August 28, 2007
I played Quartile!
Last month I told you about a new game called Quartile. I was so excited about it that I ordered it that same day. I’ve had it for about two weeks. Alas, I live a rather solitary life and didn’t have anyone to play it with until my friend came over this weekend. Here are some of my random observations after playing the game once:
1. It’s a good game for a social setting where conversation is as much a focus as gameplay. We played an enjoyable game, though we weren’t paying total attention to the game itself. Quartile does not require complete, silent concentation in order to be fun and challenging.
2. The level of challenge is up to the players. Higher points can be scored by matching a tile to two or more tiles already in place. I created such opportunities for myself several times, but my opponent snatched away the higher-score spots I had hoped to use for myself.
3. I either didn’t notice or, more likely, forgot that the game was packaged in a wooden box. Surely I must have known that when I researched the game before I purchased it, but it came as a complete surprise to me by the time I got it. Very nice.
4. The box is lovely and sturdy, however, the silver paint is already wearing off. Simply Fun needs to upgrade their materials. I paid $40.00 plus shipping and handling for my game. I expect quality at that price.
5. Yeah, about that shipping. The game is aproximately 5.5 X 7 X 2.5 inches and weighs just under two pounds. Postage in a flat rate USPS box would have been $8.95 and my game would have arrived in a few days. Instead I paid $16.00 and FedEx took a week and a half to get it to me. Yes, I understand that someone has to be paid to pull the purchase from stock and get it packaged up, but “shipping and handling” should NOT include profit computed in. Simply Fun needs to offer some shipping options. If I have to wait ten days for a purchase I expect a cheap rate.
Overview: I’m very pleased with the game itself. I’m looking forward to playing it with my son the next time he visits so I can experience a higher level of challenge (he’s dead serious about games!) I’ll also be looking forward to an opportunity to play with a larger group. I think Quartile would be great for an adult game night as well as a fun game for family game nights. The game lives up to my expectations. It’s fun, it offers challenging strategy if you want it and it’s absolutely beautiful to look at and handle.
I am loathe to offer the following information, but you’re my friends, so I must! Steve, the inventor of Quartile, is having a contest on his blog. You can win one of the rare marble prototypes of Quartile by following a few simple steps. Go check out the contest rules and get yourself entered to win a hand-crafted model of Quartile for your very own. Just keep in mind that I fully expect to win one for myself and there are only a few available. That’s okay. When I win and you don’t you’ll have to come visit Hawaii to play it with me. See, we all win in the long run!
[tags]board games, family games, games, Quartile[/tags]
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August 28th, 2007 at 2:13 pm, HMTKSteve Says:
Skeet,
Sorry about the problems you experienced, all I can say is, “out of my hands”.
The shipping was very high, a lot higher than I used to charge people for the marble sets. Even those fit in the $8 flat rate box (2 sets fit).
Since you have two tickets in the pot you may just win one of the marble sets.
I’m glad you enjoy the game and have fun playing it, that was my goal in designing it.
Some of the boxes were “ify” on the quality side. I got ten copies for myself and some of them came out very good while others had problems. It’s all part of the gamble when you manufacture in China. on the whole I think SimplyFun did a good job on the game. They are a small company and when you do a small print run you have to figure out ways to keep costs down because the initial run is always the most expensive.
August 28th, 2007 at 2:34 pm, skeet Says:
I’m very pleased with the game itself - everything I expected and more. You should be really proud of such a creative invention, Steve! As to quality - the paint is a minor problem, but I was attempting an unbiased review and felt obligatd to mention it. The box is well-finished with tight, square seams sturdy hinges and an overall look that says “quality.” The tiles are uniformly smooth and well-finished also. The accent paint is a small distraction but needed to be mentioned.
Mahalo for the reminder that a second post means a second entry in your contest. I just checked and I actually should have three entries - one for each post and one for purchasing the game.