Tammany Hall - Shut Up & Sit Down Review 

This was the game that made me get into Board gaming. Many people mention El Grande as the godfather of these area control games, but what Tammany Hall has on top is an amazing, "just right" kind of player interaction - this game is so much more about negotiations, bluffing and timing that the area control part nearly ends up becoming secondary. Highly recommend!

i always refer to this as gerrymandering the game

Watching these old reviews with Paul, I actually get a bit misty eye'd. You two got me into the hobby, what must be 10 years ago. I miss Paul.

OF course Velveteen is a word. It's the art of pouring liquid "cheese" on top of something. I'll admit it's not commonly used in board gaming but Quinns does like putting components into his mouth so it sort of makes sense.

Gangs of New York the board game.

Sounds exactly up my alley. Also... how well can things work out, I found it at a local store (Romania) and just ordered. Thanks Paul. Now if only my Food Chain Magnate search would work itself out just as smoothly...

Behold my Google-Fu : vel·vet·een velvəˈtēn/ noun noun: velveteen; plural noun: velveteens a cotton fabric with a pile resembling velvet.

I just bought this and I'm thinking it will eventually probably be my favorite area control game (we'll see). But....Mission: Red Planet is also a very good one and, in my opinion, better than El Grande because every player has all the same options - in El Grande the timing of who gets the King's card is (almost based on luck and) too big of an influence in the game. In Mission: Red Planet if you don't have the card you need at the right time it's your own fault because you used it earlier. Mission: Red Planet also is faster so more balanced and faster makes for more strategizing per minute (laugh). I can't wait to try Tammany Hall, though (why I'm watching this - prepping for my first play).

I would say an even easier introduction into the joys of area control is Discworld: Ankh-Morpork, but that may be even harder to get hold of.

"...or...people? It's probably a reason to-- ...*sigh*" was a great moment.

4 years and no one cared to celebrate how great the "There's a particular science behind politics and that's called ... political science" joke was. It was just... *chef's kiss*

The negotiation and tension during bidding is what makes this game so much more than just your average area control game. Paul, you totally missed this interactive element...did you play Tammany Hall with real people?! :)

I miss Paul

Great review. I really enjoy area control / area majority games; also own El Grande, Web of Power & Carolus Magnus which are good in their own right. I bought Tammany Hall last fall because of the theme but it hasn't made it to the table yet. From my read thru of the rules the game appeared to be more complex but your review has changed my opinion. Thanks!

The review for El Grande (that they seem to prefer) is here: www.shutupandsitdown.com/review-el-grande/ That said I really enjoyed Tammany Hall and the review of El Grande didn't really make me excited about it. Unfortunately, it seems the game is in very limited stock anyway. $99US from one supplier (who doesn't ship to my part of Canada).

Thanks for making me look up Velveteen. Now I learned something

I like the Johnny Rottenesque attitude.

Im reading this at 2am, because of...you know....youtube

It's only a game, Paul

any chance of another reprint?

Is this that game from that show where you go through the London Underground trying to say tammany hall first?

The Gilded Age: The Game.

This game is great

This game is so damn good.

Gerrymandering The Game!

Velveteen is fake velvet. Quinns is probably right.

Identity politics the board game.

Any chance of Paul coming back to the show?

And with German you really mean Dutch (orange) ;-)

Looks overwhelming to look at. To much information. Great ideas though.

I feel like the conversations around the table will be hilariously racist...

As an Ethno-Nationalist... .......Im getting this game.