Now only four sessions remain and can David hold on to the coveted top spot and prise the Bernard Cup from Steve S.

Also, speaking of changing hands, the games shop we occasionally visit in Aldershot with the catchy and very interesting name (The Games Shop) has also changed hands. Amazing to think that apart from a few games in the ‘War Games Heaven’ shop in Brighton, this is the closest proper games shop to Worthing. The new guy who owns it must know that he’s sat on a goldmine – anyhow best of luck to him. Now did we get around to talking about a discount for the next time we visit, hmmmmm sadly not!!!!!

Finally, while we’re talking about change remember that our ‘Theme Thursday’ has now a permanent ‘You Should Have Been Gaming Two Days Ago’ Theme. Yes, we have moved Theme Thursday (from the 3rd Thursday of the month to the 3rd Tuesday) to Tuesday nights as they seem to be better for everyone.

CHANGE CHANGE, CHANGE CHANGE CHANGE…

If you haven’t played the game yet, you should give it a look as instead of the player competing against each other you compete as a multi-skilled team against the game rules of the virus. This might sound easy, but as those who have given it a go will well know (and believe me it is humiliating to be beaten by a board game!) it can be quite difficult to win.

Given that this is my only experience of containing a global outbreak of a virus (!) I was expecting Swine Flu to immediately take hold and spread exponentially (as does the virus in the game). Now,don’t get me wrong I am very happy that the significant threat hasn’t really surfaced (as yet!). Perhaps the virus may re-assert itself after summer and let’s hope that it doesn’t – in the meantime, have a look at this game and test out your virus containment skills!

• Short Games: (<20mins) 2 points first place, 1 point for taking part
• Longer Games: (<2hours) 5 points 1st place, 4 for 2nd, 3 for 3rd and 2 for taking part
• Mammoth Games: (> 2hours) double longer game points
• Games With Only One Winner (ie no second or third place): First place points for winner, all other players get half winners points – rounded up (if necessary).

OK – you got that, it’s a shame it isn’t simpler.

The key thing is that the format of the league table will now change so as to not confuse with so many columns as you can imagine to incorporate this into a broken down league it just would get ridiculous. So the new table will show just the number of games played and the total points. This will enable those in the know can still work out that very important statistic (total points)/(number of games played) to work out who really is the best!

Take for example, the Mousetrap game. I still consider this game my best Christmas present of all time (bought by my grandparents for a very grateful 8 year old who had been wetting himself with excitement for what felt like months!). I loved the way you built the mouse trap while navigating the board, the wobbly man on the diving board and the ball set to roll down the staircase, great stuff. I’m sure I’m not the only person who set off the trap by accident while playing the game! You can still buy this game today and it still looks much the same today as it did 30 years ago. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mouse_Trap_(board_game))

Microdot was a Parker game from 1975 which involved your agent completing a mission to bring a diplomatic bag from enemy territory and to reveal a code which was made up of small letters on the game cards only readable with a magnifying glass (although most people could read them without!). I remember the plastic revolver and the wire clippers, which if I remember correctly were used to cut yourself out of a prison camp but I had more fun shooting my brother with the revolver! A great game which was played many times. (Check the link on the geek http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/9415)

Also there was another game I was particularly fond of. It was a two player tank battle game and it was played on (what felt like) a huge battlefield board with holes which tanks sat on and plastic plungers (which were operated with strings which when you pulled them in the right way used to send the plungers upwards causing your opponents tanks to shoot up into the air). I think it was called ‘Tank Commander’ – but I can’t find reference to it on the internet at all . I used to love this game but always got beaten by my older brother – but still regardless I plugged away.
Great games, great memories…!

If I’m not too serious about gaming then what are the board gaming things on my mind right now:

1. I must write a review of High Society the card game. Absolutely cracking… one of the best filler games played in a long time.

2. How should the league be scored next year so that  we are more encouraged to play the longer games? At the moment our scoring system gives too much emphasis on the number of short games played not on winning a monster 2-3 hour game.

3. I need to play test two sports games that I have created – both look very good games on paper, one a football game built to give the experience of wheeler dealing in the transfer market, the other a racing game which is faster than falling eagle poo for up to 16 players!

4. Coming soon to Underground Gamers, a board game swap facility. Think of Saturday Swapshop but for board games. Are you a little bored of a game then swap with someone for another game. Simple!

4. Why is it that more men than women want to join in and play games?

Given that the ratio of men to women in our group is roughly 6 to 1 then I would think that any women short of a Valentine’s Day date should get themselves down to their local board gaming group pronto. Even though there are many of us who are attached (myself included), a good 3 or 4 out of our regular attendees are single men and they are better looking than a pork scratching and bright enough to play games (but alas not clever enough to be leading our league table!). So ladies, get yer arses down to gaming to find your (nearly!) perfect St Valentine’s Day date rather than moaning that you’ve not got anyone to go out with. Simple really, just that if you’re not already with us you mustn’t be thinking straight….!

I remember in September I started a discussion on what makes a perfect game (link), I must go back and emphasise the joy of seeing your enemies suffer at your hands and how this is an intensely enjoyable experience. This makes playing these games great fun – particularly Mag-blast where losing is so very, very (very!) painful. In some strange way you become attached to your fleet and, as one by one, your ships are obliterated you feel the blood slowly draining from your face…. You might be able to tell that I won this game of Mag-blast (which for me is a real rarity).

I think we need to run the War and Fighting theme more often – 5 star fun….. Hopefully the February ‘Sports Theme’ Thursday will bring as much fun (but I doubt it!)

Happy New Year to all our regular readers by the way and may you draw the cards you need and roll high or low depending on what works best for your gaming strategy during 2009…….

Underground Gamers Member of the Year 2008:
Bernard Bruno, who sadly died on the 2nd of November (rest in peace). The man who liked a simple game and had a mighty collection of games (collected twice over due to an unfortunate incident in Suffolk, if I remember correctly). He will be remembered not just for introducing us to Ave Ceasar but for his real love of gaming and of good games. As a sign of our respect and gratitude the small (but perfectly formed Underground Gamers League Trophy) will be called the Bernard Cup forevermore in his honour.

Incurable Illness of the Year 2008:
Scott, our super organised league scorer who has been absent for much of the second half of 2008 with his highly stressed stomach and bottom bits. May God or science find a cure so that he can return to bring some order to our league scoring again!

Beechwood Hall Drink of the Year 2008:
The hand pumped Abbot Ale along with a packet of pork scratchings was an excellent combination. It didn’t matter if I might have been getting beat at Ticket to Ride as my palette was happy – a special treat!

Website Contributor of the Year 2008:
Colin Bolton, for the awsome mole pictures from the April outting to Aldershot and for his tenacious aquisition and review of Monty Python Fluxx.

Underground Gamers Comedy Moment of the Year 2008:
After much debate the award goes to Alice Amanda way back when in early 2008, Steve Sopp was talking about his old job in the rubber factory. Alice Amanda then very loudly, in front of a blushing main man from the Brighton Board Game group, announced that she preferred wearing tight latex to rubber (I’m not really sure what the difference is myself). The Abbot Ale was spat out by the half pint at this!
Alice Amanda, we salute you!

Games Producer of the Year 2008:
Looney Labs, for the production of the awesome Monty Python Fluxx – you have given the Worthing gaming community and indeed the British ‘Python’ loving gamers much to cheer.

Card Game of the Year 2008:
It was a close run thing with Coloretto pipped to second place, but Monty Python Fluxx just made it to line first (for obvious reasons in the next award). See the review of the fabulous Monty Python Fluxx here.

Board Game of the Year 2008:
After much merriment and evil truck loading, Zooloretto wins the coveted prize with a roar (and an eek eek eek!). Don’t be fooled by it’s cuteness it’s a crackingly cunning game. Even though it was released in 2007 – it has only really been making a genuine impact on our group over the last few months. See our review here.

Finally, many thanks to our readers, supporters and contributors from around the globe and also to those closer to home who have contributed to the website over the last year. Underground Gamers which you all a Happy, Peaceful and Merry Christmas and may the dice roll in your favour (except when you are playing against us!) throughout the entirety of 2009.