New Releases : 13th June 2009

With the Expo last weekend this weeks UK board game releases are non existent.



However I did pick up a new game at the Expo and it is a corker - Fzzzt! a simple card game that uses the build a deck mechanic from Dominion. I have written a review here. Everyone I have shown the game to buys it and i have had to re-stock afte ronly 4 days. Only 1500 copies were printed and I doubt they will hang around.



Imports



Rather a lot of games arrived in the shop this week, some new, some restocks.



Hab & Gut is a stock market game in which 3 to 5 players attempt to earn as much money as possible from buying, selling and manipulating stocks. What makes the game interesting is that players have limited market knowledge in the form of cards that will manipulate the market (up or down) which only they and their immediate neighbour to right and left can see. There is a further twist in that not only are players out for themselves the player who has donated the lowest amount to charity at the end of the game immediately loses. This game has been receiving a lot of hype on the 'Geek.



We have another two games from rising design star Jeffrey Allers the first is ….aber bitte mit sahne (everyone loves cake?)And the second Circus Maximus (a game about ticket touting in ancient Rome, comes in a metal tin).



I also have El Presidente an expansion forCuba, this is the German version



Boardgamenews has a couple of articles about recent German games here and here.All of these games are stocked by BoardGameGuru



Other games added to the imports range include Kreta from Stephan Dorra, Kutschfahrt zum Teufelsberg (a team game), Die Saulen von Venedig, Via Romana and Bushido.



I also have had a restock of Diamond's Club, which is one of my favourite Essen 2008 releases. From Rudger Dorn it has a feint flavour ofGoa, with an ingenious resource selection mechanism and many subtle paths to victory. It plays inside 90 minutes and works for both gamers and as a gateway.



Games added to the range include Golfprofi and Master Builder



Automobile failed to arrive this week - I am promised it will be with me on Monday. I played it for the second time this week and it confirmed my opinion that it is a great game - for me the best release of 2009 so far by a country mile.



'Prolific' is a double edged word, in the context of Balzac or Haydn it's a good thing, for 'Prince' not so. Recently Reiner Knizia has fallen into the 'Prince' category and his recent (prolific) releases have not been automatic purchases. However, one recent game is a complete return to form, if not in the style we are accustomed to. FITS is a simple work of genius, Tetris meets 'Take it Easy'. It's a huge hit with gamers as a filler and all non gamers I have introduced it to and it's back in stock.