By W. Eric Martin
January 6, 2008

Publisher: Patch Products
Players: 2-4
Ages: 8+
Playing Time: 30-40 minutes
Rules Language: English & French
Link:

Times played: Two, once with 2 players and once with 3
Version played: Production copy

Despite not being updated since 2006, The Games Journal has an impressive archives with dozens of still relevant articles and reviews, including one article from 2000 by master game designer Wolfgang Kramer (Tikal, El Grande, Expedition) called ”What Makes a Game Good?”

Several comments by Kramer in that articles identify all that’s wrong with Domination – a 2005 release from Patch Products – such as his opening comment on originality: “Any new game must be original. It has to possess elements that have never – or at least not in this particular combination – been part of a game before.”

...although his first posting won’t be until about, oh, 2016.

My wife Linda and I are adopting Traver Maxwell, who was born on Friday, January 2, 2009 to a birthmom in Arizona, and we get to meet the little tyke for the first time in a couple of days. (Psst – anyone who hosts gaming in Phoenix, please drop me a line as I can probably sneak away from the hotel for a few hours.)

I’ll be paying much closer attention to games directed at the younger crowd in the years to come. Thanks to all who have recently renewed or signed up as BGN members – your unintentional baby shower presents are much appreciated. I have news items, a preview and a review scheduled for the next few days, but will otherwise be occupied for the next week or so as I learn how to play games one-handed while holding an infant in the other…

Express Line is a self-produced card-and-dice game with a railroading theme by Chester Hendrix and his Terran Games. Each of the 3-10 players has a different set of scoring goals in five categories of “rolling stock” – engine, tanker, dumper, caboose and boxcar – a là Careers. The dice and cards features logos from 32 different railroad lines, and you use them to increase your rolling stock, hire agents, reroute freight from other players, and so on. You can see more images and download the rules from the Express Line page on BoardGameGeek.

Winning Moves Games in the U.S. is shutting down Immortal Eyes Games. Over the past two years, IEG has published the original games Conquest of Pangea and Pecking Order in addition to English versions of Vineta and TerraNova.

These last two titles, along with TransAmerica – which Immortal Eyes picked up in mid-2008 – will be folded into Winning Moves’ line of family games. “This strategic move plays into our strengths as an established publisher in the mainstream family and card games industry,” says Joe Sequino, vice president of marketing for Winning Moves Games.

So December 31 was a few days ago, and with that came my annual New Year’s Eve game party.  People start arriving at 1:00pm and we play games and eat food until usually about 2:00am.  I provide a basket of small wrapped prizes, so that anyone who wins a game during the event can pick a prize.  We also have a gingerbread decorating contest, and a quiz about the ornaments on my Christmas tree.  I wanted to also have a Loopin’ Louie tournament, but I just didn’t push myself enough to make it happen. 

Martin Wallace’s Steam: Rails to Riches, the redesigned version of Age of Steam, now has a street date of April 2, 2009 from Mayfair Games. (A street date is when the game should be available in retail stores. Phalanx Games, which is releasing the game in German, has announced an in-stock date of March 21.) Here’s a game description from Mayfair:

In Steam you build railroads and deliver goods along an ever-changing network of tracks and stations. You build the tracks, upgrade towns, improve your train, and grab the right goods to make the longest, most profitable deliveries. Score your deliveries and add to your income or victory points, balancing your need to invest against your quest to win the game.

Steam contains a beautiful, double-sided game board. The map on each side depicts terrain, towns, and cities at the start of the railway age. The map of the northeastern USA and neighboring Canada is ideal for 3 or 4 players. Use the map of Europe’s lower Rhine and Ruhr region when playing a 4- or 5-player game. You can play Steam on any number of current and future variant and expansion maps, so we include pieces for 6 players. Steam is the culmination of Martin Wallace’s classic railroad game series. It contains a brilliantly balanced standard game, and a very rich, elegant basic game. Both offer you unparalleled flavor and fun.

Steam is for 3-6 players, ages 12 and up with a playing time of 90+ minutes and a price of $55. This game has been updated on Gone Cardboard.