New Game Round-up: Revisiting Vanuatu, Joining La Cosa Nostra, and Obtaining Happiness from Tramways

A few years ago, we decided to publish Vanuatu. We fell in love with the game and decided to breathe new life into this forgotten gem. We decided to give the game a whole new makeover and we decided also to include the expansion The Rising Waters. We were aware at the time that there had been problems with the initial crowdfunding campaign, and although we had nothing to do with this campaign, we have now decided – together with designer Alain Epron – to give the unfortunate backers who never caught their copy a generous compensation.

Every backer of the original campaign that did NOT receive their game (or the expansion) will receive their copy (or copies) for FREE. Yes, because we are nice that way. How will this work? Well, we kindly ask each one of the backers to send an e-mail to [email protected] with your full name, address, phone number, and a copy of the original e-mail you received during the original Ulule/Indiegogo campaign, clearly detailing the precise quantities of the copies that you ordered originally. The mail address mentioned in that original e-mail should be the one you send the e-mail from as proof. One word of warning though: Since this is a gift to you previous backers, one thing we do ask of you though is to cover the shipping costs. We hope you understand this. We will also arrange for a pick-up option at the following fairs: Spiel 2016 (DE), Spellenspektakel 2016 (NL), and Spel 2016 (BE). So shoot us an e-mail before 31-08-2016 and we will be in touch.

In La Cosa Nostra, you take on the role of a mafia boss. In the beginning, you control a crew of gangsters and a couple of businesses. During the game, you will hire new gangsters to do the dirty work and collect your money. Investments lead to new lines of business or monopoly positions: take control of the drug dealing, moneylending or prostitution. Bribe politicians and cops, invest your money in night clubs, casinos or the waste management industry. To get the big deals, you need to cooperate with the other families — but never rely on those "friendships". The others will take the first opportunity to stab you in the back, so you better do it first...

Each player controls gangster cards that serve to either gain money or attack other players. Actions are planned secretly, placed face down, then played in turn. Often you need certain business cards to succeed. If you don't own them yourself, you can negotiate deals with the other players. The players bargain, spy, threaten, and deceive each other.

Each of the four rounds brings new action cards into the game, and the number of gangsters increases. Thus, the possibilities for actions become more diverse, the jobs more profitable, and the attacks more powerful. Co-operation gets more attractive and treason alluring because at the end of the day money is the only thing that counts.

The 1920s: Small City was founded just a few years ago and is still a fledgling town at this stage. Nonetheless, the Town Center is prosperous, and the managers of the weird CliniC have been duly incarcerated for years by this point. Now it is time to reach a new step: Building a new map transit.

In Tramways, you take the role of one of the managers of the local CliniC who were fired last month when it was discovered that you had acquired wealth on the backs of patients and their poor health. You are now at the head of a team of engineers, ready to build the best and most effective network possible for Small City. Your aim is to find the best places between buildings and citizens so that they can use your networks (and not those of your opponents, who are always ready to buy the most interesting development areas). Be assured that a happy citizen who is able to move where and when he wants will thank the best transport companies. There is nothing that satisfies a chief manager more than seeing citizens happy...

The game is divided into six rounds, each of which is divided into two halves:

• During the first half of a round, players compete to acquire the best development cards to create their most efficient deck. An original auction phase also determines turn order — and being the first player increases your stress level.

• During the second half, they play a train game, using their deck to try to build a great network between the different buildings of Small City. They try to move passengers without stressing them during the transit, in the end obtaining happiness points, which is the aim of the game.

The more that players use the symbols on their cards, the more actions they can do, but they also increase their stress level at the same time, which leads to negative victory points...