Whether they are conquering fictional islands or sneaking around a convent with a secret wish, the gamers at Mayfair Games always have fun at their monthly game nights.
And that’s what games are all about, right?
And they’re also about making your opponents squirm by not trading resource cards with them.
The Plant City office of the board game manufacturer will host its next game night from 7 to 11 p.m. June 28, at the office, 106 Drane St. N.E., Suite 1, Plant City.
So far, the office has hosted three game nights this year. It hopes to host one on the last Friday of each month.
“Most of the people seem to have a good time,” Robert Carty, a Mayfair Games company partner and vice president of sales and marketing, said.
About 10 people show up for each game night, but the office can accommodate up to 30. There are even some regulars who show up from as far away as Deerfield Beach, Clermont and Apollo Beach. Someone should throw them a victory point for their travels.
At game night, attendees won’t find the overplayed Monopoly or chess. Mayfair Games specializes in making “European-style” games. Games consist of war transportation and adventure themes that have degrees of strategy and role playing.
Technically, this style originated in the United States, according to Carty. 3M had a game division in the 1960s with about 10 titles. Avalon Hill purchased three titles that were linked to history and war strategy. The titles eventually became popular in Europe. German game companies took the game style, but instead of war strategy, changed the themes to a more adventure focus.
“Settlers of Catan” is one of these type of games. The object is to colonize the island of Catan, gaining victory points for the amount of settlements and cities one has. The first one to achieve 10 victory points wins. Popular with gamers, hipsters and families alike, “Settlers of Catan” is the company’s highest selling game, with 300,000 domestic sales per year and 30 million sold worldwide.
Mayfair Games started selling “Settlers of Catan” in 1996, when it received the exclusive English language rights to sell it worldwide. Since then, it has shipped the pioneer-style game to places as far away as Antarctica.
“Nuns on the Run” and “Whitewater” are also popular. At the Origins Game Fair in Columbus this year, 10,000 people came through Mayfair Games’ 15 demo tables. Carty said they always sell out of “Nuns on the Run” at fairs.
“There is a certain need for these games,” Carty said. “They are strongly themed and you can become fully immersed.”
There’s no doubt that “Settlers of Catan” will be played at this month’s game night. Carty is tempted to add the adventurers and pirates expansion pack to the mix. Along with “Settlers of Catan,” “Steam” is another game employees and visitors like to play. The office has 10 different maps for it. Gamers will also be fighting forest fires in the game “Ablaze!”
But what Carty really wants to play is “Silverton.” Set in the historic mining areas of Colorado, New Mexico and Utah, “Silverton” is a detailed game of railroading, mining and commodity market manipulation.
But, there’s only one problem.
“As a company, people like it,” Carty said. “No one wants to play the short game. Everyone wants to play the campaign, which can last between six and seven hours.”
Mayfair Games started in 1981 and is based in Illinois. Currently, it has more than 100 titles in print and five employees in its Plant City office.
IF YOU GO
GAME NIGHT
WHEN: 7 to 11 p.m. June 28
WHERE: Mayfair Games, 106 Drane St. N.E., Suite 1, Plant City
HOW TO PLAY
There are five different hexes from the “Settlers of Catan” game. Each has its own resource attached to it: ore, lumber, sheep, wheat or brick.
FUN FACTS
• “Settlers of Catan” sells 300,000 copies in the U.S. annually.
• 95% of Mayfair’s games are manufactured domestically.
• Mayfair Games can be found at Target, Barnes and Noble Booksellers and specialty hobby shops.
• About five to eight new titles are produced each year.
CONTACT
MAYFAIR GAMES
ADDRESS: 106 Drane St. N.E., Suite 1, Plant City
PHONE: (813) 707-6659
WEBSITE: mayfairgames.com
