Mark's #34: History of the World.

I hated this game the first time I played it. It was the original Avalon Hill version of the game (the one with the chits). We played with 6 newbies... and it took stinkin' forever. (in fact, we didn't even finish the game.)

Then, Avalon Hill changed hands, discovered the benefits of stuffing their games full of plastic minis, and published the newest edition of History of the World. A copy ended up on the prize table at a Gulf Games and I picked it up, intrigued by the positive buzz.

What was once a long & semi-tedious game with niggly decisions that took time without mattering a great deal (garrisoning, fighting for sea zones) is now a lean, mean empire-building machine. The game has sweep & story in great gobs... and it's just plain fun to play.

It's still long - but I never find myself watching the clock. I need to get a game of it going again real soon.