exploration

(Note: This listing covers only the expansion-only versions of Saboteur 2; for the Saboteur 2 listing that includes both the base game and the expansion, go to Saboteur (compilation editions).)

In Saboteur, each player takes on the role of a gold-digging dwarf or a saboteur who wants to hinder exploration of the gold mines — but each player knows only his own role, so the digging may or may not go as planned!

Each turn, a player either lays down a tunnel card to dig from the start card toward one of the goal cards (or potentially away, if a saboteur) or plays an action card to help or hinder someone. If the diggers manage to find the gold hidden under one of the goal cards, then the diggers share the loot found there; if the gold can't be reached before the deck runs out, the saboteurs profit instead. After three rounds, the player with the most gold wins.

The Saboteur 2 expansion adds new role cards (the boss, profiteers, geologists) to the base game, new action cards (steal gold, change your role), and new tunnel cards featuring doors, ladders and bridges. What's more, the gold seekers can now be divided into teams — blue vs. green — and only those on the team that finds the gold score anything — assuming that anyone finds the gold at all, of course...

Beautiful glow-worm, shimmer, shimmer!
Shine your light brightly through pain so glum,
Follow love's arrow along the thum,
Ne'er mind life's sorrows, lest you succumb
For dear friend would you become?
Oh, glow-worm getting dimmer, dimmer.

Prince Collin and his friends defeated Vanestra and thought evil had been banished from the castle forever. But deep within those scorched and shadow-haunted halls, something is moving that should not be. A malicious presence has taken root, and it has hatched a scheme that will ensnare the Prince and his friends and will forever change the course of history for the mouse-town of Barksburg.

The storybook in Mice and Mystics: Heart of Glorm picks up right after the events of Sorrow and Remembrance, letting you and your friends continue the story of Prince Collin, Maginos, Tilda, Nez, Filch and Lily. Included in this expansion are new plastic figures, cards, and counters, as well as a new series of chapters sure to test your mettle! And joining the heroes is Nere, a wild mystic who brings her powerful magic and knowledge of alchemy to the battle.

You are an explorer making your way along the darkened passages of a pyramid in search of treasures from ancient Egypt. However, no attention has been paid to the tales of Ammut, also known as the "Eater of Hearts", of "The Devourer". Will you be able to make your discoveries before being caught by this creature - whose body was a dreaded combination of crocodile and hippopotamus? It needs skill, as well as a little luck to collect the treasures and exit the pyramid alive!

Mermaid Rain is a Japanese game from the makers of Train Raider.

Over five rounds, players try to collect five different types of goods by moving around the sea. The game uses two phases: first is the "surf predicting" phase where players play melds of cards in a Taj Mahal-type mechanic. The melds determine player order, selection of "wave tile", and give other benefits. In the second phase, "surf riding", players place their wave tiles on the board and then use cards to move through the sea on the waves to collect goods.

The game is playable with English rules as the components are either language-independent or easily decipherable.

Game Summary
Setup: specific locations for subset of tiles, some face down; rest are to side, also face down. Deal out 7 cards (3 suits).

Each round, players simultaneously select a card to play (max 5 cards total) -- choose the pass card to pass for rest of round. The resulting poker-style combinations give bonuses (VP, or special powers); the ranking gives you player order for the round.

In order, select a face up sea tile (4 shapes, 2-3 hexes each, with one of 3 suits or wild). Then, in order, place the tile on the board and use some/all cards left in hand to move your mermaid around the board (playing card allows you to move mermaid to matching tile/space). Whenever on an island with token(s), look at face down tokens then add one of the tokens to your collection.

At end of round, sea tiles with the darker color are removed from the board. Any mermaids on them are displaced to one of the unoccupied starting locations (player's choice). Then, deal 7 cards per player (max hand size 9) and repeat.

Game ends after 5 rounds. Each player must discard 5 tokens (1 per symbol), or lose 5 VP per missing symbol. Then rank players' collections of sets of each type, awarding VP accordingly (rarer tiles, larger sets earn more VP). Most VP wins.

It is the early 20th Century, and the great museums of Europe and America compete for artifacts from around the world in order to fill their museums with the most prestigious exhibitions. In Artifact, players are archaeologists researching sites around the globe to search for artifacts, which are then shipped back to the museums in order to produce exhibitions that increase funding for future digs and earn prestige to win the game. Actions and funds are limited, however, and competition is fierce. Sometimes it is even necessary to deal on the black market in order to generate extra income or to acquire the one artifact that will complete a valuable exhibition.

The player who earns the most prestige points through producing exhibitions and managing his budget best wins the game.

Artifact is a rich gaming experience that provides players with many options to think about. In order to make it easier to learn the game, the rules have been separated into the Base Game, followed by rules for the two expansions that, when added, make up the Complete Game. The game can be played and enjoyed as the base game or by including any one of the expansions, but the complete game is highly recommended for experienced players.