GRIZZLY PEAR

written snapshots

Category: Games

  • Royal Prep Academy (Sofia the First, 2013) and Dr. Seuss Thing Two and Thing One Whirly Fun (Dr. Seuss, 1016), Wonder Forge

    Both of these games are stuck in the mediocre middle. They have decent components and a reasonable starting concepts, but they don’t create compelling experiences.

    The kids enjoyed them for a moment, but they’re just OK. With tweaks, I suspect we could unearth a decent game within the pieces.

    These perfectly middlin’ products make me ponder my own career. It feels unfair to demand excellence from my purchases but not from myself.

    I’m good at what I do. I put in the best effort I got while I’m at the office, but I’m not willing to sacrifice the time to get to the “next level”.

    Should I be chasing something beyond the horizon? Am I maximizing my potential? Am I making the most of this time?

    Maybe, the questions shouldn’t be applied to work. I’m in a good spot at work, do I really have to press for more? If I was single and unattached, maybe the pursuit of career greatness would be warranted. It could be a great way to serve the world and enrich myself. Heck, it might be worth a big roll of the dice.

    Is there an epic quest waiting for me?

    Sounds enticing, but I’m not skipping out on my kids to find out.

  • MicroMacro: Crime City, Johannes Sich, 2020

    This game is Where’s Waldo in a metropolis of murder and mayhem.

    As investigators, the player’s job is to track the incident on the map — backwards and forwards in time and space — to catch the perpetrators.

    The key conceptual breakthrough is that the little figures are repeatedly shown in the map, tracking both space and time. Of course, it helps that the design team implemented this idea impeccably.

    The kids absolutely love this game. My daughter hates competitive games so the team coop is a good fit, and the illustrations are cute as hell (an apt superlative given what’s depicted).

    As a parent, I been awful at picking presents, especially games. So it I’ll take any success when where I can find it, even though I dislike the idea of single use games (sorry Legacy!).

    Given my cheapskate tendencies, the fact I’m now considering other games of limited replayability is the highest recommendation I could give MicroMacro. Not just me, it won the ’21 Spiel des Jahres!

    If it sounds interesting, get it.

    Make sure you have a real magnifying glass when you play the game. The thin plastic magnifier that comes with the game scratches up easily. Even better, get a domed magnifying paperweight. It’s perfect for marking a key point on the map as well as exploring the vicinity. I’m happy we had one at home.

  • Stephen Brian, 2022

    He was one of the first folks to play with us,
    On our first visit to Friday Night Game Night,
    (Jim and Troung’s place.)

    He was a little geeky — me too!
    (Two dudes playing board games every week)
    I best remember his aura of kindness.

    My days in Houston ended in 2013,
    Never got around to that 3P game of Konig von Siam.
    (He liked heavier games, I’m into lighter games.)

    Just found out he passed away this year.

    We’ll get that play one day,
    (Between rounds of of Tichu)
    On that next plane.

    ䷤䷂

    sincerity
    arrayed like a king
    good fortune in the end

  • Mahjong solitaire

    My boy discovered our old mahjong set and pulled it out.

    It was from my grandparents.
    They didn’t like this set because the engraving was shallow.
    You can’t feel the tile’s identity before looking at it.

    Mahjong is truly a great rummy game.
    Traditional Hong Kong scoring, three points minimum.
    Unfortunately the kids aren’t ready.
    (I’ve tried.)

    But they’re ready for Mahjong Solitaire.

    I remember hating this knockoff.
    Wishing for the real MJ on the computer.
    The only available program on the 386.

    Thirty years later, I downloaded a couple clones on the phone to review the rules.
    We started playing.

    First the classic pyramid,
    then some wacky stacks,
    ended with a big simple cube.

    The iPhone is a lot easier to set up.
    Click a button.

    The physical set lets us do anything we want.
    It makes real sounds.
    Direct visuals.
    Interacts with gravity!
    You can actually feel the tiles.

    Even if they weren’t engraved deeply enough.

    ䷧䷵

    My cousin’s grandfather could play the game without sorting the tiles in his hand.
    (he was a ship’s captain)
    All the history, all that skill, gone as the wind.
    What will we leave behind?
    The kids in their turn?
    Wisps lingering in the ether.

  • Three games with a deck.

    We played Dixit.
    He kept showing his hand.
    And always picked his own card.
    But she understood the game.
    We played a few rounds.

    Cute Wars did not go so well.
    He hated his sister’s claims that her card was cuter.
    (That’s the point of the game!)
    Crying ensued.

    Later that evening, we played with my wife.
    She correctly guessed one of my clues.
    The girl hated it.
    Especially when when I joked “Mommy is my soulmate.”

    ䷺䷃

    a spring wells up at the foot of the mountain

  • Zooleretto, Michael Schacht, 2007

    I played Zooloretto at my first game night at Jim and Troung’s house.
    Just OK.

    But who can deny a giant panda on the cover?

    So I bought it as my birthday present.
    We played it once according to the rules.

    Then they constructed a massive mega zoo in the playroom,
    Filled the pens with animals.
    Lego people visited Zoo.

    ䷰䷩

    Zooleretto is a good game, deserving of the SDJ. I prefer the conceptual purity of Coloretto but now appreciate the purposeful complexity provided by additions to the original engine. She still dislikes competitive games. Maybe they will enjoy it in a few years.

  • Iron and Bronze clashed as Jade reigned supreme.

    I stayed obsessed with the Max game board, so here is another version, with 1.5″ squares, which is a better fit for our pieces from Animal upon Animal.

    Max-Board-Letter-220306.5Download

  • Red and pink foot mittens were scattered in the corridor.

    I made a game board for Max to play with my Animal Upon Animal pieces. Originally it was hand drawn, then on legal paper in AutoCAD, and finally now in lettersized format. This is version 9. Lots of little tweaks here and there, but I’m happy with it.

    I’ve never been a great graphic designer, but a some time and many iterations makes me passable.

    Max Board Letter-220305.9Download

  • Dixit (2 player cooperative, Mike Zielinski)



    I’ve used Dixit cards to play with my girl many times. We would admire the art and pick out the cutest cards.

    However, we’ve never played Dixit as a game.

    A few months ago, I searched boardgamegeek.com and found a cooperative variant which deals twelve cards in two rows (six on each side). Each player places a token pairing each of their six cards with the other player’s six cards. We then score a point for every pair that matches what the partner selected.

    This is a good game.

    It’s a really interesting exercise to pair up the cards and compare your mind with your partner. I suspect this is something that we can play long after the cute wars have ended.

    Highly recommended, we went through the entire deck (five packs worth). And we actually scored 6 out of 6 on our last chance!

  • Dixit (Cute Wars)

    It is impossible to play Dixit with a child. They don’t understand the balancing act of giving away just enough information so that only some people will correctly guess your clue.

    But beautiful cards must be played.

    So we invented a variant called Cute War. As the name implies, this is a variant of the old card game War.

    Pull out a Dixit deck and twelve poker chips (six for each player). Split the deck in half for each player.

    Every round, flip a card over. Instead of comparing numbers, discuss who flipped the cuter card. The winner takes both cards.

    If there is a stalemate, a player may offer a chip to buy both cards. The other player may ante their own chip. They may raise each other. If neither player offers a chip or they stalemate at a tie, then flip over the next card and judge accordingly (winner take all, of course).

    After someone has won a match, the losing player may offer a chip to buy one of the cards from the winning player. The winning player may accept the chip and give up the card. Otherwise, they must counteroffer with an equal quantity of chips. The losing player may take the counteroffer or up the bid, back and forth until someone acquiesces.

    We never go through the deck more than once so there isn’t ever truly a “winner”. This is more of an activity than a game – the chips add a gamey patina but are really just a way to crystallize someone’s valuations.

    One day, we’ll get around to playing “real” Dixit. Until then, we have fun with this opportunity to plumb the aesthetic preferences of my daughter.