Gaming with the Letter 'P'

Michael, Jeff, Jacqui and I gamed the letter 'P.' It just worked out that way. We opened with the first of the Alea mid-box games ... Palazzo. This is a Knizia auction game, but money enters the game easily. The trick is that, like Alhambra, you have to worry about currencies. You can only play one type of money during an auction. But, there are wilds (worth less than other money) and you can play one of each currency (a triplet) for 15, ignoring the value shown (which could be 9-21). Players spend the money buying (and auctioning) building sections. It's an intermediate range game. Our game took about 45 minutes, and Jeff won with a large brick building (with no marble or sandstone to degrade it). I like Palazzo, but it's good. Not great.

Next up, Carabande (aka Pitchar). Michael took the early lead, but then the cut of one jib sent him screaming off the track. (I'm not being figurative. The pieces don't fit together smoothly and those tiny bumps can send you flying). Jeff and I passed him, but Jeff got through the Chacon first, and crossed the finish line ... I did finish on the same turn.

Introductions out of the way, next up was Princes of Florence. Just to annoy everyone, we played on a german set. The closet giveth. The closet taketh away. Continuing another theme, Jeff won.

Tired of this, we demanded that Jeff go home and tender to Amy, so that one of us could win a game. The game -- Power Grid (Germany). The winner -- Michael. Thanks to everyone who attended.