I enjoyed the World Boardgaming Championships so much last year, I knew I had to go again this year. My experience was different this time, but still very fun!

This year after registering I went straight to the Open Gaming area. This year I was not alone and the first game my friends pulled from the game library was Cosmic Encounter. I had never played it but had heard good things about it. You must takeover other players’ world and hope to gain good allied for your attacks and defense. There are a on of alien races and each has their own special ability. I didn’t win (which is a theme for the day) but it was fun and I’d like to try it again.

Up next was Smash-Up from AEG. This game has been getting a lot of buzz and it is deserved. The art is great, it plays fast and the factions are fun. AEG calls it a shuffle-building game because you start with two factions and shuffle them together to build your deck. Each round you play one minion and one action. Your minions have different power ratings. You want to have the most power at bases when they score. I was Zombie-Robots and again lost (this time just barely).

I was not so sure I wanted to play in a tournament, but my friend thought we should try 7 Wonders. I figured why not and wanted to see what the tournament scene was like. I was worried people would be hyper-competitive. But they weren’t. In fact it was as relaxing a defeat I have had in 7 Wonders in awhile. The room was packed and there were seven players at most all the tables. The one game I played I never saw a wood resource and my wonder required wood. So my losing streak continued, but I met some nice people and was still enjoying myself.

Next I ate then headed back up to Open Gaming. Once there I played Fealty. I will be reviewing this soon, so check back for a full review. We had fun playing this area control game and again I lost.

I have Small World but have never tried Small World Underground. We had all played the regular version so we figured we’d try this edition. Almost everything is identical but with different powers and races. There are also relics and places that can help you score extra VPs. I started strong but my mid-game faltered. Another loss and yet still fun was had.

Last year at the WBC I met Dice Hate Me Games and played some of their fun games and prototypes. I knew I’d see them again this year and was happy when I finally got around to sitting down and hanging out with them. They currently have the game Heartland Hauling on kickstarter and had a prototype of the game with them. It is a pick-up and delivery card game where efficiency, blocking opponents and getting lucky should win you the game. You move and then may pick up or deliver goods in different areas of the board. Some spaces want specific goods while others produce those goods. Haul and sell enough stuff (using cards) to score 40 points and you win. You should definitely check out the kickstarter project and contribute if you like what you see (and you will, the game looks great!). The final score was close, but this time I won (finally).

At this point it was late. I needed to head home, but got the chance to try a TC Petty (of Viva Java fame) prototype. The game is called Rock Babies and is about a bunch of babies scaling a wall. It is a press your luck game where you use energy to climb the wall. You might get some of that energy back instantly to keep climbing, but eventually it will dwindle. There are obstacles and sections of the wall that you can’t stop on so you need to figure out the risk vs reward. Rock Babies is fun, light and humorous. I did not get to finish the game as we had to leave, but I had a good conversation with Richard Bliss. He is looking to drive to GenCon and stop and interview kickstarter project owners on the way. of course he is using kickstarter to fund his trip. Check it out here.

So last year I played all non-published games and this year I played things that are out or on their way out soon. The experience was still just as fun. I was encouraged by the tournament scene at the WBC and next year I hope to go for more than one day. If I do I’ll definitely enter more tournaments. Again I wanted to thank everyone who I met, talked to and hung out with. You made my time at the WBC a great one.