The February earthquake has affected so many lives in so many ways, prompting numerous fundraisers, including our board game auction which raised $2,598.74.

One of the most memorable images was of Christchurch Cathedral, its spire having collapsed.  The building will, sadly, be deconsecrated.

Christchurch Cathedral in the wake of the 2011 earthquake.

In 1962, Robert Moore, then a pilot with the RNZAF, marvelled at how Christchurch Cathedral stood out from the rest of the city, and used it as a landmark against which to gauge his location.

He later went on to design the classic Kiwi board game Cathedral.

The New Year will mark half a century since that flight, and now Brightway Products - the first company to produce the game back in 1979 – is at the helm again with a fantastic wooden version.

The wooden box to Cathedral.

Featuring a fantastic wooden box, Cathedral is made from 100% New Zealand materials, so it should come as no surprise that we at SeriouslyBoard were the first retailer to place an order.

The medieval city depicted in Cathedral.

So in one sense, Christchurch has its Cathedral back.

And besides, who could resist a game with an advertising campaign like this:

And that means you don’t have to wait long to get to our extensive games library, spot prizes, Settlers Of Catan tournament, or our Wings Of War record attempt!

Board Games By The Bay is a great excuse to play board games for an entire weekend, and it’s hitting Tauranga in one week’s time on October 22nd and 23rd!

There will be prizes, games for sale, an officially sanctioned Settlers Of Catan tournament for those who register no later than October 20th, and we’re also going to attempt the biggest Wings Of War game in New Zealand!

Add to that the chance to meet other gamers and play heaps of titles, Board Games By The Bay is set to be a cracker!

Saturday runs from 10am until 10pm, and Sunday runs from 10am until 6pm – leaving you enough time to find a television for the Rugby World Cup final!

Tickets are just $10 for the day or $15 for the weekend, or get a discount by registering by October 20th.

Go on – register today!

Our best selling board games for July 2011 were:

5. Saboteur

Great as a filler or as a way to start or end a gaming session, Saboteur offers a light and interactive experience for up to 10 players.  A fun game of bluff and counter-bluff, Saboteur is quick to play and easy to learn.

Buy Saboteur now.

4. Forbidden Island

Our best selling game of all time, Forbidden Island is a regular in our monthly lists.  A co-operative game where players try to escape a watery grave while retrieving artifacts from a sinking island, Forbidden Island was nominated for the 2011 Spiel des Jahres award.

Buy Forbidden Island now.

3. Dominion

Winner of the 2009 Spiel des Jahres and a thoroughly popular game, Dominion is a deck building game set in medieval times.  With most games lasting only a half hour, and with so many expansions on offer, Dominion promises a heap of variability.

*** A Dominion tournament is planned for Board Games By The Bay in Tauranga, with an overseas trip on offer for the winner! ***

Buy Dominion now.

2. 7 Wonders

A hugely popular – and addictive – civilisation building game that barely lasts 45 minutes, 7 Wonders puts players in charge of building an ancient wonder.  With a simple core mechanic but various layers of depth, 7 Wonders is a highly replayable game.

Buy 7 Wonders now.

1. Ticket To Ride: Europe

A great introductory game to the world of modern board gaming, Ticket To Ride: Europe invites players to make rail connections between European cities in the early 20th Century.  One of the most popular games and often a starter to a games colletion, Ticket To Ride: Europe – refreshed by the Ticket To Ride: Europa 1912 expansion – is easy to learn, but hard to put down.

Buy Ticket To Ride: Europe now.

And there you have it – the biggest sellers of July 2011!

Our best-selling board games for June 2011 were:

5. Dominion: Intrigue

The first expansion of Dominion, but also its own base game, Dominion: Intrigue provides a gaming experience that has a lot more options than the original.  This ultimately means a slower but more interactive gaming experience.  If you’re looking for your first Dominion expansion, Dominion: Intrigue is a great place to start.

Buy Dominion: Intrigue now.

4. Alien Frontiers

Alien Frontiers is a great dice-based game themed around the colonisation of a planet.  Players roll dice and then go from there to decide which actions to use those dice against.  The pure randomness that so often afflict dice is irrelevant here, because a low roll could be just as strategically beneficial as a high roll.

Buy Alien Frontiers now.

3. Saboteur

One of the best games for a larger group, Saboteur can handle up to 10 players.  Highly interactive, and quick to play, Saboteur is a great ice breaker for any gaming occasion.

Buy Saboteur now.

2. 7 Wonders

Our best-selling title for the last two months, 7 Wonders is a card-based civilisation game which incorporates a unique turn order and simultaneous actions into a highly replayable package.

Buy 7 Wonders now.

1. Forbidden Island

Released last year, Forbidden Island has rapidly found itself at the very top of our all time best sellers.  From the designer of Pandemic, Forbidden Island is a co-operative game set on a sinking island!

Buy Forbidden Island now.

Those were our most sold games in June – which games were your most played?

Our best-selling board games for May 2011 were:

5. Dixit

The most recent winner of the Spiel des Jahres award,  Dixit is a very social game that features very creative and multi-faceted artwork and is certain to get the creative juices flowing.

Buy Dixit now.

4. Citadels

Take on the role of a medieval city planner in Citadels, a card game that can take up to 7 players.  Each person takes on a new character with a unique ability each round as they seek to build the finest districts in the land!

Buy Citadels now.

3. Carcassonne

A tile laying classic, Carcassonne won the Spiel des Jahres back in 2001.  Build roads, cities and cloisters and use your workers to earn you points.  And if you already own it, check out the various expansions!

Buy Carcassonne now.

2. Dominion

Another Spiel des Jahres winner, Dominion took out the top award in 2009. A deck building game that can comfortably be played within half an hour, Dominion allows players to compete with other rulers to expand their lands.  With a wide variety of cards, as well as numerous great expansions, Dominion is one of our best-selling games of all time.

Buy Dominion now.

1. Endeavor

Kiwi-designed Endeavor is a regular on New Zealand tables, and it’s frequently the most played game at Wellycon.  After a New Zealand Herald feature in 2009, Endeavor has stood proud among other games and is a must have for any Kiwi gamer!

Buy Endeavor now.

May was definitely a month of the award winners, but we were especially pleased that Endeavor beat everything else!

Our best-selling board games for April 2011 were:

5. Settlers Of Catan

With more than 15 million copies sold worldwide, Settlers Of Catan is an absolute classic.  Trade resources with your opponents as you build roads and settlements on the island of Catan.

Buy Settlers Of Catan now.

4. Ticket To Ride: Europe

Ticket To Ride: Europe has always been one of the best selling games of the Ticket To Ride series.  If you’re looking for something for people who are just beginning in the modern board gaming hobby, this one is a must have.

Buy Ticket To Ride: Europe now.

3. Saboteur

One of the best games for a larger group, Saboteur can handle up to 10 players.  Highly interactive, and quick to play, Saboteur is a great ice breaker for any gaming occasion.

Buy Saboteur now.

2. Forbidden Island

Released last year, Forbidden Island has rapidly found itself at the very top of our all time best sellers.  From the designer of Pandemic, Forbidden Island is a co-operative game set on a sinking island!

Buy Forbidden Island now.

1. 7 Wonders

Our best-selling title for the last two months, 7 Wonders is a card-based civilisation game which incorporates a unique turn order and simultaneous actions into a highly replayable package.

Buy 7 Wonders now.

April really did prove that it’s hard to keep a classic game down – and as with every rule, 7 Wonders proved to be the exception!

Our best-selling board games for March 2011 were:

5. Dominion: Seaside

Dominion: Seaside is an expansion to the award-winning Dominion card game. The original is fantastic, but the expansions add plenty of new gameplay and interesting tactical differences.

Buy Dominion: Seaside now.

4. Dominion: Alchemy

Another expansion to Dominion, Dominion: Alchemy is another best-selling game this month. An amazing vote for the ongoing playability of this series.

Buy Dominion: Alchemy now.

3. Mansions of Madness

From the mind behind Battlestar Galactica and Middle-Earth Quest comes Mansions Of Madness where players take on the role of investigators in the world of H. P. Lovecraft.

Not available to play until early- or mid-April, this is our third most-purchased game in March!

Buy Mansions Of Madness now.

2. Stronghold

Another eagerly anticipated pre-order, Stronghold allows you to play as either the attackers or the defenders of a castle. One of the most thematic games in recent times, Stronghold will challenge you to use tactics and strategy in different ways in a highly replayable experience.

Buy Stronghold now.

1. 7 Wonders

Our best-selling title for March, 7 Wonders is a fast and interactive civilisation game which incorporates a unique turn order and simultaneous actions into a highly replayable package.

Shipping into New Zealand has been delayed from January to May, but that hasn’t stopped SeriouslyBoard customers from showing their eagerness to get their hands on this award-winning game.

Buy 7 Wonders now. Heck, just

With three of these games being pre-orders, we hereby announce March to have been the Month of the Pre-order! Who knows what changes April will bring to the line-up?

Kapcon is happening in Wellington this coming weekend, (January 22-23).  Primarily a roleplaying convention, there is a room set aside for board gaming and with this being the 20th year of the convention, it’s certain to be a good one!

We at SeriouslyBoard sponsored last year’s convention, and we’re doing the same in 2011.  We’re donating games as prizes and offering all attendees a special discount on purchases.

If you’re behind the eight ball and want to attend, follow this link.

And in a month, on the weekend of February 19-20, another roleplaying convention with a board gaming flavour will be taking place.  Battlecry is an Auckland convention in its 27th year that will feature – among other things – a board game tournament sponsored by SeriouslyBoard.

Just like Kapcon, you’ll have the opportunity to win one of our donated games and be eligible for a discount if you attend.

All Battlecry details can be found at this link.

We hope you seize one of these opportunities to meet with like minded gamers!

Stockings can be difficult things to fill, but if you’re looking for something small that will provide plenty of Christmas joy, it’s hard to look past these little gems…

Take to the Dwarven mines in the pursuit of gold – either by digging for it, or by sabotaging the equipment of those who do.

If you’re expecting a few people for Christmas, Saboteur is great because it’s so social, interactive, and guaranteed to involve plenty of laughter.

Able to take up to 8 players, Saboteur is quick to learn and play, and is the idea ice breaker at any family gathering.

A simple – but addictive – set matching game, Coloretto is bound to find its way to the table time and time again.

Match the different coloured chameleons into sets, but don’t spread your options too wide or your opponents will claim your cards!

This highly interactive game is a deserving award winner that will fit snugly in a stocking next to that big candy cane you just bought.

Coloretto will belong in any game collection!

Looking for a game that’s simple to learn, quick to play, and works well as a light filler?

No Thanks is based around a simple auction mechanic, this addictive game can be played in just a few minutes.

The added bonus that youngsters can learn basic arithmetic makes this an ideal stocking filler.

Say “Yes please” to No Thanks!

With Christmas just around the corner, now is the perfect time to treat yourself or someone else to this fantastic game.

If you were a fan of the computer game series, Sid Meiers Civilization is an absolute must have for your collection.

There are only a few copies arriving in New Zealand, but we’ve managed to secure a good portion of those.

And, from now up until when the games arrive in stock in the next fortnight or so, we’re knocking 10% off the purchase price!

Check out a simple overview of the game here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrBauG5FhZA

This game is going to sell fast, and with such a limited quantity available, you’ll have to be quick to ensure you don’t miss out.

Your civilization – and your legacy – awaits!