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This Week’s Explorable Games
This round of Explorable Favorites is from BoardGaming.com member Dad. The two games selected from his favorites shelf were:
- Airlines Europe
Rio Grande Games | Published: 2011 - Acquire
Avalon Hill, Hasbro, Wizards of the Coast | Published: 2008
These games will be explorable until next Monday, April 7th.
After you’ve explored these games, let us know what you think about them in the comments below!
Airlines Europe is a game which gives to be playing an afternoon every few games because it is simple and cool.
I really enjoy Airlines Europe. Now I want to find a way to play it again.
Airlines is a superb game. If you’ve introduced non-gamers through Ticket To Ride, this is a perfect progression, especially into share-based mechanics. It’s a step up from TtR but not enough to make it daunting.
Oh, and a ton of miniature Junkers 52’s? Awesome!
Acquire used to have nice pieces, but Avalon Hill/Hasbro has cheaped out on it (and Diplomacy) in recent years. You can find old 3M and Avalon Hill versions in the used market for reasonable prices.
Two games much I enjoyed playing them.
Airlines Europe for reminding Ticket to Ride.
And Acquire the simplicity of rules and engaging game dynamics.
These games look great, but I will only lament the days when games used to be $30…like Acquire. Not $60 (or $59.99) like Airlines.
I recently watched Drive Thru Review’s Acquire Review and after seeing the components, shared the sentiment of some of the reviewer’s friends,
but after seeing watching through the gameplay and seeing the mechanics, I found it to be surprisingly well designed. It’s on my ‘to buy’ list, after my accounts rebound from Attack of the Kickstarters. All to say, Acquire is not a game to be judged by its pieces.
A very nice look at games I likely wouldn’t have otherwise looked at twice. While Acquire is certainly a classic, I will likely not be picking up a copy in the near future. Airlines Europe, on the other hand, is going on the wishlist. The encouragement to discover and explore new games like is what I love most about this site!
I would be interested in checking out Acquire sometime. I am imagining a conversation with potential players;
“Hey guys! Let’s play Acquire!”
“What is that”
“It is a game of savvy planning and corporate conquest!”
“Naw, let’s play Monopoly instead”
“But, but, but…”
Then I sob quietly
Never heard of either one of these, but some of you rave about them in the reviews. I’m gonna need to find some copies and give them a test flight.
Acquire is truly a rather simple looking classic that is anything but easy to master. Haven’t played it in a loong time but that might because of a friend who could never get anything right in this game 🙂
Quite hilarious how he could never get on the right side of mergers.
I too, am in the group who prefers UP over Airlines.
My main issue is the missing tension of AE as you’re assured points by even owning 1 share as in UP only the top 2 will score points.
I too prefer Union Pacific. A shame the UP won’t let them keep the license. Airlines Europe is a step back I believe.
I already had explored Airlines Europe. It’s a great game. We will be playing it at the Meetup this weekend!
Acquire is a Sid Sackson classic. ‘Nuff said.
The accountants in our group LOVE Airlines Europe, whereas I haven’t gotten their opinion on Acquire. I see the connection, though. 🙂
@Andy… I was about to dig through October and November Explorables news items to find your list and check against it (I apparently have some time to kill), and you go and save me the trouble! I think Jim confirmed that your list was accurate at that time.
Airlines: Europe was indeed a long time ago!
It was part of the first class of Explorable Favorites back in June of 2012 (assuming my list can be believed).
I prefer Union Pacific, but it’s definitely a fun game (and much cheaper and easier to find!)
FYI, Airlines Europe was explorable a long time ago (not sure exactly when), but hasn’t been explorable since we launched the weekly “Explorable Favorites.” It’s a great game, definitely worth a second look!