Game Profile: Power Grid

A strategy game of planning with surges of energy.


Classification Economic Strategy Game
Mechanics Auction Bid, Network Building
Theme Utility Power Plants
Publication Rio Grande Games, 2004
Ages 12+
Time 120 – 150
Players 2 – 6
Description


Power Grid is an economic game for the strategist.  On a turn players will bid for power plants at auction followed by the buying of resources from the resource market, where the prices can vary by demand and by round.  Next players buy cities and link them to their existing cities by paying connection fees.  Revenue is generated by supplying power to the cities at the end of each round.  Player order is determined each round by the number of cities each player has.  The player with the least number of cities will go last during the auction phase and first during the resource and cities buying phases.  Going last in turn order is an advantage, however if you fall too far behind it is challenging to catch up.


Power Grid requires a good balance in spending money between acquiring power plants, purchasing necessary resources, and paying city placement costs.  Additionally, it requires deft management of turn order.




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



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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, Cobble Hill, and Dowdle.

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

Game Profile: Red November

A frantic game of survival on a gnomish submarine.



Mechanics Cooperative, Dice Rolling, Point-to-Point Move
Theme Sinking Submarine, Gnomes
Publication Fantasy Flight, 2008
Ages 12+
Time 60
Players 1 – 8
Description

Hard times have hit the experimental gnomish submarine Red November. Everything on the sub is going wrong at once. Fires are burning, the sub is leaking, and critical systems keep failing. Help is on the way, but the gnomish sailors must hold out until the rescuers arrive. A crew of slightly tipsy gnomes tries to save a badly damaged submarine. There are 3 disaster tracks. If any of them reach the end of the track the submarine is destroyed and the players lose. The gnomes are allowed to move around the sub on their turn to fix problems. They can use tools picked up along the way. Dice rolls are used to determine if the fix works or not. Players are confronted with fires, flooded rooms and blocked hatches. The element of time is also a problem. Each action takes minutes. If you run out of minutes you also lose the game. Player turns are not necessarily in order. Whoever is the farthest back on the time track goes next, even if they just had a turn. Gnomes have the option of exiting through an outer hatch to slay the draken when it comes into play or to enter the sub at a different hatch. There are many ways to lose a game of Red November, but only one way to win. Red November is a cooperative race against the clock.




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

Game Profile: Redneck Life

Do you say redneck like it’s a bad thing?

Mechanics Roll and Move
Publication Gut Bustin’ Games, 2003
Ages 13+
Time 60
Players 2 – 6
Description

Redneck Life is the 1st in a series of games by local game designer Lisa Steenson.

Redneck Life is a world where a roll of 2 dice determines the grade you complete in school, which sets you up for one of 11 fabulous careers, such as Mullet Salon Operator or Monster Truck Announcer! Journey through Blue Collar Americana using credit to buy vehicles, get married, purchase a home, get divorced, remarried, and raise a passel of young’ens. Through accidents and brawls, players lose teeth. Buy some back if you can…as the player with the most teeth at the end of the game wins!

Awards: Tgifcon Game Of The Year 2006

We have an open copy of Redneck Life and the expansion Bustin’ a Gut available in our Store Demo
Games Library for you come in and try.



Available Expansions:

Bustin’ a Gut!
 Add to the fun and laughter with
more Rigs & Homes, more Go
Redneckin’ cards, and a whole
new set of charts and names!

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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.

Game Profile: Smallworld

The world really is not big enough for dwarfs, ghouls, humans, and skeletons!

Mechanics Variable Powers, Area Control


Theme Fantasy

Publication Days of Wonder, 2009
Ages 8+
Time 80
Players 2 – 5
Description

Smallworld features a world with 14
different races of creatures and 20 different power badges. They are mixed and
matched randomly before each game. Players select a race and power badge
combination from six available. Players then occupy terrain sections of the board
by occupying vacant sections or overpowering races in the sections. After a
couple of rounds players can put their race in decline and set themselves up to
select a new race and power badge combination to re-enter the fray. Points are
awarded for occupying terrain sections and for any bonus points granted by the
race or power badge they have in play. Players will have the opportunity to use
several race and power badge combinations during a single game.

Interestingly, Smallworld includes 2 double-sided boards. Each side of a board corresponds to the number of players – 2, 3, 4, or 5.


Awards: Games 100 – 2010 Traditional Game of the Year








We have an open copy of Small World 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.
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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, Cobble Hill, and Dowdle

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


Game Profile: The Stars Are Right

The world is doomed and you can help!


Mechanics Hand Management and Pattern Recognition
Theme Night Sky
Publication Steve Jackson Games, 2008
Ages 13+
Time 60
Players 2 – 4
Description
In The Stars Are Right,
you take the role of a cultist, summoning the creatures of horror from beyond time
and space as created by the fiction writer H.P. Lovecraft.  The object of the game is to be the first to accumulate 10 victory points worth of summoned creatures.


The sky is made up of a 5 x 5 grid of 25 double-sided tiles depicting various types of stars. Players will start with a hand of creature cards from which they will choose their actions. The cards range in point value with Minions at 0, Lessor Servitors at 1, Greater Servitors are 2, and Great Old Ones at 4.   The actions that may be performed by playing creature cards are to rearrange the tiles in the sky, to summon creatures, and to modify card symbols.  Invoking a creature lets you rearrange the star tiles in the sky through a series of flips, pushes, and swaps with the objective to line up the right stars in the right pattern that will allow you to summon a creature from your hand.  Summoned creatures can bring both victory points and additional powers to change the sky.

The key is to build your horde of Servitors so you can make a chain of flips, pushes and swaps,
rearranging the entire sky. Make the stars right, summon Great Old Ones, and
win.  The Stars Are Right really challenges your spatial abilities.







We have an open copy of The Stars Are Right 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.

Game Profile: Stone Age

A worker-placing, dice-rolling, don’t forget to feed the workers game in a stone age setting.




Mechanics Worker Placement, Dice Rolling, Set Collection
Theme Prehistoric
Publication Z-Man Games, 2008
Ages 10+
Time 60
Players 2 – 4
Description
Stone Age is a great
worker placement game for those who have not played worker placement games.
There is a balance between the strategy of placing the workers and the luck of
the dice rolls. Workers can be placed on a resource determines the number of
dice a player rolls. The roll of the dice determines the number of resources
gained. Feeding the workers is necessary after each turn. Food can be gained by
either direct worker placement or gambling on the roll of the dice. Points can
be rolled up during the game by buying buildings. The big scores come at the
end of the game when various characters from the civilization cards are matched
up with objects collected during the game. The number of builders is multiplied
by the number of buildings, shaman are multiplied by the number of workers,
etc.







We have an open copy of Stone Age 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.

Game Profile: Pax

Name Pax
Byline A Game of Intrigue During The Ascendancy of Ancient Rome. 

Mechanics Card Drafting, Hand Management, Set Collection
Theme Ancient Rome
Publication Iron Games, 2011
Ages 10+
Time 30
Players 1 – 4
Description

In Pax players are the
enemies of Rome.  Their goal is to gain
more power than Rome in as many of seven categories as possible.  The seven categories of influence cards are:
Land, Intrigue, Religion, Senator, Wealth, Fleet, and Army.  Each category yields either abilities or
points for accumulating them. 
Additionally, Rome will be accumulating cards in all categories.

The game starts with Rome
receiving three influence cards face-down. 
An influence card will then be placed face-up in front of each of the legions
located in the center of the table. The number of legions is represented by one
more than the number of players. Each player starts with five aurei coins and one
influence card.  On a player’s turn they
will draw 3 cards: one must go into their hand, one must be placed at one of
the legions, and one must be returned to the bottom of the draw deck.  Things get interesting with the drawing of
cards because the player must decide what to do with card 1 before drawing card
2 and likewise, must place card 2 before drawing card 3.  After the draw phase the active player can
buy a set of cards from the legions and play cards from their hands on the
table in front of them.  Buying cards and
playing down cards both cost money.  The
player would then collect income from the bank based on the cards played to the
table in front of them.
Play continues around
the table until each player has taken one turn drawing cards and taking buy/play
actions.  At the end of each round the
most valuable set of cards remaining in front of the legions are given to
Rome.  Play continues in this manner
until the draw deck is exhausted at which time scoring takes place.  Players compare their scores against the
scores of Rome adding in the three face-down cards Rome received at the start
of the game.  If Rome wins or ties in
four of the seven categories the player with the most points in the Intrigue
category is declared the winner. If the players have a higher score than Rome
in at least four of the seven categories then the player with the highest score
wins.

Pax is a game where players
have to be aware of the other players strategy. One’s strategy may be try to
win with lots of Intrigue points while helping Rome to victory instead of
working to defeat Rome.   Pax
also plays well as a solitaire game. 


Game Profile: Quarriors!

The game of uber strategic hexahedron monster combat mayhem!

Mechanics Dice Rolling, Pool Building
Theme Fantasy
Publication WizKids, 2011
Ages 14+
Time 30
Players 2-4
Description

Quarriors! is a unique blend of strategy and chance featuring a revolutionary dice building game mechanic! It is a fast-paced game of hexahedron monster combat.

As a Quarrior – a mighty mystical warrior – only you have the power to capture dangerous quarry from the untamed wilds! But your rivals plot against you! They will send their own Creatures and Spells to destroy your Quarry before you can deliver them to Empress Quiana and claim your reward! Summon your Creatures and protect them from your foes and you will earn Glory for yourself.

In this game you must strategically balance your options each turn: Do you use your quiddity to summon creatures in the hopes of scoring glory or spend it all to capture more powerful quarry from the wilds?  Each players’ turn is divided into six phases completed in the following order:

  1. Score Creatures
  2. Draw and Roll Dice
  3. Ready Spells and Summon Creatures
  4. Attack your Rivals
  5. Capture One Quarry Die From the Wilds
  6. Move Dice to Your Used Pile
Out maneuver your opponents through strategic spell use, the acquisition of powerful quarry, and ultimately, by striking down opponents’ creatures to gain the most glory!



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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.

Game Profile: Qwirkle

Award winner: Mix, Match, Score and Win!


Mechanics Pattern Building Tile Placement
Theme Abstract
Publication Mineware, 2006
Ages 6+
Time 45
Players 2-4
Description

Qwirkle is a game of matching color and shapes. There are 108 wooden tiles with six shapes in six colors. Each tile is worth one point. Players score points by building rows and columns of tiles that share a common shape or color. As a tile is played it must  be played in a line and match, without duplicating, either the color or shape of the other tiles in the line.


Look for opportunities to score big by placing a tile that touches multiple pieces with matching attributes. Earn additional bonus for completing a line of 6 tiles – a Qwirkle.


Awards: Mensa Select, 2011 Spiel des Jahres (Game of the Year), Parents’ Choice Gold Award, and the Major fun! Award.

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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.

Recent News: Newly Released Games and on Our Shelves

Pergamon – Newly Released and an Easy-to-Learn Board Game.

In 1878, the Royal Museum of Berlin commissioned excavations in Pergamon – a site in present-day Turkey.  As archaeologists your goal is to get as much research funding as possible in order to finance excavations in Pergamon.  You unearth pieces of antique vases, jugs, bracelets, and golden masks.  Depending on the depth of your excavations, you can find remains from the first five centuries AC. By piecing together matching finds, you build collections that can be exhibited at the Pergamon Museum.  The player who exhibits the most valuable collections and gains the most recognition by the museum’s visitors wins the game.

Ascension Storm of Souls – Newly Released.  All-New Cards And Story For The Acclaimed Fantasy DeckBuilding Game.

After the defeat of the Fallen God, the factions of Vigil struggle for dominance while a new threat emerges.  The souls of those killed during the Great War seek vengeance upon the living.  Once again, the fate of the world depends on your ability to unite mighty heroes and wield powerful weapons against a common foe.
Playable as a stand-alone 1-4 player game or combine with other Ascension games to create even more wondrous possibilities with up to 6 players!

Pastiche – Newly Released and Mensa Select Winner.  Recreate the World’s Greatest Masterpieces

A world of beautiful colors comes alive as players complete commissions that picture some of the finest European and American art works from the past six centuries.  The word pastiche is used in the fields of literature and art to refer to something that is an imitation or recreation of an earlier work, often as a respectful homage or tribute to the original.  In this game, players are making pastiches by mixing colors and recreating some of the palette colors used to create the original paintings of the masters.  Explore the paintings, palettes and pasts of the artists in this unique and challenging game of the whole family.

The Lord Of The Rings Khazad-dum –  Expanding The Adventure

This expansion to The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game contains three new scenarios for players to compete against.  Searching for Balin and his fledgling Dwarven colony, the heroes of Middle-Earth must brave the dark and infested depths of Moria.  In addition to powerful encounter and quest cards, Khazad-dum includes two new Dwarf heroes.

At Off The Charts Games we are excited to have in these new-to-the-market games that nicely add to the collection of games that we have to offer.  Come see us at 30 NW 2nd St in Historic Downtown Gresham.