Family Game

From the Queen Games and the Gamefest Homepage:

In the valley of the Indus, traces of the ancient Harappa culture are to be found. Two to four expedition teams are ready to try to secure the most promising sites in the digging field. Each square on the game board contains valuable finds. Each team would of course like to occupy the best sites, and then dig away in peace and quiet. Players use their archaeologists and assistants, while the workers ensure that the digs are supported. The game is different each time, since the board consists of 7 large and 7 small board segments that are combined differently each time, leading to different dig configurations.

Pergamon is a tactical collecting game with a theme based on excavating archaeological discoveries and managing their exhibition.

Set in the year 1878, the first excavations in what is now modern Turkey are uncovering the remains of ancient Pergamon. Soon the precious discoveries will make their way abroad to public exhibitions before a waiting audience, eliciting substantial honor and glory.

The players attempt to gain federal research grants to cover the costs of their excavations through a bidding mechanism. Whoever is modest and less demanding can travel to the excavating areas before his or her competitors, and the rule is first come, first dig. Only fragments will remain for the later expeditions. Recovered treasures are placed in valuable exhibitions, for which the discoverer receives glory and recognition.

The player who accumulates the most glory after 12 rounds wins the game.

The combination of soliciting funds and racing for the best locations to excavate makes Pergamon a variable game with rules that are easily accessible. Players are forced to make choices based on the money they can obtain and the sequence in which they choose where to dig.

Another day, another mammoth hunt. But the spoils of the hunt remains to be divided, and everyone tries to secure the largest share for themselves in this quick and clever family strategy game. Each round the tiles are shuffled in the bag and dropped onto the table. The face up symbols show the spoils of today's hunt.
The tiles are then divided by a unique mechanic: When it is your turn, you may either A) Take any number of tiles from the pool, or B) Claim that another player has been too greedy, taking all of that player's tiles, but returning at least one tile to the pool (you must of course show yourself to be a little less greedy).

The next player without tiles then follows in turn. This way the size of the pool will gradually increase, and the round is over once the last player without tiles decides to take what's left in the pool. Every player will then have a share of tiles, and a scoring phase follows.

Tactical play will help you get the meat, fur, tusks, animals, and tools you want (each tile has a different way of scoring), but you may also play cards for immediate effects or to secretly influence the scoring.

- Game material is language independent -

Deep in the underground lair of the foul dragon Rovert is a vast treasure that had been sought by a group of the most daring adventurers. Valiantly they made their way down to depths of the Earth and readied themselves to defeat the dragon, hoping to earn glory and riches – but the mighty creature was waiting, breathing a blast of heat and fire upon them, leaving only their boots!

No one will remember the tale of these unlucky heroes except the hapless group of awestruck hirelings now standing in Rovert's lair, frozen with fear. Feeling helpless as the dragon moves closer and curls his tail behind them, the survivors tremble. The snorting dragon crawls right up in front of them, but instead of breathing fire, it opens his mouth menacingly, as if to draw another breath – or maybe to eat them! At that moment, the bravest of the group yells, "Run!"

In an instant, the terrified hirelings scramble away, seeking the quickest way out of the dragon's lair. Unfortunately, that's not the way the heroes brought them in, but a new escape route fraught with danger! Their only hope of survival is to use their quick feet and the items strapped to their backs. Unfortunately, they are not too bright (and not very fast) and they have no clue how anything they're carrying might help them. Will they make it out? Only you can determine their fate...

Hirelings: The Ascent is a board game for 2 to 6 players who become the frantic escapees, trying to find and fight their way back above ground. As a hapless hireling, will you be able to make it out? Can you win the game by being the first one out of danger?

Garden Dice is a family strategy game that combines dice rolling, tile laying, and set collection. The game board depicts a garden as a 6x6 grid in which seed and vegetable tiles are placed using dice rolls as coordinates. Players take turns using the dice to plant, water, and harvest five different types of vegetables with differing point values, from the lowly squash to the mighty eggplant.

The game's chaining mechanism allows players to water or harvest multiple tiles using a single action, enabling players to build upon each others' chains. Players can also use bird and rabbit tiles to eat other players' seed and veggie tiles, but not without paying a small penalty. Two other special tiles – the sundial and the scarecrow – allow players to modify dice rolls or protect their own tiles.

The Gnome expansion included in Garden Dice can be added to the base game to give players the ability to adjust the dice rolls for purchasing, watering, and harvesting their vegetables, leading to a more strategic experience.

Bonuses increase the values of tiles as they are harvested, and additional points are awarded at the end of the game for collecting sets. The player with the most points when the last tile is taken wins.