New Game Round-up: Driving in German Kraftwagen, Working in the Big Easy & Chewing in the Workplace

In 1888, Bertha Benz, wife of car pioneer Carl Benz, undertook the first long-distance (relatively speaking) overland drive in an automobile from Mannheim to Pforzheim in Germany. On her way, her car ran out of gasoline, so she had to get the correct chemicals to keep going. Thus, the city drugstore of Wiesloch became the world's first gas station.

Very quickly, the automobile — the "Kraftwagen" — became a common means of transportation, and shortly thereafter the first Grand-Prix races were conducted at the Nürburgring and the AVUS.

Only forty years later, Germany possessed a dense road network. The combustion engine had triumphed over electric and steam drives, and cars were produced on the assembly belt. Manufacturers were also even producing less expensive cars for wider sections of the people.

Kraftwagen transfers players to the time when cars came to maturity in Germany and Europe.

The game has a similar mechanic to Glen More; there are action tokens in the rondel like action selection space. Choosing these actions players will be able to research advanced motors and body parts, to produce cars and to participate in the first Grand Prix races.

Players can also use special bonus given by famous engineers like Benz, Opel or Daimler.

There is also a very interesting market feature in which players decide how much money, (=VPs), they would like to earn from each produced car. There is a risk factor involved because only 4 out of 6 cars will be sold each round and one of those left out can be yours.

In Big Easy Business, 2-4 players are aspiring business moguls in New Orleans buying up businesses and attracting tourists in order to prove their savvy and best the competition. They must compete to buy and utilize nightclubs, popular restaurants, tourist attractions, trinket shops, street bands, and more.

Players begin the game as one of several possible businesses, all with unique abilities. During a round, custom dice are rolled to create the action pool for all players. As players take their turns, they select a die for its action and execute it. Depending on what you choose, you'll be attracting tourists or cashing them out, buying new businesses (with new abilities), hiring new employees, etc. Combine that with blocking opponents out of actions, taking advantages of citywide events, and playing in a high-stakes poker game using the tableau you build...and you have Big Easy Business.