As usual, I’m skipping the card shufflers and dealers …

Auto racing board game – By Carrie Moats. A roll and move game. Carrie claims her design is patent-worthy because, unlike previous auto-racing games, a) hers is re-playable, and b) it doesn’t come with cars, so it costs less and lets you use your own.

Suit variable mahjong tile and a mahjong gaming apparatus with suit variable mahjong tiles – Typical electronic forms of Mahjong use video screens, which detracts from the main sensual aspect of Mahjong, i.e. playing with the tiles. This patent is for electronic tiles, each of which can display any Mahjong face value and suit, as well as several associated peripheral ideas.

I think its more of a theoretical idea than an actual working project.

Method and system for playing a game with matching pieces and a bonus score – Electronic Memory game.

Poker game with sequential hand opportunity – Poker, where, whenever you have a winning hand, you can opt to play again with the aim of beating your winning hand.

Recursive team-oriented chess-like game for entertainment and training – A freakishly bizarre patent by David John Kershaw. The abstract:

This invention is a networked board game apparatus and method of playing a customized game for 2 or more players on recursively organized boards, and a method for applying the aforementioned to leadership, communications, and team building education, and further to apply the aforementioned to the specific form of Chess. Applied to form of Chess, the first board is identical to a chessboard. The second board is an 8.times. multiple of the first board. Tartary boards follow this exponential growth. Players alternate moving pieces to a game-ending condition. Two players lead, the next 32 players play on a second board. Each first board move changes the positions of a second board player’s pieces by a uniform transformation where the first board piece’s new position is a function moving the second board player’s pieces, which then continue from their new positions, potentially affecting deeper levels.

Casino card game – A video version of Texas Hold’em where at least one hole card is discarded based on some criteria before the game continues.

Method and apparatus for game play – Yet another patent for the now defunct art board game Paradice.

Bet the house blackjack – Blackjack, with additional side bets on the eventual configuration of the dealer’s hand.

Trivia game and method of play – A group trivia game, where players are gradually eliminated until only one player is remaining.

Device for holding and viewing playing cards – Yet another card viewing device.

Two level shut the box game – A two-row game of Shut the Box. The game-play follows the design.

Multiplayer game with strategic element – Yet another patent for Wits And Wagers by North Star Games.

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As Yehuda pointed out the other day, The Goonies 25th Anniversary Collector’s Edition will include a pack-in board game. I can pretty much guarantee it’s going to be terrible. Pack-ins like that normally are.

What if pack-ins weren’t terrible? What if some thought was actually put into them, instead of an afterthought? I could imagine an amazing pack-in game that complemented a great movie, video game, book, etc… nicely.

Even though I know that Goonies game is going to suck…that doesn’t stop me from wanting that 25th Anniversary Edition. The whole package looks too cool.

I guess I’m part of the problem. I know the pack-ins are junk, but the cool factor gets to me.

What are your thoughts on pack-ins? How can we, as consumers, demand better quality pack-ins?

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Ben and Rett sweat it out in the summer heat to cover this week’s news, preview important GenCon releases, discuss why brick and mortar retailers aren’t using the Internet well, and chat with Rob Boyle of Posthuman about the transition from design studio to stand alone business (and get a rundown of their upcoming releases).

Show Links:

Purple Pawn – http://www.purplepawn.com

Posthuman Studios – http://www.eclipsephase.com

Next Show: August 13th, GenCon wrapup.

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Blockers from BriarPatch is a reissued, theme-less version of the already essentially theme-less tile-laying game Uptown. Uptown was originally designed by Kory Heath and published by FRED Distribution.

Interestingly, Blockers was trademarked by FRED, and its used by permission by BriarPatch. Which leads me to believe that FRED did the un-theming and then pass it on to BriarPatch be published.

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Claredon, Jamaica: One man killed in an armed robbery of a Dominoes game. (source)

Memphis, TN: Shooting (no one hit) and a gun butt at a dice game. (source)

Shanghai, China: Couple try to break up neighboring Mahjong club by breaking hot water bottles (injuring themselves in the process, and then demanding that the club pay for their medical bills) and then pouring gas on themselves and – unsuccessfully – trying to set themselves and the house on fire. (source)

Edmonton, Canada: One man stabs another several times with scissors after a game of Mahjong. (source)

Queens, NY: One elderly man bites off the tip of the thumb of another elderly man in an argument over the game of Go. (source)

Lanarkshire, Scotland: Man stabs himself, stabs his father, and stabs his step-mother to death (not in that order) after his step-mother plays board games with his father. (source)

Salem. MA: Man assaults another with a knife after losing money he “jokingly” bet in a card game in his house. (source)

Los Angeles, CA: City police attempt to crack down on three-card monty dealers. (source)

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Fancy Nancy is a children’s book series written by Jane O’Connor and illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. Licensed games are by University Games (including its subsidiary Colorforms) and BriarPatch.

University Games’ offerings include:

• Fancy Nancy Big Easy Colorforms Game: Despite the over-sized floor mat game board, this game is not recommended due to the awkward components.
• Fancy Nancy Tea Party: Spin the spinner, collect items for a tea party.
• Fancy Nancy Dress-Up: Promoted as a “role play” game, actually you spin the spinner to collect clothes for your dolls
• Fancy Nancy’s Double Dress Up Game Tin: No idea.

BriarPatch’s offerings include:

• Fancy Nancy Acting Fancy: An acting game. One of BriarPatch’s new “Games to Go” series.
• Fancy Nancy Flip Five: A memory game with set collection.
• Fancy Nancy Going Places: Spin the spinner, move, and collect the items.
• Fancy Nancy Hide ‘n Peek: Another memory game. Pick a card and find the item in the 3D house.
• Fancy Nancy Posh Bedroom: Another set collection game with dice rolling, but also some “take that” mechanics.
• Fancy Nancy Positively Perfect Parfait: Spin the spinner, collect parts of your ice cream sundae.
• Fancy Nancy Card Game: This might be the same as, or similar to, the University card game tin. Pass cards until you collect an entire set of accessories.

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Jerusalem, designed by Michele Mura and published by Abacus Spiele (and ElfinWerks), is a medium-length auction/area control Eurogame, though the box makes it look something like a wargame. I can also assure you that it is not the first game themed about Jerusalem.

Full rules available in several languages here.

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Ever since 9th level (in 1983), I’ve been wanting to build that keep. Now I can do it without spending a fortune in gold pieces.

Winterhawk Watchtower is the first in a series of component models for the paper miniature Castle Winterhawk. As we’ve come to expect from Fat Dragon Games, the electronic download includes more than just a basic pattern. There are options for different window styles, options for snow or ivy-covered walls, options for plain or grid-marked floors, options for walls that are 3D thick or 2D fast-build style, and options for adding floors.

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Up for a little extra chaos in your multiplayer Magic game? This weekend Wizards of the Coast invites players to participate in a Twitter-based shared experience. From the first moment of July 31st at the International Date Line, until the last of August 1, Wizards will tweet a new rule or effect every few minutes. Get together any time with Planeswalkers decks, align with one of the five teams (Ajani, Jace, Liliana, Chandra, or Garruk), and follow @TweetMTG for the specifics. Some tweets will benefit or affect only specific teams, while others may throw a wrench in to everybody’s works.

No tournament, just some random fun.

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A sneak peak from the publisher, USAopoly, at upcoming games with The Muppets themes:

I love the Muppets.

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