I got my first taste of Blue Moon yesterday. I got my set, and just had to give it a go. I’ve been somewhat interested in the game for a while now, and when I saw it sold at the Board Game Society forum, I bought it right away. The set included also few expansions (Terrah, Khind, Flit and Mimix).
So, we played Hoax vs Vulca with Johanna. She took Vulca, I took Hoax; I like the wrinkly old men and their machinations. She won, but it was very much an introductory game. Johanna didn’t like the game much; I kind of expected that, but wanted to try it anyway. She was a bit of confused, really — she commented that the game felt very much like a strange new world to her.
I can understand that. She’s never played any CCG’s or anything like that, so it’s not a surprise she felt that way. I’m not saying playing Blue Moon takes CCG experience, but it definitely helps to understand the concepts. I’m sure Johanna would figure out Blue Moon just fine if she wanted, but I’m not sure the motivation is there. Which is fine; we’ll play other games.
Our game didn’t quite tell me if Blue Moon is something I’ll like or not. The world is fascinating — I like how they didn’t go the stock fantasy route, but invented something completely new. I’m quite intrigued by the game and I’ve spent a lot of time reading about it at the Geek. That’s always a good sign. Now I just wish the game can deliver, and preferably without too much effort and time. I’m sure it’s a good game, if you play it a lot, but I know I probably won’t, so I’m hoping it can be fun without that level of dedication.
2 responses to “Entering Blue Moon”
With the “completion” of the set (now that Aqua and Blessings are out; not sure if there will be more, but I somehow doubt it), I’ve returned to Blue Moon after a year or so hiatus. I think that BM, unlike CCGs, is rewarding for occasional play. As I said in my review on BGG, and I still stand by it today, it feels much more like a twist on a “traditional” Knizia card game, and less like a true CCG. Lots of cards have no special text, true combos are minimal, and although knowledge of the other person’s deck is ideal, it isn’t strictly necessary (with the exception of a few truly powerful cards, but you’ll find those few quickly enough).
I hope you do persevere, but of course not every game works for everyone. The game has a lot of subtleties, and unlike many eurogames, it’s hard to get a real hold on the possibilities after only one or two plays. I’m also glad to hear someone likes the theme; odd, but that’s the one point about the game that I really could do without. I wish the theme had been ancient history or perhaps hard sci-fi.
I played my first game at BGG.CON after having purchased the basic set a week earlier. My response to the game was “that’s it?”. You’ve inspired me to post about it sometime soon.