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MAVERICK'S ALBUM GAME LIST
Album Game Series: Yaquinto Games designed and
released this unusually packaged series of games
in the early 1980's. Although the Album Games
spanned a variety of topics (much like some of
the microgame lines), the most unique thing
about the album games was their packaging.
The original album game releases resembled a
double LP record album. However, instead
of "liner notes", the mapboard was printed
inside the folded cardboard jacket and the
game instructions and components could be
slipped inside the cardboard sleeves.
However, these early thin album games
really couldn't hold a set of punched
counters that well.
This lead to the second series of album
games which were approximately an inch
thick. The game box still folded open
to provide the game map but a cardboard
tray was inserted to provide the girth
and to make room for storage of dice,
counters, rules, etc. This unique format
was not adopted by any other publisher
and faded away with the demise of
Yaquinto as a game company.
The following games were released in
the original thin album format: Apache,
The Barbarians, Beachhead, Dallas,
Fast Attack Boats, Hero, and Swashbuckler.
With the possible exceptions of Dallas and
Fast Attack Boats, all of these were later
released in the inch thick album versions.
A third variation on the album style
package was used for Close Assault.
That game came in a two inch thick
album with a center box used to hold
the components.
The Album Game Series was notable for
the inclusion of the highly popular
out of print game Swashbuckler. Other
notable titles include the critically
acclaimed The Roaring Twenties and a
game based on the TV series Dallas.
The following is a complete list of the
Yaquinto Album Game Series.
Looking for games? I may have some of these for sale!
YAQUINTO ALBUM GAMES
--------------------
ADVENTURER
A science fiction game of man-to-man combat.
Based on the popular Swashbuckler album game,
this is a tongue-in-cheek game of tavern
brawls and spaceship boarding actions.
APACHE
An oddball game of settlers vs. Indians in
the old west. Strange events like UFO's
make me wonder what the designers were
thinking when they came up with this one.
ASTEROID PIRATES
Tactical space combat.
ATTACK OF THE MUTANTS
Very cool 50's monster movie parody involving
a horde of mutants invading a college science
lab. One player controls the onslaught of
mutants, the other plays the stereotypical
human characters (brainy scientist, his daughter,
jock, etc.) and robots defending the lab.
THE BARBARIANS
Simple wargame that offers two games in one:
The Sack of Rome and The Mongol Invasion of
Europe. They don't get much easier than
this... good introductory games.
BATTLE
Nice execution of the "generic wargame" concept
with a twist: diceless combat. Battle proclaims
itself an "all skill" wargame since there is
no luck element. Generic counters represent
troops of various historical eras (or fantasy
armies.) Terrain is represented by counters
as well allowing for great variety in scenarios.
BEACHHEAD
Tactical WWII game representing an amphibious
assault on a Pacific island.
CLOSE ASSAULT
Technically not an album game, this man-to-man
WWII game system would serve as the basis for
AH's Firepower.
COMMANDO ACTIONS
Tactical WWII game of small unit actions by
British Commando units.
DALLAS
Yes, that Dallas... play one of the characters
from the TV series as you compete to (yes, you
guessed it) make the most money.
DEMON'S RUN
Interesting tactical spaceship racing game.
THE FALL OF SOUTH VIETNAM
A simple area movement wargame that has lots of
nice chrome dealing with the conflict.
FAST ATTACK BOATS
Introductory game of naval combat. A lot of
dice rolling in combat makes luck a big factor
here. Even though the simulation value is
negligible, there's a lot of fun in zipping
around launching missiles and torpedoes at
your opponent.
THE FRENCH FOREIGN LEGION
Arabs attack the lone desert outpost in a game
that owes a lot to old foreign legion movies.
Man-to-man combat system. Tactical options
are limited by the single fort map.
HERO
Unusual game for three players where each
controls a hero moving through a separate
"dungeon" to get to a princess trapped at the
center of the mapboard. The monsters in your
dungeon are moved by an opposing player. A
straighforward if somewhat flavorless hack and
slash style fantasy game.
MARKET MADNESS!
Simple stockmarket simulation.
NECK AND NECK
One of these things just doesn't belong here...
A dog that really stands out in comparison to the
other album games. Simple game of horse racing
and betting. Might be a good chidlrens game.
RAIDER!
Interesting game of German commerce raiders in the
Indian Ocean during WWII.
THE ROARING TWENTIES
Fun, wild many-player game of warring mob factions.
Players take turns being the police chief who can
take bribes and then controls the police cars during
the heist segment of the game.
SUPERIORITY
Lackluster game of modern land combat in Europe.
SWASHBUCKLER
A gem of a game if you take it for what it's worth:
brawling and boarding actions from all the great
Hollywood swashbuckling movies. If you are expecting
a fencing simulation, prepare for disappointment.
Especially fun with several players as mugs fly,
tables are flipped, carpets yanked, etc. Followed
by the science fiction adaptation Adventurer.
UNITED NATIONS
Another album game that can accomodate several players.
Nations seek to gain control over countries through
aid, diplomacy, and force.
6/19/00
Return to Mavericks Boardgame Closet
YAQUINTO ALBUM GAMES
--------------------
ADVENTURER
A science fiction game of man-to-man combat.
Based on the popular Swashbuckler album game,
this is a tongue-in-cheek game of tavern
brawls and spaceship boarding actions.
APACHE
An oddball game of settlers vs. Indians in
the old west. Strange events like UFO's
make me wonder what the designers were
thinking when they came up with this one.
ASTEROID PIRATES
Tactical space combat.
ATTACK OF THE MUTANTS
Very cool 50's monster movie parody involving
a horde of mutants invading a college science
lab. One player controls the onslaught of
mutants, the other plays the stereotypical
human characters (brainy scientist, his daughter,
jock, etc.) and robots defending the lab.
THE BARBARIANS
Simple wargame that offers two games in one:
The Sack of Rome and The Mongol Invasion of
Europe. They don't get much easier than
this... good introductory games.
BATTLE
Nice execution of the "generic wargame" concept
with a twist: diceless combat. Battle proclaims
itself an "all skill" wargame since there is
no luck element. Generic counters represent
troops of various historical eras (or fantasy
armies.) Terrain is represented by counters
as well allowing for great variety in scenarios.
BEACHHEAD
Tactical WWII game representing an amphibious
assault on a Pacific island.
CLOSE ASSAULT
Technically not an album game, this man-to-man
WWII game system would serve as the basis for
AH's Firepower.
COMMANDO ACTIONS
Tactical WWII game of small unit actions by
British Commando units.
DALLAS
Yes, that Dallas... play one of the characters
from the TV series as you compete to (yes, you
guessed it) make the most money.
DEMON'S RUN
Interesting tactical spaceship racing game.
THE FALL OF SOUTH VIETNAM
A simple area movement wargame that has lots of
nice chrome dealing with the conflict.
FAST ATTACK BOATS
Introductory game of naval combat. A lot of
dice rolling in combat makes luck a big factor
here. Even though the simulation value is
negligible, there's a lot of fun in zipping
around launching missiles and torpedoes at
your opponent.
THE FRENCH FOREIGN LEGION
Arabs attack the lone desert outpost in a game
that owes a lot to old foreign legion movies.
Man-to-man combat system. Tactical options
are limited by the single fort map.
HERO
Unusual game for three players where each
controls a hero moving through a separate
"dungeon" to get to a princess trapped at the
center of the mapboard. The monsters in your
dungeon are moved by an opposing player. A
straighforward if somewhat flavorless hack and
slash style fantasy game.
MARKET MADNESS!
Simple stockmarket simulation.
NECK AND NECK
One of these things just doesn't belong here...
A dog that really stands out in comparison to the
other album games. Simple game of horse racing
and betting. Might be a good chidlrens game.
RAIDER!
Interesting game of German commerce raiders in the
Indian Ocean during WWII.
THE ROARING TWENTIES
Fun, wild many-player game of warring mob factions.
Players take turns being the police chief who can
take bribes and then controls the police cars during
the heist segment of the game.
SUPERIORITY
Lackluster game of modern land combat in Europe.
SWASHBUCKLER
A gem of a game if you take it for what it's worth:
brawling and boarding actions from all the great
Hollywood swashbuckling movies. If you are expecting
a fencing simulation, prepare for disappointment.
Especially fun with several players as mugs fly,
tables are flipped, carpets yanked, etc. Followed
by the science fiction adaptation Adventurer.
UNITED NATIONS
Another album game that can accomodate several players.
Nations seek to gain control over countries through
aid, diplomacy, and force.
6/19/00
Return to Mavericks Boardgame Closet
