This Just In: Power Grid The First Sparks, and The Robots

New Power Grid Releases from Rio Grande Games:

Power Grid The First Sparks
from Rio Grande Games

Power Grid The First Sparks is a new stand alone game based in the stone age and packs the intense decision making from Power Grid.  Players expand their clan, hunt for food, and claim victory in only 60 minutes.

Power Grid The Robots Expansion
from Rio Grand Games

Power Grid: The Robots Expansion – for Power Grid fans here comes another opponent.  Each Robot consists of 5 randomly selected tiles.  These tiles will determine how that Robot will play in each of the 5 game phases.  Players can opt to use as many Robots as desired.





Don’t forget.  If you want a fabulous selection of family games, strategy games, Euro-style games, war games, card games, dice games, and puzzles in Gresham and the greater Portland and Vancouver area visit us at Off The Charts Games!  We are here to help you put fun back on your table.

Game Profile: Power Grid The First Sparks

The dawn of a new Power Grid era!
 
 
Mechanics Resource Management, Modular Board

Theme Prehistoric

Publication Rio Grande Games, 2011

Ages 13+
Time 60

Players 2 – 6
Description 
 

 Power Grid The First Sparks packs all the intense decision making from Power Grid without the auction mechanic. The goal of the game is to grow your clan to 13 members that you can feed. Not having enough food will lead to losing clan members.  Food comes in the form of crops, berries, fish, bears, and mammoths.  The right technology cards are necessary to harvest food from the various sources. Knowledge cards, like fire, will be useful as well.  There are 4 phases to each round: 1) buying new technology, 2) going hunting and feeding the clan, 3) spreading the clan across the modular board, and 4) bureaucracy.  Bureaucracy consists of refilling the food supplies and determining turn order.  Just like in Power Grid, turn order is critical.  If you’re in 1st place you choose which technology cards will be sold but are then last in turn order to purchase it.  Additionally, being in1st place means you go last in turn order at acquiring available food sources.

While Power Grid The First Sparks plays in less time that Power Grid, it still carries the same level of intensity.  Every decision is important.  The Power Grid game has light but is not lite.

 
We have an open copy of Power Grid The 1st Sparks available for you to come in and try out.

 
 
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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.

News Flash: War Of The Ring

The long awaited 2nd Edition of War of Ring for Lord of the Rings fans has been released.
War of the Ring: 2nd Edition
from Ares Games

From the publisher, Ares Games:

War of the Ring is the greatest board game based on THE LORD OF THE RINGS™ ever created! WAR OF THE RING is a grand strategy board game that allows its players to immerse themselves in the world created by J.R.R. Tolkien’s and experience its epic action, dramatic conflict, and memorable characters.

As the Free Peoples player you command the proud hosts of the most important kingdoms of the Third Age. From the horse-lords of Rohan to the soldiers of Gondor and the Elven lords of Rivendell, you lead the defense of the last free realms of Middle-earth. Face the evil minions of Sauron on the field of battle in a desperate attempt to delay their onslaught, while you lead the Fellowship of the Ring in the Quest for Mount Doom.
As the Shadow player you lead the hordes of the Dark Lord and his most powerful minions as they try to bring darkness to Middle-earth. Legions of Orcs, Trolls, Wolfriders and the dreadful Ringwraiths await your command. Hunt the Ring-bearer and bring the precious Ring to his Master, or crush your enemies with your unstoppable armies.
This is your chance to forge the destiny of an age…

Don’t forget.  If you want a fabulous selection of family games, strategy games, Euro-style games, war games, card games, dice games, and puzzles in Gresham and the greater Portland and Vancouver area visit us at Off The Charts Games!  We are here to help you  put fun back on your table.

Play Games: Patrician

Patrician
from Mayfair Games

Patrician is open and currently on one of the demo tables.  It is available to view and will be added to our game library for play.  So come in and try this easy to learn board game.

We played a four-person game last night and enjoyed building towers in the nine Italian cities.  Even though Yellow player thought they were losing throughout the game, Yellow ended up in 2nd place.

Come in and see us for Patrician and all of our other great games. We have lots to choose from and run the gamit from family games, strategy games, Euro-style games, war games, card games, dice games, and puzzles. Let us help you put fun back on your table.

This Just In: Tunnels, Redneck Life, and Family Fluxx

Small World Tunnels
 from Days of Wonder Games

It’s Finally Here! Days of Wonder has released Tunnels a mini expansion connecting SmallWorld to the Underground. Come in and get your Tunnels expansion  free with the purchase SmallWorld Underground.

Redneck Life
from Gut Bustin’ Games

Back by popular demand, Redneck Life will be in stock tomorrow.

Family Fluxx
from Looney Labs

Love Fluxx and it’s many themes?  Want to get kids hooked on this fun ever changing card game? Family Fluxx is easy enough for kids 6 and older and yet challenging enough for adults.  This is the perfect Fluxx game for maximum family fun.

Come in and see us for these and other great games. We have lots to choose from and run the gamit from family games, strategy games, Euro-style games, war games, card games, dice games, and puzzles. Let us help you put fun back on your table.

Game Profile: Forbidden Island

Adventure if you dare!



Mechanics Cooperative Play, Modular Board
Theme Island Adventure
Publication Gamewright, 2010
Ages 10+
Time 30
Players 2 – 4
Description
Forbidden Island is the perfect introduction
to cooperative games where teamwork is everything.  You will all play as a team trying to defeat
the perilous conditions of the game and win as a well-functioning team.  Two to four adventures select a character role
that will have a unique special ability. 
Players will take turns moving about the island shoring up flooded
sections and maneuvering into position to trade cards with their fellow
players.  The object of the game is to
capture the island’s 4 treasures that represent Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water
and then get all the adventurers to Fools’ Landing before the island sinks
away.  Players must move 4 cards
representing one of the treasures to a player who can get to one of the two
locations where that treasure can be captured. 
Once all four treasures have been captured all players will sprint to
Fools’ Landing and into a waiting helicopter for escape and a collective win.  Sounds easy enough? However, parts of the
island will flood after each players turn. 
When a Water Rise card is revealed the speed of flooding will increase.  If any segment of the island floods a second
time it sinks and is removed from the game. 
If the tile with Fools’ Landing sinks the players are lost without an
escape route. Sinking both island segments of a treasure
before it is captured results in a game lost. 
You must work together to keep key island segments intact, exchange
cards to claim all 4 treasures, and get back to Fools’ Landing with a
helicopter. Will your team be successful in capturing the island treasures and
making it out alive? 




AWARDS: Mensa Select – National
Competition Winner


We have an open copy of Forbidden Island is available in our Store Demo Library for you come in and try out.


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Continue to check in for the latest in board games.
~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~


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: Patrician

Towering glory – build the tallest towers in Italy.

Classification Light Strategy Game
Mechanics Set Collection, Area Control, Area Influence
Publication Mayfair Games,
2007
Ages 10+
Time 50
Players
2 – 5
Description

“Patrician Towers” is the name given to the tall tower-like houses built by influential men during the Middle Ages.  These magnificent buildings dominated the towns of Italy for centuries.  They were the physical representation of the power and prosperity of the Patrician families: the more influential the family, the taller the tower.

In Patrician players are master builders competing to build the tallest towers in the cities across Italy.  In the game there are building cards that depict a city’s crest and either a Patrician portrait or one of 2 special action symbols. On each turn players will play a building card from their hand face up in front of them.  The played card then allows the player to place their tower floor marker(s) in the city represented by the crest on the card and take to any special action that may be indicated on the card.  Round after round floors are added constructing 2 towers in each city.  When both towers in a city are complete, the players who have constructed the most floors in that city receives victory point tokens. Additionally, victory points are gained for every set of 3 matching Patrician portraits in each players played pile of building cards.  The builder with the most victory points is the victor.  The key in Patrician is in positioning yourself within the cities to be at the right place at the right time to gain the best victory points.
You can also watch this video for an overview of Patrician
We have an open copy of Patricain available in our Demo Games Library for you come in and try out.

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Continue to tune 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: Pergamon

First come first dig!

Mechanics Set Collection, Press Your Luck

Theme Archeology
Publication Gryphon, 2011
Ages 10+ 
Time 45
Players 2 – 4

Description

Pergamon casts players in the role of archaeologists searching for antique vases, jugs, bracelets and golden masks in five levels of excavation. The most valuable artifacts are in the deepest levels and are the most expensive to excavate.

The game consists of twelve rounds with four phases in each round. Scoring will take place at the conclusion rounds 5, 7, 9, 12 each. Each round begins with a dynamic press your luck selection of where to place your player figure along the research funding track. The space you choose will determine the amount of research money you receive, how deep in the excavation you can go, and where you will play in the turn order. You have to be able to pay for your excavation so you must choose tactically. Being able to go first to the excavation site will give you first crack at the artifacts but may not gain you enough research money to go to the deeper depths where the older and more valuable artifacts lie. Next players will excavate artifacts, piece together exhibits, and place completed exhibits (collections) in the Pergamon Museum. Additional victory points are awarded for each new exhibit placed in the Pergamon Museum.
At the end of the game special bonus points are awarded for having the oldest, second oldest, and third oldest artifact exhibited in the Pergamon Museum.
We
have an open copy of Pergamon available
in our Demo Games Library for you come in and try.



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Continue to
check in for the latest in board games.
~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~



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, Cobble
Hill, and Dowdle.

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

2012 Chess for FA Benefit Tournament

Benjamin is a teen with a cause …. to raise awareness and money for the Fanconia Anemia Research Fund in memory of his sister.  Participate in this 3rd annual K-12 benefit chess tournament being held at Corbett H.S. on February 18, 2012.   Have a great time while benefiting a worthwhile cause.

“I’m hosting a chess tournament to raise money for the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund. The tournament will be held in the Corbett High School Commons, on February 18, 2012.
In 2006, my sister, Nina Morrison, died of Fanconi anemia, a life-threatening genetic disease. The Fanconi Anemia Research Fund (FARF) works to find the cure for FA. All proceeds from the chess tournament and concession sales will go to FARF, so please donate and help save the lives of the hundreds of other kids around the world with FA. You can visit www.fanconi.org for more information about Fanconi anemia and FARF.”

You can learn more about the chess benefit tournament and Fanconi Anemia at ChessForFA.wordpress.com