From: peter@techbook.com (Peter Sarrett)
Subject: The Game Report V1.2 (2 of 7): Family Business
Organization: TECHbooks --- Public Access UNIX --- (503) 220-0636
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 08:14:53 GMT


			      THE GAMES REPORT
			      by PETER SARRETT
 
       14360 SW TEAL BLVD. APT. B   BEAVERTON, OR  97005   (503) 579-0873
 
 
	As we near the Christmas season, stores around the country are stocking
their shelves with the latest would-be game crazes for the coming year.  I know
I'm looking forward to evaluating whether or not any of these new offerings
will have the longevity of such classics as Trivial Pursuit and Pictionary.
In the meantime, here are some of the latest games to cross my path as well as
some veterans from my collection.
 
	Starting this issue, I'm simplifying my ratings system by merging the
Chance rating into the Skill rating.  A rating of 0 in this category means the
game is entirely based on chance, while a rating of 10 would mean it is
entirely based on skill.  The Overall rating is replaced by a brief summary of
my opinion of the game.
 
	As always, comments are welcomed, and I especially appreciate hearing
about games you encounter of which I may not be aware.	If you want to be sure
to receive the next edition of The Game Report, send an SASE to the above
address.
								       - Peter
 
 
Game: Family Business
Info: $12 + s&h from Mayfair Games, 
P.O. Box 48539, Niles, IL  60648
Players: 2-6 (the more, the merrier)
Playing Time: 30 minutes
Type of game: Card
Complexity: 7	Skill: 2
Summary: Vicious fun, but arbitrary 
outcome might bother serious players.
 
	If you're looking for a light-hearted, fast-
paced card game that can be played in about a 
half hour, Family Business might be for you.  
Each player is the boss of one of 6 Mob 
organizations, all of whom are trying to <ahem> 
eliminate each other while keeping themselves 
alive.  On each turn, players draw a card from the 
deck and play one or discard one from their hand.  
Cards let you take out contracts on enemy 
mobsters, putting them "up against the wall."  
When 6 or more mobsters are up against the wall, 
a mob war starts and one mobster is killed from 
the wall, in order, at the start of every turn until 
the wall is empty.  Other cards protect your 
mobsters from having contracts taken out on 
them, save mobsters from the wall, switch the 
order of mobsters up against the wall, start or stop 
mob wars, etc.  If all of your nine mobsters are 
rubbed out, you're out of the game.  The last mob 
to survive is the winner.  Family Business is a 
great game as long as you don't take it seriously.  
The nature of the game is such that players can 
easily gang up on each other-- the target of a 
contract is entirely up to each player.  Typically, 
when one player has more living mobsters than 
everyone else, the other players start taking out 
contracts on that player.  It is also common for 
vendettas to spring up: "You dirty rat, you killed 
my brudda.  I'm taking a contract out on you."  As 
a result, the outcome of the game is almost 
entirely arbitrary, decided by the whims of players 
as they choose who to attack.  The luck of the 
draw plays a role, since having good cards can 
save your mobsters lives, but there is very little 
skill involved.  Unless you count smooth-talking-- 
convincing an opponent to attack someone else 
can be crucial.  The lack of skill involved makes 
Family Business a great beer-and-pretzels game.  
It might also appeal to people who don't usually 
play games, since they have just as much chance 
of winning as hard-core gamers do.  It does take a 
while to familiarize yourself with what each of the 
cards does, and until you get it down you'll be 
passing the rule book back and forth a lot.  Family 
Business is particularly fun if you role-play a bit, 
getting into the spirit of Prohibition-era Chicago.  
In this game, it's important to have a good time 
even when you're mob is being annihilated.  Just 
remember to pull everyone else down with you 
when you go.  (Note: Family Business was also 
reviewed in the Aug./Sept. 1989 issue of Games 
Magazine)