[net.games.board] Game suggestions solicited

clark@sdcsla.UUCP (Clark Quinn) (12/06/85)

I am soliciting suggestions for two christmas gift games.  I would appreciate
any suggestions or comments you might have.  As always, if there is enough
interest I will post the results to the net.  

1) A game for two people (my SO's parents) who usually play before dinner (so
it should only take an hour or two to play).  It should not be too
complicated (i.e. some strategy required but not, say, at the level of chess),
so as not to be to much trouble to learn, while allow for different levels of
skill (i.e. some chance involved).  For ethical reasons it should not be 
directly war related.  It also must be something they have not already played.
Games they have played in the past include backgammon and cribbage.  Any
ideas?  Favorites?

2) This one is for my SO, who is a mystery fan.  I have seen a number of
mystery games for play by 2 to 8 players (some have a specified number of
players, some are flexible).  I am looking for one that will let two people
play (so we can play together).  First, I don't know if these have even been
succesful and fun, nor if there are bad ones and good ones.  The lady at the
game store I visited suggested that the Sherlock Holmes one was popular, and 
had quite a number of expansions available (so more than the original twenty 
games).  Any experience with these?  Suggestions?

Thanks in advance.  -- Clark

 Clark N. Quinn
 Institute for Cognitive Science C-015
 University of California, San Diego
 La Jolla, California 92093
 (619) 452-2541 (UCSD): (619) 457-1274 (Home)
 {ucbvax,decvax,akgua,dcdwest}!sdcsvax!sdcsla!clark  OR  clark@nprdc

zonker@ihlpf.UUCP (Tom Harris) (12/10/85)

> I am soliciting suggestions for two christmas gift games.  I would appreciate
> any suggestions or comments you might have.  As always, if there is enough
> interest I will post the results to the net.  
> 
> 1) A game for two people (my SO's parents) who usually play before dinner (so
> it should only take an hour or two to play).  It should not be too
> complicated (i.e. some strategy required but not, say, at the level of chess),
> so as not to be to much trouble to learn, while allow for different levels of
> skill (i.e. some chance involved).  For ethical reasons it should not be 
> directly war related.  It also must be something they have not already played.
> Games they have played in the past include backgammon and cribbage.  Any
> ideas?  Favorites?
> 
I tried to put this through by mail, but it came back so:

A good game is Campaign Trails by GDW.  It is basically a
simulation of a U.S. presidential campaign.  One real advantage of
the game is that you pick the length of time to play.  At the end
of that time you hold the election and determine who wins.  The
map is a picture of the U.S. and you have two conters a V.P. and a
Pres. (there is an extra special interest counter).  Players roll
one die for each counter and get points based on where the counter
stops (bigger the city the more points (three levels of cities)).
The election is done by figuring out who has the most points in a
state.  The winner gets the electoral votes for the state.  At the
end of each round (if no one has the neccessary votes to win) the
lowest total player drops out and the other players determine who
gets the states that player formerly controlled.  Ties on points
are rolled for.  Other things that make the game interesting are 
event cards, and airline tickets (which allow you to jump around
the board).

				Have Fun,
				Tom H.