Thought Hammer - Current Bestsellers Feed

1. Agricola

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 13:53:10 -0600

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In Agricola (Latin for "farmer"), you're a farmer in a wooden shack with your spouse and little else. On a turn, you get to take only two actions, one for you and one for the spouse, from all the possibilities you'll find on a farm: collecting clay, wood or stone; building fences; and so on. You might think about having kids in order to get more work accomplished, but first you need to expand your house. And what are you going to feed all the little rugrats?

Agricola is a turn-based game. There are 14 game turns plus 6 harvest phases (after turn 4, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 14). Each player starts with two playing tokens (farmer and wife) and thus can take two actions per turn. There are multiple options, and while the game progresses, you'll have more and more: first thing in a turn, a new action card is flipped over.

Problem: Each action can be taken just once per turn, so it's important to do some things with high preference. Each player also starts with a hand of 7 Occupation cards (of more than 160 total) and 7 Minor Improvement cards (of more than 140 total) that he may use during the game if they fit in his/her strategy. This amounts to countless strategies, some depending on your card hand. Sometimes it's a good choice to stay on course, sometimes you better react on what your opponents do.

Agricola can also be played without cards (family game) and can even be played solo.

Game Contents:

360 Cards
Over 300 Wooden Components
50+ Tiles
9 Boards
Tokens
Scoring Pad

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2. Pandemic

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 22:39:56 -0500

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Four diseases have broken out in the world and it is up to a team of specialists in various fields to find cures for these diseases before mankind is wiped out.

Players must work together, playing to their characters' strengths and planning their strategy of eradication before the diseases overwhelm the world with ever-increasing outbreaks.

A truly cooperative game where you all win or you all lose.

Game Contents:

Board
96 Wooden Cubes (for diseases)
4 Pawns
6 Wooden Research Stations
6 Markers:

1 Outbreak Marker
1 Infection Rate Marker
4 Cure Markers

115 Cards:

48 Infection Cards
59 Player Cards
4 Role Cards
4 Quick Reference Cards

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3. Ticket to Ride: USA 1910 Expansion

Thu, 13 Jul 2006 14:42:40 -0500

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Please Note: The following are comments from the publisher. Also, this edition is now in a cardboard box and no longer in a tin container.

All aboard for a new adventure across the North American continent. If you're ready to travel, this exciting new expansion is ready to give you a new Ticket to Ride!

Ticket to Ride - USA 1910 is a new card expansion for the original Ticket to Ride board game. It consists of 181 new large format cards (the same size as Ticket to Ride Europe and Märklin), that include: 35 new Destination Tickets, a new GlobeTrotter bonus card for completing the most tickets, plus a complete replacement deck of all the cards from the original game deck.

Also included is a new rulebook that gives Ticket to Ride players three new ways to play the game including 1910 rules - games using only the new Destination Tickets; the Mega Game, featuring all the tickets; and Big Cities, which uses only tickets to certain large cities.

The USA 1910 cards and rules variants will really change your strategies and tactics when you play Ticket to Ride. They will surprise even long-time veteran railroaders and bring hundreds of hours of new fun to your family and friends. So hop on board and discover... a whole new ride with Ticket to Ride - USA 1910!

Please Note: In order to play Ticket to Ride - USA 1910 you must have the original Ticket to Ride game.

Game Contents:

181 New Large Format Cards
Multi-Lingual Rules:

English
French
German
Spanish
Dutch
Scandinavian

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4. Power Grid (Second Edition)

Sat, 07 Aug 2004 22:02:03 -0500

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The latest cooperative publishing effort from 2F and Rio Grande Games, removes the crayon aspect from network building in the original edition while retaining the fluctuating commodities market like McMulti and an auction round intensity reminiscent of Princes of Florence. The object of the game is to supply the most cities with power when someone's network gains a predetermined size.

In this new edition, players mark pre-existing routes between cities for connection, and then vie against other players to purchase the power plants that you use to supply the power. However, as plants are purchased, newer more efficient plants become available so you're effectively allowing others to access to superior equipment merely by purchasing at all.

Additionally, players must acquire the raw materials, like coal, oil, garbage, or uranium, to power said plants (except for the highly valuable 'renewable energy' wind/solar plants), making it a constant struggle to upgrade your plants for maximum efficiency while still retaining enough wealth to quickly expand your network to get the cheapest routes.

This is the latest reprint originally issued in December of 2005.

Game Contents:

Two-sided game board (Germany/USA)
48 power plant cards
money
over 200 wooden pieces

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5. Tichu

Mon, 14 Mar 2005 12:42:20 -0600

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Note: The cover art depicted here is for the German edition of the game. The game offered here is the English translation.

From the Box: Even though over 642 million Chinese play Tichu nearly every day, the game is very complicated for Europeans. One need only get rid of his cards. Tichu is primarily a partnership game for four. With just the two packs of cards, Tichu is also well suited for large groups.

There are an additional 52 cards in this version of Tichu to be added to play (this is not a package of two independent Tichu decks). Only one set of the 4 special cards are included.

A site is available that has the official rules for the game variations using this deck: http://www.abacusspiele.de/Regeln/Kartenspiele/TichuA4US.pdf

Game Contents:

112 Cards (108 regular cards, 4 special cards, 4 instruction cards)
Card box with removable lid
Rules Booklet

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6. Mr. Jack Expansion

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 10:39:55 -0600

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This extension contains 5 new characters and rules for a new way to set up the game.

New Characters:

Spring-Heeled Man, who can jump over other people or obstacles(designed by Steve McKeogh)
Abberline, an inspector (designed by Arnaud Fillon)
John Pizer, a butcher who frightens everyone (designed by Bruno Cathala and Ludovic Maublanc)
Joseph Lane, an anarchist who builds barricades (designed by Bruno Cathala and Ludovic Maublanc)
Madame, who can move fast, but won't enter the sewers (designed by Bruno Cathala and Ludovic Maublanc)

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7. Stone Age

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 22:39:42 -0600

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This is the English language edition of Hans im Glück's Stone Age.

In StoneAge, the players live in this time, just as our ancestors did. They collect wood, break stone and wash their gold from the river. They trade freely, expand their village, and so achieve new levels of civilization. That is exciting and interesting. With a balance of luck and planning, the players compete for food in this pre-historic time.

Risk and grow as your ancestors did. Only then the victory ring sings to you!

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8. Race for the Galaxy: The Gathering Storm

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:34:13 -0600

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This first expansion for Race for the Galaxy adds cards, a 5th player, and other ways to expand your universe.

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9. Last Night on Earth: The Zombie Game

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 15:34:44 -0500

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Please Note: The following are comments from the publisher.

When night begins to fall on the sleepy town of Woodinvale, the shadows and fog rolling in bring with them more than just a chill shiver. A living nightmare erupts as the once peaceful community is overrun with the restless deadýscratching and clawing their way to the surface with an insatiable hunger for human flesh. Now only a handful of unlikely Heroes are left, banding together to fight for their very lives. On a night that never ends, the only thing worse than deathý is becoming infected.

Last Night on Earth, The Zombie Game is a fast-paced game of brain-eating Zombies, small town Heroes, and horror movie action. Players take on the role of either the Heroes, working together to make it through the night; or the Zombies, unending waves of undead spreading over the town like a plague. Featuring a modular board, eight Heroes to choose from, and several different Scenarios to play that drastically change the game, Last Night on Earth is designed to create a cinematic feel as the story and game unfolds.

So put down that popcorn, grab your shotgun, and hide your brain; the Zombies are coming and this could be your Last Night on Earth!

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10. Last Night On Earth: Growing Hunger

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 21:25:46 -0600

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As the living nightmare of the Zombie attack continues, the bitter struggle for survival grows increasingly deadly. Desperate for flesh, Zombies swarm over the town of Woodinvale, leaving a gruesome wake of death and destruction in their path. With nowhere to hide and a renewed determination, the remaining Heroes add more survivors to their ranks and find new weapons to fight back the growing hunger of the dead.

The Growing Hunger Expansion introduces new game mechanics and three exciting new Scenarios to challenge players as well as a two player mini-game. Take control of four new Heroes, each with a highly-detailed plastic miniature as well as seven new Red Zombies for use as Plague Carriers, Grave Dead, or to increase the Zombie Horde. New modular game board sections expand the town and feature unique buildings such as the Supermarket, Library, and Antique Shop. New game cards give Zombies a chance to steal weapons from the Heroes and add powerful Double-Handed weapons to the Heroes' arsenal, such as Garden Shears and the Fence Post. Also included are two new full color, die-cut counter sheets adding Free Search Markers for the Heroes as well as many more fun ideas to the Last Night on Earth toolbox for limitless use with official web content or creating your own new Scenarios.

More Heroes! More Boards! More Cards! More Hunger!

Production Note: Some of the boards are of a lighter ink printing than the original game.

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11. Mr. Jack

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 20:51:35 -0500

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The night covers the gloomy alleys with darkness and only a few corners are still illuminated by the gaslights. Eight investigators have gathered to catch the cunning Jack the Ripper. But Jack is in fact cleverly impersonating one of them.

In Mr. Jack, one of the players must help the investigators. By moving each character into light or shadow, the detective player makes successive deductions to uncover which investigator is in fact Jack, then he/she must try to catch the infamous ripper.

The opponent, playing Jack, must do his best to delay the investigation. He can even try to use the darkness to secretly flee the district!

A thrilling game for two players!

2007 IGA Winner for 2-Player General Strategy Games

Game Contents:

1 Game Board
8 Character Tokens
6 Lit Gaslight Tiles
2 Covered Manhole Tiles
1 Witness/No-Witness Card
2 Police Cordon Tokens
8 Character Cards
1 Turn-Counter Token
8 Alibi Cards
Rules (English, French, German, Dutch)

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12. Arkham Horror: Kingsport Horror Expansion

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 18:10:06 -0600

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The Ancient Ones plaguing Arkham and Dunwich have set their sights on yet another pastoral Massachusetts community, but this town has some ancient and powerful forces watching over it.

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13. Twilight Struggle Second Edition '07 (The Cold War 1945 to 1989)

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 09:49:21 -0600

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Please Note: This is the 2007 printing of the Second Edition.

"Now the trumpet summons us again - not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need, not as a call to battle, though embattled we are - but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle..." - John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Speech, January 1961

In 1945, unlikely allies toppled Hitler's war machine, while humanity's most devastating weapons forced the Japanese Empire to its knees in a storm of fire. Where once there stood many great powers, there then stood only two. The world had scant months to sigh its collective relief before a new conflict threatened. Unlike the titanic struggles of the preceding decades, this conflict would be waged not primarily by soldiers and tanks, but by spies and politicians, scientists and intellectuals, artists and traitors.

Twilight Struggle is a two-player game simulating the forty-fiveyear dance of intrigue, prestige, and occasional flares of warfare between the Soviet Union and the United States. The entire world is the stage on which these two titans fight to make the world safe for their own ideologies and ways of life. The game begins amidst the ruins of Europe as the two new "superpowers" scramble over the wreckage of the Second World War, and ends in 1989, when only the United States remained standing.

Twilight Struggle inherits its fundamental systems from the carddriven classics We the People and Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage. It is a quick-playing, low-complexity game in that tradition. The game map is a world map of the period, whereon players move units and exert influence in attempts to gain allies and control for their superpower. As with GMT's other card-driven games, decision-making is a challenge; how to best use one's cards and units given consistently limited resources?

Twilight Struggle's Event cards add detail and flavor to the game. They cover a vast array of historical happenings, from the Arab- Israeli conflicts of 1948 and 1967, to Vietnam and the U.S. peace movement, to the Cuban Missile Crisis and other such incidents that brought the world to the brink of nuclear annihilation. Subsystems capture the prestige-laden Space Race as well as nuclear tensions, with the possibility of game-ending nuclear war. Can you, as the U.S. President or Soviet Premier, lead your forces to victory? Play Twilight Struggle, and find out.

Game Contents:

1 Countersheet
110 Playing Cards
Deluxe 22 x 34" Cardboard Map
16 Page Rulebook
2 Player Aid Cards

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14. Aquaretto

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:49:26 -0600

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Each player is the owner of a water zoo. Each player tries to lure as many visitors as possible into his water zoo and earns points for the visitors that visit his zoo. To create a zoo that people want to visit, a player must collect animals. When a players water zoo is successful, he may want to expand it. When a players animal basins are full, he must place additional animals into his depot, which loses him points at game end. When a player makes skillful use of his coworkers, he can gain additional points. The player with most points wins.

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15. Blackbeard: The Golden Age of Piracy

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:27:22 -0600

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One of the most popular, and successful, Avalon Hill games of the late 1980's was Blackbeard, a pirate game totally different from any others available because it simulated the actual life and careers of historical pirates, and how they went about their chosen professions.

Richard Berg has now taken the original and redesigned it, almost entirely, to bring it into line with what gamers like to see and play these days. All those pirates you loved - Black Bart Roberts, Long Ben Avery, Ned Lowe, L'Ollonais, and, of course, Edward Teach (Blackbeard) - 23 in all, are still there, as are the King's Commissioners sent out to stop them. However, the entire play system has been overhauled, and the result is a game that highlights and specializes in player interaction, with almost no down time for any players.

Players represent individual pirates, using them to gain Victory Points by amassing booty and, even more importantly, earning Notoriety for their dastardly deeds. Seizing merchants with cargo ranging from useless paper to the monumental treasure of the Mughal emperors, attacking and sacking ports, fighting storms and scurvy, seeking safe haven in infamous pirate ports such as Tortuga and Madagascar, and, hopefully, using Letters of Marque to retire successfully.

And while the player is doing this, all of the other players, at the same time, are playing their cards and seizing opportunities to stop the pirates. There is a constant interplay among players, and you never know what is going to happen when you set out to do something.

We've simplified movement (no more hexes) and ship battles, w'eve expanded the use of Royal Navy warships, we've even added individual hostages! (Yes, there is a "Governor's Daughter".)

Here are some comments from the horde of playtesters - Blackbeard received the largest playtester request response of any game I have ever designed, both on Consimworld and The Boardgame Geek - that have been swabbing the cardboard decks for several intense and inventive months:

"I do like it- moves fast, improvements such as ease of placing ships a help, love the anti-pirate possibilities." (Katharine Bartlett)

"The original Blackbeard was a flawed success. The new version has addressed all these concerns and improved game play while streamlining the mechanics (no mean feat) . . .the new rules make teaching the game fairly painless. The elimination of 'Game turns' while introducing anti-pirate actions has worked out very well. Instead of sitting around waiting for their next turn, players are required to pay attention to what everyone else is doing and pounce on any opportunity that arises to 'mess' with their opponents' plans. . . . The game came in under three hours. Play was, as usual, fast and smooth. Originally, I was playing the game to test it. Now I want to continue to play it because it's a fun time." (David Klempa)

"Mechanics are much tighter and there is a better balance between the differing strategies…Would we buy - yes by all three - amazing considering one is a pongo (Brit navy slang for an army officer)" (Kevin Grimsley)

Blackbeard is designed for 2-5 players, along with specific rules for solitaire play. Playing time, as noted above, for a full game has been three hours.

Game Contents:

2 Decks of 110 Marvelously Illustrated Cards
One 33"x22" Era-Evocative Game-Map
One Sheet of Counters, Including Doubloons
Rules
Ship Log Sheets
Play Aids

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16. The Pillars of the Earth Expansion Set

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 16:12:40 -0600

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With this expansion, new elements of the novel come into the play. The players can put mercenaries for the crusades at the disposal of the king, send their building masters to Toledo or take over the office of the tax collector. And with the enclosed material can be played with a fifth or sixth player.

Game Contents:

1 half board extension
7 master builder figures
36 cards (including new event and privilege cards)
16 worker figures
10 building material cubes
4 indicator pieces
1 set of game rules

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17. TZAAR

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:12:07 -0500

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TZAAR is a game about making choices. Both players have 30 pieces, divided in three types: 6 Tzaars, 9 Tzarras and 15 Totts. The 3 types of pieces form a trinity: they cannot exist without each other. The aim is either to make the opponent run out of one of the three types of pieces or to put him in a position in which he cannot capture anymore. The tricky question the players will have to ask themselves on each of their turns is: "Shall I make myself stronger or my opponent weaker?" Meaning: will you capture an opponent's piece and make him weaker, or will you jump on top of one of your own pieces and make yourself stronger? If you choose to jump on top of your own pieces too often, you will probably leave your opponent with too many pieces on the board. On the other hand, if you capture too often, you may end up with pieces that are not strong enough at the end of the game. What to do? Up to you to decide!

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18. Ticket To Ride

Fri, 06 Aug 2004 20:08:53 -0500

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Winner of the Spiel des Jahres (Game of the Year) for 2004.

October 2, 1900 - 28 years to the day that noted London eccentric, Phileas Fogg accepted and then won a £20,000 bet that he could travel "Around the World in 80 Days". Now at the dawn of the century it was time for a new "impossible journey". Some old friends have gathered to celebrate Fogg's impetuous and lucrative gamble - and to propose a new wager of their own.

The stakes: $1 Million in a winner-takes-all competition. The objective: to see which of them can travel by rail to the most cities in North America - in just 7 days. The journey begins immediately...

Ticket to Ride is a cross-country train adventure where players collect cards of various types of train cars that enable them to claim railway routes connecting cities throughout North America.

Note: This is the new "Spiel des Jahres" reprint. This version has the following enhancements

Enhancements for color-blind players:

The board now features the corresponding colored cards' symbols embossed on each track. Color-blind players can now confidently play the game without the need to double check a track's color!

The color of some train cards has been slightly adjusted to match the corresponding track color more closely. Likewise some of the cards' corner symbols have been modified. The card borders are now white rather than black, making any wear resulting from heavy play less noticeable.

Score Track to 100:

For the less mathematically inclined among you, the scoring track now goes to 100 instead of 80. Scorekeeping above 100 points is now a snap!

Game Contents:

1 board map of North American train routes
240 colored train cars
110 train car cards
30 destination tickets
1 summary card
5 wooden scoring markers
1 rules booklet
1 Days of Wonder web online access number

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19. Race for the Galaxy

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 02:59:00 -0500

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In Race for the Galaxy, players build galactic civilizations by game cards that represent worlds or technical and social developments.Each round consists of one or more of five possible phases. In each round, each player secretly and simultaneously chooses one of seven different action cards and then reveals it. Only the selected phases occur. For these phases, every player performs the phase's action, while the selecting player(s) also get a bonus for that phase.

For example, if at least one player chooses the Develop action, then the Develop phase will occur; otherwise it is skipped. In it, each player may simultaneously select a development from his hand of cards to build. After revealing the cards, each player adds his development to his tableau of cards on the table and then discards cards from his hand equal to its cost. Each player who chose Develop discards one card fewer as his bonus.Explore allows a player to draw cards and select which of them to add to his hand. Settle allows a player to place a world in his tableau. Some worlds produce goods, represented by face down cards, when Produce is selected. These goods can be discarded for victory points or sold to add cards to the player's hand by selecting Consume.

With cards, players can settle new worlds and build more developments, gaining both victory points and card powers that provide advantages in certain phases.The player who best manages his cards, phase and bonus selections, and card powers to build the greatest space empire, wins.The winner is the player with the most victory points.

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20. 1960: Making of the President (Second Edition)

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 13:39:20 -0500

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Please Note: This is the second edition from 2007 with the updated board graphics.

All elections are turning points, but the presidential election of 1960 holds a special place in American history. The 1950s had been a period of unparalleled economic growth and US global power. Richard Nixon served as President Eisenhower's Vice President through most of the period. Nixon's humble origins gave him a common touch that appealed to the small town, idyllic America encompassed by the spirit of the 1950s. John F. Kennedy, was Nixon's mirror image: charming, Harvard educated and the scion of an American political dynasty. Kennedy challenged Americans to confront the uncertainties and tumult that were already emerging in 1960. He set his vision not in the past, but on new frontiers.

In 1960: The Making of the President, you take on the role of one of these great protagonists vying to lead America through an era of turbulent change. The candidates must contend with all the great issues of the day, from the Cold War to civil rights to voters' pocket books. This is an election that will turn on positioning and momentum. The contest is fought on an electoral map of the United States as it stood in 1960. Using a card-driven game system, all the major events which shaped the campaign are represented: Nixon's lazy shave, President Eisenhower's late endorsement, and the 'Catholic question' are all specific event cards. The famous televised debates are also an important component of gameplay.

As with a real election campaign, the challenge is to adapt your game plan as the ground shifts out from under you. There are never enough resources or time to do everything, but you need to make the tough calls to propel yourself into the White House. This fast-playing strategy game for two players challenges you to relive the most significant political contest of the Twentieth Century. Will you recreate history, or rewrite it? 1960: The Making of the President provides you the opportunity to do both.

Game Contents:

1 Game Board
108 Cards
150 Wooden Support Cubes
2 Candidate Pawns
50 State Seals
12 Momentum Markers
8 Endorement Markers
3 Issues Marker
2 Wooden Turn/Phase Cubes

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21. Kingsburg

Fri, 23 Nov 2007 09:58:33 -0600

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In a faraway fantasy realm, the king has called upon his wisest and most capable to oversee his newly acquired lands. Each of his talented governors (that's you!) will need to call upon the help of the king's trusted advisors. Some of them might not be nice people, but they have skills and resources that a budding governor could find very helpful...

But being a governor in Kingsburg isn't just chatting with advisors and building pretty buildings! There is a constant threat to the kingdom by menacing and frightening enemies who constantly seek any weakness that will allow them to flood into the provinces and cause mayhem and destruction! Can you protect the lands entrusted to you while building the most glorious province for your king? Come to Kingsburg, and prove yourself worthy!

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22. Glory to Rome (I.V Ed.)

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 09:41:46 -0600

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In 64 A.D., a great fire originating from the slums of Rome quickly spreads to destroy much of the city, including the imperial palace. Upon hearing news of the fire, Emperor Nero Caesar races back to Rome from his private estate in Antium and sets up shelters for the displaced population.

Reporting directly to Nero, you are responsible for rebuilding the structures lost in the fire and restoring Glory to Rome.

Glory to Rome is a card-based city building and resource management game with a novel mechanic. Each card may act as a building, a patron, a raw material, or a valuable resource, frequently forcing players into difficult decisions regarding how each card should be used. In addition, much of the game is played from the discard pool, giving players some control over what cards are accessible to opponents.

Scoring is a combination of completing buildings and storing resources, with end-of-game bonuses for storing a diverse assortment. Game length is player-controlled, and is triggered in a few different ways.

The lighthearted artwork and slim rulebook belie the strong strategic and tactical elements of Glory to Rome

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23. Hive (Third Edition)

Sun, 12 Jun 2005 07:02:17 -0500

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Hive is a board game with a difference. There is no board! The pieces are added to the playing area thus creating the board. As more and more pieces are added the game becomes a fight to see who can be the first to capture the opposing Queen Bee.

The soldier ants battle to keep control of the outside of the hive, whilst the Beetles climb up to dominate the top. Spiders moving into holding positions as the Grass Hoppers jump in for the kill. Keeping one eye on the hive and the other on your opponents reserves, the tension builds as one wrong move will see your Queen Bee quickly engulfed .... game over!

Game Contents:

22 Bakelite Insect Tiles:

2 Queen Bees
4 Beetles
6 Grasshoppers
4 Spiders
6 Soldier Ants

Vinyl Carrying Bag
Rule Book

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24. Axis & Allies Naval CMG: War at Sea Starter Set

Thu, 04 Jan 2007 20:36:50 -0600

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With 64 authentically detailed miniatures, gamers, collectors, and history buffs assemble fleets of the finest vessels to ever do battle on, under, or above the sea in World War II. Fast-paced and action-packed, this exciting, new miniatures game lets players recreate historical battles or go head-to-head in competitive warfare that rages across massive 30"x40" battle maps.

Game Contents:

9 randomized, prepainted, durable plastic miniatures
Full-color game stat cards
2 double-sided full-color battle maps
6 island cards
8 six-sided dice
Advanced rules booklet
Quick start booklet
Damage counters

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25. Zooloretto

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 03:14:16 -0500

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Please Note: Zooloretto has been named the winner of the prestigious 2007 Spiel des Jahres.

Each player uses small, large, wild and exotic animals and their young to try and attract as many visitors as possible to their zoo. But be careful -- the zoo must be carefully planned. Before you know it, you have too many animals and no more room for them. That brings minus points! Luckily, your zoo can expand. A zoo of a family game in which less is sometimes more...

The heart of this game is based on the mechanisms in Michael Schacht's earlier game, Coloretto.

Click on the link to the product's webpage below for free downloadable expansions for Zooloretto!

Game Contents:

5 Zoos
5 Extensions for the Zoos
128 Tiles
5 Wagons
30 Coins
1 Wooden Disk
1 Rulebook

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26. Descent: The Road to Legend

Wed, 02 May 2007 01:49:18 -0500

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Only you can save the world from evil...

In the darkest of night burns the glimmer of hope. When foul Overlords rise up to blot out the sun and enslave all living things to their infernal will, great heroes always rise up to oppose them ... and now, you must be those heroes.

Venture forth from the peaceful town of Tamalir and journey into the darkness beneath the earth. Search for clues in the twilight beneath the trees in forgotten forests. Brave the horrors of treacherous swamps. Uncover new treasures, learn powerful new skills, and rise to dizzying heights of power.

But beware ...the Overlord will not sit idle...

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27. Shadows Over Camelot: Merlin's Company

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:00:42 -0500

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The swallows have long departed, replaced by sinister crows of dark omen. The land has grown more desolate, and travel ever more dangerous since a traitor was discovered in our midst. Rumor has it that Merlin himself is now scouring the plains around Camelot, rallying new knights to our cause. But will that prove enough to counter Morgan's newly assembled coven of witches?

Merlin's Company is an expansion for the popular Shadows over Camelot board game. It introduces a host of new characters - including 7 new knights and Merlin himself - to the Shadows over Camelot epic. The wise old wizard is now a full-blown independent character in the game, complete with his own figure. He travels the board lending guidance and a helping hand to the embattled knights.

Merlin's Company also introduces 63 new cards: the all new Travel cards - events that may occur as you move from Quest to Quest; additional Black cards, including 7 witches allied with Morgan; and additional White cards that will help you and your fellow knights in your battles against the forces of evil.

The Merlin's Company expansion, supports up to 8 players, including 2 possible Traitors, assuring that even the most innocuous Shadows over Camelot Quest will be filled with grave peril.

This expansion requires the original Shadows over Camelot board game.

Game Contents:

Merlin figure and Summary card
7 New Knight's Coats of Arms
A new deck of Loyalty cards including 1 additional Traitor card
16 New Travel cards
14 Black cards including 7 new Special Black cards
23 White cards, including 8 new Special White cards
A bonus figure of Sir Bedivere, complete with his own Coat of Arms and colored die
Merlin's Company rules booklet

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28. Battle Line (remake of Shotten-Totten)

Fri, 03 Sep 2004 09:10:23 -0500

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Battle Line is a two-player card game built around the theme of warfare during the age of Alexander the Great. Battle Line features 60 full-color Rodger MacGowan/Mark Simonitch cards depicting the prominent formations of the period (War Elephants, Heavy Cavalry, Phalanx, etc.) and 10 full-color tactics "wildcards" that give players extra flexibility and choices and help make each new battle wildly different from the last.

Battle Line takes about 30 minutes to play. To win, you must create powerful formations along your side of the line of battle that are superior to those of your enemy. Victory goes to the player who wins 5 of the 9 battle flags (an envelopment) or three adjacent flags (a breakthrough). Based on Reiner Knizia's original design published in Germany as Shotten-Totten, Battle Line enhances and expands that game system to give players even more tactical options and gut-wrenching decisions.

How will you muster your battle line? Will you use your elephants to trample a hole in the enemy front, or send Alexander to the front to win a critical flag? Maybe you'll dispatch the Companion cavalry to lead or reinforce a crucial point in the line, or perhaps you"ll rely on your spies to determine the enemy"s strengths and weaknesses before committing your best forces. You'll always have plenty of choices. With every card play, you'll determine the strength and direction of your attack while plotting to fend off your enemy's advances.

In Battle Line, you and your opponent lead the combined arms of the greatest units of the era. Will you, like Alexander, reign supreme? Play Battle Line, and find out.

Note: This is the 2007 printing of Battle Line.

Game Contents:

60 full-color Troop cards
10 Tactics cards
9 Flags (plastic pieces)
4-page Rule Book

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29. Saint Petersburg Expansion

Tue, 22 May 2007 01:04:16 -0500

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The expansion cannot be played alone, but must be played with Saint Petersburg. The expansion is actually two in one. It contains "The Banquet", previously available in Spielbox magazine, and new cards and components to allow play with up to 5 players.
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30. Bang! The Bullet!

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 11:45:45 -0500

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From the Publisher: Since the beginning, the Outlaws hunt the Sheriff, the Sheriff hunts the Outlaws. The Renegade plots in secret, ready to take one side or the other. But who are the merciless Outlaws, willing to gun him down? To find out you have to draw! (Your cards, that is!) Now the Sheriff has decided to settle things once and for all in his own way. He has written a name on a single bullet. That name is... BANG!

This special edition includes every BANG! card published to date, and a few new extras! Inside, you will find:

BANG! - The basic game
High Noon - The first expansion
Dodge City - The second expansion
A Fistful of Cards - The third expansion

Also two new cards for High Noon and three special characters! Plus two blank cards for your own creations, and a special gift: a shiny new Sheriff's badge!

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31. Galaxy Trucker

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 10:05:20 -0600

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Corporation Incorporated, the galactic leader in sewer system construction, is looking for can-do guys and gals to haul materials to remote regions of the galaxy. Must be willing to fend off meteors, smugglers, and pirates.

Experience working with aliens a plus. Earn copious cosmic credits with bonuses for speedy delivery. Become a Galaxy Trucker. It's loads of fun!

The game consists of three rounds. In each round, the players begin by rummaging through the Warehouse, trying to grab the best components and build the best space ship. Once the ships are under way, the players try to avoid snares and obstacles, while grasping financial opportunities, each hoping to be the first to finish with an undamaged ship.

It's possible that you will end up with an insurmountable debt and finish your days panhandling on the streets of Deneb III, but if Lady Luck should smile upon you, you just might find yourself among the 10 billion richest people in the Galaxy!

Game Contents:

1 Flight Board
8 Two-Sided Ship Boards
60 Adventure Cards
64 Cosmic Credit Pieces
144 Space Ship Components
4 Numbered Tiles
40 White Figures
8 Alien Figures in Two Colors
8 Rocket Markers in 4 Colors
36 Battery Tokens
56 Goods Blocks in 4 Colors
1 Two-Sided Card with Rules
2 Dice
1 Timer

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32. Incan Gold (a.k.a. Diamant)

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:11:50 -0600

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Incan Gold is a game in which players push their luck as they head into a ruined temple, attempting to find the most jewels. Each turn, a card is turned over that increases the gold found in a temple or shows a hazard. Players can attempt to escape, keeping the loot that they've acquired, or stay in the temple, hoping for increased profits. As players escape, those in the temple will acquire bigger shares of each pile of gold found, but also run the risk of dying if the same hazard card is drawn twice. Up to eight people can play this game, and it works very well at parties and other gatherings, as players decide whether or not to stay or leave the temples. With quality components and a compelling theme, Incan Gold will be the first choice of large groups looking for a fun filled game.

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33. Hanging Gardens, The

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:53:49 -0600

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The hanging gardens were one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world, as all history courses teach. But, did they actually exist? Nothing remains of their reported splendor, which was built for the eyes of Amyitis.

Without an exact reference to follow, the 2-4 players will re-establish the hanging gardens according to their own tastes.

Card follows card with magnificent buildings, sparkling fountains, and exotic plants as the players work to rebuild the legendary gardens. In the end, the queen will be pleasd and rewards the victory palm to the player whose work on the gardens most impresses her highness.

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34. Puerto Rico

Sun, 01 Aug 2004 13:11:45 -0500

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In 1493 Christopher Columbus discovered the eastern-most island of the Great Antilles. About 50 years later, Puerto Rico began to really blossom - through you! Which roles will you play in this new world: Prospector? Governor? Settler? Trader? Whatever you do, you have one goal: to achieve the greatest prosperity and highest reputation! Who will have the most fruitful plantation? Who will build the most impressive buildings? And, who will earn the most victory points?

Author: Andreas Seyfarth

Game Contents:

6 Game Boards
50 Goods
100 Colonists
8 Quarry Tiles
50 Plantation Tiles
54 Coins
50 Victory Point Chips
9 Role Cards
50 Buildings
6 Ships
1 Rule Booklet

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35. Bohnanza

Tue, 10 Aug 2004 20:40:00 -0500

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This great card game is about planting, trading, and selling beans - 11 kinds of beans (this English version includes all the cards from the original game and the first expansion). Players try to collect large sets of beans to sell for gold. There is limited growing space and always new beans to plant. To avoid planting unwanted beans, players trade them to other players who want them for their bean fields.

Author: Uwe Rosenberg

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36. Twilight Imperium 3rd Edition: Shattered Empire Expansion

Fri, 06 Oct 2006 16:52:56 -0500

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Welcome back to the Twilight Imperium universe. In the Shattered Empire expansion, the galaxy is larger and more dangerous -- and the glory of conquering it is greater than ever before. Now four new races enter the struggle for the Imperial Throne, and up to eight players can vie for control of the galaxy. There are new planets to conquer and new spatial anomalies to contend with, but there are also new technologies to aid each race. As war rages across dozens of systems, the question remains: Who will unite the pieces of this shattered empire and lead the galaxy into a new age?

In addition to new plastic pieces, new race sheets, and new system tiles, this expansion also adds new Strategy Cards, Political Cards, Action Cards, and Public Objectives, as well as many new optional rules.

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37. Ticket to Ride: Switzerland (Swiss Map Expansion)

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 21:22:06 -0500

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From the shores of Lake Geneva to the slopes of Davos, this expansion takes you through the heart of Switzerland's mountainous geography. You'll climb aboard the Mont-Blanc Express connecting Martigny to France and ride the Bernina Express over soaring passes into Italy.

Previously only available to Ticket to Ride Computer game players, the Ticket to Ride Swiss Map Expansion is now coming to your board game table!

Designed specifically for 2 or 3 players, this expansion forces you to reconsider all your Ticket to Ride playing strategies. It features Locomotive cards that can only be used on tunnel routes; only 40 trains per player; and new Destination Tickets that take you not just to other cities, but to surrounding countries as well.

The game's author, Alan R. Moon, has called the Swiss map his "favorite of all the Ticket to Ride maps". We think you'll also find this map a great new way to play your favorite train game!

It's a perfect addition to the Ticket to Ride player.

Please Note: In order to play this expansion you must have either an original copy of Ticket to Ride or Ticket to Ride Europe.

Game Contents:

1 Ticket to Ride Board Map of Switzerland
46 Destination Tickets
Multi-Lingual Rules Booklet

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38. Airships

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 23:19:05 -0600

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These airships are majestic as they rise to the heavens. It took a long time before the work on these giants could begin. Engineers had to be employed, a hangar built, materials procured and sponsors found. At last the day has arrived and a giant airship starts its maiden flight towards the horizon.

In this exciting game the players use their skill to try to expand their own companies. In the end they will have created an impressive fleet of airships.

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39. Ticket to Ride: The Card Game

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 12:50:19 -0600

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Ticket to Ride Card Game
A New Train Adventure Begins!

The Ticket to Ride Card Game delivers all of the exciting, fun and easy-to-learn elements of the original Ticket to Ride board game, but with several new game-play twists in a stand-alone, portable, card game format. Players collect sets of illustrated Train cards which are then used to complete Destination Tickets - routes between two cities depicted on each ticket. But before their Train cards can be used, players must face the risk of "train-robbing", where another player may force them to lose their hard-earned cards. Every fan of the board game will want to own a copy of the Ticket to Ride Card Game!

Game Contents:

96 Train Cards
6 Big Cities Bonus Cards
46 Destination Tickets
Rules Booklet.

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40. Cash'n Guns: Yakuzas (Ca$h'n Gun$: Yakuzas)

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 09:59:29 -0500

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The world's three largest Mafia organizations jointly perpetrated the Robbery of the Century! A few hours later, they are all gathered in a sinister back shop in Hong-Kong, each of them armed to the teeth to split the loot in a good mood. Suddenly, the tension raises, it looks as if the parts were not equal& Get ready; the gang war might break out at anytime! Are you keen to face the wildest Mafia of the planet? BANZAI!!!

Yakuza introduces new characters, new foam weapons (Tanto, Shuriken and Shotgun), objects and a team based game play for up to 9 players.

Game Contents:

1 Rulebook
3 New Characters
3 Tanto
3 Shuriken
1 Shotgun
6 Plastic Bases
20 Banknotes
9 "Honour" Tokens
3 "Wound" Tokens
52 Play Cards

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41. Animal Upon Animal (a.k.a. Tier auf Tier)

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:04:25 -0500

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Please Note: HABA games are very highly quality games produced in Germany and include English rules.

The animals want to show how capable they are at making a tall pyramid! Who will position the penguin on top of the crocodile, the sheep on top of the penguin, the serpent on the sheep, the tucan ...

A wobbly stacking game for 2 - 4 players.

Game Contents:

29 Wooden Animals
1 Die with Symbols
1 Set of Game Instructions

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42. Citadels (New Box Format)

Mon, 16 Aug 2004 20:36:01 -0500

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Please Note: The Dark City Expansion is still included in this new edition.

In CITADELS, you are a medieval ruler trying to complete your city before your opponents can build theirs. Expand you city by adding new districts, but be sure to invest wisely: Some districts are more valuable than others, but cost more gold to build.

There is more to ruling a city than gold, however. Lords, ladies, and other nobility all have a role to play. The game changes each turn as each player secretly chooses a new role - the Assassin, Thief, Magician, King, Bishop, Merchant, Architect, or Warlord - and the power that comes with it.

CITADELS is a card game of bluffing, diplomacy, and city-building for two to eight players, ages 10 and up. CITADELS is playable in 20 to 60 minutes.

Game Contents:

66 District cards
8 Character cards
8 Reference cards
30 gold coins
1 wooden crown marker
10 Bonus character cards!
14 Bonus purple district cards!

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43. Alhambra

Thu, 26 Aug 2004 20:55:51 -0500

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This is the RGG multi-language printing of Alhambra. The cards are language-independent.

Granada, 1278. At the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, one of the most exciting and interesting projects of the Spanish Middle Ages begins: the construction of Alhambra.

Experience, over the course of the game, determines how the construction of this Spanish wonder takes place. The game is easy to learn: just a few rules and you're ready to play.

Each round, you must decide: Do you take a currency note, so that later on you can acquire a valuable piece of the Palace - a Pavilion or a Manor for example?

Or do you purchase one of the available Palace pieces to expand your Alhambra? Be careful as you won't receive any change. However, if you can pay the exact amount, you will get another turn immediately!

During the scoring rounds, you will receive Victory Points for having the majority of any type of palace piece. But that's not the only way to score points: the longer your City Wall, the more protected your Alhambra will be, earning you additional points.

Great for 2 players.

Game Contents:

60 Building and Start Tiles
110 Cards
6 Summary Boards
12 Playing Pieces
1 Game Board
1 Scoretrack
1 Rules Booklet

Awards:

Winner of the prestigious 2003 Spiel des Jahres (German Game of the Year)
2004 GAMES Magazine GAMES 100 Honoree

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44. Descent: Journeys in the Dark

Wed, 08 Jun 2005 14:58:44 -0500

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Across the land, courageous heroes delve into shadowed dungeons, journey to lost cities, and explore forgotten ruins. In the darkest corners of the world, these heroes confront deadly and terrifying monsters, including Skeletons, Hell Hounds, Giants, Demons, and Dragons. For those few who survive, the rewards are many. Victorious heroes return from the treacherous dungeons with ancient magics, bags of gold, and powerful weapons and artifacts.

In Descent: Journeys in the Dark, you play one of these daring adventurers. Armed with mighty weapons and powerful abilities, you venture into the dungeon to battle monsters, escape deadly traps, discover lost treasures, and ultimately, confront and defeat the evil masters that dwell in the hidden places. Can you survive the dark?

Game Contents:

1 Rulebook book
1 Quest Guide
20 Hero Sheets
20 Plastic Heroes
60 Plastic Monsters

39 Tan Normal Monsters
21 Red Master Monsters

12 Custom Dice

1 Blue Ranged Combat Die
1 Red Melee Combat Die
1 White Magic Combat Die
2 Green Extra Damage Combat Dice
2 Yellow Extra Range Combat Dice
5 Black Power Dice

180 Cards

24 Monster Reference Cards
36 Overlord Cards
12 Subterfuge Skill Cards
12 Fighting Skill Cards
12 Wizardry Skill Cards
24 Town Store Cards
22 Copper Treasure Cards
18 Silver Treasure Cards
16 Gold Treasure Cards
4 Relic Cards

1 Compass Rose Token
1 Town Marker
61 Map Pieces

10 Room Pieces
25 Corridor Pieces
6 Intersection Pieces
20 Dead End Pieces

10 Door Markers

7 Normal Doors
3 Rune-locked Doors

10 Plastic Door Stands
49 Prop Markers

23 Obstacle Markers
10 Encounter Markers
10 Glyph Markers
6 Staircase Markers

55 Wound Tokens
24 Fatigue Tokens
52 Money Tokens
16 Hero Order Tokens

4 Aim Orders
4 Dodge Orders
4 Guard Orders
4 Rest Orders

32 Threat Tokens
24 Conquest Tokens
1 Breath Template
55 Effect Tokens

12 Web Markers
14 Stun Tokens
13 Burn Tokens
16 Poison Tokens

39 Treasure Markers

9 Healing Potion Markers
9 Vitality Potion Markers
9 Money Markers
8 Chest Markers
4 Relic Markers

4 Hero Turn Tokens
12 Training Tokens

4 Melee Training Tokens
4 Ranged Training Tokens
4 Magic Training Tokens

6 Miscellaneous Markers

1 Boggs the Rat Marker
1 Kata the Ferret Marker
1 Mata the Ferret Marker
1 Pico the Empos Marker
1 Skye the Falcon Marker
1 Monkey Marker

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45. Power Grid: Benelux & Central Europe

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 23:26:54 -0500

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Two new maps for Power Grid. This is an expansion pack, so you will need the Power Grid game to play with it. As with the original, the board has a different map on each side: Benelux on one side and Central Europe on the other. Along with the maps are small rule changes to reflect the power culture in these two countries. As the Benelux countries support ecological power, players may have greater opportunities to acquire such power plants. Also, oil is more available and coal less available in these countries. As Poland has large coal supplies, coal will be much more plentiful then elsewhere in Central Europe. However, due to political stands taken by some countries, players may be limited in their access to nuclear power. The result is not just new maps, but new ways to play this great game!

Game Contents:

2 new maps

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46. Red Dragon Inn, The

Fri, 24 Aug 2007 18:48:33 -0500

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You and your adventuring companions have spent all day slogging through the Dungeon, killing monsters and taking their stuff. Now you're back in town, healed up, cleaned up, and ready to party at the Red Dragon Inn.

Drink, gamble, and roughhouse with your friends. But don't forget to keep an eye on your Gold. If you run out, you'll have to spend the night in the stables. Oh... and try not to get too beaten up or too drunk. If you black out, your friends will continue the party without you... after they loot your body for Gold, of course!

The last conscious adventurer with Gold wins the game!

Take on the role of one of four heroic fantasy adventurers -- Dierdre, Fiona, Gerki, or Zot, and enjoy an evening at the Red Dragon Inn!

Dierdre the Priestess

Dierdre uses the power of the Goddess to protect and heal her friends and to smite the wicked creatures of the deep dungeons. She'll also smite anyone who treats her like a bimbo, even though she's not above working her good looks get her way.

The Good: The Goddess keeps Dierdre protected from harm.

The Bad: The Goddess's protection does not help against alcohol. Dierdre is a cheap date.

Fiona the Volatile

This brash warrior maiden is quick with a sword... or axe, or dagger, or any other sharp or pointy thing she can get her hands on.

The Good: She's more than capable of dishing out and taking serious physical abuse, and her formidable constitution allows her to drink a lot!

The Bad: For all her strengths, she's not very good at keeping track of her Gold.

Gerki the Sneak

Gerki's a shifty halfling whose pockets are always full of Gold. A master of poisons, mechanisms, and stabbing people in the back, Gerki has saved the lives of his friends many, many times. Of course, if he wasn't so darn useful they most likely would have killed him by now!

The Good: Gerki is so good at gambling that some people suspect that he might be cheating.

The Bad: Yeah, he's cheating.

Zot the Wizard

Zot might have had a cushy job teaching magic theory at the Wizards' College, had he not been saddled with Pooky, a psychotic, binge-drinking bunny rabbit, as his familiar.

The Good: Zot is good at card tricks, and, hence, is good at gambling. His mastery of many magical spells keeps him well protected, whether he's roughhousing, drinking, or gambling.

The Bad: That rabbit is insane. Seriously.

Game Contents:

4 Unique 40-Card Player Decks
One 30-Card Drink Deck
4 Player Templates
4 Fortitude Markers
4 Alcohol Content Markers
50 Gold Coin Tokens
Rules for Playing The Red Dragon Inn

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47. In the Year of the Dragon

Sun, 16 Sep 2007 12:51:09 -0500

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In this game, each player takes on the role of a Chinese prince, seeking tomaximize the prosperity and prestige of his province in the ancient Chinaof approximately 1,000 A.D. To assist in these endeavors, the princes must call upon the diverse talents of their courtiers, from scholars and monks to warriors and craftsmen. These loyal subjects will lend their expertise to the struggle to shield their rulers from the often disastrous consequences of the myriad untoward events that plague the populace from month to month. Be it drought, contagion or Mongol invasion, only foresight and planning will spare the princes and their subjects from these fates.

The better a player can manage his province and withstand the seemingly unending onslaught of hazardous events, the more honor and victory points he will have to show for it in the end.
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48. Settlers of Catan (Fourth Edition)

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 19:38:01 -0500

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Players are recent immigrants to the newly populated island of Catan. Expand your colony through the building of settlements, roads, and villages by harvesting commodities from the land around you. Trade sheep, lumber, bricks and grain for a settlement, bricks and wood for a road, or try to complete other combinations for more advanced buildings, services and specials.

Trade with other players, or at local seaports to get resources you might lack. The first player to achieve 10 points from a combination of roads, settlements, and special cards wins.

New card art, new tiles, and a full-color rule book! Winner of Games Magazine 100 Best Games of 1996, 1997, and 1998! In Settlers of Catan, players control a group of settlers exploring and taming the uncharted lands of Catan. Build settlements, roads, and villages by taking commodities from the land around you! This revised edition also includes a game tray designed to hold the 5-6 player extension components.

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49. Zooloretto Expansion Pack

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 15:09:09 -0500

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This contains 5 expansions for Zooloretto:

Building sites
Petting zoo
Polar bear
3 extra enclosures
3 new buildings

It must be played with Zooloretto. It comes in a shrink-wrapped package with die-cut tiles of the same quality as the original games and rules in English.

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50. BattleLore: Scottish Wars

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 14:19:08 -0600

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Another specialist pack expansion for Battlelore focusing on the Scottish Wars.

Game Contents:

42 new figures
6 iron dwarves cattle riders
8 iron dwarves clan chiefs
12 mounted knights
16 iron dwarves spear bearers
24 new banners (12 for each camp)
A rules booklet, including 5 new adventures
Stirling bridge
Falkirk
Bannockburn
Dupplin Moor
Neville's Cross
7 specialist cards
3 unit summary cards
2 weapon summary card

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