We had, today, our first board gaming session in which we tried something completely different.  For some time now we've wanting to play Puerto Rico after hearing so much goodness about it.  In our usual monthly get-togethers we play Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne, Shadows over Camelot.  This time, however, we opted for a completely new game, seeing that one couple wasn't able to make it tonight.  Not one of us had ever played it so we were on even ground to start, which made for a lot of fun and discovery.

Wow! What a cool game!  At first the rules looked daunting - even after having read them some 3+ times.  They didn't really make a lot of sense until putting them into practice and then it was oh so simple!  The game was extremely well balanced and everyone had a great time.  We will definitely need to try the 6-player unofficial variation when we get together in our normal 3 couple gatherings.

If you're a board gamer and haven't tried it out, or are wanting something quite different and a blast, I highly recommend Puerto Rico.  I can't say that I've developed a strategy yet, as the first two games have been focused on learning the rhythyms and patterns in the game and learning how what I do and choose affects all the other players (and myself), but I'll be watching for more of the subtle nuances and tricks in future games.  I'm looking forward to it!