The primary weekend of March, I spent a few days enjoying a bunch of enjoyable video games at SaltCon Spring 2024.
SaltCon Spring is a 4-day occasion held on the primary weekend of March. This 12 months, I arrived Thursday night time after work and stayed by means of Saturday afternoon (taking Friday off work so I might play all day).
Regardless that SaltCon now hosts recreation occasions a number of occasions annually, the spring gathering is the largest of the bunch and one I stay up for yearly.
This 12 months, the attendance hit 2,400!
That’s proper, over a pair thousand individuals spending time simply enjoying as many video games as they will. Effectively, really, some individuals don’t go for amount. Some love to interrupt out the a number of hours-long video games they don’t normally get to on an everyday recreation night time. And a few come to play RPGs, paint miniatures, commerce video games, or participate within the different enjoyable actions across the conference.
For myself, what I get pleasure from most is enjoying new video games for the primary time and getting along with pals I solely see yearly. So I sometimes hit the SaltCon Recreation Library – which has hundreds of video games to select from. You merely try a recreation, play it, deliver it again, then seize one other and hold going. This manner, I can play many video games I’ve been interested by however haven’t but performed.
I additionally like attending to a few of the Sizzling Video games tables the place the video games are already arrange and and SaltCon volunteers are prepared to show.
And it was enjoyable to play video games with my nephew once more this 12 months as he traveled from out of state with a good friend to affix within the enjoyable.
Now, for a brief rundown on the enjoyable video games I performed at SaltCon Spring 2024.
- Residing Forest
- Go Nuts for Donuts
- Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra
- World Wonders
- Atlantis Rising
- Dragon Fortress
- Steam Up: A Feast of Dim Sum
- Snow Tails
- Cat within the Field
- Santo Domingo
- HMS Dolores
- Challengers!
- Disney Villainous
- The Seek for Planet X
- Ishtar: Gardens of Babylon
- Starship Captains
Residing Forest
In Residing Forest, gamers are nature spirits attempting to avoid wasting the forest and its sacred tree from the flames of Onibi. Gamers mix parts from their spirit playing cards to achieve extra playing cards and tiles so as to add to their board. Additionally they should hold and eye on the rising fireplace and use water parts to place it out. The sport ends when one participant has managed to gather not less than 12 completely different Protecting Timber, 12 Fires, or 12 Sacred Flowers.
It’s a mixture of deck-building, tile placement, and push your luck that I discovered very satisfying and would get pleasure from enjoying once more. I additionally actually favored the art work.
Go Nuts for Donuts
Go Nuts for Donuts is a enjoyable and fast card recreation of selecting donuts. Every kind of donuts scores in another way. For instance, some simply give straight up factors whereas others rating primarily based on their complete amount or simply in pairs. Then there are some that don’t give factors, however grant future actions.
The enjoyable a part of the sport although is that every spherical after the donuts are lined up, gamers concurrently, and secretly, select which donut they need that spherical. If multiple participant chooses the identical donut, nobody will get it and it’s discarded. So not solely do it’s a must to select which one you need, it’s a must to work out what different persons are going to decide on and plan accordingly. It may be a bit chaotic – particularly with a full 6 gamers.
Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra
We’ve performed and reviewed a lot of Azul video games. Of the bunch, Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra has been our favourite. So when my nephew talked about he hadn’t but tried any Azul video games (whereas perusing all of the video games within the SaltCon Recreation Library), we grabbed the copy of Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra to introduce him to this enjoyable recreation.
I wasn’t stunned in any respect when he and his good friend repeatedly talked about how a lot they favored the sport. (Hopefully that’s not simply because he gained.)
World Wonders
On Friday morning, the very first thing we did was head to the Sizzling Video games tables to play a brand new recreation from Arcane Wonders known as World Wonders. It’s a tile laying recreation the place gamers spend their gold to buy constructing tiles so as to add to their rising cities. Completely different constructing sizes have completely different prices and gamers must handle their gold properly every spherical to say numerous wonders of the world on the proper time. I had a good time enjoying World Wonders.
Our household enjoys tile-laying video games and I actually just like the public sale and puzzle-like nature of claiming key world wonders for my metropolis. Undoubtedly a household board recreation I’d suggest and one I’ve added to my video games want checklist.
Atlantis Rising
One of many video games I used to be most excited to get within the SaltCon Math Commerce this 12 months was Atlantis Rising Second Version. I’ve had my eye on it for some time, so I used to be additionally excited to play it straight away (somewhat than simply taking it dwelling to play later). 5 of us dove into this cooperative board recreation the place we now have construct a cosmic gate earlier than Atlantis is destroyed.
It’s a employee placement recreation the place gamers deploy their meeples into completely different areas of the board to say numerous sources. The ideas of every department grant higher odds, however they’re additionally the primary places to get flooded – which implies you could not get to gather sources in any respect that spherical. Regardless that most of Atlantis was worn out, we have been completely satisfied to return out victorious in our first play.
Dragon Fortress
One other recreation that caught my eye some time in the past was Dragon Fortress. It’s a Mahjong-style recreation of accumulating matching tiles after which including them to your individual rising citadel board. It seems stunning and the parts are implausible. Nonetheless, the sport ended approach too quickly for my style.
I regarded ahead to constructing a cool citadel on my board. However the recreation ends as quickly because the central board runs out of tiles. And by the point that occurred, I hadn’t construct a lot. All of us felt that very same approach after our first play, so we performed it once more. Our second play turned out in related style. I wished to love the sport, however we have been all disillusioned. Too dangerous.
Steam Up: A Feast of Dim Sum
Possibly it was as a result of we have been getting hungry, however Steam Up regarded like an amazing recreation to play subsequent. Considered one of my pals had not too long ago acquired it for his birthday however hadn’t but performed it. The sport may be very eye-catching on the desk and the board is superior as a result of the stacked steamers rotate. Gamers acquire and spend meals tokens to buy Dim Sum within the steamers inside their Feast Zone (space in entrance of them).
After all, as gamers rotate steamers to their very own space, they could even be serving to different gamers by what they transfer into these zones. There are additionally new Destiny playing cards every spherical which will influence the actions gamers can take that spherical. We performed with a full 5 gamers and it was a enjoyable problem.
Snow Tails
The following recreation we grabbed from the sport library was one other recreation I’ve been interested by for a lot of years, Snow Tails. It’s a racing recreation about canine sledding within the Arctic Circle. The tracks are all modular – so you may construct a prescribed route or a novel race course each recreation. Every participant has their very own deck of pace playing cards that they play to find out the pace and course of their sled. For instance, if a participant has a 4 on their left and a 2 on their proper, and a 1 as their break, the sled will transfer ahead 5 areas (4+2-1) and to the left 2 lanes (4-2 = pulling more durable to the left by 2).
The sport was initially printed in 2008 and I’m glad I lastly acquired an opportunity to play it. I consider it’s out of print now, which is simply too dangerous. I suppose I’ll simply have to observe for it in future recreation swaps to get a duplicate.
Cat within the Field
There are a variety of trick-taking card video games we love. Our favorites are Cranium King and The Crew: Mission Deep Sea. Effectively, we now have now have one other so as to add to our checklist, Cat within the Field. I’d heard good issues about this new trick-taking card recreation, so I used to be completely satisfied to get a duplicate within the recreation swap this 12 months. There are 4 fits within the recreation, Inexperienced, Yellow, Blue and Crimson with Crimson being the trump go well with. Nonetheless, all of the playing cards within the recreation are black. While you play a card, you say what colour it’s!
It’s a inventive twist to trick-taking video games and might be tough to wrap your head round. However oh, so enjoyable.
When a card is performed and the participant says what colour it’s, they need to place one among their token on that colour/quantity on the central board. In order that colour/quantity combo can’t be acknowledged the remainder of the spherical (since somebody already performed that). Additionally, for those who select to not play a card with the colour that led out, then you need to point out in your private board that you simply don’t have any playing cards within the led colour. Thus, little by little, you’ll be limiting what you might be able to play in future methods.
Very enjoyable recreation and I’m glad I now have a duplicate to play with my household.
Santo Domingo
It’s been a number of years since I final performed Santo Domingo. However it’s a enjoyable simultaneous choice recreation for as much as 6 gamers. So in fascinated with shorter video games that may be performed with many individuals, I assumed it might be an amazing one to have available at SaltCon. And positive sufficient, we have been in a position to play it on Friday.
Every participant has the identical 8 playing cards and every spherical should choose one to play. As soon as everybody reveals their card, the actions are taken in ascending order. Relying on what different gamers select, you could be sitting fairly or cursing your alternative. So in a way, the sport is basically about guessing what others are going to play after which being opportunistic. Enjoyable recreation.
(And since I lived within the Dominican Republic for 2 years, with a lot of that in Santo Domingo, I may additionally be a bit biased.)
HMS Dolores
One other recreation I took with me was a recreation I acquired in commerce at SaltCon 4 years in the past however haven’t performed but – HMS Dolores. It’s taunted me on my unplayed video games shelf for therefore lengthy that I simply needed to take it and play it. And I’m completely satisfied to report that I’ve now lastly performed the sport!
It’s a pirate-themed, prisoner’s dilemma card recreation the place gamers face off over 4 playing cards every spherical. Gamers should concurrently select from 3 choices in methods to cut up them: Peace (I need the two in entrance of me), Battle (I need all 4 playing cards), or First choose (I need only one card, I choose first). Earlier than selecting, the gamers can focus on the choices and what they intend to do. The trick is attempting to guess what they different participant will really do. Relying on the end result, the playing cards are claimed and now you understand how a lot you may belief the opposite participant. Or are you able to?
It’s an fascinating recreation, however one I’ll solely play with sure teams. For instance, mother doesn’t like bluffing video games and can by no means play this one.
Challengers!
One other recreation on the Sizzling Video games tables that I used to be curious to play was Challengers!. It’s a quick-playing card recreation battle between two gamers the place a lot of the enjoyable is in constructing your deck. You possibly can really play as much as 8 gamers over a collection of rounds the place completely different gamers face off towards one another, main as much as a 2-player face off between the 2 gamers with probably the most factors.
After every battle, gamers draw extra playing cards and select which of them to maintain of their deck for his or her subsequent battle. If you may get some good energy combos, you’ll do higher.
Nonetheless, though it’s getting quite a lot of buzz, I used to be disillusioned within the recreation play. It’s primarily a recreation of warfare the place you merely draw the following random card from the highest of your deck and see the way it does towards your opponent. The one selections within the recreation are through which playing cards you add to your deck between rounds. Aside from that, it comes right down to pure luck as to what’s subsequent on the highest of your deck to attract and play. Not for me.
Disney Villainous
For our final recreation Friday night time, it appeared like a good suggestion to play a recreation that we already knew the foundations so our brains didn’t explode with studying one other new recreation. So we pulled out Disney Villainous.
I nonetheless love the theme and concepts of Disney Villainous. Every participant is a distinct villain attempting to realize their private targets and have their very own decks of playing cards tied to their story. The best way you thwart your opponents is by enjoying playing cards from their Destiny decks on them. These are playing cards like Heroes that combat again. For instance, I used to be Prince John and my aim was to have 20 gold at first of my flip. Different gamers might play hero playing cards on me like King Richard (which stops me from enjoying Results playing cards) or Robin Hood (that decreases the gold I accumulate).
It was really the quickest recreation of Disney Villainous I’ve performed at simply 35 minutes. Malificent was the victor this time.
The Seek for Planet X
With a contemporary mind, we began off Saturday morning video games with a really enjoyable deduction recreation – The Seek for Planet X. It’s a board recreation supported by an app that works rather well collectively. Every recreation, the companion app randomly selects an association of objects and a location for Planet X following predefined logic guidelines. Gamers will every be given distinctive beginning info.
On their flip, gamers select completely different actions that permit them to find bits of knowledge alongside the best way to assist deduce the place the completely different objects (comets, asteroids, gasoline clouds, dwarf planet, and planet X) are discovered. The completely different actions (corresponding to surveys, targets, and analysis) additionally take a distinct period of time. After taking their motion, the participant strikes their pawn forward that many time areas. The participant whose pawn is within the rear takes the following flip. So it’s potential for gamers to take a few turns earlier than it will get again to a participant that took an motion that’s info wealthy, however price extra time.
I actually loved the stability of figuring out what actions to take and when to get the perfect benefit. It’s a recreation of considering somewhat than speaking as every participant stays very centered on what info they’ve and what they will deduce.
I’m so completely satisfied that is one other recreation I acquired in commerce as a result of I’ll get to get pleasure from enjoying it many times.
Ishtar: Gardens of Babylon
One other recreation I acquired in a earlier SaltCon commerce, however hadn’t but performed, was subsequent to hit the desk – Ishtar: Gardens of Babylon. It was a part of the Sizzling Video games tables the 12 months I acquired the sport, however has since simply sat on my “to play” shelf. Gamers are gardeners working to remodel the desert into the Misplaced Hanging Gardens of Babylon by planting flowers and timber and accumulating gems to buy upgrades to their powers. However issues can solely develop in the event that they’re getting water from the beginning fountains.
Considered one of issues I favored concerning the tile-laying facet of the sport is the form of the tiles. They aren’t your typical squares or tetrominoes of straight strains. It makes for a fun-looking board as you construct it out and plant timber. I loved enjoying the sport however want it might have lasted a bit longer to let me improve extra of the powers on my board earlier than ending.
Starship Captains
The final board recreation I performed this 12 months was Starship Captains. Because the title implies, gamers are area captains directing their crew to grow to be the perfect captain within the galaxy. It has a very fascinating approach of utilizing the crew to carry out completely different actions as a result of they’re all color-based. For instance, the blue ensign can solely carry out blue actions. However the order you might have them carry out duties will decide after they subsequent come up within the queue.
There are many issues to think about all through the sport like the place to fly your ship to achieve the advantages, combating area pirates, repairing harm, selling crew, or which upgrades you need to make to your ship alongside the best way. It was a enjoyable recreation to play, but it surely lasted longer than I had anticipated so I used to be getting a bit antsy by the top.
Artemis
One exercise a few my pals and I did beside enjoying board video games was have a go on the Artemis Spaceship Bridge Simulator. These pals are large Star Trek followers and after passing the Artemis room a number of occasions, have been tremendous all in favour of experiencing it.
Since a lot of the spots for Artemis are booked prematurely, we needed to go stand-by – which meant we’d drop by at first of every hour to see if individuals hadn’t proven up for his or her scheduled time. We acquired fortunate on one among these drop-bys to search out 3 open areas which we jumped in on. One took the Helm, the opposite Weapons, and I acquired Communications.
Then the operators ship you off onto your mission and beneath the course of our assigned captain we needed to tackle enemy fighters, handle our sources, and assist area bases.
I used to be impressed on the cool arrange and ambiance of the entire thing. It’s fairly an enterprise. I give a giant kudos to the crew that units this up and runs it yearly.
Till subsequent 12 months
Sadly, each good factor has to return to an finish. And on account of a snow storm that whipped up Saturday afternoon, I left sooner than I had deliberate as a result of I didn’t need to get caught with my lengthy drive dwelling in a each snow storm and at nighttime.
However, I left with a smile on my face and nice recollections of enjoyable with pals.
I used to be particularly completely satisfied to have performed a lot of the video games that I’d simply picked up in commerce. That approach, they gained’t get caught accumulating mud at dwelling with out being performed like has occurred to video games from trades of years previous. Since I’ve now realized the foundations and performed them not less than as soon as, they’re more likely to get performed at future recreation nights at dwelling.
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