A Make + Lifestyle Blog
A strategy game with surges of energy.
Power Grid is a strategic, European style board game where you develop and manage a power grid in Germany or the United States. The first time I played Power Grid I knew it would become a favorite.
It is an energetic (ha!) game for groups of two to six players who are eager to engage in a few hours of cutthroat competition over scare resources. Wine, cheese, and bottled tea help lighten the mood.
Armed only with your trusty die and a dream, you must grow Machi Koro into the largest city in the region. You will need to collect income from developments, build public works, and steal from your neighbors’ coffers. Just make sure they aren’t doing the same to you!
I love trying new games, so when my friends suggested playing Machi Koro: Bright Lights, Big City at a recent game night, I was all in. The game did not disappoint. I had a fun time learning it (and winning gloriously).
Machi Koro is a city-building card and dice game for 2-4 players and it was a Spiel des Jares Nominee in 2015.
Note, since we’ve only played the base game so far, all my opinions that follow relate to the base game only.
Here are three reasons you might want to give Machi Koro: Bright Lights, Big City a closer look:
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“See you ladder, Chef! The game is 13 Dead End Drive, where you can get rich by accident. It’s nighty night for the Hairdresser! Someone will inherit a fortune, but everyone is dying to bump you off. A little trip for the Fortune Teller! First out of 13 Dead End Drive while their picture above the mantel wins. Lights out for the Boyfriend! The fun’s alive with 13 Dead End Drive!” – the 13 Dead End Drive 1993 TV Commercial
13 Dead End Drive is my absolute favorite childhood board game. Almost every week while growing up, I’d ask someone to play with me, and if I came up short, I’d even play it by myself. Now a few decades later, I asked my family to play with me again.
Though all my memories of playing 13 Dead End Drive are rosy, I wasn’t sure if playing as an adult would be quite the same. We cracked open a bottle of wine and dove right into the nostalgia, and I was not disappointed.
“Witness the craziest camel race of all time, as things really go topsy-turvy when camels stack up and entire pyramids turn upside down.” – the Camel Up game instruction manual
Camel Up appeals to a wide audience and plays 2-8 players, making it one of the most versatile games in my collection. As the prestigious 2014 Spiel des Jahres winner, Camel Up is part of an elite class of family-style board games. Board Game Geek gives it a complexity rating of 1.49/5, which seems to be a sweet spot that appeals to pretty much any one at game night.
A few years ago, my friend introduced it to me, and I was immediately sold. As soon as I got home, I set up an Amazon price drop alert via CamelCamelCamel (what is with all these Camels!).
I’ve played it in larger parties as well as intimate gatherings, and time and time again Camel Up is a crowd favorite. I’ve been giving it some thought, and these are the top three reasons I love Camel Up:
