Hand Management

Your task in the tile-laying game Sanssouci is to create a flower garden for the world-famous Sanssouci Palace. Competing against up to three other landscape architects, you'll have your own garden layout game board on which you'll build rose gardens and vineyard terraces, labyrinths and fountains – but not just anywhere, mind you. No, the landscapers must meet certain building requirements, and unfortunately you won't always have at hand everything that you might need.

In game terms, each player has a personal garden that's divided into rows and columns; each row shows a color, while each column shows one of nine garden elements, such as the wells or a pavilion. Players start with one noble at the top of each column. A shared tile supply board has five rows – with colored spaces matching the colors on each player board – and two columns, which are unlabeled. At the start of the game, ten tiles are placed on this supply board; each tile depicts one of the nine garden elements.

Each turn, a player plays one of his two cards in hand, which determines the tile he can take from the supply, e.g. take a pavilion tile, take a tile from the red or gray spaces, etc. The player has only a single card that lets him take any tile – but if he plays a card showing a garden element that isn't present, then he can instead take any tile! The player must place this tile on his player board in the column that matches the image on the tile and the row that matches the color from which the tile was taken. If this space is already filled, he flips the tile to show the gardener on the other side, then places this tile on any free space in the same row or the same column. After placing the tile, he may move one of his nobles along a path of placed tiles as long as the noble ends up in the same column in which it started, but on a lower row. The player scores points equal to the row reached.

The player then refills the supply and draws a new card. The game ends after 18 rounds. Each player then receives bonus points for each completed row and column. Furthermore, each player has received two order cards at the start of the game, each of which shows one of the nine columns; each player receives bonus points for the row reached by the noble in that column. The player with the most points wins.

Once Upon A Time is a game in which the players create a story together, using cards that show typical elements from fairy tales. One player is the Storyteller and creates a story using the ingredients on her cards. She tries to guide the plot towards her own ending. The other players try to use cards to interrupt her and become the new Storyteller. The winner is the first player to play out all her cards and end with her Happy Ever After card.

In this game each player takes the role of a caravan leader. The number of camels within a caravan depends on he number of players. Each camel is loaded with a lot of goods, and the goal of the game is to carry all the goods from the starting position to the final oasis: Timbuktu.

However, during the course of this journey, the caravans stop at other oases. Once all camels arrive to an oasis- and the night comes- thieves attack the caravan, and steal different goods. While moving from one oasis to another, players receive different clues about the manner of the thefts. Each player has a different clue, and although clues are passed around, one player only, receives three of the total five clues. From the action of the other players – caravan leaders -, the clues have to be guessed and camels have to be relocated, in order to save all the goods from the thieves.

The next morning, the caravan continues it's way towards Timbuktu, and players are challenged with different clues again. The object of the game is to be the trader left with the most value in goods, when you reach Timbuktu.

Game description from the publisher:

Captain Swallow has always dreamed of pocketing a large nest egg in order to retire on a remote island – but he never counted on stiff competition from Captains Stanley Rackum, Dirk Chivers and others, greedy and cruel enemies who always manage to attack the same ships as him. If he wants to finally sink back and enjoy peaceful days in the sun, he must become the most cunning pirate!

In Libertalia, you must thwart the plans of competitive pirates over the course of three rounds while using cards that show the same crew members as your piratical comrades-in-arms. Yes, not only do they attack the same ships, but they employ the same type of ravenous scum that you do! Can you take advantage of the powers of your characters at the right time? Will you be outdone by a pirate smarter than you? Jump into the water and prove your tactical skills!

Thirty years have passed since the Romans left Britain. The power of the Picts and the Scots is growing, and they are pushing inland. In order to save Britain, the great chieftain Vortigern has asked the Saxon brothers Hengist and Horsa to help defend Britain. You and your brother agree to help, but over the years Vortigern has become greedy and does not pay you enough.

It is time for you to take matters into your own hands and take what is rightfully yours! You have good maps, strong fighters, and stout boats. The coast is littered with villages, towns, monasteries, and estates. All are waiting to be pillaged! Who will win the thrilling hunt for fame and fortune: Hengist or Horsa?

In Hengist, both players compete for the same treasure tiles. The player who reaches a treasure tile with one of his raiding groups first gets the tile — but a part of the road is hidden and must be explored first. Not always is the direct path the most successful way. The player who uses their cards wisely and has a little bit of luck will get the more valuable treasure tiles and win the game.