Mind Games Albury

*'Australia's Premier Games Store.'*
538 David St, Albury		38 Garema Pl, Canberra City
Ph: 02 6041 2448 - Fax: 02 6021 3384		Ph: 02 6248 7722 - Fax: 02 6257 6720
mindgame@bigpond.net.au		glenn@mindgamescanberra.com

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REVIEWS

10 Days in Africa

Around the World in 80 Days

Betrayal at House on the Hill

Carcassonne: Hunters & Gatherers

Carcassonne: Inns & Cathedrals

Carcassonne: King & Scout

Carcassonne: Princess & Dragon

Carcassonne: The City

Carcassonne: The Count

Carcassonne: Traders & Builders

Cartagena

Catch the Match

Catz Ratz and Batz

Cities & Knights of Catan

Civilization: Sid Meier's

Lord of the Rings - The Confrontation

Right Turn, Left Turn

Settlers of the Stoneage

Ticket to Ride: Europe

Mind Games Albury Game Reviews

- by Neil Thomson

We hope that the reviews found in this section of the website will be helpful to those considering which games to add to their collection.

Please make your selection from the list on the left. For an explanation of the difficulty levels that are found in each review please refer to the boxes on the right.

Neil recommends the following sites for readers that would like to find out more about a game:

www.boardgamegeek.com

www.funagain.com

www.gamesdownunder.com.au

Pick-up & Play

These games can be picked up and learned in 30 minutes or less making it ideal for new players. The rules are straightforward and can often be clearly understood without even playing the game. These games are great for all ages due to the minimal rules and options available. Don't make the mistake of regarding this category as too easy though as truly great games can be found here and it would be a folly for experienced gamers to overlook them.

Moderate

Moderate games can still be learnt in approximately 30 minutes but are designed to offer a greater depth of strategy. Games at this level will often appear straightforward at first but after several plays a greater sophistication will become apparent. This adds much to the games re-playability and will appeal to gamers that enjoy the variety of options available to them. The rules for these games can sometimes take several reads due to their intricate nature and therefore several play tests are required to fully clarify them. These games can appeal to hard-core gamers and infrequent gamers alike. A large number of gamers will find themselves playing games in this category.

Challenging

These games can still be learnt and enjoyed by newcomers to gaming but on the whole are best suited to the experienced gamer. The rulebook can be more akin to a small journal at times and the complexity is mentally challenging. These games are without a doubt still very enjoyable but they will take more work to prepare for and often require a serious commitment to play (large part of a day or weekend). These games often appeal to lovers of a particular genre or the regular miniatures gamer.


	About the Reviewer Neil has for the past 18 years devoted much of his spare time to the playing of board games, family games, card games and strategy games. He is a self-confessed gaming nut that will play anything once and most games many times over. Neil has a background in Info Tech. and Telecommunications Marketing however his chosen profession now is that of a Primary School Teacher. His gaming experience, role as an educator and the interaction he has with students allows him to assess and comment on not only the 'fun factor' that games offer, but also their educational merit for developing young and older minds alike. Neil is currently the President of the Border Games Glub, which is based in Wodonga and promotes gaming to the Albury\Wodonga community. He also heads the Strategic Gaming Group which concentrates on the playing of board games and strategy games. All games reviewed have been play tested by Neil and a small play test group that includes less experienced gamers. In this way all reviews can maintain an objective opinion that can be of value to new game players and the more experienced.