I've been a retailer so I know how it is. You opened a game shop because you love games and now you are so busy running the shop you can't play as much as you'd like. The purpose of 'New In Shops' is to briefly cover the new releases that have arrived at the distributors in the last week or two. Release dates are often unpredictable, so I'll wait until the game is at the distributor and available before I discuss it. The first paragraph is the description of the publisher and my comments follow.
Shear Panic
MFG 4113 $30.00
In Shear Panic, players maneuver their ewes to score points, playing tag, standing close to Roger the Heartthrob Ram, or trying to avoid the shearing scissors! Will your brave sheep score the most points, or will it be 'Off with the wool' for ewe?
The sheep pieces are cute as can be. It looks like a kids' game and is marketed in a punny manner but this game is not as light as it looks. Still, having a copy on display where customers can see the cool sheep pieces can't hurt. I've played it numerous times and it is a very solid game.
RGG 295 $34.95
In the 16th century Jakob Fugger built an impressive trading empire centered in
This was released in
RGG 302 $69.95
This special, limited edition
This is well timed for the holiday season and if you do well with
Die Macher
PSI VLY001 $49.95
Valley Games
Lead your party to election victory in this new international edition of the political party game of money, politics, and power! In Die Macher, players earn victory points by winning regional elections, wielding control over the media, and building strong party unity in their bid for the national election in
This is a classic boardgame and one of the great games of all-time, say many. Why isn't it bigger than Settlers? It is themed around the German government and takes four hours to play. So if you have serious gamers who really want an excellent game they can dig their teeth into, you have an excellent game to recommend. But this is not for most stores other than as a special-order item.
Voltage
MAT G9153 $9.75 (net)/MSRP of $14.99
Get a charge out of the Voltage card game, a two-player strategy game where the value of a player's hand can change with the flick of a switch. Participants take turns playing cards on the game board's different 'power terminals.' When a terminal has a set of five cards, one player takes that set - decided by the current voltage of the terminal (voltage flips from '+' to '-' throughout the game). The first player to take four sets wins. Voltage comes with a game board and 56 cards (illustrated by renowned comic book artist John VanFleet), four plastic Terminal Tokens and two plastic score markers. For two players.
Desert Bazaar
MAT G9154 $17.55 (net)/MSRP of $26.99
Raise your tents, peddle your camels and take control of a vital desert trade route in the Desert Bazaar game. This exotic, desert-themed strategy game lets players compete as rival merchants racing to set up their shops. Each player scores points by building merchant tents that produce Water, Camels, Silk or Spice for trade. The player who scores the most points establishes dominance over the Bazaar and wins the game. The Desert Bazaar board game comes with a game board, beautifully illustrated Tent Tiles and Resource Cards, a multi-colored plastic tent, score markers, and three Resource Dice. For three to five players.
Mattel is getting into the Eurogame market with two games by Brian Yu. I haven't played Voltage but Desert Bazaar is a good game that I could recommend to gamers and families. The problem is that if retailers take a standard mark-up from the net price these games should list for $19 and $35, which is too much for a card game and a small box board game. I think the move by Mattel is an interesting one but the price structure may doom this experiment from the start.
Iliad
Asmodee Editions
ASM IL01US $21.99
The Trojans abducted Helen, and the Achaean princes took advantage of the opportunity to lay siege to this proud city. But war during ancient times has its own set of rules. In Iliad, players, representing Greek princes, construct powerful armies from hoplites, archers, elephants, and various siege engines, including the famous Trojan horse, to lead them to battle and glory!
This is a clever card game has been very well received by both card players and war game fans. The novel card play and ability to play with partners should appeal to CCG players. I can see Anachronism fans really going for this game. For many shops Iliad is a novel game that is worth trying.
That's it for now. There are a number of
