Cardgame review - Die Kutschfahrt zur Teufelsburg
- Gonzoron of the FoS
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Cardgame review - Die Kutschfahrt zur Teufelsburg
I've had this one on my shelf for a while, but just got to play it this past weekend. It's a clever little German card game called, Die Kutschfahrt zur Teufelsburg, which translates as "Coach Ride to Devil's Castle". It's been re-printed in English, with some revised rules as "The Castle of the Devil," but to me it will always be "Die Kutschfahrt" to appease my inner 12-year-old, and my love of games I can't pronounce properly.
I won't go too deeply into detail. You can find pictures and other reviews here:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/ ... -the-devil
But I just wanted to point it out to the Ravenloft fans since it has a great Ravenloft-ish vibe. The idea is that 3-10 players are together in a carriage, on their way to the "Devil's Castle" (read: Castle Dracula or Castle Ravenloft, your choice.) What they will do when they get there and why they are going are not important. More important is that each of the riders is a member of one of two secret societies, The Order and The Brotherhood. Societies so secret, that they don't even know who else in the carriage belongs to which one. Also on board the carriage is everyone's luggage, and amongst the luggage are some objects of power: 3 keys and 3 goblets. The keys belong to the Order, and the goblets belong to the Brotherhood.
The object of the game is to win . You win (as a team) by identifying the members of your society, making sure that they hold the 3 items they are looking for, and declaring publicly that this is so. If you're wrong, you (and your team) lose. (good day, sir!)
The game is a bit complicated to learn, but it's a blast to play. Everyone is sneakily trying to get information, while not giving information away to the other team, but since you don't know the teams, everyone is paranoid of everyone else. Then, once the allegiances start to be come clear, there's a mad dash for the items and the win. (I just can't help but laugh at picturing all these classic victorian archetype characters switching from veiled hints and secret hand signs to wrestling with each other over the luggage, while the whole carriage careens through treacherous mountain passes.)
Anyway, I liked it a lot, and can't wait to play again. Thought some here might be interested, so I figured I'd plug it.
I won't go too deeply into detail. You can find pictures and other reviews here:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/ ... -the-devil
But I just wanted to point it out to the Ravenloft fans since it has a great Ravenloft-ish vibe. The idea is that 3-10 players are together in a carriage, on their way to the "Devil's Castle" (read: Castle Dracula or Castle Ravenloft, your choice.) What they will do when they get there and why they are going are not important. More important is that each of the riders is a member of one of two secret societies, The Order and The Brotherhood. Societies so secret, that they don't even know who else in the carriage belongs to which one. Also on board the carriage is everyone's luggage, and amongst the luggage are some objects of power: 3 keys and 3 goblets. The keys belong to the Order, and the goblets belong to the Brotherhood.
The object of the game is to win . You win (as a team) by identifying the members of your society, making sure that they hold the 3 items they are looking for, and declaring publicly that this is so. If you're wrong, you (and your team) lose. (good day, sir!)
The game is a bit complicated to learn, but it's a blast to play. Everyone is sneakily trying to get information, while not giving information away to the other team, but since you don't know the teams, everyone is paranoid of everyone else. Then, once the allegiances start to be come clear, there's a mad dash for the items and the win. (I just can't help but laugh at picturing all these classic victorian archetype characters switching from veiled hints and secret hand signs to wrestling with each other over the luggage, while the whole carriage careens through treacherous mountain passes.)
Anyway, I liked it a lot, and can't wait to play again. Thought some here might be interested, so I figured I'd plug it.
"We're realistic heroes. We're not here to save the world, just nudge the world into a better place."
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Re: Cardgame review - Die Kutschfahrt zur Teufelsburg
Wrestling? Over items of power? Pffft. There would be daggers and poison needles unless they are really pacifist orders with a secret agenda to bring peace to the world (without killing everyone). And no pacifist order would have half their members on a carriage to castle Ravenloft.
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Re: Cardgame review - Die Kutschfahrt zur Teufelsburg
I'll ask my friend MIke if he has this one and i f not. .... I'll get it!
It looks like a good game to me, considering I have played a gazillion games [over 250 easy in the past 5 years]
SOme good ones I like are Alhambra[all 4 together or just the basic game - even the dice game is fun for two ]
Cities and Knights expansion for Settlers of Catan. I recently played the Settlers of AMerica and it is very good!
It looks like a good game to me, considering I have played a gazillion games [over 250 easy in the past 5 years]
SOme good ones I like are Alhambra[all 4 together or just the basic game - even the dice game is fun for two ]
Cities and Knights expansion for Settlers of Catan. I recently played the Settlers of AMerica and it is very good!
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Re: Cardgame review - Die Kutschfahrt zur Teufelsburg
I still haven't done more than crack open most of my Alhambra expansions, sadly. We usually have too many n00bs playing to spring the expansions on them, though I almost never play without the Vizier, especially with >4 players.tarlyn wrote:SOme good ones I like are Alhambra[all 4 together or just the basic game - even the dice game is fun for two
Regrettably, I'm kind of worn out on setters. I love C&K, but rarely have the right crowd for it, and we've played Settlers, Seafarers, Starfarers, C&K, Das Buch, Settlers of the Stone Age, Candamir, Troy, Great Wall, Cheops, Nurnburg, and Rome so much that I just can't get excited enough about Settlers of America to give it a try. I still haven't touched most of the stuff in the Atlantis box, nor my fishermen of Catan mini-expansion, nor have we finished a full game of Elasund (that one nearly ended some friendships; It's nasty! )Cities and Knights expansion for Settlers of Catan. I recently played the Settlers of AMerica and it is very good!
For the past couple years, we've probably played more Dominion than any other game (or maybe all others put together!). Macao is a recent fave too, it makes my brain hurt in all the right ways.
"We're realistic heroes. We're not here to save the world, just nudge the world into a better place."
Re: Cardgame review - Die Kutschfahrt zur Teufelsburg
I think Mike has Macao but we haven't played it. Dude, Dominion is da bomb! You have to so open Arabian Nights and play it or buy it and play it, You won't regret it. Yeah, Settlers is the game where you can't play it a lot, but once in a while. Some games are for some people and some are for others.
Hey, have you played Goa and Santiago? What about Ra?
As for Alhambra, yes we love the Vizier. Try the dice game.
I also find that you have to give a game two tries to see if you really like it
Hey, have you played Goa and Santiago? What about Ra?
As for Alhambra, yes we love the Vizier. Try the dice game.
I also find that you have to give a game two tries to see if you really like it
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Re: Cardgame review - Die Kutschfahrt zur Teufelsburg
Definitely on the to try list, but we're trying not to buy anything new until we get our "played/owned" ratio up a bit higher.tarlyn wrote:You have to so open Arabian Nights and play it or buy it and play it, You won't regret it.
yes, yes, and yes. Goa is one of my favorites. I always wish we could play it more than we do. A very, very good game. Santiago we played once and enjoyed. I mean to get back to it someday but don't remember much about it. Ra's a classic. A very odd, but very good auction game. Don't be fooled by the egyptian theme, it's pasted on at best, but the game underneath is great.Hey, have you played Goa and Santiago? What about Ra?
I'm not a big fan of dice games, but if the opportunity presents itself, I'll give it a try.Try the dice game.
I usually give it 3. But I'm more forgiving than most.I also find that you have to give a game two tries to see if you really like it
"We're realistic heroes. We're not here to save the world, just nudge the world into a better place."
Re: Cardgame review - Die Kutschfahrt zur Teufelsburg
I love Ra. Speaking of Egyptian, have you tried Cleopatra? I liked it.
I also enjoyed Collusseum[sp]
Speaking of card games, I guess you tried a few Munchkin card games? My pal Mike named his dog after it LOL!
I also enjoyed Collusseum[sp]
Speaking of card games, I guess you tried a few Munchkin card games? My pal Mike named his dog after it LOL!
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Re: Cardgame review - Die Kutschfahrt zur Teufelsburg
Yup, played it once at a con a couple years ago. I enjoyed it. Considered getting it, but it hasn't made the cut yet.tarlyn wrote:I love Ra. Speaking of Egyptian, have you tried Cleopatra? I liked it.
Yeah, I have it. I like it a lot. Need to get that one on the table again soon.I also enjoyed Collusseum[sp]
heh... yeah, I like the humor of them, but I'm not a fan of playing them. I've given it the 3 chances, and each time it was interminable... Funny cards, painful game.Speaking of card games, I guess you tried a few Munchkin card games? My pal Mike named his dog after it LOL!
"We're realistic heroes. We're not here to save the world, just nudge the world into a better place."
Re: Cardgame review - Die Kutschfahrt zur Teufelsburg
Yeah. I am presuming you like Arkham Asylum? I find that not every board game player likes it.Gonzoron of the FoS wrote:heh... yeah, I like the humor of them, but I'm not a fan of playing them. I've given it the 3 chances, and each time it was interminable... Funny cards, painful game.
I also like Mystery of the Abbey [The movie is fantastic btw] and Touch of Evil with the expansions is great, especially for Halloween.
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Re: Cardgame review - Die Kutschfahrt zur Teufelsburg
I assume you mean Arkham Horror. (though as a Batman fan, I'd probably love an Arkham Asylum game. ) Sadly, I don't. I've given it 2 tries and hated both, though I feel as though I should like it. In isolation, the parts seem like things I'd like, but as a whole, it doesn't come together for me. 1 more try and it goes on the trade/sell pile. I think I need to play it with a group who knows and likes it, since it seems like it's very dependent on the crowd.tarlyn wrote:Yeah. I am presuming you like Arkham Asylum? I find that not every board game player likes it.
Mystery of the Abbey was... just ok, the one time I played. I'd try it again sometime. ToE is great. (co-op style. Competitive style fell flat with us.) I need to try the expansions soon.I also like Mystery of the Abbey [The movie is fantastic btw] and Touch of Evil with the expansions is great, especially for Halloween.
Other games I like with a Ravenloft-ish vibe include Mr. Jack, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the U.S. version boardgame. believe it or not, it's pretty good. Apparently the U.K. one is crap.) and of course, Betrayal at House on the Hill.
ETA: Then of course, there's Castle Ravenloft, but that probably goes without saying.
"We're realistic heroes. We're not here to save the world, just nudge the world into a better place."
Re: Cardgame review - Die Kutschfahrt zur Teufelsburg
Gonzoron of the FoS wrote:I assume you mean Arkham Horror. (though as a Batman fan, I'd probably love an Arkham Asylum game. ) Sadly, I don't. I've given it 2 tries and hated both, though I feel as though I should like it. In isolation, the parts seem like things I'd like, but as a whole, it doesn't come together for me. 1 more try and it goes on the trade/sell pile. I think I need to play it with a group who knows and likes it, since it seems like it's very dependent on the crowd.tarlyn wrote:Yeah. I am presuming you like Arkham Asylum? I find that not every board game player likes it.
I played it with people who like it so it helped.
Mystery of the Abbey is a once every blue moon game tbh.Mystery of the Abbey was... just ok, the one time I played. I'd try it again sometime. ToE is great. (co-op style. Competitive style fell flat with us.) I need to try the expansions soon.I also like Mystery of the Abbey [The movie is fantastic btw] and Touch of Evil with the expansions is great, especially for Halloween.
You'll like all the expansions for ToE
Not tried Mr Jack. Liked Betrayal and will look into BUffy.Other games I like with a Ravenloft-ish vibe include Mr. Jack, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the U.S. version boardgame. believe it or not, it's pretty good. Apparently the U.K. one is crap.) and of course, Betrayal at House on the Hill.
ETA: Then of course, there's Castle Ravenloft, but that probably goes without saying.
Sadly I tried it and it does nothing for me heeh.
Last edited by Gonzoron of the FoS on Tue Jun 14, 2011 12:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Coding fixed by gonzoron
Reason: Coding fixed by gonzoron
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Re: Cardgame review - Die Kutschfahrt zur Teufelsburg
Buffy benefits a lot from familiarity with the show. I played it once before watching and was only marginally impressed. I played again after becoming a Buffy fanboy, and it was a different experience.tarlyn wrote:Not tried Mr Jack. Liked Betrayal and will look into BUffy.Other games I like with a Ravenloft-ish vibe include Mr. Jack, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the U.S. version boardgame. believe it or not, it's pretty good. Apparently the U.K. one is crap.) and of course, Betrayal at House on the Hill.
Yeah, It's not for everyone, but enjoy it for what it is, while simultaneously wishing it was what I wish it to be.Sadly I tried it and it does nothing for me heeh.
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Re: Cardgame review - Die Kutschfahrt zur Teufelsburg
Being a BUffy fan thenshould help
As For Castle Ravenloft, it wasn't aimed at us RL fans so it's kind of understandable.
As For Castle Ravenloft, it wasn't aimed at us RL fans so it's kind of understandable.