Squark Games Are Going Bananas!
It has been a busy August for us at Squark Games. We officially launched our games at Borders Books in The Curve PJ, Berjaya Times Square KL and Queensbay Mall Penang. At the same time, we were also working on getting distributorship of quality games from reputable game manufacturers. As a result, tons of new games will be arriving this next week at Port Klang. There will be no less than fifty new games on the ship! There will be so many games to sort out, we will be going bananas! (Yes - this is a hint about one of our new games).
The games that we are importing are board games, card games, word games, dice games and party games. The huge variety of games on our list is intentional for we believe that games are to be enjoyed by everyone. There are also a variety of types in the games we are bringing in - from cutesy games for children and their parents, word games for students and their teachers, party games for adults and their better halfs, to Designer Euro games for all ages and also wargames for the armchair generals! Also, there are a variety of themes in the games - food, mysteries, words, monsters, bugs, killer bunnies (did I say Killer Bunnies?), etc.
Apart from introducing these games to Malaysian and our visitors, another important reason for us to make these games available is my burning desire to play these games. I've been playing games for many years and, personally, I like to play different games in each gaming session. The games mechanics in each game intrigue me as I find it fascinating to find out how each game works to provide the fun that each player experience while playing the game. Each game is an adventure. As I learn the game, the thought processes of the game designer unfolds and offers me new insights on the game.
One of my favourite game designers is Reiner Knizia. This brilliant German gentleman has a PhD in mathematics and has designed over 500 wonderful games. He has won many awards, including Deutscher Spiele Preis (which he won four times) and Spiel des Jahres. He was six years old when he developed his first game (Dr Knizia started earlier than me. I developed my first game when I was 13. One up on RK!).
One of my favourite Knizia games is Lost Cities ‘cos it is fast, fun and portable. I normally keep a copy in my car so that I can whip it out when I meet a gaming friend for coffee and play in Starbucks. However, Lost Cities is only for two players and I could not play it when I meet more than one friend for coffee and éclairs. The solution to my dilemma awaits on the ship that is, as we speak, chugging its way to Port Klang. On that ship, amongst the many games, lies a classic multiplayer Knizia card game that is fast, fun and portable : Reiner Knizia's Poison.
In Reiner Knizia's Poison, each player plays a mad doctor mixing potions in cauldrons. Now among the Potion Cards, there are Poison Cards. These can be put into the cauldron, but if the cauldron overflows (i.e. when the cards total 14 or more), the players has to take all the cards, including any Poison Cards! This is a light-hearted, fun card game for 3 to 6 players. I can't wait to put this in my car!
That's all for now. In the next few days, I will be revealing more games that are coming our way, including more games by Reiner Knizia.
