By Margaret Duncan, Ed.D.
The Histocrats
support the idea of incorporating board-games into your personal life as well
as in the classroom. As part of our
gaming initiative, we recommend history centric games that are fun to play each
week to all of our followers. The
selected games receive our “Game of the Week” distinction. The following are some of our favorite games
we played in 2015.
Shadows Over Camelot, Days of Wonder
A lone swallow flies
across the grey skies of Cornwall. The forces of evil are gathering around
Camelot. The Black Knight was sighted atop a desolate ridge; a scheming Morgan
plots her revenge; the Saxon troops are on the move; and acres of timber are
being felled for the siege engines. And yet Lancelot has all but vanished, with
Excalibur yet to be recovered. Will you, young squire, come forth and pledge
allegiance to your fellow Knights of the Round Table. Players work together to defeat the forces
closing in on Camelot. But beware, players must be vigilant for a traitor in
their midst who is biding his time-secretly sowing the seeds of havoc and
destruction. Yet too much suspicion will undermine the knight's efforts to
protect the kingdom. These are dangerous times indeed.
Jaipur, Asmodee
My kingdom for a
camel! Work hard, earn more than your opponent and become the official merchant
of the Maharaja. At the beginning of the game, three camel cards and two
merchandise cards are on the table between the players, who already have five
cards in hand. On your turn, you can take some cards or sell some. Each time
that you take cards, you can take one or more, however if you decide to take
more, then you will have to trade in the same amount of cards from your hand
that you take. If you decide to take all camel cards, then they can be used
later to trade. You can sell all the merchandise that you want, as long as they
are all the same type. For each sale, you will receive tokens with various
point values. At the end of the game, the player who has the majority of the
camels also wins points.
Machi Koro, IDW Games
You've just been
elected Mayor. Congrats! Unfortunately
the citizens have some pretty big demands: jobs, a theme park, a couple of
cheese factories and maybe even a radio tower.
A tough proposition since the city currently consists of a wheat field,
a bakery and a single die. Armed only with your trusty die and a dream, you
must grow Machi Koro into the largest city in the region.
7 Wonders, Asmodee
In 7 Wonders, you
lead an ancient civilization as it rises from its barbaric roots to become a
world power. Lead your troops to a military victory or create a nation of
artisans and philosophers. Establish a powerful merchant state or master the
mysteries of science and technology. Build an architectural wonder that will
fascinate for eons to come, and rule the most powerful civilization on Earth!
Metro, Rio Grande Games
The eve of the 1900
World’s Fair is approaching, and excavations are taking place across the city.
Bizarre-looking scaffolds arise everywhere. Tunnels are built in the streets to
later be covered with earth. Take part in the construction of the Paris Metro.
Each player works to complete a set of lines across Paris and scores points
based on the length of the lines, after all, we want to show the tourists as
much of our fine city as possible. When you complete your lines, you tally your
points and the player with the most points when the fair opens, is the winner.
Vikings Board Game, Z-Man Games
You are the leader
of a clan of Vikings. You are tasked with the scouting and settling of
undiscovered islands off the coast of the mainland. To expand your territories
and clan, you will need to master the game's clever rotating wheel. The price
for islands and Vikings will change as players acquire more of them. The game
will be tense until the end and you will need to protect your islands against
the ships that sail on the horizon. Are you the leader whose clan will rise
above the others?
Lady Alice, Hurrican / Asmodee
Lady Alice is a game
of intrigue, flair, bluffing, and mischief.
The players are the Baker Street Kids, children under the tutelage of
Sherlock Holmes who must deduce the culprit behind the kidnapping of Henry
Morton Stanley as well as the time and place the kidnapping occurred and which
object was stolen at the same time.
Lanterns, Renegade Game Studios
The harvest is in,
and now it's time to celebrate! Lanterns: The Harvest Festival is a tile--
placement game set in imperial China. Place tiles, adorn the palace lake, and
dedicate lanterns in this fast paced board game. Players act as artisans
decorating the palace lake with floating lanterns. The artisan who earns the
most honor before the festival arrives wins the game.
Moonshot The Game, Limited Edition
This board game is
part of a Limited First Edition series, dedicated to the crews of Apollo I and
the Challenger Space Shuttle, with a gold-colored sticker on the front of the
box signed by game designer Van Overbay. "Moonshot The Game" puts you
in command as you develop rockets, launch spacecraft, avoid hazards and earn
mission patches in a thrilling race to be the first player to land on the
Moon. The game combines the strategy of
a classic board game with the tactics of a collectible card game.
Axis & Allies 1942, Wizards of the Coast
It’s spring 1942,
and the world is at war. Five major powers struggle for supremacy: Germany and
Japan are aligned against the great alliance of the United Kingdom, the Soviet
Union, and the United States. Controlling one of the Axis or Allied powers,
players will command both their country’s military forces and its war-time
economy, with the chance to plan attacks, marshal forces into embattled
territories, and resolve conflicts. Victory will go to the side that conquers
its opponents on the field of battle and liberates or occupies the greatest
cities of the world. Change the course of history in a few short hours!
*All product
descriptions are from the manufacturer
By Margaret Duncan, Ed.D.
The Histocrats
support the idea of incorporating board-games into your personal life as well
as in the classroom. As such, we support
and participate in a local board-gaming group.
Any and all board-game enthusiasts are welcome to join the Game Nights that
are held every first and third Friday night of the month. As part of our gaming group initiative, we
also recommend history centric games that are fun to play each week to all of
our followers. The selected games receive
our “Game of the Week” distinction.
Recommended games are a mix of cooperative, card games, as well Euro
style games.
Puerto Rico, Rio Grande Games
Prospector, captain,
mayor, trader, settler, craftsman, or builder? Which roles will you play in the
new world? Will you own the most prosperous plantations? Will you build the
most valuable buildings? You have but one goal: achieve the greatest prosperity
and highest respect! Each player
utilizes different roles—mayor, captain, settler, trader, prospector,
craftsman, or builder to score the most victory points with their colony.
Players can act on every turn of the game, allowing them to choose between
shipping goods for points or building an impressive city. Players must manage
their colonists, erect a variety of buildings, build up their plantation, and
sell or ship goods.
Bang!: The Dice Game, Da Vinci
When a man with a
pistol meets a man with a Winchester, you might say that the one with the
pistol is a dead man, unless his pistol is a Volcanic, In the wild west, the
Outlaws hunt the Sheriff, the Sheriff hunts the Outlaws, and the Renegade plots
in secret, ready to join one side or the other. Before long, bullets start to
fly. Which gunmen are Deputies, ready to
sacrifice themselves for the Sheriff? Which are the merciless Outlaws, looking
to gun him down? Unmask and defeat your
enemies, keep up with the Indians and challenge your fate to bring your team to
the victory!
Wars of the Roses: Lancaster vs. York, Z-Man Games
Journey back to
England, 1450, just prior to the outbreak of the bitter civil war between the
Royal Houses of Lancaster and York. Henry VI, a Lancastrian, was proving to be
a weak ruler, so the wealthy and ambitious Richard, Duke of York, looked to put
things right. Players
take on the role of Lancastrians and Yorkists, who must gather support from the
major towns and powerful noble families and attempt to control the royal
castles throughout the country. Ports, the shipping trade, and financial aid
from the Church and France are also needed. As their faction grows in strength,
players vie for the King's favor and look to earn the prestigious titles of
Captain of Calais, Archbishop of Canterbury, Warden of the Cinque Ports, Lord
High Admiral, and Constable of the Tower of London. Money means power, because loyalty can be
bought, so players should be prepared for the inevitable treachery as nobles
change allegiance at crucial times, affecting the balance of power. When Parliament is called, each region in
England will support one or other of the two Royal Houses and the crown will go
to the one with the greater power base. Nobles loyal to this House will be
rewarded by a grateful King. Eventually, only one Royal House will boast the
King, but the player who has gathered the most money and prestige will win,
regardless of his allegiance.
Shadows Over Camelot, Days of Wonder
A lone swallow flies
across the grey skies of Cornwall. The forces of evil are gathering around
Camelot. The Black Knight was sighted atop a desolate ridge; a scheming Morgan
plots her revenge; the Saxon troops are on the move; and acres of timber are
being felled for the siege engines. And yet Lancelot has all but vanished, with
Excalibur yet to be recovered. Will you, young squire, come forth and pledge
allegiance to your fellow Knights of the Round Table. Players work together to defeat the forces
closing in on Camelot. But beware, players must be vigilant for a traitor in
their midst who is biding his time-secretly sowing the seeds of havoc and
destruction. Yet too much suspicion will undermine the knight's efforts to
protect the kingdom. These are dangerous times indeed.
*All product
descriptions are from the manufacturer
By Margaret Duncan, Ed.D.
The Histocrats
support the idea of incorporating board-games into your personal life as well
as in the classroom. As such, we support
and participate in a local board-gaming group.
Any and all board-game enthusiasts are welcome to join the Game Nights that
are held every first and third Friday night of the month. As part of our gaming group initiative, we
also recommend history centric games that are fun to play each week to all of
our followers. The selected games receive
our “Game of the Week” distinction.
Recommended games are a mix of cooperative, card games, as well Euro
style games.
Rivet Wars Eastern Front, Cool Mini or Not
Rivet Wars is a
miniatures boardgame set on a world that never quite left World War I but with
crazy technology like walking tanks, diesel powered armor, uni-cycled vehicles
and armor plated cavalry! Don't let the cute visuals fool you; it's a world
full of angst, war-torn camaraderie and dark humor. Rivet Wars is at its heart
a strategy game, with both players deploying units each round to counter the
threats set forth by their opponent and stay one tactical step ahead. Players gather resources (bunkers and capture
points) and use these to deploy streams of new units! There's an ebb and flow
on the tactical landscape and you can stock up surprises for your opponent to
be unleashed even as he thinks he's winning!
Dungeon Raiders Board Game, Passport Game Studio
Players work
together, but only one will win! Join a brave party of adventurers! Explore a
dungeon filled with monsters, traps and treasure! In Dungeon Raiders, each
player takes the role of a different adventurer. Players need to work together to survive the
dungeon, but only one will make it out with the most treasure and win the game.
The dungeon is different each time you play, offering new surprises as you
collect treasure, trigger traps and fight off horrible monsters.
The King Commands, Z-Man Games
Camelot has fallen.
King Arthur is dead, Merlin is missing, and the treasury has been plundered.
The remaining Knights of the Round Table have decided to duel over the
remaining bags of gold found in the castle. To their aid they have King
Arthur's crown, Merlin's crystal ball, and the magic sword, Excalibur. Players
play combination of sword cards to steal bags of gold from players who can
block or parry. The relics, such as the crown, crystal ball, and Excalibur,
have special abilities. The player with the most points at the end can call
themselves "king".
Camelot The Build Board Game, Wontan Games
A game of medieval
interior design with all sorts of dubious stratagems, dirty tricks and subtle
ploys designed to challenge all ages and types of players. The game has only
three rules, allowing everyone to understand how to play it and win. It is a fast-playing tile-laying board game where
you are laying out tiles to build the legendary seat of Arthur’s power,
Camelot. It is the first title in “The Camelot
Chronicles”, a series of easy-to-play games with a target of three rules and a maximum
playing time of one hour.
Journey to the Center of the Earth, MayFair Games
Descend deep into
the interior of the earth, as you lead the three adventurers from Jules Verne’s
classic novel: Professor Lidenbrock, his nephew Axel and their guide Hans.
Begin your amazing journey with entry through the crater of the dormant
Icelandic volcano Snaefells. Explore a dense forest of giant mushrooms,
traverse a turbulent underground ocean, before you are hurled out of an Italian
volcano to return to the earth's surface. On your journey, collect fossils both
small and large, collect gold and overcome obstacles through the prudent
acquisition and use of select equipment. Explore the many parts of the
subterranean cavern, using equipment and luck are critical to overcoming the
obstacles within your path. The player who can escape with the best collection
of artifacts is the winner. Will you direct our heroes on a journey of danger,
discovery and fortune?
*All product
descriptions are from the manufacturer.
By Margaret Duncan, Ed.D.
