Auctions: Bidding on Fun, Part Two

Knucklebones: March, 2007This is a reprint of an article written in October, 2006 for first publication in the March, 2007 issue of the now-defunct Knucklebones magazine. Because of its origins, this article is more introductory and (hopefully) more polished than many of my online writings. Despite the original source of this article, this blog is in no way associated with Jones Publishing or Knucklebones Magazine.

This article continues on from Part One, which discussed the various types of auctions found in games. This second Part highlights eight of the best auction games that were available for purchase in late 2006.


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Auctions: Bidding on Fun, Part One

Knucklebones: March, 2007This is a reprint of an article written in October, 2006 for first publication in the March, 2007 issue of the now-defunct Knucklebones magazine. Because of its origins, this article is more introductory and (hopefully) more polished than many of my online writings. Despite the original source of this article, this blog is in no way associated with Jones Publishing or Knucklebones Magazine.


“And what I am bid for this fine replica Napoleonic sword? 5? 5? I have 5. 10? Do I hear 10? 10. 15? 15 to the lady in red. 20? Do I hear 20? How about 25?I have two 25s!”

Auctions are an element of modern life, from the cheap knockoffs being sold en masse at your local flea market, to the sale of Picasso’s “Dora Maar with Cat” last year, auctioned by Sotheby’s for $95 million. The ever-popular eBay is an auction service as are the zShops at Amazon, which jointly lower their prices until they find a sale point.

The point of an auction is simple: to allow multiple buyers to compete fairly for the purchase of a limited good — or alternatively to allow multiple sellers to compete fairly for a sale to limited purchasers. Auctions quickly achieve balance in a world of unequal supply and demand.

Because of the innate competition that they embody, auctions are also great systems to include in games. A few American classics feature them, but they’ve become even more popular among modern designer games.

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Games to Watch For: Essen ’06

For the last year I’ve listed what I think will be the most interesting and exciting games coming out of the major game shows. You can find my previous discussions here: Essen ’05 PreviewEssen ’05 Follow-up #1Essen’05 Follow-up #2; and Nurnberg ’06 Preview.

This last year I’ve gotten a little bit discouraged on the topic because I’ve had a lot of trouble actually getting to play last Nurnberg’s games. (I’ve played about half of the ones I noted thus far, and a few of the remainder like Leonardo da VinciGloria Mundi, and Augsburg 1520 either just appeared in the last few weeks or else still aren’t out.)

I considered just dropping this feature this year, but have instead decided to cut it back. So, I’m listing the five games that really caught my eye from this year’s Essen. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a big fan of sequels, and that’s primarily because I think those games have a much better chance of success, because the old game is well-known and loved. Thus, games of that sort have a notable presence in my listing. But I’ve also tried to figure out a few brand new games to watch for from this year’s Essen.

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Mathematics & Game Design, Part One

I’ve written more than once that I don’t like game designs that require me to do math. More specifically I’m talking about games like SantiagoPower Grid, and several others which have a strong mathematical basis and a strong ability to analyze that math during game play.

You see, I think games should be entertaining: it’s why I play them — to enjoy myself and to have fun. And, I don’t have a lot of fun when I sitting around adding, multiplying, and dividing (except, perhaps, in the case of a game of Primordial Soup).

Worse, I increasingly think that games which have a strong mathematical component have a core flaw in them related to victory. This flaw comes about because there are generally three types of players who might be playing these games: Continue reading