Due to COVID, just five of us could attend our annual long weekend of gaming the summer of 2022. Despite that, “JeffLessCon”, hosted in Sequim this year, was a good weekend of fun where we tried out a mix of old classics and new games. Games played included:
• Blitz Bowl (using a five player mat)
• Cartographers Heroes
• Cheaty Mages!
• Fantasy Realms
• For Sale + For Sale: Advisors
• Foundations of Rome
• Furnace
• Long Shot: The Dice Game
• Lords of Waterdeep
• The Mind
• Race for the Galaxy
• Smartphone Inc.
• Space Base
• Tournament at Camelot
• Unmatched: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
• War Chest
The Gaufre d' Or went to Lords of Waterdeep. Although it has been around for some time, it was the first time we had played it. Each player takes on the role of a secret lord of Waterdeep, a powerful figure in the city who has the power to recruit adventurers and send them on quests. The goal of the game is to earn the most victory points by completing quests and building buildings. The game is easy to learn and has a great mix of strategy and luck. You must carefully manage your resources, build buildings, and recruit adventurers in order to complete quests and gain victory points.
The Gaufre d' Argent went to Foundations of Rome. Foundations of Rome is an excellent city-building board game that puts you in the shoes of an architect competing to own land and build magnificent structures. The artwork and miniatures are incredibly detailed, and the game itself is easy to learn. The gameplay was fairly straightforward - players select from purchasing a new lot, building a new building in the shared city, or collecting income. The scoring system is unique, as players can gain glory not only for their own buildings, but also for those of their opponents. Foundations of Rome is a good game and one of the better city-building games I’ve played.
The Gaufre d' Bronze went to Marvel Champions. Marvel Champions is a fantastic deck-building game that really captures the feel of a Marvel superhero team-up. Each character plays differently and has their own unique abilities, which makes for a lot of interesting decisions. The villains are tough, but not unbeatable, and the different modules keep the game fresh. We found the rules a bit daunting at first, but then the game kept pace, if not a little long with four players. I’m still enjoying deck-building and playing it solo.