Whether a one-stop-shop experience or a return visitor, Funagain.com is a winner.
Written: Dec 29 '05 (Updated Jan 02 '06)
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Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, board games are coming back with a passion. It's in this resurgence of tabletop gaming that Funagain.com has found its niche, serving the needs of current and future gamers with a wide variety of services.
With most people playing games primarily over the internet via computers or addicted to video game systems, the centuries old tradition of board gaming is at an all time low. Families no longer gather 'round the kitchen table on cold winter nights to play a serious game of Risk. Various members of most families all splinter off and entertain themselves with either the latest network drama, the latest iPod download, or a good PayPerView fight. If you ever long for those old board game days and want to bring your family along with you try visiting Funagain.com for a few ideas.
----- My First Visit -----
Several of my good friends introduced me to the amazing and intriguing world of imported games. Many different european games have been trickling into the USA over the past five years or so, with unique themes and strategies that are far better than the standard Stratego and Monopoly you've all played before. I was addicted to Settlers of Catan one Christmas after playing for a whole weekend, but Funagain Games showed me a better way to play with Cities and Knights of Catan. Thanks to the easy networking of entire game-families you can pull up expansions and game additions in next to no time. I had been a long-time player of Axis & Allies, but only found out about the new Pacific, Europe, and D-Day versions through Funagain. I sure wasn't about to stumble on games this good through Target or WalMart.
After lurking for a few years my first purchase was a Settlers of Catan spin-off titled Candamir: The First Settlers which thanks to the easy to navigate shopping cart screen was a cinch. I'll be placing several more orders since my first purchase experience went so well, and I expect I'll receive the same great service each and every time. Funagain Games is much more than just a store however, read on the see all you can experience on Funagain.com.
----- Site Options -----
The main page of Funagain.com has a toolbar across the top and three large sections with various sub-boxes displaying current site status and information. The toolbar first of all has your account management buttons (Home, Login, & Profile) and also has shortcuts to various genres of board games such as Family, Strategy, War, 2-Player, and many more. The toolbar is also home to my favorite tool, the Funagain.com search engine. You can do a basic search for any game or use the advanced search feature to narrow down your results.
The largest center window of the main screen which lists current holiday or promotional specials, your acount options if you're a member, the Funagain "Beginner's Guide to Games" and Gift Guide. Lastly is the Hotlist of the top five games in each of the followong categories; Pre-Order, New In-Stock, and Back In-Stock.
To the right is your "Service" window as I like to call it. At the very top is your current shopping cart followed by the order tracking box. Next is latest news and latest reviews of games or game accessories.
On the left are the "Top Sellers" list and in season the "Holiday Favorites" list. The last list in this column is the "Sale Games" for those on a budget.
Product Information
Each time you click on a game title you're treated to a wealth of information, probably more than you need. You'll see the overall rating by users, any awards the game has won in the US or internationally, statistics about this game such as designer, publisher, age range, maximum players, average learning time, average game length, current and highest sales ranking, and more. Most of these stats are clickable links to various information pages, and if there's an expansion pack or add-on to a game it will be listed there.
Near the top of each product you'll find the retail price, the Funagain.com price, and how many Funagain points you'll make if you purchase the game. I'll discuss Funagain points later in the shipping section. Also in the main page of every game are reviews on that game.
One feature I REALLY appreciate are the photos of each game. Usually there are pictures of the front and back of each game box and one picture of the game set up and in play. These images are available in Medium, Large, and Huge sizes for you viewing pleasure. I love the huge size images since you can actually read the game box and see detailed pics of the what the game looks like when out of the box. Thank you Funagain!!!
The Reviews
This is the feature that actually attracted me to this site in the first place, reviews by members and game players on just about every game no matter how obscure. Usually there's at least one detailed review on the game you're interested in, describing setup, play time, and general fun factor and satisfaction level.
Reviews are split into two distinct categories; those written by staff editors @ Funagain, taken from Magazines or other publications, and of course the submissions from ordinary members of the site. You can't submit a review until you're a member of the site, but as you can tell... you should join immediately! :) Members have several other benefits such as making wish lists, tracking your shipped orders right from your profile page, saving your shipping address and payment information, and adding up those Funagain points.
Purchasing and Shipping
Once you've found that game (or in my case, games) that you've got to have, the actual purchasing phase is well thought out and a great example to other online stores. Once you've clicked 'purchase', the product is added to your cart and the total is displayed. Your 'shopping cart' is always accessible via the shortcut in the upper right corner of the screen. Once you decide to finalize the sale you’ll click checkout and be taken to the shopping cart page. This lists all your purchases, allows you to select the quantity of each item or delete items, and estimate shipping costs. Several times each year Funagain will offer promotions if certain purchase totals are reached, if there’s a promotion running the eligible games are displayed below your cart. In the continental USA Funagain ships using the following methods:
FEDEX Ground
FEDEX Express Saver
FEDEX Express 2 Day
FEDEX Express Next Day
Out of the country orders are shipped via FedEx International.
Payment is accepted in almost every form imaginable, VISA and Mastercard, money orders, personal checks (order will be held for 7 days), and my personal favorite, PayPal!
Purchasing games will start earning you Funagain points, which work much like a reward point system on credit cards. Every dollar spent at Funagain’s web store will earn you 100 points. Points can be turned in for cash discounts at the shopping cart screen using the following table.
Points Reward
25,000 $5.00
45,000 $10.00
100,000 $25.00
175,000 $50.00
300,000 $100.00
375,000 $150.00
Once your order is finalized it goes into open status until it’s actually been shipped. When your order is shipped you’ll receive an email from a Funagain associate with confirmation you game is on it’s way. Soon after the FedEx tracking number will be next to your order on your profile page. The last order I placed I received my games in 5 business days via FedEx Ground to Michigan. This is perfectly acceptable to me and next time I may try Express. My games arrived packed in bubble wrap and in perfect condition, until the first time I played that is. (Never serve friends chips and salsa on the same table as the game board)
----- Bottom Line -----
I’ve been a long-term lurker on Funagain for it’s insightful reviews, great previews, and the best source of news for foreign games on US soil. I finally made the leap to a full member and will continue to purchase games from them as long as their service is this good. As a company they have a home-town feeling and make me feel appreciated as a customer. Thanks to Funagain.com I’ve introduced quite a few relatives and friends to the almost-lost art of board gaming.
Funagain.com is a great place to find a gift for that hard-to-figure out recipient as you can easily specify the game be shipped to a different address. Another great choice is a Funagain gift certificate, available in $10, $25, $50, $100, and $250 denominations. Your gift certificate will be mailed at no cost to you and arrive within a week of order confirmation.
I’d encourage you to try your hand at some of these great games during family nights, bachelor nights, or whenever you get a group together. There's so much out there that's galaxies beyond the games you played as a kid, these games ain't just for kids anymore. Gaming it up is a great way to see the best and worst of your friends and get to know your family better, who knew Grandma was such a conniving old girl!
Thanks for reading and feel free to comment!
Openroad
---( My other game reviews that might interest you: )---
Candamir: The First Settlers
Scotland Yard
Evo: The Last Gasp of the Dinosaurs
Axis & Allies Pacific
Axis & Allies Europe
Axis & Allies Classic
Axis & Allies Revised Edition
History of the World
The American Civil War Board Game
Settlers of Catan
Cities and Knights of Catan
Recommended:
Yes
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