non-gamers to play together with each enjoying themselves. There is constant activity and many decisions to be made and, of course, there's the Laughing Monk.

     Since I've tired of poking fun of War Games (as that becomes as challenging as shooting fish in a barrel) I've decided to turn my Game Notes attention to Family gaming Classics. Today's absurdity once again revolves around some 'what ifs'. What would happen if the Laughing Monk became a standard feature in Family games? Would it be like a doubling cube, being added to make an abstract game into one more conducive for gambling?
     CANDYLAND (MB) players in last place get to double their colorful moves. Movement through the Gumdrop Forest, would, out of fairness, have to be restricted. I asked noted Candyland expert, Kevin Maroney, about adding the Lauging Monk but he admonished me for "trying to tamper with one of the Classics".
      SCRABBLE (S&R) - sandbag your over-confident opponents by falling into last place just in time for your 'Q' to be dropped on a double letter square while going through a triple word score. Who's laughing, now?
      COSMIC ENCOUNTER (EON) - sorry, no new rules are needed here. Among alliances, alien powers, flares, moons, lucre and kickers, a doubling mechanism seems pretty tame and mundane. Can't wait to see the new AH version in September, though.
      BOULDER GAMES LAUGHING MONK CONTEST - submit the most absurd gaming use of the Laughing Monk and win a year's subscription to Game Notes. Second prize is a Boulder Games Pen. Third prize - 2 Boulder Games pens. (why to we freely offer Jim's money to strangers? - 'cause we can! - and Jim never reads these articles before printing them, anyhow.)

K-ban - Steve Kurzban leads an 8 year old weekly game group on Long Isand that playtests new games for review in Gamers Alliance Reports. Steve has written reviews and/or articles for GAR, Games Magazine, Games, Games, Games and the Games Cafe.

GAMERS’ CHOICE AWARDS
by Greg Schloesser

      It’s award time again! Put on your best ‘duds’, style your hair and get ready for the show! And this year, there’s a new kid on the block … the Gamers’ Choice Awards, sponsored by the Strategy Gaming Society.
      The Gamers’ Choice Awards was established to recognize outstanding games and to help spread the word about the wonderful world of strategy gaming to as many folks as possible. Unlike the Spiel des Jahres, the GCA aims to be truly international in scope, recognizing games and designers from around the world in in various categories. Initially, there are three categories of recognition: General Strategy Games, with a sub-category of 2-player games, and Historical Simulation Games. The committees for each of these categories are comprised of well-known and highly respected gamers from around the world.
      You can learn more about the Gamers’ Choice Awards and the Strategy Gaming Society by visiting the SGS website.
      So, which games received nominations for the Year 2000 GCA Awards, and which were the ultimate winners? Let’s take a look:

      CHINATOWN: A wonderful deal-making and negotiation game set in the Chinatown district of 1930’s New York (I didn’t even know New York had a Chinatown district!). Players attempt to secure the rights to various locations and subsequently build the most valuable businesses. The trading is fierce, with wide open wheeling-and-dealing. This is a wonderful game, but only for those who enjoy a healthy dose of trading in their games. Alea.
      DIE STERNENFAHRER VON CATAN: The latest in the immensely popular SETTLERS OF CATAN series. This time, our brave settlers are exploring and colonizing galaxies far, far away. Without a doubt, the game wins the ‘most beautiful pieces’ award as it comes complete with dozens of colonies, trading ports, lasers, turbo boosters, spaceports, etc., including four huge mother ships upon which many of these pieces attach. The game is much more luck-based than the rest of the series, which is a turn-off to some. Kosmos.
      MAMMA MIA: You gotta try to maka the perfect pizza! Played in the right spirit, complete with horrible Italian accents, this game is a joy to play. Played seriously, it can fry your brain as you try to remember which ingredients and orders have already been played. Take my advice … play it for fun and you’ll have a rollicking good time. This is a good ‘crossover’ game which has proven popular with both gamers and families. Rio Grande Games / Abacus Spiele
      MIT LIST UND TUCKE: It was only a few years ago that

I didn’t even know what a trick taking game was. Now, it seems a year doesn’t go by without a dozen or so trick taking games being released. Fortunately, many of them contain clever twists and/or scoring mechanisms which set them apart and make them a joy to play. MIT LIST UND TUCKE by Klaus Palesch is just such a game. Players do not need to follow the lead suit, but must be mindful of the cards they are collecting. Only two suits will score, while any other suits collected will reduce your points. This is a devilishly clever game with a strong dose of nastiness. Not for the faint of heart! Berliner Spielkarten.
      RA: Incredibly, this popular Reiner Knizia title was overlooked by the Spiel des Jahres jury. Even though it is not one of my personal favorites, I can certainly recognize the immense popularity of the game. To have been overlooked by the SdJ jury, especially with its ludicrous nomination of Knizia’s card game MONEY, was a slap in Reiner’s face. Ra is a clever bidding game with players attempting to collect various Egyptian artifacts. Rio Grande Games / Alea.
      STEPHENSONS ROCKET: In my opinion, this was the best of the 1999 Essen releases. There are so many strategies to pursue in this game that the mind fairly boggles at the possibilities. Plus, leave it to Knizia to incorporate a twisted scoring mechanism which keeps players guessing as to just who is actually winning the game. And, for once, the theme of constructing railway lines across Britain seems to fit nicely. STEPHENSONS ROCKET is always fun and challenging to play. Rio Grande Games / Pegasus.
      TIKAL: TIKAL swept the Speil des Jahres and Deutsche Spiel Preis Awards last year, and deservedly so. This is a fantastic game of exploration and plunder of ancient Mayan ruins. The team of Kramer & Kiesling have combined a number of mechanics from their past games, as well as some new ideas. The result is an agonizing series of choices that players must make on each and every turn. Some have complained about the ‘down-time’ between turns, which is possible if players tend to over analyze each and every move. A brief warning about this possibility and some gentle urgings to keep things moving has always worked for us. A terrific game … one for the ages. Rio Grande Games / Ravensburger.
      TORRES: What a difference a second playing can make. I first played this game in post-prototype form with hastily assembled pieces and unclear rules. I was not impressed. The finished product, however, is simply superb and my favorite game of the past several years. Each and every turn requires players to be at top form, utilizing their scarce action points to the fullest and most optimum extent. This is a true match of wits between 2, 3 or 4 players. I can’t say enough good things about this one. Rio Grande Games / FX
      UNION PACIFIC: This re-working of Alan Moon’s AIRLINES is a real crowd pleaser. Alan combined the best elements of its predecessor and added a few nice twists and improvements, not to mention some superior components (you just gotta love all those plastic trains!). Again, one is faced with tough choices throughout the game … Do I lay track or stock? Which line to expand? Which stock to grab? Do I trade for Union Pacific Stock? Should I compete with Joe for the majority in the red line, or concentrate on the yellow line? It’s the proliferation of such tough decisions which make this game so enjoyable for me. Rio Grande Games / Amigo
      VINCI: At last! A game which combines elements of HISTORY OF THE WORLD, ADVANCED CIVILIZATION and BRITANNIA and can be played to completion in less than three hours! It’s a dream come true. VINCI has combined elements of all of these classics, streamlining and simplifying them so the game plays smoothly and quickly. But more importantly, it has retained the tension and enjoyment levels. This is a great crossover game which should appeal to those hard-core war gamers. Descartes.
      And the winner? TIKAL! Yes, TIKAL sweeps the Gamers’ Choice Awards, Spiel des Jahre and Deutsche Spiel Preis awards. Even with a year having passed since its release, this is truly a testament to the quality and popularity of the game.

GENERAL STRATEGY GAMES – 2 Player Division

     ISI: This is a Desktop Publishing effort with a small production run, yet it has proven very popular as an intense abstract game which tests one’s mettle. The game rewards frequent replays as various tactics and strategies reveal themselves with familiarity. The game has proven so popular that a new multi-player version (cleverly titled Morisi) is being released.
     KONTOR: OK … so not all of the nominees were personal favorites. KONTOR is one that I personally found quite dry and predictable with little excitement. Others, however, enjoy the game, which is clearly evident by its nomination. I will say this … the concept is neat and the components are top notch. However, I’m sure a game about developing the ports and harbors of Amsterdam could be much better done. Gold Sieber.
      LOST CITIES: Talk about one for the ages! LOST CITIES was a runaway smash hit ever since its release in early 1999. I remember the first time hearing the rules; my response was "That’s it?". In spite of its

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