German games

The style of game I most prefer playing, and hence the style I tend to in my design, is know as the German-style board game. These games are not all designed by Germans, but games of this style all share certain similar characteristics. We will generally see games of 3-5 players, where players are never eliminated from the game. There is often a high degree of player interaction, and turns are generally short, to maintain interest amongst all participants. The games often have simple rules, but deep strategy. Luck is an element, but it is not an over-riding factor. There is more than one viable strategy to win by, and no strategy is so powerful it cannot be trumped by another.

The combination of these elements leads to fun and engaging games, that are playable by the whole family, where they retain enough interest to the adults to be a challenging game when played only amongst the grown-ups. The newest of these games that has gained large popularity is Caylus, which I really want to play, but have not yet had the chance to do so. As soon as it becomes available from my local game shop, I intend to purchase a copy, and I shall let everyone know my thoughts on the game.

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