Phil, if you havent tried yet the excellent game called Kill dr. Lucky from Cheapass games, I recommend it strongly. It’s cluedo in reverse, instead of finding the murderer, be the murderer. It can be bought at http://www.fantasiapelit.com/ for as little as 9 euros (because all games by cheapass games are… how should I put it… cheap!). Check also out http://www.cheapass.com/

If you like ‘Samurai’ (a delightful game, I’ve had an older version for 20 years or so), you might also enjoy the old Avalon Hill ‘Kingmaker’, which is similar and covers the English Wars of the Roses.

It’s a notable fact of Finnish history and culture that Finland really has no equivalent, even the brief Red-White civil war preceding the Winter War. Compared to the constant, ultra-violent inter-clan feuding of medieval Ireland, Scotland, Norway, and even occasionally Sweden, the lack of organized internecine conflict in Finnnish tradition is a tribute to their remarkable cohesiveness as a people.

#2: We just never had enough time to fight each other with the Swedes and Russkies all over us . Seriously, one could argue that the tribes that later comprised the nation had their share of conflict. Later we were part of Sweden, and our men died fighting her wars all over Europe.

Phil, if you havent tried yet the excellent game called Kill dr. Lucky from Cheapass games, I recommend it strongly

Yup, Kill Doctor Lucky is a fun game. A new publisher has picked up the game and are producing a nice fancier version of it.

My favorite Cheapass game is “The Big Idea” (they have it at Fantasiapelit). You get these cards that have adjectives and nouns on them, many of them quite silly. You have to combine them to make a new invention that you’ll have to sell to other players. You have to come up with a sales pitch and present it to your opponents. It’s a riot, but you need the right group and a few beers.

you might also enjoy the old Avalon Hill ‘Kingmaker’, which is similar and covers the English Wars of the Roses.

Heard all about it, haven’t played it though. It’s a wargame, right? I don’t play too many war games.

Avalon Hill

Oh oh, guess what city Avalon Hill is from??

Don’t have to guess, since I’m sitting down the road from Charm City as I type this.

Last time I looked ‘Samurai’ was a war-game. So was chess, originally.

Have you heard of my favourite one, Puerto Rico? I love it, it’s pure strategy, not a bit of luck, unless caused by another player’s wrong move. Well, not exactly easy to explain, though!
Phil, I’m a board game crazy too.

No board game will ever beat chess in popularity, and interest.

Last time I looked ‘Samurai’ was a war-game.

It’s not, it’s more like an “area majority” game.

Have you heard of my favourite one, Puerto Rico?

One of my all-time favorite big-box strategy games!

No board game will ever beat chess in popularity, and interest.

Poker has been making this huge surge, I wonder how it compares to chess worldwide.

Cool, so World War II was just an ‘area majority’ exercise?

Here’s an obscure one for you: what famous novel features a conspiracy theory woven around ‘Thurn & Taxis’?

Hei,

I’m desperately looking for partners to set-up more or less periodic Puerto Rico gaming sessions. Those who know the game, know that for a first-timer or a single-time player the game is quite difficult to grasp.
Should I look in lautapeli.fi?

what famous novel features a conspiracy theory woven around ‘Thurn & Taxis’?

Da Vinci Code?

Simo – find a gaming group in Finland, there’s a lot of them around. Goto http://www.lautapeliseura.fi/ forums and ask.

Also, goto http://www.brettspielwelt.de and play there, lots of the world’s top PR players on there. Or try one out of the free PR PC apps, this one is my favorite..

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/file/11728/Puerto_Rico_1.0b.zip

Phil,

that’s cool! I will definitely begin a visitor of that website, and I have already downloaded the stand-alone application.
Thanks!

A: Thomas Pyncheon’s ‘Crying of Lot 49′.

My company gave us Carcassone as a Christmas present the year it won the Finnish board game prize (which was several years after it won the equivalent German prize) and it’s still a fascinating game.

However as there are two of use we mostly play Der Burg from the same people which is perhaps the best of the independent variants and the only one for only two people.

I’m not sure if the (good) shop in Finland you mentioned has that but it can be ordered mail order (Amazon.de for instance) from Germany as of course can the others (but without Finnish language rules).

P.S.Kingmaker is not strictly a war game. The original version was brought out by a UK company and only later was it bought up by the late-lamented Avalon Hill company that had mostly (but not only) wargames in their list. [I wouldn't for instance call Diplomacy or Machievelli or Advanced Civilization from them war games]

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I hope that these games will also be available in Asian countries. Nice gift ideas for the Christmans season.

Perfect gift ideas for the Christmas season. I just hope these games will be available to Asian countries soon. Thank you very much for the info.