Game Profile: Forbidden Desert

Gear up for a thrilling
adventure to recover a legendary flying machine.

Classification Cooperative Game
Mechanics Modular Board, Action Point Allowance
Publication Gamewright, 2016
Ages 10+
Time 45
Players 2 – 5
Description
Forbidden Desert sends players in search of a buried flying machine that they
must find and rebuild to survive.  There are
3 different ways to lose this cooperative game and only 1 way to win.  In order to win players must locate and dig
out of the sand 4 machine parts.  They
must grab al 4 parts and get to the flying machine with them to escape and
win.  The desert will conquer the team of
adventurers if any 1 team member runs out of water, or the sand storm meter
rises above 6, or there are not enough sand markers to cover the areas buried
in the latest storm.  It looks like there
will be plenty of sand markers, but players will quickly learn there may not
enough.
The game begins with
each player getting a character card with its own special ability.  The roles are:  archeologist, climber, explorer, meteorologist,
navigator, and water carrier.  The board
consists of desert tiles randomly set in a 5.5 grid with the center spot vacant
representing the storm.  Eight sand tiles
are placed in a diamond pattern on the desert tiles.  In turn players can take 4 actions each.  They can move, clear sand off a tile, excavate
a tile in hopes of finding water, a helpful tool, the last flying machine in
hopes of finding water, a helpful tool, the lost flying machine or a clue to
where 1 off the 4 parts are buried.  They
can also pick up a part once it is located and it isn’t covered in sand.
After each player’s turn they will draw a
number of cards from the deck of storm cards. 
The storm deck will cause the storm to move desert tiles, and place a
sand marker on any tile that moves. 
There are also “Sun Beats Down” cards that when drawn cause all players
to use some of their water that is in short supply.  In addition there are “Storm Picks Up” cards
that increase the intensity on the storm meter.
The intensity of this game picks up quickly.  It only takes a couple of turns to realize
how precious the water supply is.  Over
time it will be clear the sand tokens can run out or the storm meter can reach
the top before the team can get everything done they need to get done.  Teamwork is essential to keep everyone
supplied with water while the search carries on across this 
Forbidden Desert.  This search can be impeded if a
player gets 2 or more sand markers on the same desert tile they are on.
  Then they spend their turn digging out before
they can continue their search.
Industry Awards: Mensa Select Award


We have an open copy of Forbidden Desert  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, and Cobble Hill.

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



Game Events: Week of Oct. 9th – 15th

Not only do we sell board games, we also provide tables and a library full of open board games, card games, and dice games for you to come in and play.  The tables are open during store hours as well as during our Weds and Friday evening Open Game Play Nights.

Come and join in on the fun as it’s a great way to meet other game enthusiasts and to try out some games.  Our Games Library has a wide variety of games available for play while you are here. It’s free and it’s fun!
Here is this week’s schedule:


Open Game Play
Date: Weds. Oct. 12th
Time: 6 pm
Place: Off The Charts Games Store

Weds. Suggested Games To Try
Here are 2 suggested game picks from our Games Library for you to try. One is aimed at those who want a light strategy game and the other is aimed at those who would like a more challenging strategy game. No experience is necessary! We are happy to teach you the rules and get you started.
To learn more about each suggested board game click on the game name below it’s picture.

Terra

Bézier Games

Orléans
Tasty Minstrel Games

A game of Orléans in play.
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Open Game Play
Date: Fri. Oct. 14th
Time: 6 pm
Place: Off The Charts Games Store

Fri. Suggested Games To Try
Here are 2 suggested game picks from our Games Library for you to try. One is aimed at those who want a light strategy game and the other is aimed at those who would like a more challenging strategy game. No experience is necessary! We are happy to teach you the rules and get you started.
To learn more about each suggested board game click on the game name below it’s picture.

New York 1901
Blue Orange Games
The Builder’s Antiquity
Asmodee

A game of New York 1901 in play.

Come Play ~ ~ It’s Free ~ It’s Fun!



Come and visit us at 30 NW 2nd Street in Historic Downtown GreshamWe 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.




Upcoming Board Games

Here are some new games that we have our eye on that are coming soon:

Dream Home
Asmodee

Coming from Asmodee is Dream Home, a family game aimed at ages 7+ and plays in 20 to 40 minutes.  Here is your chance to design the house you have always wanted.  It will take all 12 round to fill these 3 story masterpieces.  Not only do you get to select the extravagant rooms, but also helpers, luxurious items, and tools with unique abilities.



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Colony

Bézier Games

Coming soon from Bézier Games is Colony.  Head to a new world where players roll dice to acquire scarce resources on the way to powerful new buildings.  The game will force players to utilize their dice more effectively then anyone else to build the best building combinations and complete their Colony first.







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Oceanos
Iello

Coming soon from Iello is Oceanos, an underwater exploration game.  Antoine Bauza of 7Wonders fame brings us a different kind of card drafting game.  Oceanos is a family friendly strategy game.  Players draft cards that allow them to upgrade different sections of their submarine.  The cards can also be used to collect various animals and treasures.  Players can also build an extensive coral reef.





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Great Western Trail
Stronghold Games

Coming soon for the serious gamer is Great Western Trail from Stronghold Games.
Designed by Alexander Pfister of Isle of Skye and Mombasa, this game will put players in charge of a herd of cattle that must be driven around Texas and shipped by rail to market.  Hire cowboys, craftsman, and engineers to help you along.  This game will have the complexity of Mombasa rather than the ease of play in Isle of Skye.










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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.

Game Events: Week of Oct. 3rd – 8th

Not only do we sell board games, we also provide tables and a library full of open board games, card games, and dice games for you to come in and play.  The tables are open during store hours as well as during our Weds and Friday evening Open Game Play Nights.


Come and join in on the fun as it’s a great way to meet other game enthusiasts and to try out some games.  Our Games Library has a wide variety of games available for play while you are here. It’s free and it’s fun!


Here is this week’s schedule:


Open Game Play
Date: Weds. Oct 5th

We will not have Weds Open Play game night this week.  Please join us at Friday’s Open Play game night.  Weds Open Play game night will resume next week.




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Open Game Play
Date: Fri. Oct 7th
Time: 6 pm
Place: Off The Charts Games Store

Fri. Suggested Games To Try
Here are 2 suggested game picks from our Games Library for you to try. One is aimed at those who want a light strategy game and the other is aimed at those who would like a more challenging strategy game. No experience is necessary! We are happy to teach you the rules and get you started.
To learn more about each suggested board game click on the game name below it’s picture.

Quadropolis
Days Of Wonder
Covert
Renegade Games

A game of Quadropolis in play.

Come Play ~ ~ It’s Free ~ It’s Fun!



Come and visit us at 30 NW 2nd Street in Historic Downtown GreshamWe 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 Arrivals: Sept. 26th – 30th

   New Game Arrival!

Terraforming Mars
Stronghold Games


The taming of the red planet has begun!

In Terraforming Mars, 1-5 players will each control a corporation, and buy and play cards describing different projects. The projects often directly or indirectly contribute to the terraforming process, but can also consist of business enterprises of different kinds. In order to win, you have to accumulate a good terraform rating and many victory points.





This game has some unique game mechanics.  To learn more watch this GenCon video for a game of Terraforming Mars.

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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.

Game Profile: Medici

Buy your way to fame and fortune in
Renaissance Florence.


Classification Renaissance Strategy Game
Mechanics Auction/Bid, Set Collection
Publication Grail Games, 2016 (1995)
Ages 10+
Time 60
Players 2 – 6
Description
Welcome to Florence
when it was the heart of trading throughout the Mediterranean.  Each player is a buyer for one of the rich
families of Florence, Italy.  They must
compete to outbid the other buyers to amass the most valuable collection of furs,
grain, spices, dyes and cloth.
Medici is played over 3 rounds where each player
will get to select 1, 2, or 3 cards representing one of the 5 goods for
auction.  Each player gets 1 bid with the
selecting player bidding last.  Once
purchased, each card will be placed in 1 of the 5 spots available on their
ship.  Players cannot purchase more than
their ship can hold.  Auctions continue
to be held until only one player has room on their ship.  They get to fill their ship with random draws
from a draw pile.  Scoring takes place
after all ships are filled.  For each
type of good, a player gains 30 money for having the most value on their ship
of that good.  Goods cards are valued
from 0 to 5.  Second place for each good
earns 20 money, and third place earns 10 money. 
Players move a scoring marker on a track each time they purchase a card
of a good.  There  is a track for each type of good.  At the end of the round, the player furthest
up the track gains 10 money.  Second
place gains 5 money.  Additionally, there
are bonuses for moving to the top of each track.  Counters on these tracks are not reset
between rounds.

After 3 rounds the
player with the most money wins.  Even
though the game mechanics are straight forward there will be some interesting
decisions to be made.  How many cards do
I offer each turn for auction?  Should I
go for the high value cards, or should I concentrate on getting more cards of 1
type to move up that track and grab some serious bonuses?  And yes, I have to manage my money to be able
to bid on choice lots when they become available.  We are glad Grail Games has decided to
reprint this Reiner Knizia classic from 1995.








~~ ~~ ~~ ~~~~ ~~ ~~ ~~
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 Events: Week of Sept. 25th – Oct. 1st

Not only do we sell board games, we also provide tables and a library full of open board games, card games, and dice games for you to come in and play.  The tables are open during store hours as well as during our Weds and Friday evening Open Game Play Nights.

In addition to Weds and Friday Open Game Play’s, this Saturday we are having one of our New Game Splash Events that provides you the opportunity to learn about and play a featured new game by a Envoy game hearld.


Board Game: Pastiche
Come and join in on the fun as it’s a great way to meet other game enthusiasts and to try out some games.  Our Games Library has a wide variety of games available for play while you are here. It’s free and it’s fun!


Here is this week’s schedule:


New Game Splash
Date: Weds. Sept 28th
Time: 6 pm
Place: Off The Charts Games Store

Weds. Suggested Games To Try

Here are 2 suggested game picks from our Games Library for you to try. One is aimed at those who want a light strategy game and the other is aimed at those who would like a more challenging strategy game. No experience is necessary! We are happy to teach you the rules and get you started.
To learn more about each suggested board game click on the game name below it’s picture.
Pastiche
Gryphon Games
Castles of Burgundy
The Card Game
Ravensburger
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Open Game Play
Date: Fri. Sept. 30th
Time: 6 pm
Place: Off The Charts Games Store

Fri. Suggested Games To Try
Here are 2 suggested game picks from our Games Library for you to try. One is aimed at those who want a light strategy game and the other is aimed at those who would like a more challenging strategy game. No experience is necessary! We are happy to teach you the rules and get you started.
To learn more about each suggested board game click on the game name below it’s picture.

Five Tribes
Days Of Wonder
Xenon Profiteer
Eagle-Gryphon

A game of Five Tribes in play.

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New Game Splash – Free Event
Date: Saturday Oct. 1st
Time: Noon – 5 pm

Place: Off The Charts Games Store


Medici
Grail Games

New Game Splash Events provide you an opportunity to learn about and play a featured new game by a local Envoy Game Herald.

This week Doug will be here to demo and lead game play of Medician interactive auction board game for 2 to 6 players.  Players are buyers for a merchant house in the competitive, but profitable age of the infamous Italian Medici family. 


Medici is quick to learn and engaging to play.



Come, see, and play Medici. The event is free, so come and have some fun!














Come Play ~ ~ It’s Free ~ It’s Fun!




Come and visit us at 30 NW 2nd Street in Historic Downtown GreshamWe 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 Arrivals: Week of Sept. 19th – 24th

Come in and check out these exciting board games that have arrived:




   New Game Arrival!
Codenames
Pictures
Czech Games Edition

Following the success of the award-winning game, Codenames comes Codenames Pictures


Two teams each with a spymaster compete to be the first to identify all of their teams secret agent cards.  The spymasters’ role is to give a one-word clue and the number of cards that relate to the clue to his/her team members.  The team member’s role is to use the spymaster’s clue to identify the correct pictures from the card tableau that correctly identify their agents.  Be the first team to correctly identify all of their secret agents to win.

Your spymaster  says, “insect: 3.”  Now you and your teammates must find the 3 pictures related to insect that will identify 3 of your team’s agents.



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  New Game Arrival!
Pandemic
Reign of Cthulhu
Z-Man Games
On the brink of insanity, you and your fellow players are humanity’s last hope!
New in is Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu, a cooperative game where you and your fellow players must work together to beat the conditions of the game – win or lose together as a team.

Based on the game mechanics as the highly popular cooperative game, Pandemic, you and your fellow players must work to seal portals and shut down cults as you travel through the cities of Arkham, Dunwich, Innsmouth, and Kingsport.  Whatever it takes, you must not let the twelve Great Old Ones that you’ll face succeed in their reign of terror.
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  Another Red Raven Game!
Islebound
Red Raven Games
Red Raven Games description:

In Islebound, you take command of a ship and crew. You sail to island towns, collecting resources, hiring crew, and commissioning buildings for your capital city. Each building has a unique ability, and your combination of buildings can greatly enhance your strength as a trader, builder, or invader. You also recruit pirates and sea monsters to conquer towns, which, once conquered, allow you to complete the town action for free, and charge a fee to opponents if they want to use it. Alternatively, you can complete events that give influence, which can be used to befriend towns.  There are many routes to success. Will you be a ruthless conqueror, careful diplomat, or shrewd merchant in your race to the top?





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Restocks:





~~ ~~ ~~ ~~~~ ~~ ~~ ~~
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.



Game Events: Week of Sept 18th – 24th

Not only do we sell board games, we also provide tables and a library full of open board games, card games, and dice games for you to come in and play.  The tables are open during store hours as well as during our Weds and Friday evening Open Game Play Nights.


In addition to Weds and Friday Open Game Play’s, this Saturday we are having one of our New Game Splash Events that provides you the opportunity to learn about and play a featured new game by a Envoy game hearld.

Come and join in on the fun as it’s a great way to meet other game enthusiasts and to try out some games.  Our Games Library has a wide variety of games available for play while you are here. It’s free and it’s fun!





Here is this week’s schedule:


New Game Splash
Date: Weds. Sept 21st
Time: 6 pm
Place: Off The Charts Games Store

Weds. Suggested Games To Try
Here are 2 suggested game picks from our Games Library for you to try. One is aimed at those who want a light strategy game and the other is aimed at those who would like a more challenging strategy game. No experience is necessary! We are happy to teach you the rules and get you started.
To learn more about each suggested board game click on the game name below it’s picture.

Origin
Matagot/Asmodee
King Chocolate
Mayfair Games

A game of Origin in play.

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Open Game Play
Date: Fri. Sept. 23rd
Time: 6 pm
Place: Off The Charts Games Store

Fri. Suggested Games To Try
Here are 2 suggested game picks from our Games Library for you to try. One is aimed at those who want a light strategy game and the other is aimed at those who would like a more challenging strategy game. No experience is necessary! We are happy to teach you the rules and get you started.
To learn more about each suggested board game click on the game name below it’s picture.

Covert
Renegade Games
La Isla
Ravensburger
A game of La Isla in play.

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New Game Splash – Free Event
Date: Saturday Sept. 24th
Time: Noon – 5 pm

Place: Off The Charts Games Store


Grifters
Indie Board & Games


New Game Splash Events provides you the opportunity to learn about and play a featured new game by a Envoy game hearld.  Envoy hearld, Mike will be here to demo and lead game play of Griftersa hand-building game that has all the fun of deck building games, without the deck.  Players take on the role of powerful crime bosses, building their criminal organizations by carefully recruiting new operatives with specialized skills, and directing their team’s nefarious deeds.  All of your specialists are either in play or in your hand, ready to be used as you command.

Come, see, and play Grifters. The event is free, so come and have some fun!

Come Play ~ ~ It’s Free ~ It’s Fun!



Come and visit us at 30 NW 2nd Street in Historic Downtown GreshamWe 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 Arrivals: Sept 12th – 16th

Come in and check out the exciting board games that arrived this week:




   New Game Arrival!
Covert
Renegade Games
Covert is a board game where players take on the roles of spies working covertly to accomplish missions.  Over several rounds, players will collect necessary equipment, crack codes, gather intel, and deploy their agents all across Europe in an effort to complete these missions.  Utilize your assets.  Make your move.  Don’t let anyone stand in your way.

Your mission has been set, and now it’s up to you to complete it.  Strategically use your dice and special abilities to outwit your opponents.








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  New Game Arrival!
Tatsu
Gen42 Games
Tatsu is from John Yianni who also designed the Mensa Select award winning game, Hive.

Tatsu a two-player game in which players control three different types of dragon pieces.

Victory is gained when a player manages to destroy all of one type of the opposition’s dragons or knocks all the opposition’s dragons off the board so that none remain in play.


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  New Game Arrival!
GriftersIndie Board & Games
Grifters is a hand-building game that has all the fun of deck building games, without the deck.  Players take on the role of powerful crime bosses, building their criminal organizations by carefully recruiting new operatives with specialized skills, and directing their team’s nefarious deeds.  All of your specialists are either in play or in your hand, ready to be used as you command.

Save the date: Saturday, 9/24/2016
We will be having a special New Game Splash event for Grifters.  Mike will be on hand to demo and lead game play.  Come – See – Play!
Learn more about this free event: Grifters Splash








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   By Popular Demand!
Tiny Epic Galaxies
Gamelyn Games

In Tiny Epic Galaxies each player controls a galactic empire, aiming to expand their influence by acquiring highly contested planets and increasing their cosmic armada.

Image result for tiny epic galaxies card game The game revolves around an innovative dice-rolling combo mechanic. The number of dice you roll is determined by the strength of your galaxy. Each die is engraved with symbols representing the various actions you can take, such as moving a spaceship, increasing your culture or energy resources, or advancing your political or economic influence over newly discovered planets.








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   New Game Expansion!
Descent
The Chains That Rust
Fantasy Flight
The Chains That Rust is the latest expansion for the base game, Descent: Journeys In The Dark 2nd Edition, a board game in which one player takes on the role of the treacherous overlord, and up to four other players take on the roles of courageous heroes.

In this high-level campaign expansion, the heroes must brave the vile, haunted Mistlands one more time.  While opposing the corrupted servants of Waiqar the Undying, the heroes must search for a cure to their cursed half-dead condition.  Failure will condemn them not to death, but to something much worse: an everlasting life.

Includes 8 new plastic monster figures.




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   New Game Edition!
City Of Iron
Red Raven Games


Fabulous artwork aside, City of Iron has gone through a few changes and is now available in a 2nd Edition.  

In City Of Iron, players compete to build up a small nation in a world of machines, magic, and money. Become the leader of one of four rival nations: the industrious humans, the toad engineers, the scholarly Cresarians, or the clever Hogmen. Produce goods like machine parts and bottled demons to gain wealth, or research steam-age technology and recruit mercenaries to control the continent. If you want to establish new cities, you’ll build schooners or airships to reach faraway lands and flying islands. Your cities have limited capacity, so you’ll have to decide what to keep and what to demolish when building advanced structures. The future of a nation is in your hands. Build unbreakable foundations for an empire or disappear into the dusty pages of history.

Watch this video for an overview and review of City of Iron, 2nd Edition. 
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   Game ReRelease!
Medici
Asmodee
Medici is an auction game for 2 to 6 players.  Players are buyers for a merchant house in the competitive, but profitable age of the infamous Medici family.  Every day you go to the wholesale market, where you expect to find lush furs, grain from the rich fields abroad, exotic spices, colorful dyes, the finest cloth, and, rarely, gold from mines far across the waters.

Over the course of three rounds, players will buy and load goods onto their ships before receiving money for the value of their holds.  Players must carefully their money, not only is it necessary for bidding at auction but it’s also end game points.

Medici is an interactive board game that is quick to learn and engaging to play.







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   Abstract Game Addition!
Pylos
Gigamic
Adding to our abstract game selection is Pylos, a 2-player game about building a pyramid and saving balls with  simple rules, quick rounds and rather subtle tactics.
   Each player has 15 balls of a player color and takes turn stacking them into a single pyramid on the 4×4 game board. There must be 4 balls of any color mix next to each other before you can stack a ball on top to form a new level.  If by design the 4 balls happen to be all of your color, you can then remove one or two of your balls elsewhere on the board and place them back in your supply.   The winner is the player who saves the most balls and is thus the last to complete the pyramid.




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Restocks:





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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.