Sunday, April 15, 2018

The Networks


THE NETWORKS

When I am not playing board games or video games I watch a decent amount of TV. Not random but specific shows that I like season after season. I am the kind of viewer that the TV executives in The Networks would want. Although to be fair they want any and all the viewers.

In The Networks each players is in charge of a TV network and over the course of the 5 season game they will decide the programming for the all important evening line up. It's all about getting the right shows, the best actors and that sweet ad revenue to get you the most viewers (victory points).

Each round of The Networks is a season. In turn order players will pick from a variety of available TV shows, actors, ads and special action cards. Each turn you get a single action, with play being continuous until everyone drops out. You have to balance your money (actors and shows cost you money) with your income (from ads and a bonus, higher the earlier you drop out in around). Each TV show has a preferred time slot that will bring it the best viewers and as the seasons go by the number of views fluctuate. You can bolster a show by adding a star or two (if it allows), but they cost you more money. Maybe attach an ad to offset these costs? Or pick a special action card to give you a specific bonus when you most need it. It might just be time to put a show into reruns and make room for something new. 

There is a lot I like about The Networks. The core loop of mechanics, balancing your money to get the most viewers out of your expenditures versus the timing of when to pick a card before someone else gets it feels really great. There is a lot of open information in the game but because you only get a single action every time you do something you are putting of another opportunity that may not be around when it comes back to your turn. It is a good combination of resource management and pushing your luck. I do have an issue with going last on the first round in 4/5 player games as even though you get more money the number of opportunities is small enough you can end up a good 10 or more points behind that you have to hope you can make up in later rounds.

I also enjoy the art and style of the game. Each of the shows have a humorous name that is a pun or parody on an actual existing show from the last decade or so (some older more well know shows too). The actors all have generic descriptions but between that and the art you have a good idea of who they are parodying. Along with the card art it adds a nice bit of mirth to the game.

The Networks was a game that I bought almost entirely on hearing about its concept but like a new TV show I am happy to have tuned in.

Saturday, April 7, 2018

Golf


GOLF

Okay this week I've got something for anyone who has a deck or two of standard playing cards sitting around - Golf!

You will need a deck of cards for every 2 players, the full 52 + 2 jokers. Shuffle them and hand out 8 to each player. They don't get to look at them but place them face down in two rows of 4. Then each player flips 2 cards over and the game begins.

On your turn you either take the top card from the deck or the discard pile. If you draw from the deck you can either choose to keep it, swapping out one of your cards (face down or up) or discard it and then flipping over any 1 of your face down cards. If you draw from the discard you must swap out a card. Once you only have a single face down card left (the rest are face up) you no longer have to flip when drawing from the top of the deck, you can choose just to discard the drawn card. As soon as someone has flipped all their cards each other player gets 1 more turn and the round is over.

Your score is the total value of all your cards with some differences. Kings are zero, Jokers are -2 points. Aces are 1 but Jacks and Queens are 10. If you have a matching pair in a column they cancel out and score zero (except for Jokers). If you have 4 matching cards in 2 adjacent columns each other player scores 20 points. Just like real golf you want a low score so making pairs, getting Kings and swapping out those high cards is a must. After 9 rounds who ever has the lowest score wins.

Golf has a lot of variants, from the number of cards you start with, to how they score - it's a game that everyone has their own preferred home rules (even the above rules description is just how I personally learned to play). Mix and match to your liking. 

I really like Golf. It has lots of good decision making in it, despite the luck of the draw factor. Do I keep this card? Should I push my luck for pairs? Discarding this card is really good for the next player, what should I do? Should I flip my cards fast to put pressure on the other players? It won't burn your brain and sometimes you are the the mercy of chance but I think it is a great card game to wind down an evening with.