Saturday, April 12, 2014

The Return of the Microgame



This week  heralded the return of the microgame (yes, I know there are other microgames out there but most come from the small press), in a way we have not seen since the heyday of Cheapass Games, as AEG released a very nice cardboard display stand containing not one, not two but three variants of Love Letter, plus 5 other games, playable in less than 30 minutes and retailing for about $10 each. Apparently Japan and Korea are the new Europe (much like Orange is the new Black) as most of the designers for AEG’s microgames line come from those countries.  Love Letter, of course, hit the shelves last year and had done quite well, but AEG showed off most of the others at the GAMA Trade Show last month, impressing most retailers with which I spoke with both packaging and gameplay.

AEG really launched their micrograme line impressively too, not only with the aforementioned cardboard display stand but also including bonus copies of Love Letter and Trains. I swear, I have seen AEG give away so many demo copies of Trains, also from a Japanese designer, that I wonder, sometimes, if AEG has actually sold any copies of the game. Be that as it may, these additions make the AEG microgames an even better deal and one that I hope leads to a resurgence in microgames.

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