pattern building

Set Dice has three dice games in one box, and in all three games, the more sets you make, the higher your score. What's a set, you ask? To make a set, you need three dice on which the shape of the symbols on them are all the same or all different, on which the number of symbols are all the same or all different, and on which the color of the symbols are all the same or all different. The three games in this collection are:

Scramble SET: Drop all 42 dice from the bag onto the table, then start calling out sets as soon as you see them. When no more sets remain, tally the number of sets for each player, then start another round. Whoever has the high score after five rounds wins.
Crossword SET: Each player takes ten dice, then rolls them at the same time to start play, with players trying to combine their dice into a crossword-style grid made of sets. Whoever uses all of her dice first wins.
SET CUBED: Players score points Scrabble-style by creating sets with their dice and with dice already on the game board.

Now, Ubongo goes two-player! Each player tries to solve the same puzzle with the same tiles faster than his opponent. The scoring mechanism from the original has also been revised, as there is no time limit to solving the puzzles (which are harder than in the original)

Gameplay: Each player receives 21 puzzle tiles and a stack of puzzle sheets. Both players lay the puzzle tiles down in front of them. Rolling the 20 sided die determines which of the tiles are used in the specific rounds. The players then try to solve every puzzle sheet as quickly as possible by laying the appropriate tiles on it. The faster player to do this yells 'Ubongo!'. He/she moves his pawn one step forward on the scoring track. The first player to win five Ubongo duels wins the game.

Publisher's description of this new hex-tile game scheduled to debut at Essen 2008:

"Logan Stones is a two player strategic game that encourages memory and tactical thinking. It is played without a board, using 18 tactile pieces that are etched and painted on both sides with different symbols.

The game has simple rules that are based on the visually recognizable symbols of Rock Paper Scissors.

Logan Stones takes the simplicity of ‘Rock Paper Scissors’ and adds to it a fast paced, fun game, that can also be played with strategic precision for a much more thought provoking experience. The aim is to make a line of 4 of the same symbol, but as you and your opponent are in control of the same stones and with them constantly being flipped over to reveal new symbols, it’s not as simple as it sounds."

In Blueprints, players are architects who must use different colored dice to build three different structures from blueprints, with the dice providing different advantages to you. In the game, each round progresses like this:

Discover your blueprint.
Each turn, choose a die and place it in your building.
Reveal your building, tally your points, then discover who wins the awards and prizes.

After three rounds, players tally their awards and prizes to see who wins. Who will be the best architect?

Fantasy Frontier is a fantasy board game of airships and exploration for 2 to 4 players with a playing time of 45 to 90 minutes. Each player controls a unique airship with a crew of pioneers. Players manage the actions of these pioneers each turn in an effort to scout the land, gather resources, construct townships, and even battle it out in aerial combat. Creating geographic patterns via tile placement, the players will develop a new world each time they play. Players compete to be the first to score the required number of victory points to win the game. Points are scored by building townships, completing geographic patterns, and fighting their rivals in airship battles!

Every turn, players must carefully manage the actions of five workers, which can be assigned the following tasks:

Piloting the Airship - Moving their airship token around the board.
Research & Development - Drawing map cards with geographic patterns and discovering development cards to improve their airships.
Scouting the Land - Drawing terrain tiles to place on the map to expand the community game board.
Gathering Resources - Landing the airship and exiting the workers to collect food, wood, stone and gold, with these resources being used to improve the performance of workers and to build townships.
Construct a Township - Landing the airship and disembarking the workers to build a township, which provides a reoccurring resource stream and is worth victory points.
Aerial Combat - Engaging in airship battles with other players to slow their progress and potentially score victory points.
Repair Ship Damage - Repairing the damage taken in battle.

Fantasy Frontier is a unique gaming experience, blending a peaceful Euro play-style with the optional take-that element of combat, creating a game unlike any other.