Board game round-up: quick and breezy edition

Weekly board game nights at my local game shop have greatly expanded my repertoire of light and breezy tabletop games. With a library of hundreds of games both light and heavy, our local game shop offers me and my significant other the opportunity to try out many different games before we buy them…or not. Over the past several months we’ve had hits and misses in our picks. Some games we’ve gone back to week after week. Others are tried and discarded after a round or two. In the coming weeks I’ll present the games we’ve been playing (in no particular order). Some we play only once, while others return to the table week after week. Here are some of the single-deck card games that have graced the table over the past few weeks.

Elevenses

Possible Players: 2-4

Best With: 3

Expansions/sequels? No expansions, there’s a single-player sequel Elevenses for One

Games you could play in a row before moving on to something else? 4

Would we play it again? I’d give this another shot.

Of the two genteel card games in this review (Marrying Mr. Darcy being the other), I prefer Elevenses. The object of the game is to collect the most sugar cubes (points) by setting up the perfect tea-tray. Fake British accents are encouraged, and there’s a set of challenge cards included in the main set to level up the difficulty. The game has fantastic artwork and people familiar with Love Letter or similar games where you pass cards off to your opponent will enjoy this game.

Biblios

Possible Players: 2-4

Best With: 3

Expansions/sequels? No expansions, there is a dice version if you want an even quicker game.

Games you could play in a row before moving on to something else? 1

Would we play it again? No.

Of all the games we’ve played so far during our weekly game nights, Biblios was the first one I actively disliked. Usually if I’m not into a game it’s because of the mechanics or the theme isn’t right for me. Biblios; however, feels weak. The theme seems solid: players are monks trying to curate the world’s best library. But the gameplay doesn’t match the theme very well. There’s almost no player interaction, which means that even during a two-player game you’re left sitting around with nothing to do when it isn’t your turn. Don’t get me wrong; I’m a fan of simple card games. But Biblios is almost too simple for me, and it won’t return to the table anytime soon. 

Marrying Mr. Darcy

Possible Players: 2-6

Best With: 3-5

Expansions/sequels? Two: the Emma expansion and the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies-esque Undead expansion

Games you could play in a row before moving on to something else? 3

Would we play it again? Sure.

I said earlier that I preferred Elevenses to this game, which is true. That isn’t to say there’s not fun to be had with Marrying Mr. Darcy. The object of the game is to win the most points by marrying the best suitor. To do this your character must be charming, witty, eloquent and poised. Players choose one of the ladies from Pride and Prejudice (each of whom has their own special attributes) and vies for the affections of the menfolk. Bad British accents are encouraged in this game too, and there’s an undead expansion for those who want a little violence with their romance. Marrying Mr. Darcy is a fun single-deck card game and the games are quick enough to be had between other bigger games.