by: Michael Barnes

One of the most rewarding aspects of writing a widely read tabletop gaming column is that I am in a position to bring to the readers’ attention games, publishers, and personalities that might otherwise go unnoticed or underreported. Much of what is going on in the hobby gaming world today is far under the cultural radar as it is, but even in such a small and developing medium there is a certain degree of stratification. There are analogues to both the high profile, blockbuster Cineplex attraction and the small, low-budget indie picture. With a fairly broad range of desktop-published titles, Victory Point Games definitely qualifies as one of the little guys in the games business. Although you might never have heard of this company it so happens they’re quietly turning out a number of games that deserve your attention.

Now, before we get on with looking at some of their titles let’s make a couple of things clear. First off, don’t pick up a Victory Point game expecting all mod cons like mounted boards, linen-finish cards, and plastic figures by the sprue-load. They are not highly polished, professional examples of board game product design so some of the artwork and layout is a little on the homespun side. You might have to trim the counters where the paper cutter didn’t quite make it through the cardstock. And don’t expect a box, either- all of their games come packaged in plastic baggies. If you’re lucky, your copy might come with a teeny tiny six-sided dice. It’s definitely a back-to-basics approach, and if you gamed through the 1970s and 1980s you probably won’t be as horrified by the old school production as a younger gamer reared on today’s wallet-busting luxury games of Chinese origin might be.

That being said, I have to admit that at first I had a little sticker shock when I started assessing these games. Their larger titles are anywhere from $22-$45, and that seems like a lot to pay for what are essentially homemade games with copy center production quality. Most of their games have an expansion, which tends to be under $10 but still increases the actual price of the game because generally they are worth having. Stepping back and looking at their pricing realistically reveals that these prices are half or even one-third the price of comparable games from professional publishers these days, so it’s not as bad as it seems. There is also the added value of supporting a small business that is striving to foster positive game design concepts and innovative, sometimes non-commercial ideas. And oddly enough, even though the look of the games tends to be a little simple, I think the graphic design and layouts are better than some of what I’m seeing in larger productions these days. There are definitely caring hands working on these titles, and I think there’s a big difference between paying $30 or so for a handmade game and $100 for a mass produced, made-in-China one.

In this block, we’ll take a look at a couple of their multiplayer titles. In a future capsule segment, I’ll highlight three of their outstanding solitaire games including NEMO’S WAR, one of the best games of 2010.

CIRCUS TRAIN was the first Victory Point game I tried, and I thought it was outstanding right out of the gate. At first the circus theme sort of put me off since I’m not exactly a Ringling Brothers kind of guy but it’s more of a historical approach set during the Prohibition and that interested me. It’s not really a simulation game about liquoring up your retinue’s clowns with contraband Canadian whiskey or dropping off the freaks you can no longer afford to pay somewhere in upstate New York, but those elements and other very narrative details are present that transform the game from a simple, Eurogame-style pick up and deliver exercise into something interesting, strategically compelling, and fun.

In this action card-driven game, each player represents the impresario of a travelling circus. Everyone starts out an all-clown show, and the idea is that you want to take your show to cities where a performance demand counter matches what acts you have in your production. As you put on shows in various cities your circus earns money to hire on new acts such as expensive-to-maintain big cats or a human cannonball. But you’ve also got to pay the salaries of your existing show folk, or you might find yourself scrambling to put together a performance just to avoid bankruptcy. Fame is also generated by putting on shows. If you have three of a certain kind of performer, your circus is renowned for them. And for each show you put on, you get to add the point value of all of your past performance. Then there’s a seasonal factor, as putting on shows during the late summer months earns more money than the spring events.

These are simple but very neat mechanics that create a strong sense of story as your circus grows in popularity and value. There is also strong strategic element as players have to play through their entire range of action cards before they can return them to hand. So eventually you’ve got to decide when to play that dreaded “pay wages” card and you’ve also got to manage when you’re going to move, when you’re going to hire, and when you’re going to set up to do one of the hugely profitable two week engagements toward the end of the game.