For Sale: A Fast, Tiny Auction Game

I have to admit that when I first saw the components for For Sale, I was mostly underwhelmed. Nothing jumped out at me. The artwork seemed plain and a little outdated. House cards with numbers on them? Boring!

Boy, was I in for a surprise…

Camel Up: I’ll Bet You This Will Be a Winner!

Anyone’s who seriously into the hobby knows that winning the Spiel des Jahres (German for Game of the Year) is a big deal for game designers. While researching potential games to play with my younger ESL students, I discovered that Camel Up won the award in 2014. At first look, the theme seemed a little far-fetched. Betting on racing camels? I was unconvinced.

And then I tried it.

Star Realms: A Fast 2-Player Deck Building Game

Thanks to my experience with Dominion, I was already familiar with the deck-building mechanic before being introduced to Star Realms. I knew there was going to be a lot of card buying and shuffling. What I didn’t know was whether or not I would actually enjoy the game.