Yeah, mechanism is a lot more objective way to classify board games. We can argue all day about, say, what exactly a wargame is, but what games have hex grids, area control, and resource managements is a lot easier to agree on.

Tichu is the bomb, literally.

The trigger happy mergers probably helped me more than they hurt. At one point I dumped a spice company in the chaos and took the cash lead, letting me get a bargain on a rubber merger. It put me back into the game, but it wasn’t enough to take the win.

I have played Bus at three. It’s been awhile, so I can’t say too much about it. That said, I do remember having fun at that count.

As far as expropriation, I felt confusion more than anything. It got better as the game went on, but it does take a moment to wrap your head around it. Still, I though it was an interesting mechanic.

New plays were:

• Mahjong
• John Company
• Sol
• Nana
• Kreigbot
• Kremlin
• Lifeboats
• Category 5
• Fresh Fish
• Santiago

Nah, I probably won’t make it to Pax Unplugged. I will be at Age of Steam Con, so I might get a play in there.

Horseless Carriage is great. SoPac is one I still need to try. There was a copy at DoamCon last weekend, but I didn’t get a game in. I did get West Riding Revisited in, which is excellent. It’s one of the few cube rails to have minor and major railways. I’d like to see it licensed, but it’s a little unlikely

My list looks similar. Splotter is at the top. I did preorder Horseless Carriage back before we had much info about it and don’t regret it. John Bohrer would be up there as well, but though various connections I’ve played enough Winsomes to know they aren’t an instant buy. (Iberian Railways, Italian Railroads, and 1836)

Tangent, but I’m very split on 1836. The opening is incredible, but once you get past the first stock round all the interesting decisions have been made.

I haven’t played many, but it does lead to some interesting cases of board games being adapted to video games and back to board games, like Civilization and Europa Universalis.

I’m a big fan of Age of Steam myself. I plan on heading to Age of Steam Con come September.

I have mixed feelings about the Great Western Trail change. I understand the reasoning, but it feels like it’s replacing genocide with erasure. I joked with my local group about how now it takes place after we killed all the Indians.