Games I've played recently

Few words on some games I've played recently:

Two days ago I tried out Puerto Rico in the Brettspielwelt, the German online board game server. Puerto Rico must've been a tough conversion, but they've done reasonable job cramming all that information on such a small screen. The building menu is hidden well and can't be found without help, but otherwise it works well. I spent most of the game focusing on the user interface instead of my strategy, but managed to be second (lost five points to the winner). The game was pleasantly fast, four players and 45 minutes.

Today I played yet another game of Africa with my girlfriend. She's not much of a gamer, but seems to enjoy playing friendly games with me. I like playing Africa with her, it seems to be a good game for that. I don't want to play with a cut-throat style with her (I'll save that for my gamer friends) and Africa is well suited for happy, friendly playing. Also, our games are often quite even: today I lost by one point, last time we played I won by one or two points. I firmly recommend Africa, if you're looking for a nice, friendly game. The rules are easy and the bits look gorgeous. It's one of my favourite new games this year.