Nearly forgot to mention the game of Successors which I enjoyed on Saturday at Nick's flat. The other contestants were John and Matt (an archaeologist, not a nimrod). Last time I played Successors I found it difficult and confusing. This time I enjoyed it more, in spite of being thoroughly and frequently stuffed by fate and the other players. I was Ptolemy, with Peithon based in Persia. I got him to march recklessly past John's and Nick's armies to link up with Ptolemy's army in Palestine. It worked, but I rashly decided to attack Nick, lost the battle, and spent the rest of the game languishing in the Underworld (actually it's the "Dispersed Box" but this is a game about the ancient world!) Every time I escaped from Hades I was promptly thrashed in another battle and sent back across the river to rejoin Achilles et al. on the sunless shore. I was quite impressed with Successors - this is a patriarch of the card-driven family of games which is so trendy at the moment, but with its ancient history theme and multi-player angle it's an attractive package. I'd like to try it again.