Press Release

November, 2008

Carcassonne Explores 'New World' American-Themed New Game

Rio Grande Games' New World: A Carcassonne Game takes several familiar elements from the original Carcassonne game and sets them in a simulation of the early American frontier, as opposed to the French countryside of the original game. New World: A Carcassonne Game will be on store shelves late September/early October, with an MSRP of $29.99.

Play starts on a game board with a scoring track and several pre-existing spaces, with players expanding the map westward by playing tiles and playing their settlers on those tiles. As in the original game, settlers accumulate points by claiming roads, towns, and other terrain features. New World also introduces explorers, belonging to no player, who move westward each turn and give opportunities to collect bonus points.

March, 2008

RGG A01 Airships $39.95

These airships are majestic as they rise to the heavens. It took a long time before the work on these giants could begin. Engineers had to be employed, a hangar built, materials procured and sponsors found. At last the day has arrived and a giant airship starts its maiden flight towards the horizon. In this exciting game the players use their skill to try to expand their own companies. In the end they will have created an impressive fleet of airships

RGG A02 Eketorp $59.95

The Viking fortress Eketorp on the north side of the Baltic Sea island Øland needs reinforcing against enemy attacks. The Viking chiefs send out their men to bring back the necessary construction materials for the fort. But supplies are rare and battles must be fought to gain them. Even the most daring Vikings often return empty-handed and need to have their wounds attended to.

RGG 355 Fruttirelli $44.95

The eager parent animals are looking for food. Who will help the hedgehog, the hare, the squirrel and the badger to take all the tidbits to their families? There are enough apples, mushrooms and berries for everyone, but the food is scattered far and wide and must be collected first. Watch out, be careful of the trees! Who keeps putting them in the way? Do not be put off; with a little bit of skill, you will manage to overcome all the obstacles. The player who is back with his or her family first and brings sufficient provisions for everyone is the winner. Let's get going!

RGG 356 Thurn & Taxis All Roads Lead to Rome Expansion $24.95

This second expansion for Thurn and Taxis is actually two in one!

In Audience, each player sends 5 clergyman to attend an audience with the Pope in Rome. The players endeavor to make certain the carriages with the clergyman arrive, but not too early! A player who arranges for his cardinal to arrive at just the right time will score more points than the player who manages the same with a simple priest. In Offices of Honor, the players try to use the office holders as evenly as possible, in order to receive different office tiles. The more different tiles a player can return at one time, the greater benefits he receives. All Roads lead to Rome contains two expansions. Whether you play Audience or Offices of Honor or both together with Thurn and Taxis, they will take you and the game to a new dimension.

RGG 359 Mago Magino $44.95

Oh no! The wicked witch has taken the magic crystal from Mago Magino deep into the dark forest and has broken it into tiny pieces. What can the magician do now? Don't worry! The children will help him to get all the pieces back. Just three pieces are enough to make the magic of the crystal will work again. The children must be very careful on their journey because the wicked witch is lying in wait to bewitch them into frogs. Only Mago Magino can free them from the wicked spell…

RGG 360 Aquaretto $44.95

Each player is the owner of a water zoo. Each player tries to lure as many visitors as possible into his water zoo and earns points for the visitors that visit his zoo. To create a zoo that people want to visit, a player must collect animals. When a player's water zoo is successful, he may want to expand it. When a player's animal basins are full, he must place additional animals into his depot, which loses him points at game end. When a player makes skillful use of his coworkers, he can gain additional points. The player with most points wins.

RGG 361 Stone Age $39.95

The times were hard indeed. Our ancestors worked with their legs and backs straining against wooden plows in the stony earth. Of course, progress did not stop with the wooden plow. People always searched for better tools and more productive plants to make their work more effective.

In Stone Age, the players live in this time, just as our ancestors did. They collect wood, break stone and wash their gold from the river. They trade freely, expand their village, and so achieve new levels of civilization. That is exciting and interesting. With a balance of luck and planning, the players compete for food in this pre-historic time. Risk and grow as your ancestors did. Only then the victory ring sings to you.

RGG 362 The Hanging Gardens $39.95

The hanging gardens were one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world, as all history courses teach. But, did they actually exist? Nothing remains of their reported splendor, which was built for the eyes of Amyitis. Without an exact reference to follow, the 2-4 players will re-establish the hanging gardens according to their own tastes. Card follows card with magnificent buildings, sparkling fountains, and exotic plants as the players work to rebuild the legendary gardens. In the end, the queen will be pleased and rewards the victory palm to the player whose work on the gardens most impresses her highness.

RGG 363 Race for the Galaxy The Gathering Storm Expansion $24.95

This first expansion for Race for the Galaxy adds cards, a 5th player, and other ways to expand your universe.

RGG 364 Metropolys $49.95

The awe-inspiring Metropolys is in effervescence! Talented Urban planners and architects rival each other to make luxury, elegant buildings of glass and steel defying the laws of balance grow from the ground. Who will eventually impose their style to leave an indelible trail in the history of the city? The answer is in your hands! The players are urban planners in quest of prestige. Over the course of the game, they try to construct their buildings in the best places. As soon as a player has placed all of their buildings, the game ends. The player with the most prestige is the winner.

RGG 365 Change Horses $49.95

Do you have trouble winning at racing games? Well, this game is for the losers out there. Yes, to "win" the game, you have to pick the horse which comes in last. Sounds simple, but, of course, the other players are trying to lose as well.

June, 2007

084 Jenseits von Theben $49.95

In this game, the players travel back to the end of the 19th century to take on the roles of the famous archaeologists who discovered so much in so short a time. The names Schliemann, Evans, Carter, and Koldeway are still famous today. Like those they seek to emulate, the players seek to discover those antique treasures and places which have been buried in the sands for thousands of years.

Each player take the role of an archaeologist. They first travel across Europe to find useful knowledge of different archaeological areas and then they excavate at places they expect to find treasures. The players score points for discoveries at these locations. Also, the players can acquire articles to assist them in excavation and travel, and will visit exhibitions to present their finds.

The player with most points wins the game.

085 Catch a Cache $34.95

It is early morning at the fish market and it is already alive with fish-mongers pushing their fishy products. The fish-mongers loudly praise their fresh fish as they try to attract as many of the numerous customers as possible.

"This is your lucky day! It is good that you have come by, for I can offer you 2 flounder and 1 shark for just € 10!" But only the fastest players will get the best deals, but move too fast and you may pay too much.

Actually, the players are both the sellers and the buyers. As you might expect, looking as sellers to get the highest prices and as buyers the lowest.

The player who earns the most money wins the game.

315 Notre Dame $39.95

The players take on the roles of the heads of influential families in Paris at the end of the 14th century. In the shadow of the Notre Dame cathedral, the players compete for prosperity and reputation. Each family controls one of the 3 -5 boroughs that surround the site of Notre Dame. As head of his family, each player tries, through clever use of his action cards, to advance the power and prestige of his family, but penalties are assessed those who do not take care of the health of the people who live in their borough. The player with the most prestige at the end is the winner.

316 Ponte del Diavolo $24.95

With "Ponte del Diavolo" Martin Ebel honors Alex Randolph's most famous game "Twixt" by bringing new elements to this excellent game. In this game, the players build stone bridges over the many canals of Venice. Players score for each successful bridging and for each connected island. Alternative move options and modified target conditions give "Ponte del Diavolo" its own character, which serves only to remind us more of "Twixt".

320 Zooloretto $39.95

Each player uses small, large, wild and exotic animals and their young to try and attract as many visitors as possible to their zoo. But be careful - the zoo must be carefully planned. Before you know it, you have too many animals and no more room for them. That brings minus points! Luckily, your zoo can expand.

A zoo of a family game in which less is sometimes more ...

Rio Grande Plans Expansions Plus New Stand-Alones

Rio Grande Games has fall expansions planned for its Power Grid, Medici, and Cartagena games, plus several new stand-alone games. All the following games are scheduled for U.S. release by November.

Power Grid: Benelux/Central Europe, designed by Friedemann Friese, is for two to six players ages 12 and up. It plays in 90-120 minutes and will retail for $14.95. This is an expansion pack for Power Grid and requires the original game. This time around players can choose to build their network of power lines and stations in either Benelux or Central Europe. Slight rule changes exist to reflect the different power cultures in their regions. A two-sided board depicts the two regions.

Medici vs. Strozzi, by Reiner Knizia, is a two-player game for players ages 10 and up. It plays in 30-45 minutes and will retail for $22.95. This condensed version of the Medici rules is designed for two players instead of six players. The mastery of markets and sailing present in the original Medici will be in this incarnation as well.

Cartagena II, a sequel to Cartagena, is by Leo Colovini. It's for two to five players ages eight and up. It plays in 30-45 minutes and will retail for $27.95. The first Cartagena depicted a band of pirates who escape from prison. The sequel directly follows by focusing on what the pirates will do now that they've escaped.

Rio Grande also has a number of stand-alone games scheduled for Q4.

Imperial, at $59.95, is the biggest box of the lot. Created by Mac Gerts, it's for two to six players ages 12 and up. It plays in 90-120 minutes. Players act as investors in nations during the Age of Imperialism. With their money they can impose financial influence on the imperial nations of Great Britain, Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, Italy and France.

On the Underground, by Sebastian Bleasdale, will retail for $39.95. It's for two to five players ages 12 and up, and plays in 90 minutes. Players focus on creating a successful underground line. The one that makes the most rail connections and balances the demands of passengers will win.

If Wishes were Fishes, suggested retail $29.95, is by Peter Sarrett & Michael Adams. It's for two to five players, ages 10 and up. It plays in 45-60 minutes. Fishermen must decide if the wishes their caught fish grant them outweigh their fair market value. A surprising amount of strategy will play into this game.

Rio Grande Games has announced the October release of Carcassonne: The River II, a new version of the small Carcassonne: The River Expansion. The new version includes some tiles from other Carcassonne expansions -- such as an Inn on the Lake from Inns and Cathedrals and a pig-painted piece from Traders & Builders. Designed by Rudolph Ross, Carcassonne: The River II adds 12 new tiles and it differs from the original The River expansion primarily because its tiles are designed to work with tiles from other Carcassonne expansions.

Carcassonne: The River II is an expansion for Klaus-Jurgen Wrede's popular Carcassonne boardgame originally published in German by Hans im Gluck. Designed for 2-6 players, it takes about 45 minutes to play.

Goldbrau: Seehausen am See. In these three weeks, the breweries and beer gardens in the village make more money than during the rest of the year. Players rush to Seehausen am See to invest in the businesses, with an eye toward the large profits that come during the festival. In the end, it is not the size of the beer gardens or who is in charge, but the amount of money in the players' pockets.

Jambo! Jambo is the friendly greeting Suaheli traders offered their customers in Central Africa before colonization. The players are traders in this day, competing to be the first to earn 60 gold by selling tea, hide, fruits, salt, silk, and trinket. A two player game for enterprising traders.

THE BUCKET KING: It's bucket cleaning on the farm and the children and animals are making a game of it. The children build pyramids with the clean buckets while the animals rush from pyramid to pyramid, trying to knock down the buckets. Build the strongest pyramid and knock down your opponents buckets to be crowned Bucket King! For 3-6 players ages 8 and up.

HELLAS: In the land of ancient Greece, called Hellas, the people waged power struggles for control of the many valuable islands. In these battles with sail and sword, the combatants venture forth to discover new islands to fight over, seeking favor from the Gods to aid them. A 2-player board game for players ages 12 and up.

Odin's Ravens: Each morning, Odin, the father of the Gods, sends his two ravens, Hugin and Mugin, out into the world to watch over the land. Players appropriate flight cards to help the feathered spies along their way over the various lands of the northern hemisphere. With skillful play, luck, and a little help from Odin himself, your raven will win the race! A 2-player board game for players ages 10 and up.

Sold! The Antique Dealer Game: Stake out the Auction House! Raid opponent's shops! Haggle for bargains at the Flea Market! It takes a shrewd negotiator to acquire the finest collection showcasing the rarest specimens, but beware of Forgeries! Knowing when to sell and when to buy can make or break you in this thrilling game of high-stakes wheeling & dealing for 2-6 players, ages 12 and up.

Time's Up: Racing through the Deck of Fame, your team competes in 3 hilarious rounds to collect the most celebrities. Time is ticking and you're scrambling to get your partner to identify the name on your card in classic "charade" fashion in this fast-paced, multi-award winning game of multiple personalities for 4 or more players, ages 12 and up.

Tin Soldiers: It's chaos in the kitchen and the cans of food are revolting! Spoiled peas think nothing of creaming corn and stewed tomatoes relish in dent-n-run tactics as you chop, peel, and squash your way to victory in this ultimate food fighting game for 3-5 players, ages 10 and up.

Carcassonne Expansion: This expansion for Carcassonne offers new and exciting challenges to gameplay, including "The Cathedral" which triples the value of a city, and "The Inn" which doubles the value of a completed road. Players may also use the new large "follower" to double their chances of controlling a city, road, or field. Also included is material to allow a sixth player to join in the fun, plus 6 point tiles to make scoring easier when players score more than 50 points.

Pizarro & Co: Players take on the role of Kings, actively bidding for the services of the best and most daring explorers. Hire the likes of Magellan, Marco Polo, and Christopher Columbus to explore brave, new worlds and earn prestige, wealth, and fame in your quest for victory points! For 3-6 players, ages 12 +.

Reiner Knizia's Clash Of The Gladiators: Recruit groups of gladiators from a pool of fighters, shield bearers, spear throwers, net casters, and trident carriers, and unleash them into the arena against the ferocious beasts awaiting them, or your opponent's own core of savage combatants. Stand alone atop your vanquished foes to earn supreme victory and fame in this exciting game designed by Reiner Knizia for 2-5 players, ages 10 +.

Reiner Knizia's Dragonland: Game designer Refiner Knizia introduces adventuring in Dragonland, as players guide competing groups of dwarves, elves, humans, and magicians in gathering treasure for the dragons From the mouth of volcanos before they erupt! Using strategy, cunning, and a little luck, each player moves his group of companions from volcano to volcano collecting treasure under the shadow of the Tower of Destiny, which might unleash a terrible fate for any number of companions! For 2-4 players, ages 9+.

Gnumies: Gnumies, alien spacefaring creatures who love to party, try to avoid having certain party-crashers as guests. Getting Families to come gives players extra points, but allowing gate-crashers in, loses points. Of course, certain guests have special powers which can help or hinder players in their search For the best party. For 2-5 players, ages 8 and up.

Gargon: The players portray warlocks competing to capture amulets From the various flying creatures of Fantasy: Fairies, dragons, gargoyles, manticores, pegasi, and phoenixes. Earn the most amulets through cunning and stealthy card play to reign supreme above your fellow warlocs. For 3-5 players, ages 10 and up.

Shark: Cash or crash - that's the world of Shark! Players portray managers of international corporations speculating their own and competitor's stocks in hope of acquiring new subsidiaries, gaining commissions, and investing in different corporations in their bid For big profits. A 2-6 player game for ages 10 and up.

Spies Incorporated: Stealth, cunning, and deception are the trademark skills of a secret spy, as players seek to break into houses, crack safes, steal assignments, and learn the identities of their opponent's secret spy in their quest to score the most points with the powers-that-be. For 2-7 players, ages 8 and up.

Waste The Business Game: Acquire technology, raw materials, and reliable employees while devising efficient waste management as players attempt to cut costs and avoid being penalized in their quest to manufacture their products while maintaining an equal balance between nature and the infringement of technology. For 2-5 players, ages 12 and up.

Yeti Cup: Players devise teams of downhill snowboard racers each competing for the coveted Yeti Cup. Movement is managed by playing cards to move their racers, but beware, for all players also have cards which cause the Yetis, watching From the hills on each side of the race course, to throw snowballs at the racers and knock them out of the race. Avoid the obstacles and cross the finish line to earn your place in the annals of Yeti Cup history! for 3-5 players, ages 8 and up.

Lord of the Rings - the Search: Journey through the Shire and explore Middle Earth, meet companions, confront monsters, and find valuable artifacts as Frodo and Sam search for Mount Doom in their quest to destroy the One Ring in this 2-player game based on the JRR Tolkien epic.

Toscana: This 2-person tile game is a real challenge for the mind, although the rules are extremely simple. It was inspired by the colors of Tuscany: The fields, the roofs of the palaces and the squares. The players try to place their 16 tiles on the board so that they obtain the largest possible zone of connected tiles of their own color. But each one of your own tiles is partly in the color of the opponent. Therefore every move does not change only your situation, but also that of the other player. This results in a challenging and completely novel play sensation.

Meridian: After years of negotiations, Queen Wu Wei has at last decided to let some of the powerful European commercial companies establish garrisoned trading posts in the rich cities of the Southern Archipelago, but only on the condition that they submit to the certain curious rules she has devised. In the game the players personify these companies and compete with each other in setting up garrisons in the most desirable locations of the Archipelago, while at the same time observing the wily queen's rules. Your aim is to take over islands by establishing more garrisons in their cities the your opponents. But watch out! During play garrisons may be forcefully displaced.

Ghost Chase: As you reach the destination of your journey, the shadows of the old Canterville Castle fall threateningly about you. The wise old owl that you have been following turns immediately and disappears back into the forest. Perhaps the old walls and high towers frightened him. Or, perhaps, he is wiser then you and seeks the safety of his home. The light of your flashlight wanders over the ivy covered castle walls to the beckoning open drawbridge leading to the main entrance of the castle. As a swarm of bats flutter frightfully to the open castle door, you notice a small white figure watching you from the entrance. Through the thin white gown it wears the blues ribs of a skeleton shimmer. It has no feet and seems to float over the ground, stirring up a small wind beneath it.

Suddenly the ghost winks at you and slowly disappears. A moment later, the entrance is empty with no trace of the spook. Was the ghost in you imagination? There is only one way to find out. You must enter the castle and search for the ghost! Be careful! You do not know the castle and who knows what tricks the small white apparition has waiting for you inside…

Medina: The year is 1822. After years of being tortured by sun, wind and sand, Medina, the great city at the foot of the Atlas Mountains, looks a bit shabby and needs to be rebuilt. As the players work together to rebuild the majestic palaces and crumbling walls, the cobbles streets once again carry the running feet of small children as their elders stroll through markets filled with exotic goods from all over the world. Thus life returns to the old city, as it again becomes the great city of Medina.

Medina!- a great treat for all. The beautiful components and simple rules belie the interesting strategies the game provides. Players will want to play Medina over and over for the joy of participating in the rebuilding of this beautiful city and for the challenges the games strategies provide.

Babel: Players compete to erect temples on the five building sites displayed using cards accrued and played on their side of the gameboard adjacent to the sites. Representing the various tribes that inhabited the region at the time of Babel, players introduce cards that implement their tribe's unique skills and powers to gain prestige, influence, and property, enhancing their status among the region. Garner the most building points and win! For two players ages 12 and up.

Africa: Daring explorers travel deeper and deeper into darkest Africa in their quest to discover exotic animals, isolated tribes, and treasures beyond their wildest dreams. The explorer with the right combination of wanderlust, a sense of adventure, and tactical play will claim victory, and reap in the rewards that only Africa can provide!

Knights: The players are knights competing to build castles in the kingdom. Players acquire special abilities, build the castles, and win the tournaments by throwing six dice three times to beat the dice combination on cards that represent the castles, tournaments, and special abilities. Players may also attempt to capture cards from other players and players may acquire special cards to protect their cards from capture. The first player to reach one of the three winning conditions is the winner! For 2-6 players, aged 8 and up.

Wyatt Earp: The players are bounty hunters who work cooperatively and competitively to try to capture the most notorious outlaws of the old west. They do this by collecting and playing sets of cards for the various outlaws. At the end of each hand, players collect money for the outlaws that they helped in capturing. The player who has collected the most money in rewards is the winner! For 2-4 players, aged 12 and up.

Mississippi Queen: Vie with other paddle-wheel captains and their "Queens" for the title of Mississippi Queen, the fastest paddle-wheeler on Big Muddy. Since a significant portion of a paddle-wheeler's revenue comes from passengers, the competition is more than just a race. To win, a captain must be the first to dock at the finish and make two passenger stops along the way. Each race is different, as you build the river anew from tiles each game.

Edison & Co: The age of innovation is here. Four innovative designs have been chosen and prototype vehicles have been built for each design. Now, Professor Zacharias must decide which is the best design and the one that Edison & Co will continue working on; the other designs will be abandoned. The professor has designed a race that will determine the best design. The race allows the various factions to influence the results. Thus, the race will not go to the swiftest, but to the cleverest, just as would be expected in the scientific community. With Edison & Co. players don't race the vehicle, but work to influence their movement, trying to position the vehicle on valuable spaces at the right times.

Fossil: Fossils are petrified witnesses from ancient times and through these silent witnesses the past can live again. Fossils are able to tell us fascinating stories from our prehistoric past. Before such stories may be told, collectors must sift carefully through ancient sea beds for scattered fossil pieces. Only when all the pieces are found and fit together like a puzzle can the story be told. Then, those involved can share in the fame that goes with such discoveries. Medieval Merchant: In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, merchants banded into guilds, first for protection and later for profit. Expand your guild throughout central Europe to become the leader of the largest guild in the Old World. 2-6 players aged 10 and up. 45-60 minutes.

Ricochet Robot: There are four robots that move without brakes - so they can only stop or change directions at a wall or other barrier (like another robot). Each turn begins with a player drawing a target token from a bag. The players then try to find the shortest route to move the robot mentioned on the token to the target. The player with the shortest route takes the token; the winner is the player with the most tokens. 2+ players aged 10 and up; 45-60 minutes.

Lowenherz: The old king is dying and princes are all vying to succeed him. The prince that has the most power when the king dies will succeed him. Power is gained by controlling territory within the kingdom. Each prince has three castles, but only one had the stable boundaries that allow the prince to control the territory surrounding the castle. The other castles lie in territory that is contested by other princes. Each prince gains power by adding territory to a stable region or by making the region surrounding one of his castles stable.

Ta Yu: Ta Yu is a legendary Chinese hero who saved the Realm of the Middle from a flood by creating a multiplicity of channels and diverting the torrent to a distant sea. In this game, the players strive to channel water from their lands by skillful placement of water stones that represent channels for the water. The winner is the player who creates the most effective network of channels connecting both his sides of the board to the distant sea, thus diverting more water from his lands than the other player. The game plays naturally with two or with four as two partnerships. With three, one player takes the role of the torrent, working to keep the other from creating sufficient channels to divert the deluge and save their lands. 2-4 players, aged 12 and up; 30-45 minutes.

Ido: A work of art that is also a game. Players move colorful blocks across an abstract canvas, creating shifting geometric patterns while trying to transport four of their block from one side of the board to the other.

Ra: The game is set in ancient Egypt. The players strive for power by collecting titles that represent various aspects of economic, spiritual, and technological growth. The players acquire the title by bidding for them in auctions. The currency for these auctions is tokens given to players by Ra, the sun god. Using their limited tokens, players must decide when to bid and how much to get the tiles they want. 3-5 players aged 12 and up; 45-60 minutes.

Time Pirates: Travel through time to acquire collections of artifacts for fun and profit. The players are pirates of the future who brave the plagues and wars of ancient times to collect the treasures of those times. They must be fast and careful to avoid begin caught by the time patrol. 3-5 players aged 10 and up; 60 minutes.

La Citta: Each player is an Italian prince and begins the game with two cities. During the game, each player's goal is to increase the size of the territory he controls by expanding his starting cities and establishing and growing new ones. The players must manage food for their people, as well as health, culture, and education. The player who best manages these things will win the game.

Tikal: The most important and largest of all Mayan sites, Tikal is located in the midst of an impenetrable jungle in northern Guatemala. The Mayans lived there from 600 BC to 900 AD, but little is known of the civilization that thrived there for 1500 years. As of this writing, only a small fraction of the site has been excavated and investigated. Each player is the director of an expedition intent on exploring Tikal - in search of the secret paths that lead to the temples and precious treasures that have remained hidden for over 1000 years. A player receives points during four scoring rounds for each recovered treasure, and for each temple that he controls, but both temples and treasures can change hands. The expedition that earns the most points exploring Tikal wins the game. 2-4 players aged 10 and up, 75-90 minutes.

El Grande: Players compete for the title of "El Grande". Fencing with cunning instead of swords, players send their Caballeros openly into the regions and secretly into the castle to accumulate favor and power. 1996 winner of the German Game of the Year Award, Best Family Strategy Game of 1999-Games Magazine. 2-5 players aged 12 and up, 60-90 minutes

Big City: At the beginning of the 20th century, new buildings seem to burst from the earth as though grown from seed. As they grow, they change the shape of American cities. Powerful land developers scheme to forge this new look for the cities while building large fortunes for themselves. They must plan wisely and take risks to get the building they want on the land they acquire. The winners will be those who can effectively balance their planning with cooperation and competition. 2-5 players aged 10 and up; 45-70 minutes

Taj Mahal: Control of India at the beginning 18^th century is up for grabs. The 200 year-long rule of the Grand Moguls is collapsing, but they still have some power. Now is the time for the Maharishis and princes to take control of the Indian subcontinent. The players use strategy and cunning to win influence over northwestern India, province by province and city by city. The most successful player (and the winner) is the one who establishes the most magnificent palaces and has the most power in the end. 3-5 players aged 12 and up; 90 minutes.

Katzenjammer Blues: be the coolest cat with the most mice by bidding on and booking the hottest blues bands at your club. When they aren't available, you can fill in with joker musicians who play well with anyone, but can cost you mice in the end. A rummy-style card game. 2-6 players aged 10 and up. 30 minutes.

Kahuna: In the exotic South Pacific, the players work to control as many of the islands as they can by building bridges between them. When you control the bridges, you control the island. Beware, however, control can be taken from you by clever play. 2 players aged 10 and up, 30-40 minutes.

Java: Each player is one of the Javanese rulers who desires to claim and cultivate the region of Java for himself, a fascinating island laced with fertile soil and rich natural resources ripe for development. Players earn fame points for building and enlarging palaces, creating irrigation systems, and arranging palace festivals in their quest to be the dominant force in the development of this new area, spawning wealth and prosperity for their people. Earn the most fame points and reap the rewards! For 2-4 players, ages 12 and up.

Tally Ho!: What happens when the hunter becomes the hunted?! One player takes the role of the hunters and the lumberjacks, while the other plays the foxes and bears. In this tile-turning game of strategy and cunning, the hunt is on as the lumberjacks cut swathes through the forest to provide hunting fields for the hunters, while simultaneously the bears and foxes use these same aisles to track down their prey: the lumberjacks and hunters themselves! A 2-player game for ages 8 and up.

Corsairs: Rival corsairs search the seas for galleys loaded with booty, which they will board and loot. To overtake and loot galley, the players need sufficient provisions. But a player needs a strong crew to keep the others from taking his catch from him. A 2-4 player games, for ages 10 and up.

Carcassonne: The southern French city of Carcassonne is famous for its unique Roman and Medieval fortifications. The players develop the area around Carcassonne and deploy their followers on the roads, in the cities, in the cloisters, and in the fields. The skill of the players to develop the area will determine who is victorious. A 2-5 player game, for ages 10 and up.

Attila: In 375 AD, Attila s mounted Huns overran Europe causing the Germanic tribes in their path to flee and penetrate the outer provinces of the declining Roman empire. In Attila, the players influence the migrations of the Germanic tribes to the Roman empire. For 2-5 players, ages 10 and up.

Doge: Venice, also called Serenissmia, the most venerable, flourished in the late middle ages as a merchant center. The old established families competed for political power and influence in this city-state. As the heads of these families, players use their power and influence to build the most magnificent buildings and palaces along the Grand Canal. Those that move swiftly and cleverly may attain the highest office in Venice, the office of Doge. A game for 3-4 players, ages 12 and up.

Cartagena: It is said that a game celebrating the famous 1672 pirate-led jailbreak from the fortress ofCartagena became popular in the pirate coves of the Caribbean. Each player has a group of 6 pirates and his objective is to have all 6 escape through the tortuous underground passage that connects the fortress to the port, where a sloop is waiting for them. A 2-5 player game for ages 7 and up.

Princes of Florence:

This game is set in Italy during the Renaissance. Players assume the roles of the heads of Italian aristocratic families. They become patrons, providing the proper environment to inspire the artists and scholars of the age. The better the environment, the better the work and the more money and prestige the player earns for it. In the end, the player with the most prestige is the winner.