Settlers of Catan Reviews

Two sites discovered Settlers of Catan this week:

PlayThisThing, Greg Costikyan’s blog on everything cool in video games outside the mainstream.

Sword in the Stone, an anime, comic, and game store in Whitesburg, Kentucky.

World’s Tiniest Chess Set … Again

We last reported on the world’s smallest chess board (no pieces) at 2.5 mm by 2.5 mm, and the world’s smallest chess set (with pieces) at 24 mm by 24 mm.

The next world’s smallest chess set with pieces is a mere 3.5 mm by 2.5 mm and it’s also gorgeous. It’s not just a plain old set, it’s a work of art.

The guy who makes it also makes tiny camels that pass through the eyes of needles.

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South Mountain from MMP

Multiman Publishing is shipping South Mountain, a hex-and-counter game of the Civil War battle known by the same name. The game is part of MultiMan’s the Gamers Regimental Sub-Series.

The Guardian on Gaming in Education

The Guardian weighs in on the rising phenomenon of using games in the classroom.

The article covers the obstacles that games have in joining educational curricula, namely that they are considered “fun”, and “fun” can’t be learning, right?

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Call of Duty Real-Time CCG

The latest video game to CCG making news is Call of Duty, set to become a simultaneous real-time CCG from Upper Deck Entertainment.

Real-time? “During the course of a game, a player might play a card every three seconds until a “pause” card is played… A pause card halts the action and resolves a powerful effect on the battlefield. A few examples of pause cards include Bayonet Charge, Rifle Grenade, Anti-Personnel Mine, and Lt. General George S. Patton.”

The goal of the game is to “frag” the most soldiers within a given amount of time. Each squad deck will include a 60-card deck, 8 Soldier cards, 2 Mission cards, Double-sided game map, and Rules sheet.

It is scheduled to be released in Fall, 2008.

Latest Card Game Idiocy

Grand Rapids, MI: A woman pleaded not guilty to leaving her three children (ages 5, 10, and 13)  in a car while she played poker for several hours. The kids were found at 1 am by a passerby. Game: Texas Hold’em.

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Entry Fee Now $5 For Cribbage Games in Augusta, ME

You can now charge a $5 entry fee to a cribbage game in Augusta, Maine. The previous entry fee cap was $1.

The new law is called “An Act to Amend Games of Cards”, and was introduced after a cribbage game at the American Legion was busted.

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Playing Poker For Skill, Not For Money

Several states have been in the news lately for cracking down on low stakes poker games held in private houses and social clubs. Laws in some states are so vague as to make any card games or board games like Monopoly potentially illegal (in some extreme cases, even when not played for money). As a result, lawmakers in these states have been looking into amending the laws to see whether they can make exemptions for low-money games, private house games, or games intended to raise money for charities or organizations.

At the same time, poker is rising in popularity. Poker is a game of chance, but a connected series of poker games also favors skillful play. The question is: how to indulge in a public game of cards without incurring the wrath of local law enforcement?

The Pasco Poker Players organize poker nights where players play for points and bragging rights, not for money. “Players participate in quarters lasting about three or four months each, with a points board that corresponds with about 50 or 60 players. However, only players who make the final table are awarded points. The person to win out gets 1,000 points, while second place wins 900 and so forth.”

If you’re down in Florida, check them out. Or start your own points-only poker league.

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Cyndi Lauper’s Board Game Commercial

Cyndi Lauper, 1980s pop star whose hits include “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” and “Time After Time”, directed the commercial for Hasbro’s game Trivial Pursuit Totally ’80s. Other 1980s pop artists appear in the video. You can watch the commercial at the official site.

Cyndi also contributed the music.

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Colonial Gothic: Supernatural Historical Horror RPG

Colonial Gothic is a new supernatural horror RPG set during the American Revolution from Rogue Games.

It’s available in hard and PDF copies from several places, including Indie Revolution.