I’d like to acknowledge right off the bat that a middling review of a 50-year old board game is a rather pointless critical venture to undertake (even for me). But seeing as Bazaar has established a reputation for itself over the years as a bit of a minor classic from master designer Sid Sackson, I thought it was worth a paragraph or three to jot down some thoughts on it. Bazaar is a basic set collection game that challenges players to efficiently use ten different equations randomly determined at the game’s outset to convert colored stones into specific combinations. On any given turn, the active player decides to either roll a multi-colored die and collect a stone matching their roll or trade stones they already have in their possession for other stones as directed by one of the aforementioned equations. After taking their action, if they have stones matching the set on an available card for purchase, they may spend those stones to do just that and score some points. Point values are determined by 2 factors: 1) the value of the card and 2) how many stones the player has leftover after making the purchase (with fewer being better, obviously). Players are highly incentivized to make efficient trades and purchases as these point values vary greatly. The same card could be worth up to five times as much for the meticulous player with zero leftover stones as the sloppy player with gosh knows how many. Whatever the methodology behind their acquisition may…
Can’t Stop has been one of my go-to gaming nightcaps for several years now, and I don’t expect that to ever change. It’s an impressive design that distills the thrill of gambling into a brief dice game that is simple enough for children, but exciting for all. Even 40 years on from its initial release it is one of, if not the best pure press-your-luck game there is. Although, its longevity isn’t all that surprising when you consider it was designed by the granddaddy of modern board games himself: the legendary Sid Sackson. If you are not aware of this dude’s massive contributions to the art form we all love, I highly encourage you to read up on him and play some of his games. He has some excellent, excellent designs that were waaaaaaay ahead of their time. Perhaps a review of a designer’s game is not the best place to be showering said designer with unreserved adulation, but I can’t help it in this case. Sackson is amazing; I love him. Okay, I’m done. Let’s talk about the game. Can’t Stop is a dice game played on a board that looks like a stop sign (now that’s good production design!). On this board are 11 columns numbered 2 through 12 that are made up of a number of spaces. The 2 and 12 columns are the shortest with the fewest amount of spaces and the 7 is the tallest with the most. Players are each given a set of 11 playing pieces…