Origins 2015 - Games Played (Wednesday)

Alright, this is the beginning of what's gonna be a long one (and I know, I know, it's been a long time coming). Here's the round-up of everything I played while in Columbus, starting with the day I arrived.

Wednesday

I got into town at 1pm, dumped my car at the hotel & immediately contacted Tiffany and Copac while making my way over to the convention centre. They were playing in the cafe outside Hall C so I was able to grab a coffee & shake off some of the aches from the drive while they finished up a game of Lanterns (a game I own & still haven't managed to play). After that, it was time to play something...

Imperial Settlers (3P): I have been wanting to learn this game for what feels like forever, & so I was really excited to have Copac teach it as my first game of the convention. And it didn't disappoint. I LOVED this game, & immediately logged into CoolStuffInc to throw a copy in my cart ... except they were out of stock! Luckily I happened to notice their physical booth had copies Thursday, so I grabbed one at the con as I definitely didn't want to wait any longer to add it to my collection.

Nations: The Dice Game (4P): I haven't played the full Nations. Despite not having that frame of reference, I really enjoyed this distilled down version. I liked the quick pace & accessible approach to civ-building, & I think it's one I may be able to get my husband to try. I'm sure if I played Nations, I'd prefer it; but since that game wouldn't get played at home, my plan is to get a copy of the dice game & avoid its big brother for now.

Welcome to the Dungeon (4P): This extremely well-produced little push-you-luck game from Iello was surprisingly fun & pretty perfectly priced. The first few rounds we were fairly conservative, but once everyone had a better feel for how much a stripped down adventurer could survive, we got a lot more risky & started really trying to trick other players into getting stuck with the dungeon. I picked up a copy the next day & have already pulled it out at my local pub while waiting for food.

Gib Gas (4P): This simultaneous blind bidding, racing-themed game just fell flat for me, despite a lot of praise from people whose taste I usually agree with. It was just too long and I didn't feel particularly satisfied after a good round, or all that upset after a bad one. In the end, I destroyed my car ending the game & honestly felt happier it was over, than I felt  annoyed about losing.

Money (4P): I actually enjoyed this Knizia game which surprised me. I didn't do particularly well, but I'd definitely play again if someone brought it out (which is more than I can say for some of the other games from the good Dr.).

Resistance: Avalon (7P): Late-night Resistance at Char Bar looks to be on its way to being a tradition of my Origins trips. This was my first time playing with a special role & I pulled it off. I was Percival and sure enough, the Assassin accused me of being Merlin preventing the bad guys from seizing the win. This isn't really a game I enjoy, but when the group is working well (and we've had a few drinks) it's well worth playing for the experience.

Cockroach Poker (7P, though more like 6P as Tiffany was exhausted & falling asleep): another late night game. I've played this one before and it really doesn't do anything for me, so I honestly don't remember much about this particular play.