I took the kids to Jyväskylä last weekend to see their grandmother. All in all a good visit, except not quite enough sleep for me, but that’s life with toddlers. Of course, board games were involved. In addition to playing a bit of Dominion (they’ve enjoyed it a lot, I’ve given my mother both the basic set and Seaside as gifts), we played two games of Agricola. This is notable, as it’s been year and a half from the last time I’ve played the game.

It’s a shame, really, because again it was great fun. The first game was a bit of a practise round, but the next one was much better. Quick, too, as we played both games in a bit over two hours, and that included a coffee break and some taming of a restless toddler.

Image by julietteculver via Flickr

Oh, no doubt about it — we played family game. With this pace, we’ll never graduate to advanced game, but I don’t mind. For occasional play, the family game offers enough challenge with much snappier pace. I prefer it that way, as the family game is a very good game in itself. I don’t like the cards, at least yet.

Meanwhile I’ve also had one regular game afternoon, featuring Lokomotive Werks with five. I thought it was fine, but Petri did dig himself a nice little hole, so while the rest of us pushed onwards with the technology, Petri took care of his locomotive museum with the historical gear. No chances of winning for him, and his opinion of the five-player game is fairly dim.

I’d say five players is probably fine, but with experienced players only. Funny enough, there’s four votes that say the five-player game is the best way to play the game on Geek — like Petri said, the fifth player obviously disagreed…

Have to mention this one: Fladderadatsch is a fresh, fun variant of memory. The theme is brilliant: a bird-watcher travels on a path and players must guide him so that he doesn’t step on shit. If he does, you fail, but get to move the dungpile to another location on the path. It’s a veritable minefield… and an entertaining children’s game or family game.