Numbers League

 

Spielbox, A Review Journal for Modern Board Games

Collection development was one of my favorite parts when I was in the school and public libraries. It meant I got to buy stuff, though not just any stuff….. I had to know my stuff first. In addition, I had to make sure that the stuff I  wanted to buy met my selection criteria, my libraries guidelines for buying stuff.

I have already shared my selection criteria for modern board games earlier but to recap:

1. Find good games!
2. Find ways in which they support the curriculum
3. Look at how they fit into the timeframe of your school or gaming program
4. Determine their “Return on Investment” based on the sum of 1-3

One of the toughest parts of building a game collection is finding good games. In libraries, when purchasing materials we have review journals to help. Even beyond that

to our own personal lives, we look to the advice and experience of others to help guide us in our purchasing decisions. From Amazon to your Aunt Agnes, feedback from experts and your peers is invaluable especially when you are unsure or unfamiliar with what you are looking to acquire.

I have already mentioned one source of information on modern board games in previous posts, Board Game Geek. A user-driven database of every board game know to man,

the Geek has: reviews, rules, variants and images to help you become familiar with and decide if a game is right for you. That being said, there is a “New Kid on the Block”, Spielbox. Actually, Spielbox is celebrating its 30th year in publication so it’s not that new. Originally a German publication released in Europe and only available as an import. This year they have begun publishing their magazine in English and it is a welcome addition to the other review magazine that we have available for library resources.

The magazine comes out seven times a year, a week or so after the German version is published and is a faithful rendition of the original. Full color, glossy pages highlight the beauty and splendor of the games within. Each magazine contains articles relating to the board game hobby, discussing upcoming releases, publishers, conventions, designers and more. They also often contain unique expansions for popular games as well as games designed specifically for the magazine. Most importantly though, they contain reviews. They have several writers, each adding to the reviews, highlighting if and why they differ if their opinion of a particular game. The reviews themselves are thoughtful and well written, examining multiple aspects of the game including: mechanics, theme and the overall game experience.

Similar to the trend of technology trickling down to us from the Asian market, a number of the games discussed in the magazine will not have been released in the US market yet. They are an insight into the hot and upcoming games that may be picked up and released by US publishers such as Rio Grande Games and Z-Man Games. One thing to note, part of what makes a gaming program successful is the experience we are able to provide with the program. Having the newest games, not available in the US can be a big bump on the “cool” factor. Because a large majority of these games are language independent, the import version can be picked up and played without much problem, I recommend Amazon.de with their 14 Euro flat rate shipping. Being a European release, they will often have multiple languages in their rules set or the rules are often posted on the game’s entry on Board Game Geek.

The magazine is available here at an annual subscription rate of 56 Euros for 7 issues. While this comes to a little over $10 an issue, it is a good invest in a unique resource that provides insight into the world of modern board games.

 

Getting Mental with Mattel’s Mindflex

Who hasn’t dreamed of harnessing the power of the mind for good or evil. Well now you can practice for the future! Mattel is releasing a game that is akin to something out of science fiction. Mindflex is a an obstacle/dexterity game in which you move a ball through a series of obstacles…. WITH YOUR MIND!

Using technology similar to that of an EEG, the game uses sensors that you wear on a headband and connect to your ears which register changes in your brain’s activity when you concentrate and relax your thoughts. These changes control a fan that adjusts the height of a ball. The harder you concentrate, the higher the ball floats and as you relax your thoughts it descends. The goal of the game is to guide the ball through different obstacles set up around a ring. Using your mind to control the height of the ball and your hand to control the ball’s movement around the ring, you need to coordinate the two activities to successfully navigate a particular course.

While this carries a higher price tag than most games (approx. $80) it seems to offer some fantastic potential for applications within the school. Science classes studying human physiology can harness and experiment with the electrochemical aspect of the brain. Physics classes have a new tool that is assured to keep students’ attention and what a toy for technology. Mindflex has the making for a successful marriage of curriculum and play, allowing students to develop understanding and mastery of content and skills through use and interaction as opposed to passive reception and memorization.

I hope to acquire a review copy to bring in to schools so that I can get feedback from students and educators and provide a more detailed recommendation for when this becomes available. If not, I will be sure to pick a copy of this up. Either way, it seems that Mattel has a winner with Mindflex.

 

LetterFlip

Number of Players: 2 (easily playable in teams)

Grade Levels: Middle School and Up

Length: 20 to 30 Minutes

Investment: Low
Return: High

NYS Standards:

ELA Standards:
Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen and speak for information and understanding.

AASL Standards:
1.1.2: Use prior/background knowledge as context for new learning
1.2.5 Demonstrate adaptability by changing inquiry focus… or strategies when necessary to achieve success
4.1.5 Connect ideas to own interests and previous knowledge and experience

I love to play with words. I enjoy doing crossword puzzles, but not the word search, and ever since I got my iPod Touch, I have played through a slew of word games. Word Warp has stood the test of time above all others I have tried. Looking to the table, I haven’t been overwhelmed with what I have found in the modern board game market. There are some great word games that are very enjoyable, but they don’t scratch that same itch. That all changed as I sat down and had a chance to try LetterFlip from Out of the Box Publishing.

 

Amun-Re

BRING TO ME A GAME THAT CHALLENGES STUDENTS AND CAPTURES THE FLAVOR OF THE GREAT EGYPTIAN DYNASTY!

SO LET IT BE WRITTEN, SO LET IT BE DONE!

Number of Players: 3 to 5

Grade Levels: Middle School and Up

Length: 45 Minutes

Investment: Medium
Return: High

NYS Standards:

Social Studies 2: Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in world history and examine the broad sweep of history from a variety of perspectives.
Social Studies 3: Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the geography of the interdependent world in which we live—local, national, and global—including the distribution of people, places, and environments over the Earth’s surface.

AASL Standards:
1.1.2: Use prior/background knowledge as context for new learning
1.2.5 Demonstrate adaptability by changing inquiry focus… or strategies when necessary to achieve success
2.4.4 Develop directions for further investigations
4.1.5 Connect ideas to own interests and previous knowledge and experience

Rio Grande’s Amun-Re provides a glimpse into Egypt’s past as players strive to leave their mark on history. They hope to accomplish this through erecting pyramids and building prosperous kingdoms along the Nile. Each player, acting as a pharaoh, builds their kingdom by bidding on available provinces along the great Nile River. Each province has potential for helping the pharaoh by providing resources, religious power and political influence. Provinces feature a space for farmers to harvest the land and an area for erecting pyramids to commemorate your power. Some provinces come with resources, political potential in the way of power cards, economic assistance, and religious power. Each province’s resources and potential are different. Provinces along the Nile are more fertile than those further away, offering more spaces for farmers to harvest the land.