Games at David's: Hollywood Blockbuster

January , 2007

I had to take last month's edition of this game night off, but was happy to be able to make it for the first event of the new year. I was a little late due to wrestling practice obligations, but kept myself away from the computer and made it down to Dave's in decent time.

When I got there, Scepter of Zavandor was running with, I think, six players. Larry was teaching Tigris & Euphrates to two other gamers, and David had Taj Mahal on his table. I watched the T&E game for a while, but found I didn't want to think hard enough to actually analyze what was happening, and instead settled in to see if I could get a bit of the flavor of Taj Mahal, another RK game, which I haven't played.

I didn't read the rules, and I didn't get that full of an impression of TM. It seemed to me that the players were accumulating card sets, then expending those cards in built-up groups in an effort to win bids for choice of actions in the round. Those actions would score a player points, generally based on previous choices, but sometimes just straight up bonus points. These actions also seemed to involve the placement of a palace, which could score points based on connections. I, like Dave, own and enjoy many RK games, and TM certainly looked worth a shot. Hopefully, I'll be around at some future event when this gets off the shelf.

The T&E game ended, and the groups mixed a little. I sat down with David, Julia, Keith, and Sy for Hollywood Blockbuster. Larry, Carli, and someone else pulled out Puerto Rico.

HB is yet another RK game, this one with a theme of producing movies, built around a fairly straight auction mechanic. The action takes place over three rounds, during which there are several bidding phases and a couple "parties", in which players simply pick items. Each player has several films they are trying to complete. Each one requires different elements - stars, sound, special effects, a director, etc. Some require several of one and none of others. Once you've completed a film, you can take another. There are a limited number of films that can be completed, so it's to ones advantage to get them done (unfinished films don't score). Points are awarded for the first film of each of the three types to be completed, as well as the strongest film each round. At the end of the game, the films are worth points based on the quality of the elements - how good the director/stars/effects/ etc. are. Additional points are awarded for the best film of each type, as well as the overall best and worst films.

I wanted to complete at least one film every round, which I did. I managed to score one of the first completed bonuses, as well as one of the strongest of the round bonuses. In the end, I had completed, I think, five films, and I managed to grab one of the "best of" awards. I had finished more films than anyone else, and managed a victory, with David in second.

I liked this game. The auction was almost too straightforward - just a plain progressive bid. The game provides you with relatively light but important decisions about what you need to acquire, but there is a little added element of keeping track of what other people need and trying to block them. The game also has a decent social element, as you interact in trying to influence people to spend money, and joke about the actors (who's names are parodies of the names of real actors) have been put in which films. Another nice offering from Mr. Knizia, and a welcome reprint. This would be a nice Euro-intro for people who like movies and party games.

It seemed weird to only play one game, but it was getting a little late, and, being a weeknight and having work in the morning, I called it quits. The PR game had ended, and Scepter broke up while I was getting ready to go, with Dan emerging victorious.


GG, GL
JW