by Tom C.
Hello again to all. First, just a quick update on what I've been playing lately. I haven't played many 2 player games for several days, but I did play Targi again, a recent favorite of mine. Still love this game! I was able to teach my brother, who enjoyed it. It took him a few rounds to get up to speed on what to do, and his slow start was probably the reason I escaped with a win, by 7 points. Next time it will be harder for me, I expect. We also played 2 player Las Vegas, which he won in a tie breaker, by ending with more money cards than me. I think this game works great with 2 players, due to the use of 4 neutral dice by each player.Some other games I've managed to play with multiple players include The Golden City, a very enjoyable route connection game that I have always loved. For Sale, Indigo, Atlantis, and Big Points were some others, as well as Tokaido. And my newest favorite game once again hit the table, much to my delight. This was Keyflower, and we played with 4 players. Three of us ended the game within 12 points of each other. I was able to gain 40 points with game end bonus tiles, but lost a close game, finishing second with 63 points. The winner won with 65, which was quite painful for me to endure. But I can't wait to play again!
Tokaido, for those who don't know, is a game that utilizes a dummy player when played with 2 players. While my experience is not bountiful with dummy players, I believe I've played enough of them to have an informed opinion of how they've worked for me.
Games not designed for just 2 players often have slightly different rules for 2, to make them playable. Sometimes these include smaller playing areas, changes to scoring, or removal of a certain number of cards (random or certain specific cards). Sometimes they may also use dummy players, or something resembling a dummy player, where certain things happen automatically during certain game events. I know some people dislike dummy player rules, and I can understand that. But here I will attempt to explain why I typically can accept them, and even can enjoy them in some instances. I'll use some examples.
I'll start by paying a complement to the bright minds on this site. Two of them came up with what I think is a very workable, and effective variant to a game I really enjoy. London is a game that designer Martin Wallace, from what I have read, did not really design with 2 players in mind. I am not a fan of house rules or variants, typically. But when I discovered a 2 player variant on this site, developed and tested extensively by users here, I decided to give it a try with my wife. And we really liked it. It uses an automatic mechanism for placing some buildings on the board, and really balances that aspect of the game. It also fixes an effective strategy that can be used by a player who obtains certain cards by the luck of the draw, and makes the game balanced. Lastly, it speeds the game a bit, by forcing discards of some of the deck during the game.
I mentioned Tokaido earlier. It uses a classic dummy player, which is a token that is moved by the players during the game. It works well, in my view. It simply blocks locations as it moves, and can also affect the bonus points awarded at the end for temple donations. Without it, the game would probably not be playable with 2. I enjoy the game enough, that I'm glad it is there to be used. I'll be able to play it much more than I would otherwise.
Alhambra uses the somewhat famous dummy mechanism known as "Dirk", named for the game's designer (who is certainly no dummy). I've played many 2 player games with Dirk, and really like him. He removes random tiles during the game, which speeds the game up. He can affect the players' scores, by the quantity of colored tiles he collects. And one other, possibly overlooked, rule he implements is that when a player gains a tile, they can give it to him. This can swing the majority owner of a color, which can alter the scoring.
Fresco uses "Leonardo". He influences turn orders (wake up times) and removes paint tiles, as determined by whoever is controlling him. This also has a noticeable impact on game play, and adds some strategy to the decisions of the 2 players. That's a good thing. Pergamon is another that uses a dummy player with similar effects. It removes tiles and affects turn order.
Québec is a game I like a lot, but it is very different with 2 players. Still very good, but different. It uses a sort of dummy player, which is used by a certain player until it is scored. It occupies a building spot, which can be used by both players, but is scored for the player using it whenever another building of his/hers is scored. This is a pretty creative use of the dummy player mechanism, and really keeps a great game from declining with 2 players. Strategy decisions still abound, although different than with more players.
Homesteaders uses a neutral bid token, which works surprisingly well. Auctions with 2 players work great because of this, and makes the game not only playable, but good with 2.
Hermagor succeeds with 2, due to its use of 2 dummy player rules. One uses a neutral market buyer, which can be brutal when bidding for tiles. The other allows for placement of neutral trading houses on the board, which influence fines paid for the other players using those spaces, and also allows for placement of neutral production buildings, which can block access to those spaces. This variant makes the game playable with 2, while not having a great influence on game play.
Lastly, what about some dice games? Take Las Vegas, for example, which uses neutral dice. They are just great for this game, and add considerable decisions to an otherwise really light game. In fact, I much prefer the use of the neutral dice, which can be used for up to 4 players. Similarly, It Happens.. is not only playable with 2 because of neutral dice, but actually adds the same type of decisions as Las Vegas, and makes for a very interesting game.
All of these examples create an overall positive view of dummy players, for me. I think many of these are well thought-out, and allow for some strategy decisions, while using practical mechanisms to make up for the absence of extra players. I'm quite certain there are many examples of games with less than impressive results, and I would welcome your comments on those, as well as any that you like. I'm glad that many of the games I enjoy can be played with 2, because without that, I would own and play considerably less games. A world with less gaming is a duller world, for me.
Thanks for reading, and play with someone you care about today, please!