New Corp Order

For the finale, we had originally planned on Raccoon Tyccoon with the new expansion, but the two hours we expected to need for explanation and play felt dangerously tight. So we returned to New Corp Order, a familiar and honest choice that, by all appearances, everyone enjoyed — even though half the table had not played it before.

I will not pretend this particular session showcased a mercilessly aggressive game. Since several players were new, the “fighting and karate” did not come out as strongly as it might have. The interaction therefore remained gentler, and the group did not push it into major confrontations.

What mattered most was the pace. New Corp Order moved quickly, without demanding the long explanation our original choice would have imposed, and it left room for even those unfamiliar with it to join the session without losing the whole evening to the process.

In the end, that was exactly the right job for this game: a quick, pleasant closer that left us time for chatting and making plans for online games during the boring days ahead. And, just as importantly, nobody turned into a pumpkin: we left the Temple and got home before midnight. Hopefully it was not the last gathering of the year.