And so the great Purge continues, with 10 more games being added to the list. I think the pace so far is pretty good, with as many games going out than are coming in (purchases are down, but there are a bunch coming in from Kickstarter). My game total at the end of March (not counting expansions) was 502 and I’ve managed to keep it at that level, so yay?
Finding games to get rid of is starting to get trickier, but I sort of expected that when I came up with the idea. Though choices, but making sure I’m only keeping those games that I really want to play or that really offer something different. Can I really make it to 100? We shall see.
So what’s the latest total? In March, I managed to get rid of 9 games (3 from the first batch and 6 from the February batch), for a total of 17 games in 2 months, which is pretty good. What I got rid of in April:
- Enemy in Sight: This game, along with Pax Baltica, went with an occasional sparring partner and a good friend that I met at Stack Academy last year.
- Star Trek Red Alert: Stack Academy had a special session (The Stack D’Or) this year for the Tabletop Game Day where a tournament and a raffle were held to benefit a local children’s charity (Centre de Pediatrie Sociale Centre-Sud), so this game, along with Bridges of Shangri-La and Blackbeard 2nd Ed went on to be raffled off.
- The Bridges of Shangri-La: Raffled off at the Stack D’Or.
- 1655: Habemus Papam: Prize table at a different Stack Academy…
- Babel: Given to a good friend and gaming partner.
- Citadels: Sold to an old friend who’s getting into gaming.
- Kingdom Builder: Same as Citadels.
- Pax Baltica: As mentioned above.
- Spartacus: Given for future consideration to a sometimes wargame opponent
And this is what is gone so far:
- B-29 Superfortress
- Panzer Grenadier: Battle of the Bulge
- Power & Weakness
- Roads & Boats
- The Last Crusade: The Russian Front
- Trains and Stations
- WildLife
- 7 Wonders
- Cleopatra’s Caboose
The New List
So what am I getting rid of this month? Well, the wargame purge continues, along with some games that I’ve own for quite some time that just haven’t hit the table in a good long time. They’re not necessarily bad games, just games that I don’t really ever have any inclination to bring to the table.
- Fading Glory: Really wanted to like this (I like the idea of having smaller, faster wargames) but a reading of the rules showed a similar problem as No Retreat: low counter density, but nothing really innovative in the base system with tons of exceptions. Already given away.
- No Retreat: Played this once and found it to be… challenging, but for the wrong reason. Low counter density, but every counter seemed to have a special rule attached to it, slow slog which meant that while it might be historically accurate, the players were in fact straightjacketed. Also, I’m not sure both sides can actually win… Already sold off.
- Empire of the Sun: I’m sure it’s a great game but the rules are simply too opaque to me and honestly, I really didn’t think I’d ever have a chance to give it enough table time to fully explore it. Already sold.
- Blackbeard 2nd: Let’s just say that the amount of games that were designed by Richard Berg that I own is quickly going down. Maybe I’m letting his personality online get to me… Already given away.
- Dominant Species: The Card Game: Maybe I was expecting too much from this game, but I’m not sure why it’s got the Dominant Species name attached to it. It’s not bad, it’s just not good enough to justify keeping it. Already given away.
- Galaxy: The Dark Ages: There’s some very cool ideas in this but even when I originally purchased it and we didn’t have that many games to choose from, it was always one of the last to be proposed. I suspect that if I ever get the itch to play something similar, it will be replaced by Cheaty Mages!.
- Gargon: A decent enough trick taking game with a few clever twists. I’ve got so many other trick taking games that this one tends to be forgotten about, so rather than leave it unplayed, I’d rather give it to someone who will play it.
- Louis XIV: A perfectly fine game, but it never hits the table. I got it way back when any Alea game was pretty much an instant purchase for me and let’s just say that some of these purchases were not quite up to snuff. Maybe the game is better than it seems and I just never gave it its chance, but nonetheless, out it goes. Already given away.
- Mai-Star: A take-that game with some nice twists, it’s just not good enough to replace the other take-that games I already have and never play with. Out with it.
- Railways of the World: The Card Game: Never played. Had some hope for it but after reading the rules, it just seems too light.
And the left overs from the last two months:
If there’s anything that you find interesting, please get in touch with me. I’m sure we can come to some sort of agreement. These games need a new home!
Happy gaming!