We're spending our Christmas holidays in Newfoundland this year! Between the family hangouts, insane amounts of delicious food and drink, and watching movies on the VCR, we managed to learn some new board games!
Working together to win Pandemic
We arrived in St. John's early on the morning of Christmas Eve to snow-covered trees in all directions. On Christmas Eve, we enjoyed the snowy landscape, however...
... our dreams of Luke's first White Christmas were dashed when the rain came on Christmas morning - but at least there was still a little bit of snow to be seen!
Our Newfoundland Christmas has been great so far and we have been busy relaxing and enjoying our time off. We've also managed to squeeze in a dinner theatre, a curling game, an Escape Room, visiting seals, and plenty of Star Wars viewing time.
For our Something Saturday this week, we decided to tackle the little mountain of unplayed board games residing at Elizabeth's parents' house. They've received a lot of board games for Christmas in past years so we - more or less - boycotted giving board games this year, and we wanted to tackle some of the ones that we had yet to try!
Our Newfoundland Christmas has been great so far and we have been busy relaxing and enjoying our time off. We've also managed to squeeze in a dinner theatre, a curling game, an Escape Room, visiting seals, and plenty of Star Wars viewing time.
For our Something Saturday this week, we decided to tackle the little mountain of unplayed board games residing at Elizabeth's parents' house. They've received a lot of board games for Christmas in past years so we - more or less - boycotted giving board games this year, and we wanted to tackle some of the ones that we had yet to try!
Elizabeth's family loves playing board games but sometimes lapses into sticking to old favourites (like Ticket to Ride, 7 Wonders, and Settlers of Catan) instead of trying something new, so we knew we had to expand our horizons this Christmas. First up was Pandemic.
Pandemic is unlike any game any of us had played before - it's a cooperative game, rather than competitive, meaning that all of the players work together to collectively beat the game instead of each other. The premise is that four diseases have developed in four regions around the world and it's up to the players, who all have different epidemic-fighting specialities, to work together to find the cures to the diseases to save the world!
It sounds hardcore, and it kind of is, but overall we really enjoyed the game! Although it is a cooperative game so make sure you're playing with people who know how to work together well (and diplomatically)!
Pandemic is unlike any game any of us had played before - it's a cooperative game, rather than competitive, meaning that all of the players work together to collectively beat the game instead of each other. The premise is that four diseases have developed in four regions around the world and it's up to the players, who all have different epidemic-fighting specialities, to work together to find the cures to the diseases to save the world!
It sounds hardcore, and it kind of is, but overall we really enjoyed the game! Although it is a cooperative game so make sure you're playing with people who know how to work together well (and diplomatically)!
It took us all evening to get a hang of the game, so the next game we tried was the next morning when we learned Scopa - one of the two major national card games in Italy.
The rules were fairly straightforward and we enjoyed it, but after playing Pandemic and other board games that are very strategy-heavy, we found it to be too luck-based. There is definitely a time and place for this fun card game, however.
The rules were fairly straightforward and we enjoyed it, but after playing Pandemic and other board games that are very strategy-heavy, we found it to be too luck-based. There is definitely a time and place for this fun card game, however.
The final game we attempted to learn this Christmas was Dominion, a victory point collecting, deck building, card game. Unfortunately, after unpacking and sorting 500 cards(!), we weren't in the mood for learning another game. Oh well, another time! Maybe...
Some other games we played this holiday season include Left Right Centre, Samsung Gear VR, Tabletop Curling, and You Don't Know Jack.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Dawe clan! Here are a few select photos from our holiday so far:
Some other games we played this holiday season include Left Right Centre, Samsung Gear VR, Tabletop Curling, and You Don't Know Jack.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Dawe clan! Here are a few select photos from our holiday so far:
(SLIDESHOW)
AND - Elizabeth finally finished writing our Newfoundland Travel Guide - so check it out!
Curious what we were doing at the end of 2014 and 2013? We were in the UK, of course! In 2014, we stayed in the picturesque Cotwolds and explored Greenwich during the last week of the year, and in 2013 we hung out in London before flying back to Newfoundland on New Year's Eve.
Curious what we were doing at the end of 2014 and 2013? We were in the UK, of course! In 2014, we stayed in the picturesque Cotwolds and explored Greenwich during the last week of the year, and in 2013 we hung out in London before flying back to Newfoundland on New Year's Eve.
