The Epic Game Day

Saturday, at 9:00am, six of us started what was to be the longest game day we'd ever experienced. Only 4 of us would finish, and only 3 games were played, but by the time we wrapped up and I went to sleep at 3:30am the next morning, I felt as if I'd accomplished something.

The first game we tackled was Railroad Tycoon. Players (in seat order) were John, Rachel, Dan, Josh, Tim, and myself. Only Tim and I had ever played before, and that had been an abbreviated two-player game almost two years ago – so rules explanation occurred first. There were several questions from various people, but I think we were underway by 9:45am. Tim jumped out to an early lead, snagging some quick points with Operations cards. It proved to be a valuable lead as the game wore on. The over sized board quickly filled with track, and brightly colored engines as players vied for the most productive routes. Unfortunately, only one person ever came close to overtaking Tim. Josh completed a string of actions that launched him ahead of the rest of the pack, and to just below Tim's position. At one point I think Josh was actually ahead for a turn, but Tim finished out the round back on top.

After the 18^th city was emptied, we finished the turn, and computed the bonuses and found the winner was indeed Tim. Final positions were:

1st: Tim
2nd: Josh
3rd: John
4th: Dan & Justin (Me)
6th: Rachel

Tim and Josh were not far from each other at all, but there was quite a gap between 2^nd and 3rd. The rest of us were all within a few points of each other.

Start time: 9:45am
End time: 1:15pm
Total play time: 3.5 hours

After a break for lunch, Rachel left so we pulled out the five-player big gun, Die Macher. None of us had ever played before, and only two of us were excited about playing a “five hour game about German politics,” but nevertheless we got it on the table.

We took a while getting through the rules, even though I'd read through them several times in preparation. We finally started playing in earnest around 4:00pm.

We had decided early on to play an abbreviated version of the game, aiming to complete just 4 elections instead of the standard 7. After the first state was completed, we all started to “get it” and things began to move a little faster. We really should have played a 5 state game, instead of 4, but it worked out fine as a learning game. Tim and I formed a coalition and handily took the first state. I thought my early lead in the standings would help propel me to the win, but it was not to be. The remainder of the elections did not go my way, and I was forced out of the lead. I did manage at least a few seats in every election, which is more than can be said for some of my opponents.

With crafty placement of issues on the National board, Tim was able to secure his second victory of the day.

Final standings:
1st: Tim
2^nd: Justin
3rd: Josh
4th: Dan
5th: John

Start time: 4:00pm
End time: 7:30pm
Total play time: 3.5 hours

After a dinner break, in which camp-fire cooked hamburgers, hot dogs, and s'mores were enjoyed (or at least eaten) by everyone, we sat down for our final game of the night, Descent: Journeys in the Dark.

As this was another first for us, and I was the only person familiar with the rules, I took on the role of Overlord against Tim, John, Dan, and Josh. I set up the 'Into the Dark' map and began explaining the rules. The heroes took their first steps into the dungeon around 9:30pm.

It was slow going, with many rules clarifications and verifications taking place between and during turns. At 1:00am John took off and the group collectively managed his character for the rest of the night. It ended as a victory for the heroes at around 2:30am.

I made at least one grievous mistake in the early stages of the game, handing out gold treasure when I should have handed out copper treasure. Some of the resulting items were ridiculously over powered and pretty much allowed the heroes to walk through the dungeon unscathed. I did manage one hero kill though, which I'm considering a moral victory.

Winners: Tim, Dan, Josh, and John
Loser: Me

Start time: 9:30pm
End time: 2:30am
Total play time: 5 hours (This seems ridiculous, but I think now that we sort of know what we're doing, we could play this again in a much smaller time frame.)

All said and done, 18.5 hours spent with friends. 12 solid hours of gaming. 3 New games. 1 memorable day, that will not soon be repeated.

Thanks to all for coming! Special thanks to Rachel for being perhaps the most patient person I've ever known. Extra special thanks to Diane for letting all this happen at our house. Extra, extra special thanks to Tim for letting his “Going Away” party be a Game Extravaganza. We'll miss you, buddy. (Seriously, is there an online version of Die Macher?)