I tried Orleans for the first time. I liked it but lost badly against someone else who had played it before. (And who owned the game.) What I didn't realize is how important gaining money and adding estates was in terms of point value. I went the route of adding goods for points but it wasn't nearly enough.
I also played Cartographers for the first time. I really like roll and write games, but this one was more of a "card and write". It has different colored pencils you can color in the maps with, so that made it more fun.
It actually doesn't come with the colored pencils in the retail box, I had to pick some up aftermarket. The basic pencils it comes with don't cut it! But I do enjoy that game a lot, as an avid doodler!