Screwtape Has Three of a Crime

Day 29 - Three of a Crime
Designed by Heinz Meister

I think the reason why I first tried this game was purely because of the title. I love puns, and the title fits the theme and play of the game so well. (If you are having trouble coming up with the pun, think poker). Three of a Crime is a simple deduction game where players take turns being the detective and out of 7 suspects they have to figure out which trio was truly guilty for that round. The player representing the thief draws a card from the shuffled deck. This card represents the 3 people who are guilty. The detective draws a card from the top of the deck and places it face up on the table. Each card has some sort of combination of the 7 suspects. The thief then assigns a little number token to that card stating if the card has 0,1, or 2 thieves correct. As more cards are flipped over, the easier it will be to deduct who the 3 guilty criminals are for the round. If you are playing with more than 2 players, there are multiple detectives, and the one that correctly guesses first wins the card. In a 2 player version, you can both play each role simultaneously, and whoever gets 3 cards first wins. The game is a fantastic game for young kids to introduce them to deductive reasoning, which in my opinion is a very important trait. Since The Wife and I are deductive reasoning masters, this game isn't really much of a challenge for either one of us, and we usually tie (not today thankfully, mark another win for Lou on the scoreboard). The Wife and I can remember characters that are not even on the cards and would probably frustrate others if we played with them because we pretty much could play this game in our sleep (a little too simple for must adults I would say). The game is very well done though, love the the theme, again the quality of the cards and number tokens are great. Get this game for your kids and I think they will enjoy it while mastering deductive reasoning and that is How Lou Sees It.

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amazing book! Favorite letter was #15 from which I post this quote: "For the Present is the point at which time touches eternity." View all my 'goodreads' reviews

SWAT Those Springtime Bugs and Become Spiderman

Day 28 - SWAT!
Designed by Reiner Knizia

Reiner Knizia does it again! I just happened to notice this little card game in the game store a while back. The sleek colorful tin grabbed my attention along with the words "SWAT!" on the front (see picture). What I didn't know when I bought or played this game is that apparently it's a bit of a remake from Knizia's "It's Mine!" published by Winning Moves. The idea of the game is fantastic and it blends elements from Coloretto, Incan Gold, and Slap Jack (it even appears that there is a Simpsons themed version, very cool). Gryphon Games does an amazing job with this version. I love the tin, the quality of the cards and "slap mat" (The tin seems just a bit too small to nicely house all the cards, but it works) and the artwork is fantastic as well.

Getting on to the actual game. The game consists of cards that are assigned different point values. There are some cards that are positive, some negative, some cards that you need to have 2 of that type of card to get the positive or negative points, and there are Zapper cards along with a card that I call the Most/Least card. The Zapper cards are really interesting and can make a huge difference in points. The Zapper cards give you points equal to a value for the number of them you collect. In other words, getting just one Zapper card gives you zero points, while if you collect 7 of them you get 40 points (which is a lot in the game). The Most/Least cards are also a card that makes the game very interesting (the person with the most gets +7 and the person with the least gets -7; where you have to have at least one of the card to be qualified - in other words, if you don't get any, you won't get negative points). SWAT! is a game for 2 - 7 players and I think it does a great job adjusting the game for fewer players. It's a really fast game and is a great card game for kids and for adults. The Wife came out swatting like a pro today and came out with yet another victory. Don't worry Cornelius, no bugs were really harmed in the playing of this game.

Spider-Man Contraption

A big SHOUT OUT to USU for creating this awesome contraption. If you can't get rid of the bugs, join them and that is How Lou Sees It.

Lou Goes Swimming in The Legend of Landlock

Day 27 - The Legend of Landlock
Designed by Edith Schlichting

The Legend of Landlock is a great 2 player game (can be played with 4 players in 2 teams) which has some similarity to Carcassonne, but the game is a lot quicker and is geared a bit more towards kids. I received this game for Christmas one year from my boss, I used to work at a toy store called Magical Moon Toys, and I was a little surprised at the choice. I originally thought to myself, "Why did they give me some children's game?" The fact is, it is a fantastic children's game and it plays well for a quick adult game as well. The Legend of Landlock was a Mensa Select Game Winner in 2002. One player is Water and the other is Land and each player battles to create a continuous path that touches each side of the "board" that is created (10 points for touching all 4 sides, 7 points for 3 sides, and 5 points for 2 sides). You also score points for creating Islands or Ponds (surrounding your opponent - this gives you 4 points for each) and you score points for Roaming Gnomes and for choosing to lay Tussocks (a point for each). Their are Bridge tiles which allow you to remove a tile and place it where the old tile was, and your opponent then plays the removed tile. The game is very well done with some great artwork. The game is very simple, and yet is a fun game. Gamewright did a great job with the packaging and quality of the tiles (they always seem to do a great job and produce some great games). Water prevailed today by creating an Island near the very end of the game. I hope everyone had a pleasant Memorial Day Weekend. Summer is just right around the corner and A Game A Day continues on strong. Thanks everyone for your support thus far and I hope that this can continue on for many more days. I recently added another page to the blog with a quick access list of the games played up to the current day. I hope this comes in handy for y'all. Board games are awesome and that is How Lou Sees It!

Sequence

Day 26 - Sequence
Designed by Doug Reuter

Sequence is a fantastic game for 2 or a great team game for up to 12 people. This is a great strength to have for a board game; the wide range of players you can play with. You can play with your wife on a relaxed evening, or you can play with all 10 of your kids for family game night. The fact is, Mr. Reuter came up with a pretty amazing game that utilizes 2 decks of playing cards, poker chips or some sort of markers, and a board with the visual representation of the cards (with corner free spaces and without the jacks). The brilliance of the game comes from the simplicity and mixing new with old. Everyone has played Tic-Tac-Toe or Connect 4. In the game of Sequence, a player or team is trying to obtain 5 in a row. You accomplish this, by playing a face card from your hand and placing a marker onto the board. Each card is on the board twice. The player then draws a card to replenish his hand. One-eyed Jacks allow you to remove any marker from the board, while a two-eyed Jack is a wild, and the player can place a marker anywhere (anywhere where there is not a marker already). Players continue to strive for 5 in a row, and if you are playing with fewer people, you are required to make 5 in a row twice for the win. I love this game. The game is simple enough for anyone to play. The team element is really fun because you don't know what your partner(s) have and its great even for 2 players. It takes some strategy, but the game has a lot of luck to it as well with what cards you draw. Sequence is a great game and I highly recommend it for a night where deep strategy can be left at the door. The Wife put a quick end to my attempt for a come back streak with a close victory over me tonight. Definitely a classic game that doesn't take long to explain or play and that is How Lou Sees It.

Backgammon

Day 25 - Backgammon

When a game withstands about 5,000 years, you know it's a good one. One of the oldest 2 player board games around, Backgammon is a classic among other such games as Chess and Go. I'm not going to try and delve into the rules for you today, but they are pretty basic. You roll the dice and move your pieces onto your side of the board and off. The first to get all of their pieces off the board wins. Your pieces can't occupy a space where your opponent has 2 or more of his pieces. If you land on an opponent's single piece, their piece is removed from the board and they have to get it back on the board from "the beginning." You can't start taking pieces off the board until you have all of your pieces on your side of the board. The game is a fantastic 2 player game that will continue to be a delight to all for centuries to come. If you are unfamiliar with Backgammon, check it out, I think you will enjoy it. I enjoyed myself tonight especially because I broke my loosing streak and won tonight. Thank you Backgammon. Lou is making a come BACK and the GAMMe is ON and that is How Lou Sees It.

Fill or Bust a Pole

Day 24 - Fill or Bust

Farkel with a little twist of the cards. This is a great little game for those who enjoy rolling dice and pressing your luck. A game for 2 to 10 players (although you may want to split up the deck and have an extra set of dice going for a lot of players or else you will be waiting on everyone else and the game will take forever), the game plays best I think with 2 to 4 players. You can set the end of the game to any scoring value you want, so the game can be as long or short as you would like.

For those unfamiliar with the game Farkel, it is a dice game where you roll 6 dice looking to score as many points as possible. You can keep rolling as long as you keep rolling "pointers" (or dice that give you points). You score points for the following: a 1 is worth 100, a 5 is worth 50, a straight rolled on the first roll with 6 dice scores you 1500, 3 1s are worth 1000, and 3 dice of 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, and 6s are respectively worth 100 times that number. You have to roll the multiples in the same roll (you can't store 2 3s hoping for a 3rd 3 etc.). So, that is the base of the game. Rolling dice trying to obtain points. Simple and fun.

Fill or Bust adds a bit of an extra element with the deck of cards that come with the dice. At the beginning of one's turn, the top card of the draw pile is flipped over. Each card has a different affect. There is a "No Dice" card where the player looses any points rolled so far his/her current turn or if at the beginning of the turn, their turn is skipped. Most of the cards offer a bonus for a "Fill." A Fill is when a player scores points using all 6 dice. If the player scores a Fill, then they get the bonus points from the card as well. Some cards make you continue to roll the dice for certain bonuses, and the Vengeance 2500 will take 2500 points from the leader if you score a Fill. A "Bust" is when a player rolls the dice and it does not produce any pointers. This ends the players turn, and will result in loosing all their points they rolled during this current turn (unless they flipped over the Must Bust card).

Anyway, that is the game in a nutshell. A great little game that you can fit in your pocket and play anywhere (waiting in a line at a theme park, waiting for a movie to start or your food to arrive, waiting for something in the airport or on the plane, in a car, on a boat...you get the idea.). Played this game tonight with The Wife and The Brother In Law (T.B.I.L.) (who was just introduced to the game tonight) and The Brother In Law pulled out a win creating a tie with Sauron and placing me now 8 games away from gaining a winning record.

Sign Holders Out in Full Force

Just a little realization that happened to me today. You know the people on corners or on the side of the streets that are holding signs for business advertising? I'm sure you have noticed them; the statue of liberty people trying to get you to come to them for tax services, the Little Caesar's Pizza guy promoting Hot N' Ready for 5 Bucks, the girl enthusiastically holding a sign stating that their is a special for haircuts at Great Clips, the mechanic outside Jiffy Lube saying that they currently have No Wait, or the kid who has practiced flipping the sign around like only a ninja could stating that their are some town homes for sale. You have to admit, some of these people do a great job getting your attention. I like the ones who are dancing like crazy people myself. But wait! Have these people always been on the streets doing this sort of thing? I don't have a very good memory, so help me out people. 10 years ago, where their people dressed up like Lady Liberty dancing The Robot? Were there sign holders back then? I don't remember any. If I could go back in time, I would go back 10 years to answer this question. Maybe the sign holders have just become more efficient at getting my attention. Maybe the economy has forced these people into jobs where they are providing the same support to a sign that a pole does just as well? There is a Pearls Before Swine comic that showed Pig getting a job where he was holding a sign. He says to Rat, "My Mamma Raised a Pole." Where did this society of sign holders come from? Would it be offensive to call these people poles? I have so many questions regarding this situation. How many years out are we from having Sign Holder classes taught at the local community college?

Sign Holder Interview:
Jerry Pole - "OK Mr......Brewster. I appreciate your interest in being a Sign Holder for us, but we have a lot of applicants for this position. It is among the top most desired sign holding positions around. Tell me, what sets you apart?"
Mr. Brewster - "Well, I have a Bachelor's in Sign Holding and I'm really skinny. I have an emphasis in Long Arrow type signs, so that could come in handy..."

Can we gauge the economy by how many sign holders we see on the streets or is this (dare I say it) career emerging because people love the idea of being similar to a pole or maybe they like the attention? I just don't want to see my Stop sign dancing around on the next corner I pull up to and that is How Lou Sees It.

Let's Make Being Ingenious a Habit

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"All our life, so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habits - practical, emotional, and intellectual - systematically organized for our weal or woe, and bearing us irresistibly toward our destiny, whatever the latter may be." - William James

I heard about this book watching CNN one day, and I was very excited to get my hands on a copy. The book discusses how habits are formed, why they are formed, and how to recognize habits and change them for the better. It talks about habits on an individual level, a business level, and a cultural or social level. I found the different discussions very interesting and the main concept of the book is very valid, noteworthy, and in some ways inspiring. There were a couple of times where I didn't want to know any more detail in the examples given, but overall the book was a great read - exactly the sort of discussion that gets you thinking. Thanks Charles Duhigg for putting this book together. I highly recommend this book to everyone. View all my book reviews

Day 23 - Ingenious
Designed by Reiner Knizia

Ingenious is a game well worth its title. Imagine a game that is a mix between Qwirkle and Blokus. If you aren't familiar with these games yet, I hope to be able to get my hand on a copy of each to review for you later on. Ingenious is a game for 1 to 4 brains, and is simple enough for younger players to play as well (the game recommends 10 and up, but I'm sure some 8 year old kids or younger could figure it out as well because the concept is pretty easy. Each player draws 6 tiles to start the game. On a players turn, you play a tile, score the points associated with that tile, if you are lacking your currently lowest scored color you may switch your tiles, and you draw so you have 6 tiles again. The board is a large hexagon shape made up of little hexagons. The tiles are two hexagons attached together with a symbol on each hexagon. There are six different shapes (each shape is also associated with a color) and thus 6 different colors you are trying to score points in. You score points by placing a tile adjacent to at least one matching symbol and counting the same colored tiles already on the board that are adjacent to each symbol in all of the directions (except for in the direction of the other hexagon on the tile you laid).

This may all sound a bit confusing, but its not - you are trying to score as many points in each color as possible while advancing your score in each color. This is where the real kicker comes in - the winner is the person with the highest lowest score. Yeah, you read that right. Pretty cool if you ask me, maybe even INGENIOUS! This requires players to advance each colors scoring marker on their board evenly. It won't matter if you have 18 in 4 colors, if you have 1 color with only 4 points because your score at the end of the game will be 4 points. Each color has a maximum value of 18 and when players reach this point on a color's scoring track, the player says "Ingenious" and gets another turn. The game ends when all the players can't play another piece to the board. Again, the player with the highest lowest score wins. If there is a tie, then it is the next highest lowest score etc. A player can also end the game and win immediately if they can get all 6 colors/shapes to the end of the scoring board (18 points in each color).

Wow, this turned into a longer post than usual. Bottom line is, the game is great! Check it out. It is even available for the iPhone apparently (so you and Siri can play all night long). The Wife won tonight in a pretty close game. I need to start making a comeback, but it is difficult when you are playing against someone who is Ingenious and that is How Lou Sees It.

Cosmic Cows and Aliens

Day 22 - Cosmic Cows
Designed by Maureen Hiron

Cosmic Cows is a funny themed dice game where players try to beam up cows by rolling dice Yahtzee style to get runs, sets, or a "yahtzee." There are only 9 cows, each associated with a number for sets, a chance cow, and a straight cow etc. Players take turns pulling these cows closer to their end like a tug-a-war. The game ends when a player can get 3 cows into their red zone. I really like the silly theme and the mindless rolling of dice is always a pleasure. You have to decide if you are going to try and roll 3s to get your opponents cow out of their red zone, or do you go for offense, pulling on the cows that are closer to your zone? A great game where you don't have to write down any score, which I particularly like (and seems uncommon in dice games) - this is kept track by the moving of cows. It makes for a good time. One negative though, is that the game can progress for what seems like forever sometimes. The Wife and I sometimes when the game is going long will invoke a rule that if you can get a cow all the way to the end +1 you can then "lock-in" that cow and it can then no longer be pulled back by your opponent. The Wife won tonight's game gaining not only a win, but a winning record. Congratulations! This funny little game is for 2 players only who are looking for a simple and relaxing game of abducting cows by dice.

Cowboys and Aliens
Directed by Jon Favreau
Starring Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, and Olivia Wilde

Forget Cowboys and Indians folks, there's a new sheriff in town. Taking the best of the old west and adding in aliens with crazy advanced technology just sounds like a great idea does it not? You get that old gun sling'n vibe with aliens who want to mine the earth for gold and destroy the human race to do so. Throw in some big names (mentioned above) and you have yourself a movie. OK, the truth is I thought this idea pretty intriguing (and it was made from a comic book, so there is a plus) but I probably wouldn't have had the desire I had to see it if Harrison Ford wasn't going to be in it. Rumor had it that Robert Downey Jr. was originally set to take Harrison Ford's character, but it conflicted with the Sherlock Holmes movie (A Game of Shadows - which I still need to see, very excited for it to come out on video). I'm glad it did. Don't get me wrong, Rob is fantastic (especially as Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes), but the character for this movie needed Ford and his, for lack of a better word, oldness. The movie is cheesy, plot isn't that great, and I'm not really sure what the movie had going for it other than it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. It was a decently entertaining movie and that is How Lou Sees It.

Its getting a bit dicey, set phase-rs to kill!

Day 21 - Phase 10 Dice
Designed by Garrett J. Donner and Michael S. Steer

Two days of Phase 10 back to back. I am borrowing the Phase 10 games, and would like to return them this weekend, and I thought it would be nice to review these games close together for comparison purposes. I love dice. I have a little collection of them, and I love dice games. There is something about rolling these little cubes that brings joy to the soul. Phase 10 Dice is not a bad dice game, but I personally like the card game better. I feel that the dice game has a bit of a flaw with regards to its scoring system, but I am getting ahead of myself.

Phase 10 Dice comes with 10 dice (surprise surprise), a scoring pad, and instructions. Basically Phase 10 Dice is similar to a sequential Yahtzee in a lot of ways. You can roll the dice three times, choosing to keep certain dice out of the roll (bringing them back in if you desire the next roll) trying to complete the phase you are currently one. There are 6 dice with numbers 5,6,7,8,9,and 10 on them, and the other 4 dice have 1,2,3,4, and W (wild). I feel that this is where the dice game has one of its flaws as well. It just doesn't carry over as well from the card game because you are limited on the numbers available to you. This does give the game a different perspective in its own right, because you have to plan ahead with what dice you are given. Each player scores points with the dice that make up the required phase (example; playing 2 sets of 3, you would only score 6 die). Points are equal to the number with wilds being zero points. So, wilds can help you progress to the next phase, but will lower your score. Again, I don't particularly like the scoring with the limited dice, but the game is a fun quick dice game.

The Wife successfully won tonight's Phase 10 game as well. Looks like I have some catching up to do on the scoreboard. And as a friend so nicely pointed out, it looks like Sauron is the only one with a winning record. Hopefully we can change that soon enough and that is How Lou Sees It.

Set Phase-rs to Stun

Day 20 - Phase 10
Designed by Kenneth Johnson

Whether it's collecting 2 sets of 3 or a run of 4 this game usually gets some high 5s. The object of the game is to work through the 10 phases and to be first to complete the 10th phase. Each round, each player is trying to achieve the phase that they are currently on. When a player is able to lay down his/her phase, he is able to lay down those cards and lay down on other cards on the table (choosing to continue someone's run or set). The player who can lay all of their cards first, ends the round. Everyone scores points for the cards remaining in their hand (if there is a tie at the end of the game, the person with the lowest score wins), and the cards are reshuffled and dealt again. If you did not complete your phase that round, you are still on that phase the next round. This is one of the most frustrating games because of that concept, but the fact is...the game is a classic. Five Crowns is a similar game in regards that you try to collect sets and runs, but in that game you are not stuck on one phase etc. Phase 10 is a fun card game, and great as a party game as well. The Wife stunned me on the phase 3 for a while and I wasn't able to catch up to her after that. She was also able to score a lot less points than myself (245 to 90) as well. This game will live long and prosper and that is How Lou Sees It.

Batman Tumbles Into Jaipur

Tumbler Tour

Hey Batman fans, I just wanted to let you all know about the Tumbler Tour that is currently crossing the U.S. For those you don't know what the Tumbler is, it is Batman's car of choice in the movie Batman Begins. Check out the website and see if you are close to a city that will feature the incredible vehicle. Can't wait for the latest Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises.

Day 19 - Jaipur

Designed by Sebastien Pauchon

Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan, and it's a pretty fan-freak-in-tastic 2 player trading game. Each player collects different goods and sells them for a certain amount. The value of each good varies and each value decreases with time, but holding out until you can sell 5 of the same good can pay of huge with special bonus chips. Players can also use camels to obtain multiple goods a turn and the player with the most camels at the end of the game earns 5 bonus points as well. I won the game in a round 3 match against The Wife tonight. The game is really well done, and it is a quick 2 player game with good quality components. A fun game, and definitely worth your time and money if you wanted to buy it and that is How Lou Sees It.

Excuse Me, Could You Please Pass the Pigs?

Day 18 - Pass the Pigs
Designed by David Moffatt

Published back in 1977 when it was cool to throw pigs around, Pass the Pigs is a simple "dice" rolling game where you roll two rubbery pigs and score points according to how the pigs land. The game's concept is pretty funny and it makes for a nice quick game to play when you just want to have a light game while conversing with others. If pigs are not your thing, you could toss the pooch around with the game Woof Woof. The Wife brought home the bacon tonight winning her second game in a row. In honor of the Pass the Pigs cover, here are some random pictures, a painting, and book:

Hamster playing tennis on grass. What a way to close out a post and that is How Lou Sees It.

From Stones to Super Trucks

Day 17 - Mancala

Some historians believe this to be one of the first games ever invented. Not a bad job for a game made up of some stones and some hollowed out cups. The game consists of 6 cups on each player's side with another cup (usually larger and off to the side in modern day sets) that represents the scoring stones for each player. pretty simple game play but it can make for some interesting strategy. You pick one of the 6 cups on your side with stones and move counter clock-wise dropping a stone in each cup (excluding your opponents scoring cup). If the last stone is placed in your scoring cup, you get to go again. If the last stone is placed in an empty cup on your side and the cup opposite (on your opponent's side) has stones, you get to take their stones and the one that you placed all in your scoring cup. The game ends when a player runs out of stones on their side. The opponent then gets to place the stones remaining on their side into their scoring cup and whoever has the most wins! I seem to give lower rankings to game where The Wife seems to slaughter me the majority of the time (i.e. Othello). The Wife slaughtered me tonight 2 of 3 games. She is really good at these very strategic placement games. Mancala is a 2 player game (although there appears to be some 4 player versions out there) and takes about 5 to 10 minutes to play determining on thought time. Cheers to one of the oldest games ever made!

Extreme Super Trucks

You know the saying "From Rags to Riches." Well, we have gone "From Stones to Super Trucks!"

Today we drove behind and past the biggest "personal use" trucks I have ever seen. Basically, some people are driving Monster Trucks around cities now. The one we saw was modified to be higher off the ground than the original one off of their website it would appear (the last picture is a side view of the same kind of truck we saw, but without the lift on it). I didn't know that was legal. But truthfully, would a cop car try and pull over a truck that could EAT the police car?!? (see above video) Trucks this big on the roadways is crazy, and that is How Lou Sees It.

The aMAZEing Labyrinth

Day 16 - The aMAZEing Labyrinth
Designed by Max J. Kobbert


The aMAZEing Labyrinth is a classic game from my childhood and one that I played often. Labyrinth for short, the game's objective is to collect different assigned treasures or tokens from the labyrinth before your opponents. The board is made up of stationary tiles and tiles that are allowed to move, creating rows and columns if you will that you can slide back and forth. Your turn consists of pushing the extra tile into one of the rows sliding that row one direction and providing a new tile that fell of the other side to the next player. The player then can move freely in any direction as long as he is free to do so. The game's mechanism for changing the maze is truly original and fantastic. The game is very simple and a great children's game. There is a bit of luck due to what cards you are dealt and have to find in the maze. The game is made for 1-4 players, although I don't think this would be a very entertaining 1 player game. It takes about 20 minutes or so, perhaps quicker. I came out victorious tonight by finding little Miss Piggy, my final card, and making it back to home base. It's good to reminisce about one's childhood now and again. You can play online if you want. Have a great night, and that is How Lou Sees It.

Get Your Tickets to CDZA!

CDZA Music

Learned about this group on a CNN story actually. They are pretty amazing. You should also check out Zuckerberg: The Musical (warning: there is a bleeped out 2 seconds) and any of their other videos (the whistler guy is amazing).

Day 15 - Ticket to Ride

Designed by Alan R. Moon

Chuga chuga chuga, choo chooooo! Here comes the trains. A game to make Thomas himself smile with delight. A game for 2-5 train builders, this game takes about an hour to play. There are multiple maps or versions of this game, but this review is specifically for the US version. The object of the game is to end the game with the most victory points. You obtain points by achieving your certain destination ticket cards (example: Toronto to Miami). The longer the route, the more points its worth. If you have a ticket card and are unable to build a train line that connects the cities, you get minus the amount of points on the ticket. Players draw certain colored train cards (there are wilds as well) to build on certain routes. A player may also draw more ticket cards throughout the game (drawing 3, keeping at least 1). Very good family game. Kids around 7 or 8 can play easily although they may miss out on some strategy. Nicole came out victorious tonight. Definitely worth playing and it couldn't hurt to own a copy (pick your version - there is Europe, Germany, etc) and that is How Lou Sees It.