May 16: Journey to Middle Earth

During Board Game Night, I led/taught a new game "Lord of the Rings: Journey to Middle Earth". It is the first game I've ever played that required a computer app. It is a cooperative game, so the five of us playing were each members of the Fellowship (Bilbo, Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn, and Elena, whoever *that* is), trying to save the world from whatever scenarios the game put us in. We played two "Adventures" (one we failed and one we succeeded) before cleaning up for the night, and the coolest thing about the app is we can continue playing additional adventures using the same characters and set up we built on during our previous adventures. The app also keeps track of a bunch of stats throughout the game (like when we gain "Lore" to upgrade our equipment or "XP" to gain new skills), and those stats will travel with us on additional adventures. 

I enjoyed that the game did not use dice; most games I play nowadays require the luck of the dice roll, which sometimes gets really frustrating. In this game, in order to attack or block or explore, you test certain of your attributes, like agility, might, or spirit, by flipping over cards in your deck, hoping to reveal enough success symbols to win the test. There are strategies you can use to ensure you flip over enough success symbols, though sometimes it is just luck of the draw, it is not nearly as bad as hoping for the right dice roll. 

I also enjoyed that the game continues to change after each action we take; the game board gets bigger, more enemies appear, different obstacles get in our way, and objectives change. It is delightfully entertaining. In addition, the fellowship that I put together was delightful to play with; we all learn games very quickly, and cooperate well together, but we are all also super easy going don't make a big deal when we make mistakes or we mess up the rules, because we all realize that it is just a game, and is supposed to be fun, and I very much appreciate that. Ever since, we've all been thinking about and talking about this game, so the fellowship will be reconvening soon, and probably often :)

With delight,

♥Jamie