Goa

Date: 18-07-2010

Venue: Mage Cafe

Description: To kick off our gaming session, "Goa" hits the table! We played a 2 games of 3 players game with a newbie - Phang. I explained the rules to him in 10 minutes and the game starts. I lose in the first game becos I was outbid most of the time during the tiles auction round, lose all the Additional Action Cards is one of the reason I lose. In the end, Phang won his very first try of "Goa". Second game started after our 5 minutes cigarettes break, again, this is a 3 players game too. This time I've won 2 red tiles during the tiles auction round which provide me 4 Ducats (currency) & 1 ship each turn and I draw a lot of Expedition Cards too. In the end, I won for the first time! With 52 points! That's a record, I'd never seen anyone won "Goa" with 52 points in all my previous plays.

Results:

1st game: Phang (green/winner) - 34 pts, me (yellow) - 32 pts & ET (blue) - 30 pts

2nd game: Me (yellow/winner) - 52 pts, ET (blue) - 33 pts & Phang (green) - 28 pts

First game started to kick off our gaming session.

Phang's playing area at the end game of our 2nd game.

ET's playing area at the end game of our 2nd game.

My playing area at the end game of our 2nd game, with 52 points!

Goa

Date: 09-07-2010

Venue: Mage Cafe

Description: Ryan (shop owner) join us (Jeremy, Max & me) for a 4 players "Goa" game, a strategy gameplay with moderate/low luck based board game. Ryan, Max & me played this before, so we teach Jeremy how to play this. This is a easy to teach game, new player (casual gamer) will pick it up within 10-15 minutes. This time I tried to play with a different strategy that different from my previous game and I've failed in the end. I can't balance out all the resources I needed and I've failed the last round auction phase which Max got all 4 Additional Action Cards, and that was big, extra 4 actions to spend. I kept all my Ducats (currency) to try to win the 3 VPs bonus (the player with the most money in the end game), I should have spend it all to outbid Max for those Additional Action Cards, which can let me do some more Development upgrades and Expedition Cards collection.

End game scores: Ryan (Green) - 48 pts, Max (Blue) - 35 pts, me (Red) - 30 pts & Jeremy (Yellow) - 25 pts

The board during mid game.

Jeremy's play area, with a 3 VPs Mission Tile and a 4 VPs tile (if he manage to discard 6 spices before the game end).

Max's play area with a lot of development upgraded.

Ryan's play area on the far side.

My play area which I managed to colonized all 4 colonies and only with 1 development that is upgraded to the maximum.

Goa

Date: 04-07-2010

Venue: Mage Cafe

Description: We played the game for second time and this time played it right except one rule was played wrong (again?!), we didn't distribute 1 colonist card to the player who failed to colonize a new land. Most of that we done right. Arthur left for a dinner, ET don't want another round and Max join us for a 3 players game. Tiles Auctions happened this time and it was quite cut-throat and fun to do that. Again, this game finish within 90 minutes and it was fun all the way. It was a close game, only 2 points separate the players end game scores standings. This is a easy game to teach to new players if they are a casual gamers. They can't pick it up real soon if they concentrate on what's going on around. There were too many things happening in the game, non-gamers will surely having headache when they first attempt to try this. I quite like this game 'cos its strategic gameplay and low luck element. Randomness of the tiles placement and Expeditions card draw don't really affect the gameplay, you have to manage all resources and crisis well, keep all in balance and you will not stuck in the last place.

End game scores: Ryan (winner) - 40pts , me - 38 pts & Max - 36 pts

Max pick it up very fast after the second phase of the game, when "B" tiles are played.

Flag & Tiles Auctions happening.

My plantations and colonies board.

My developments board in the mid game.

Goa

Date: 04-07-2010

Venue: Mage Cafe

Description: Ryan (shop owner) ask us to try this game, Rudiger Dorn's "Goa". He played it few years ago and can't recall how the game works out. He ask me to help him read through the rules and play the game with him. I roughly read it through in 20 minutes and get the basics and starts the game with 4 players. "Goa" is a game that merge mechanics very well like Auction and Resource Management. It's not that heavy but hard to pick up at first, but after a few rounds or a game, you'll started to know what's going on. After I roughly finish the rules, I thought it is going to be a boring game since the theme is just "meh", but in the end it turns out quite fun and strategic. We finish this first game within 100 minutes and we played it WRONG! Hell yes! We miss the Tile Auction part. We thought it was just simply place the number tokens and claim it. Nevermind, we've done it right in the next game.

End game scores: Ryan (winner) - 46 pts, Arthur - 42 pts, ET - 38 pts & me - 26 pts

"Goa" main board, where all the tiles and cards are placed. Player interactions only happened here.

Closer look of some cards. From top and left: Additional Action card deck, 1 & 3 Colonist(s) card deck, 1 & 3 Ship(s) card deck, draw & discard Expedition card deck.

Player's development sheet, one of the an important part of the game. Player must keep an eye on it all the time to maintain the balance of all, money, resources, colonists, ships and etc.

Player's Plantations & Colonies sheet, again this is important too. Player must keep an eye on it all the time to maintain the balance of all, money, resources, colonists, ships and etc.

Blue player's playing area.