Our first game was The Queen's Necklace, named Best Family Card Game 2003 by Games Magazine. The game is set in pre-revolution France, and players purchase jewel cards or characters with special powers to prepare for three jewel shows. It is a game of trying to outguess your opponent and sell the most jewels. We didn't see the Kings or the Queen's Necklace cards until the final round, and the other character's powers were highly variable throughout the game, making for a somewhat frustrating and chaotic experience. It's a game we'll play again later, but didn't really click yet, so for now it was time for something simpler.
Burr brought out The A-maze-ing Labyrinth, a favorite from his childhood (although not a kids game like Candyland or Snakes and Ladders) for a few rounds of searching through a maze for certain treasures. It would be trivial except that each turn you change the maze by sliding the tiles, opening and closing passageways, and moving your pawn to reach your ever-changing goal. It was interesting to try and plan for the future in the face of a constantly shifting board and the hidden goals of your opponents.
Third, we introduced Burr to Attika. Playing with three players was definitely different than just two; with more going on between turns there is a greater need for planning ahead. We all staked out our areas pretty quickly, and successfully defended the shrines from attack, until Laura pulled ahead to make a connection on a newly placed tile. Usually with two players, the game is won by only one turn, but it's just as fun with three.
Fourth up on the list was Domaine, a game we'd borrowed from Matt's extensive game library. From the creator of Settlers, it explores the aftermath of settlement, where players are trying to increase their land to collect valuable mines and forests. It was the most strategic game yet tonight, and we found ourselves fighting many fronts at once, a game we'll surely play again.
Finally, we had a quick round of Chez Greek, a Steve Jackson card game about college, with players competing to have the largest parties and do the least work. The cards were funny and the game moved quickly as we bounced around the unwanted characters and slacked off, a good filler to end the night.
