1/22/14

Today I taught Forbidden Desert and played Shadows over Camelot.

Forbidden Desert

Forbidden Desert is a cooperative game against the board. Players play as a group of adventurers who were going to excavate a ancient city in the desert, but become stranded in a sandstorm, with their only hope of survival being a ancient flying machine. Players take turns moving, clearing sand, excavating, and picking up pieces of the machine. At the end of each of their turns, players draw storm cards, which either move the storm (and add sand) force players drink some of their precious water, or make the storm more powerful. The players win by getting the pieces of the machine to the takeoff platform. The players lose by having one player run out of water, too much sand piling up.

The storm fighting the players is an interesting mechanic, but it feels too easy early on, and too difficult later on. It also seems unfair when the cards that force the players to drink get stacked together. Some games are just impossible to win, and some are difficult to lose. But that middle section is tons of fun. Trying to get out of the desert before the sandstorm overwhelms the players, gives a sense of urgency to the game.

The rules were pretty simple for the most part, the mechanics fit together decently. There is a real sense of being in the desert; after I ran out of water and we lost, everyone was thirsty.

The game is a friendly cooperative game. There was little argument over what we should do. We all worked together to try to survive, and we all lost together.

In conclusion, a fun game, that takes a little while to get a feel for.

Shadows over Camelot

Shadows over Camelot is a cooperative game of adventure and questing. Players go to different points on the map, completing quests and trying to defend Camelot from the forces of evil. Completing quests gives white swords, failing them gives black swords. The players win if they gain 7 white swords before 7 black swords. My teacher messed us several rules, got annoyed at us if we didn't understand, and simplified things so the game made less sense. I'm hoping he just had a bad day.

Perhaps a different teacher would have made the game more fun. But for this experience, the game was confusing, long, and asking questions were discouraged. Much of the game was searching through the rulebook looking for rules, and we still didn't get many of them right. A bad playing experience.

In conclusion, a game that is probably more fun than I had when I played it today.