Looney Labs Icehouse Mailing list Archive

[David Artman <david.artman@xxxxxxxxx>]

OK, I'll bite...

Favorites
1) Zendo - I teach it all the time, friends request it all the time, I wrote the single-stash variant. ;)

2) Martian Chess - Two- or three-player. King-making can happen (or, more often, tallest sheep sheering), but it is a great demo game and it draws Chess players' attention.

3) Armada - Seriously. I think it would rock to have windage be an element of the game, somehow, though (d8 for direction, d4 for velocity, some kind of simple chart for adjusting speed of units).
* In general, I think there's a WAY under-exploited space for pyramids as miniatures, using their inherent properties. (Hmmm... but then again, Icehouse itself is sort of a minis game....)

4) Pikemen - Can be a bit heavy/hard to follow (i.e. lots of "surprise" whoopsies) but, again, great for getting Chessheads intot he hobby.

5) Moon Shot - Yeah, I know... I made it, it's my baby. But it's damned fun as a pick-up/waiting-to-play game.

6) IceTowers - But only with giant pyramids at cons. A BIT too "crowded" with the regular 'mids on a table.

7) Martian Mud Wrestling - Easy to teach, tough to master.

Not-So-Favorites
1) Treehouse - Random x1000; "fail only" game (i.e. one can't play well, only poorly).

2) Volcano - Yeah, sue me! I'll play it, but only if you don't spend 50 moves avoiding eruption every turn.

3) Penguin Soccer - Sorry, Avri, but I've never had a game finish. Tried more than a few times (including online with you). Seems like there's a major first-turn advantage, and one optimal strategy.

4) Tick Tac DOH! - Used to be my go-to demo game. Now I know its optimal strategy and never lose. Yawn.

5) Icehouse - I know this is a case merely of disliking what I don't understand. That and really hating getting my ass handed to me every time. Maybe too real-time: I'm barely following what's happening, where; while, meanwhile, two other players are capturing all my dudes.

6) Martian Coasters - But only just barely. I want to play a massive game some time (6+) and see how it goes. But, generally, high-random games don't work for me. (Yes, I made Wormholes--what of it? At least it has some multiplayer strategy other than "screw the one closest to winning.")

7) Icecaster - It's my bane, my albatross, my woe. An idea that should exist, but might be too much to handle for even advanced gamers. But, man... it should happen. Voted it MEH because it drives me crazy when I try to work on it....

There ya go, market researchers!
David