Blog Archives
Circlet of Mutual Antagonism
Circle of Conflict is a really bad title. Just terrible. You know what would have been better? Anything. Ring of Conflict, maybe, seeing as how this is a Lord of the Rings shindig. Crud, just call it Circlet. That has an elegant chime, doesn’t it? Circlet.
I imagine the thinking behind the title, which was designed by Geoff Engelstein and Stephen Buonocore, was that it’s descriptive. Because the game actually plops you right into the middle of a circle, you see, and that circle happens to be not a circle of harmony, but a circle of conflict. You’re reenacting the War of the Third Age from both perspectives, commanding the Free Peoples against the player to your left and Sauron & Friends against the player to your right. Thus the Circle. The Circle of Conflict.
The other rancid thing about the title is that… oh, what’s that? You want to hear about the game? Very well. It’s quite good. Not perfect, but good.
All Flesh Is Grass
One of my favorite games ever designed is getting a new edition. Apart from some component upgrades and better availability, nothing has changed. Which is precisely what this title needed.
So come on in. The tea’s hot and the fire is crackling. HA HA. You just scalded your tongue. That means I’m the winner. It also means today’s game is Schadenfreude, the most joyously nasty trick-taker out there.
Space-Cast! #52. Fellowship of the Trick
Transforming a work of literature into a trick-taking game is no mean feat, especially when that work is as influential as The Lord of the Rings. Today, we’re joined by Bryan Bornmueller, creator of the trick-taking versions of both The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. Listen in as we discuss our background with both Tolkien and trick-taking, the difficulties of adaptation, and what’s coming next.
Listen here or download here. Timestamps can be found after the jump.
Trick-Taking’s Back on the Menu, Boys!
The problem with sequels, especially in board games where sequels are mechanical artifacts first and narrative artifacts a distant second if at all, is that there isn’t necessarily more to say about them. Last year, Bryan Bornmueller’s The Fellowship of the Ring: Trick-Taking Game was one of my favorites. Now, as was foretold by some lady peering into a bowl of water, The Two Towers: Trick-Taking Game is here.
It’s more of the same.
That’s precisely what I wanted it to be. But it doesn’t necessarily make for interesting breakfast reading.
The Fellowship of Bill the Pony
I’m a sucker for unabashed enthusiasm. The Fellowship of the Ring: Trick-Taking Game, designed by Bryan Bornmueller, is brimming with the stuff.
As you might have gleaned from the title, this is a trick-taking game set in the world of The Lord of the Rings. Except, scratch that, Bornmueller has wisely narrowed his scope to Tolkien’s first volume. This affords him some breathing room. Rather than taking us on a whirlwind tour of the entire trilogy — or all six books, if we want to be pedantic about it — Bornmueller drills down into what makes The Fellowship of the Ring so gripping in its own right. Yes, Tom Bombadil makes an appearance, alongside Goldberry, poor forgotten Glorfindel, and Farmer Maggot (now more than a menacing scythe). Even Bill the Pony is a playable character.
SPACE-BIFF! 