Game Profile: Kairo

Become the richest and largest bazaar merchant in Cairo.


Mechanics Tile Placement, Hand Management
Theme Cairo Bazaars
Publication Queen Games, 2012
Ages 8+
Time 45      
Players 2 – 4
Description

Kairo is another game from Queen Games with colorful
tiles and multiple colors of money.  In
addition this game brings six customers into play each a different color.  Each player starts the game with three different
market stalls (out of a possible six) placed in the market area.  Throughout the game players will place additional
stalls and expand their existing stalls at a cost, of course. Points are gained
by increasing the size of your stalls.  In
order to pay the cost of placing more market stalls you must earn money by luring
customers to your stalls.  Market stalls,
money and customers all come in six different colors.  The key to success will be to lure the right
color customer to the right color stall.

An interesting twist in
the game is that only five of the six customers are available in the market at
a given time.  When a customer (say red) reaches
a market stall that customer (red) is replaced by the customer (say white) currently
absent from the market.  Therein lays the
challenge, luring the color of customer you need to your market stall of the
respective color.  The color of money is
important because it is most cost effective to use the same color money as the
color of the market tile being placed than to spend different color money.

Not only do players score
for adding to their respective stalls but bonus points are earned for building
the largest stall of a particular color. Space in the market is limited so grab
the best sites early, lure as many customers and expand wisely to gain the most
victory points and victory.  This is a
game that is very tactical and has more going on that it originally appears.

We have an open copy of Kairo available in our Store Demo Games Library for you come in and try.



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Continue to check in for the latest in board games.
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Come and visit us at 30 NW 2nd Street in Historic Downtown Gresham. We have a full range of family games, strategy games, Euro-style games, war games, card games, dice games and more. Also for the puzzle enthusiasts we carry quality puzzles from Ravensburger, White Mountain, and Cobble Hill.

We proudly serve Gresham and the greater Portland and Vancouver area.

Game Profile: Trollhalla

Name Trollhalla
Byline Trolls Sail the Seas in Search of Islands Filled With Pillage and
Plunder
Mechanics Point-to-Point Movement, Set Collection
Theme Plundering Trolls
Publication Z-Man Games, 2012
Ages 8+
Time 45 – 75
Players 2 – 4
Description
Trollhalla is one of those games that looks deceptively
simple.  There are three ships sailing to
seven islands on the game board.  On
their turn, players will place their trolls on ships and roll a die to move to
another island to capture the plunder on that island.  The six different types of plunder include; crunchy
goats and cows, panicked princesses, terrified monks, noblemen, and peasants
with pigs, piles of gold, and casks of grog. 
Points are awarded for the plunder each player captures.  Bonus points are awarded for having the most
of one type of plunder and having one of each type of plunder.  Cleverly designed, plunder with low points
per each have high points when collected as the largest set of that type.  The infamous goat plunder offers no points
per each, but has the largest point value for the largest set of its type. And,
the goats go crazy on board your boat and kicks off one of your other plunder
tiles.  Just to make things more
interesting there are spaces between the islands where players can place trolls
to influence the direction a ship will sail. 
These spaces also yield weather cards. 
These cards can be used to place an extra troll, scatter trolls from
routes and even turn a ship upside down to get your trolls in the right spot to
grab the right plunder.  When there is
not enough plunder to refill an island the game ends with the evilest
plundering troll who gained the most points wins.

For more insight into Trollhalla watch this video from Z-Man Games:

Table Top Episode 10 Features: Say Anything

It’s time for another episode in the Table Top series hosted by Star Trek’s, Wil Wheaton on Felicia Day’s You Tube Channel, Geek and Sundry.

Say Anything
Northstar Games

Join in with Wil and his guests Jonah Ray (comedian & co-host of The Nerdiest Podcast), Josh Cagan (writer-Undergrads, Bandslam), and Matt Mira (co-host of The Nerdiest Podcast & Attack of the Show) as they tell each other what they really think or will lead you to believe in this light-hearted game of Say Anything.


 





Continue to tune in for more Table Top Episodes

Come in and see our fabulous selection of strategy games, Euro-style games, war games, family games, card games, dice games. We carry Chess set, Backgammon, Cribbage, and Go sets as well. Also for the puzzle enthusiasts we carry quality puzzles from Ravensburger, TDC, and White Mountain.
We proudly serve Gresham and the greater Portland and Vancouver area.

Game Arrivals: Week of Aug. 5th – 11th

Included in this week’s arrivals are:


Cthulhu 500
Atlas Games


Cthulhu 500 is a card game that has you take the wheel in a frenzied race that mixes the madness of H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu with the madness of motor sports.














Fiasco
Bully Pulpit Games

This is a story-telling, role playing “Fiasco” of a game designed to be played in a few hours with  6-sided dice and no preparation.  You are ordinary people with powerful ambitions, big dreams, and poor impulse control playing out ridiculous and disasterous situations.


Fiasco was featured on Felicia Day’s YouTube Series, Table Top hosted by Wil Wheaton of Star Trek fame.

If you haven’t seen the 2 Episodes you can link to them below: 
      Table Top Episode 8 Part I
      Table Top Episode 8 Part II










Kairo
Queen Games

Each player in Kairo starts with 3 small market stalls on the game board.  Market stall come in 6 different colors, and will be used to lure customers throughout the game.  When a player moves a customer to their stall they earn money.  The larger the stall the more money they make.  Players use money to expand their market stalls, and this expansion will earn victory points.  Players who complete the largest stalls will earn bonus victory points.  Space in the market is limited so grab the best sites early, lure as many customers and expand wisely to gain the most victory points and victory.








Last Night On Earth:
The Zombie Game
Flying Frog Productions

Last Night on Earth, The Zombie Game “is a fast-paced game of brain-eating Zombies, small town Heroes, and horror movie action.  Players take on the role of either the Heroes or Zombies.  Only by working together can the Heroes hope to fend off the hordes of Zombies and find some way to stop them or escape.
   With a cast of horror movie archetype Heroes and hordes of blood-thirsty Zombies, each Scenario is designed to play out like the plot of a movie…
   So put down that popcorn, grab your shotgun, and hide your brain; the Zombies are coming and this could be your Last Night on Earth.”










Now back in print and arriving this week is the Dungeon and Dragons Red Box Starter Set.




Continue to tune in for the latest in board games.

Come in and see our fabulous selection of strategy games, Euro-style games, war games, family games, card games, dice games.  We carry Chess set, Backgammon, Cribbage, and Go sets as well.  Also for the puzzle enthusiasts we carry quality puzzles from Ravensburger, TDC, and White Mountain.
We proudly serve Gresham and the greater Portland and Vancouver area.

Game Events: Week of Aug. 5th – 11th

Come and join in on the fun with Game Night. It’s a great way to meet other game enthusiasts. Here is this week’s schedule:



Date: Weds. Aug. 8th
Time: 6 pm
Place: Off The Charts Games Store

Wednesday’s Featured Games
To learn more about each featured board game click on the game name below it’s picture.


Power Grid:The First Sparks
Rio Grande Game

                                                    ~and~

Power Grid:The First Sparks
Rio Grande Game
Kairo
Queen Games

Kairo


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Date: Fri. Aug. 10th
Please note we will be closing the store at 6 pm Friday night. Therefore, there will not be a game event tonight.
Come Play ~ ~ ~ It’s Free ~ ~ ~ It’s Fun!


2012 U.S. Chess Open Championship Begins Today in Vancouver

Previously this year the Vancouver Columbian proudly announced that this year’s  U.S. Chess Open Championship was going to be held locally at the Hilton-Vancouver.  Below is a small excerpt from that article:

“Vancouver, WA — Brainiacs are planning an invasion of Vancouver.
About 500 chess players will head to the city on August 4-12, 2012, for The United States Chess Federation’s 113th U.S. Open.


The event will be held at the Hilton Vancouver Washington hotel at 301 W. 6th St.
It’s a big deal, both locally, and throughout the region, said Gary Dorfner, secretary of the Washington State Chess Federation and tournament director of the Tacoma Chess Club.”

SRC: The Columbian

This prestigious Chess event has now arrived and begins today.  An estimated 100 of the 400+ pre-registered players are from Oregon including at least one of our own Gresham residents, Geoff Kenway.  Geoff is a formidable player at our strategy board game events.  We wish him well during the tournament.

 At Off The Charts Games, we carry several styles of chess sets. Please come in and see our selection at our store!

Game Goes “Off The Charts”: Redneck Life

Redneck Life went “redneckin” in Spokane!  Sunday evening we made a quick trip to Spokane, Washington to celebrate Ron’s Mom’s birthday.  While there we found time and a cool place outside for a game of Redneck Life with family before the birthday festivities.

Sharon and Larry join us in this hilarious game.  Above, Sharon draws a “Go Redneckin” card that read “Spud cannon misfires at county fair. Lose a tooth.” Below, I think Larry’s going to choose the Honey Bucket Bungalow.


Redneck Life
Gut Bustin Games

To learn more about Redneck Life click here Redneck Life Gut Bustin Games where you can read our Game Profile.

Continue to tune in for more games that go “Off The Charts”

At Off The Charts Games, we have a fabulous selection of family games, strategy games, Euro-style games, war games, card games, dice games and more. Also for the puzzle enthusiasts we carry quality puzzles from Ravensburger, TDC, and White Mountain.

Game Events: Week of Jul 29th – Aug 4th

Come and join in on the fun with Game Night. It’s a great way to meet other game enthusiasts. Here is this week’s schedule:



Date: Fri. Aug. 3rd
Time: 6 pm
Place: Off The Charts Games Store

Friday’s Featured Games
To learn more about each featured board game click on the game name below it’s picture.

Macao
Rio Grande Games
Patrician
Mayfair Games
No Experience Necessary.  While you are here we are happy to teach you the rules and you started.
Come Play ~ ~ ~ It’s Free ~ ~ ~ It’s Fun!

On The Radar Screen: These 3 Games From Gryphon Games

In our on-going research of what games are on the horizon, here’s a peek at what’s coming this Fall from Gryphon/Eagle Games:
Pirate Dice:
Voyage on the Rolling Seas

“Pirate Dice is a light but strategic dice game where players compete to be the first to find the sunken treasure in Pirates Cove.  Will glory and fame by yours, or will you and your friends end up at the bottom of the sea? Players roll and place customized command dice to pilot their ships around the sea.  Commands allow ships to move, turn, fire cannons, and even interfere directly with their opponents.”

Defenders of the Realm:
Battlefields

“Defenders Battlefields is a
competitive fantasy battle game for 2 to 4 players. In the game, one side takes
the role of the Dark Lord’s invading army and minions while the other side
represents the heroes and forces defending the Realm. The battles are fast and
furious as players place minions and heroes onto the battlefields and attack
their opponents using a variety of abilities and special skills. The winner is
the first side that is victorious on the agreed-upon number of battlefields.”

 ~And~

Fleet

“Fleet is a strategic card based game featuring a unique commercial fishing theme.  Fleet uses both existing and new mechanics to create an exciting playing experience.In the northwest corner of Nunavut, Canada, a formerly inaccessible bay off of the Arctic Ocean has become reachable through a secret inlet. Untouched by the hands of time and fed by both the ocean and warm fresh water springs, Ridback Bay is teeming with sea life. A remote, timeless bayside village is now being inundated by entrepreneurs awaiting the influx of the world’s greatest fisherman to harvest this plentiful bounty. The docks and warehouses are being revitalized and now it is time to begin the real adventure. Go build your fleet and become the master of the seas!”

Continue to tune in for the latest in board games.

At Off The Charts Games, we have a fabulous selection of family games, strategy games, Euro-style games, war games, card games, dice games and more. Also for the puzzle enthusiasts we carry quality puzzles from Ravensburger, TDC, and White Mountain.
We proudly serve Gresham and the greater Portland and Vancouver area.

Table Top Episode 9 Features: Fiasco Part 2

It’s time for another episode in the Table Top series hosted by Star Trek’s, Wil
Wheaton on Felicia Day’s You Tube Channel, Geek and Sundry.


Fiasco
Bully Pulpit Games



Alison Haislip (actress), Bonnie Burton (writer), John Rogers
(screen writer and game designer geek) join Wil Wheaton in Act 2 and the conclusion to this story-telling, role playing  “Fiasco” of a game. If you missed Act 1, you can watch on our July 13th posting.





Continue to tune in for more Table Top Episodes

At Off The Charts Games, we have a fabulous selection of family games, strategy games, Euro-style games, war games, card games, dice games and more. Also for the puzzle enthusiasts we carry quality puzzles from Ravensburger, TDC, and White Mountain.