummy. You want to build your case, but can’t take too much time, and have to manipulate the game to make sure your suspect has the strongest case when you go out.  The games cards have nice artwork and great historical detail and are easy to distinguish so game play isn’t interrupted by the historical overlay. And it isn’t just a “skin” on a standard game. Mystery Rummy offers a great thematic variant, with enough standard gameplay to make it easy to learn, and enough theme to make it interesting and more challenging.

Each of the different variants gives a different flavor. Pick up Al Capone for your gangster game fan, Murders in the Rue Morgue for your horror fan or Jack the Ripper for your Mystery Crime fan. Each one gives a slightly different experience, so pick up the whole set for a unique game experience each time. Highly recommended.

Do you like to play games and show them to others? Are you a game store or convention that wants people to come do demos? Check out the Double Exposure structured play program at http://www.dexposure.com/envoy/

Double Exposure works with game companies to get games that they offer to individuals in order to have them run and demo the games and game stores and conventions. Many larger companies have “outrider” programs to reward individuals who run their games at these venues, but smaller companies often aren’t able to offer this type of program. Double Exposure’s mission is to offer a group of outriders to these smaller companies, and help facilitate with conventions and game stores to get the word out.

Individuals register with Double Exposure, and have a quick video interview to qualify for the program. Then they can choose the games they would like to run. If you own a copy of the game, you may use yours, or you can request a free game from the company. Either way, you will run a video demo of the game to certify on it. This way the game companies can be assured that they are getting people who really know the game. If you get a free game, you have a required number of appearances that you need to do over the year with that game. If you have your own copy, those requirements are waived. There will be prizes that you can earn with the “points” that you get for your appearances as the program develops more.

I joined the program and have certified on four games: Cutthroat Caverns, Sutakku, Qin and Volt: Robot Battle Arena. I am impressed with the organization and dedication of the folks running the program and highly recommend it to others. They assisted our convention library with support, and made sure that our GM’s were certified on their games before the convention. They also facilitated with the companies that I work with (R&R Games and Smirk and Dagger) to get me T-shirts for those games, a Double Exposure T-shirt, a pin, pen and other swag that I can use to put myself forward as an envoy for my games.

I highly recommend you check them out if you have ever thought of being an outrider for a game company. There are some great games here that aren’t as well known, and could use the PR.

Qin
R&R Games, 2012

Wow, that was a lot longer hiaitus than I originally planned. Miss me? This week, we’ll take a look at Qin from R&R Games by Reiner Knizia. Loosely based on the Qin dynasty over 2000 years ago in China, the players colonize the Chinese hinterlands by founding provinces and absorbing remote villages into their empires. They build pagodas as a sign of their authority. The first person to place all of their pagodas wins.

The large game board has 2 sides. For the initial game it is recommended that you play the slightly easier “bird” board. This board has grassland spaces, where you place tiles, provinces (in red, yellow and blue) that are the start spaces for players to begin expanding their empire and villages that the players will attempt to conquer. The more difficult “lion” board adds in ponds that block tile placement.

Tiles consist of two squares each (variations of red, blue and yellow combinations). Each player will start with a number of pagodas based on number of players and three tiles. The game suggests that the youngest player plays first, but any arbitrary means will suffice. On their turn, each player will place a tile, and place pagodas to claim territory. By placing a tile you can create a province if you have created an unclaimed territory of two or more same colored province spaces (placing one pagoda), or they can expand a province that they already own. If they expand their province to 5 or more of the same color, they can place a 2nd pagoda. If their province lies adjacent to a village, and they have more pagodas adjoining the village than any other player, they may claim that village. Or, if they join two separate provinces of the same color, and their province has more spaces that the one they join, then they can absorb that province into their own. The game ends as soon as one player places their last pagoda. They win! There are a few more fiddly bits to the rules, which you can figure out when you purchase the game.

This is a really nicely balanced game with a fair amount of options and strategy, yet is deceptively simple. If a player happens to get a double color tile (two blue, two red, etc.) often, this can shift the balance in their favor, which is the only complaint that we have. Might have been a little better with fewer doubles, to make it more challenging, but that is nitpicking, as it isn’t a big problem, and can be overcome by smart play. I’ve seen a couple reviews of this, and should note that no province can ever have more than two pagodas, so you have to spread out and work many different areas of the board in order to win. One review stated that you could keep stacking pagodas, which would be a variant you could try, but isn’t in the rules.

The game is well crafted, with nice art and lots of cute little pagodas that are fun to play with. A good helping of strategy without mind-numbing boredom. In most games like this, you have to play tiles next to the same color as the one you are playing. That is NOT the case in Qin, which can trip up seasoned players a little.

Overall, a really nice game. Plays quickly and easily. Recommended.

Time really flies when you are having fun. And I’m having fun running Gamicon! Gamicon is Mindbridge Foundation’s annual game convention. It’s awesome, and you should come. Friday, February 20 through Sunday, February 22 at the Sheraton Hotel in Downtown Iowa City. Check it out at www.Gamicon.org. It’s kind of a big thing, and it has been taking all my time, so I haven’t had a chance to write up new reviews. So come to Gamicon and see the cool games you have seen reviewed here, and I’ll be back with new reviews in March.