Lost Treasures of the Eurogames Reclamation Project

Downfall of Pompeii is back in print as of a few months ago. Throwing dudes into a volcano always sounds like fun. Thoughts?

What about Rattus? That's one I've been eyeing as well which seems like an interesting take on an area majority type game.

Airlines Europe is coming back into print so I may just get that instead of UP.

I love Pompeii. It's goofy as hell. The first half of the game, really, is setting it up. There is some light strategy in placing your people. The second half is trying to get them the hell out of there, which is lots of fun. Lava gushing out everywhere, dudes tossed into the little 3D volcano. There's about three rules total, the most complicated thing is setting up the card deck since you have to put the omen cards and eruption cards in at certain intervals.

I have the Mayfair reprint which comes in this weirdly sized box- not really bookshelf sized, it's smaller. The Amigo one came in a big, long box (which I actually like). Funny thing is that they just took the art of the big box and sort of cropped it and wrapped it around. It has a couple of differences from the Amigo version, most notably that it has a three tile expansion that has "double vents", meaning you get to choose which side to use and which lava flow it conencts to. It also has a plastic volcano, which is actually a big improvement over the cardstock one, IMO. The board is obviously a quad fold instead of a dual fold. There are an equal number of pieces for each color, in the Amigo one it was one of those things where two and three player games had specific colors to use. Some people on BGG railed about how much of a "downgrade" the components are but they're talking out of their ass. It's about the same with just a couple of minor improvements.

I didn't like Rattus, but I'd be willing to give it another shot. Hey, it was on Rab's list.

Wait a minute, making change in Alhambra? GTFO, that's like taking the bust-on-a-seven rule out of Settlers.

Downfall of Pompeii is excellent, no matter your gaming tastes. It's one of the few games where making Wilhelm Screams is mandatory.

Michael Barnes wrote: Wait a minute, making change in Alhambra? GTFO, that's like taking the bust-on-a-seven rule out of Settlers.

Exactly my point on most expansions for eurogames. Alhambra is the poster child for this.

Euros are about tight, simple rules and a couple of mechanics in conflict with each other. Adding to a game that derives its power from being small is a bad idea.

Bad euros don't get expansions, good euros shouldn't.

S.

Aton - Is likely my most played euro (*coughabstractcough*) to date. It survived my game purge last year as one of two euros out of 36 that made the cut. The other being Fjords (also more abstract than euro, but whatever).

An egyptian themed game, that makes sense if your into the Amarna era history of Egypt where Monotheism was demanded. Otherwise, it is criticized as a very badly themed euro. As a theme lover I disagree though. Anyways, the game is card driven, with a board for score placement in numerous portions of the Great Temple of Aton. These worshippers that you place inside the temple are mostly for area control, as there are four different win conditions. Control every space in any one section of the temple, control all space on either the left or right side of the entire temple, or through points.

The cards are placed in cartouches that signify how, where and when your worshippers are placed. One cartouche is even to murder your opponents worshippers or your own if you do not put in a high enough card.

It took about 3 games for me to "get it". Uvulabob has a nice untitled flash based review...thingy for it.

I liked the game so much, that I built a custom Hirst Arts board for it.

What's been nice about this post is it's allowed me to fill up my want list to try to move some of the dusty unplayed stuff out the door.

Just within the past few days Around the World in 80 Days came in as did Pony Express.

Pony Express looks great, basically a little bit of Liars Dice but you have shootouts by setting up your cowboy dudes at opposite corners of the board and roll dice at each other. Then if Indians attack you roll a dice at the three trying to knock them down.

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The more items that have been added to this list, my own recommendations incl., to me suggests ERP is only skin deep: are many othese title really treasures? Zooloretto. Yeah, we play it with my son but that its that great? it's ok. We like it etc. but Must Have doesn't come to mind.

The big gems are stuff like Ra, El Grande, WALLENSTEIN, E&T, Samurai (apparently), Big City (Thanks, Valley Games!), Amun Re, Fire & Axe the first edition EVO and smaller stuff like Hart an der Grenze. Those should be in print. And why the f*** are most Knizia's unavailable? The good doctor must have made some bad business decisions or there is a conspiracy.

There is no need, for the most part, for an ERP. To dig up mediocre or bottom tier euros?

Course, if the alternative is playing dinky Marvel Dice...

Has anybody mentioned Pillars of the Earth? (ducks)

Rattus isn't better than El Grande. We have it because we mostly play two-player and Rattus is like El Grande in 45 minutes for two in a small box with killer rats. Stick with El Grande.

Stephenson's Rocket is entering my top ten games and I'm unsure if I prefer it to Tigris and Euphrates. With two vicious players, it's like a wargame with trains. Absolutely excellent, nasty, fast and elegant. It reminds me of Knizia's take on 1830.

Most of the other stuff isn't classic classic euros. However, if you've got a sizeable board game collection, they're the games that get mentioned again... And again... And again.

Is Airships better than To Court the King? Both seem to be dice games that have lasted ten years, but they're always mentioned together.

Downfall of Pompeii seems to occupy the same place in our collection to Survive: Escape from Atlantis, and we prefer Survive. It's more elegant.

For adults, Coloretto seems to do the same thing as Zooloretto, but faster and in a smaller box.

I was recently reminded that Municipium is the last strong Knizia middle weight game and seems to be absurdly neglected. Maybe because it has the taint of Valley Games about it?

Michael Barnes wrote: Wait a minute, making change in Alhambra? GTFO

You get 1 change in a random color for every 2 you overpay. It's very small compensation to give a bit more incentive to overpay. Overpaying in the base game is generally suicide.

I'm a big fan of the Alhambra expansions; they keep things fresh without having to learn a whole new game. Same goes with Carcassone, which I dread playing with adults but has been one of the most played games with my daughter (currently enjoying the new Hills & Sheep).

Mad Dog wrote:

Chaz wrote: I don't know if it really fits this category, but I love the hell out of Reef Encounter. It's a pain in the ass to teach, but once you figure out how everything works together, it's a really cutthroat area control game.

Reef Encounter is one of my favorite games ever, but Barnes hates it.

I wouldn't call it one of my favorite games ever, but it's an excellent combination of area control/area denial and push your luck scoring. I literally cannot understand how someone could love Samurai and Tigris and then hate on Reef Encounter. It's Richard Breese instead of Knizia but it's a Knizia tile laying game in every other way.

Gregarius wrote:

Michael Barnes wrote: Definitely want Union Pacific, but it's another one of those damn expensive ones. I played it long ago and really liked it.

Don't forget Airlines Europe, which is essentially the same game but tweaked. I'm sure it's available for a lot less than UP.

Unless there was a reprint in the last 6 months... not much. Airlines was going for 80 or 90 on TOS. Guessing it could be had more reasonably in a trade but it was getting up to "this is stupid" prices.

Stonecutter wrote:

Gregarius wrote:

Michael Barnes wrote: Definitely want Union Pacific, but it's another one of those damn expensive ones. I played it long ago and really liked it.

Don't forget Airlines Europe, which is essentially the same game but tweaked. I'm sure it's available for a lot less than UP.

Unless there was a reprint in the last 6 months... not much. Airlines was going for 80 or 90 on TOS. Guessing it could be had more reasonably in a trade but it was getting up to "this is stupid" prices.

Wow, I had no idea.

wadenels wrote: I hate In the Shadow of the Emperor. I can't tell if Jeff is being serious about comparing it to Blood Royale or Fief. Eyebrows have been raised and Concern is at Level Orange.

Doesn't look like I'm the only one...

boardgamegeek.com/thread/1129536/could-a...are-game-too-fief-me