It’s been about twenty years since I’ve taken a biology class but I’m pleased to say that I remembered five percent of the terms used in this wonderful tabletop game. That’s OK though, the game comes with a super-informative booklet that explains the science behind the game. I love it when games do this, personally. The excellent production quality combined with the interesting worker placement / resource management mechanics make this an easy recommend…just be warned that it’ll take you over an hour to play on your first go (it did for us, anyway). Turns seemed to fly by once we found our groove, however. If you enjoy games like “Lords of Waterdeep”, give this one a whirl!
“It’s-a-meee! Vinchenzo! I’mma gonna win!” I couldn’t not let this game pass by without making an awful Mario impersonation. “New York Slice” turned out to be one of the most thematic games I’ve played to date and as an Italian myself, I was extremely pleased. It’s a majority drafting / collection game that only takes about a half hour to play and looks absolutely delicious. Like all the other board games we’ve done lately, we’ve decided to cover this one in video format. If you are a regular to this blog and haven’t subscribed to my YouTube channel yet, you’ll want to so as not to miss out on my board game coverage. It’s just easier to make a video there than it is to type out a 1,000 word review here. I will say however that this game is a great value for the $20-25 average price tag and serves as a great filler for longer play sessions.
This is one of the most beautiful games I’ve ever played. My only real complaint was how quickly the game was over. It took us two rounds to really get set up and by then, the game was two-thirds over (assuming you’re not playing the four round variant). The light system took some getting used to, though we really seemed to enjoy the way the sun revolved around the board shining light from different directions. Trees that would be blocked one turn might not be the next, and etc. We decided to do a video play-through/review of this one because of how awesome it looked, go have a look!
Out of all the board game genres out there, abstract is probably one of my favorites. Sure, I like a good dice rolling game on occasion and some worker placement games have earned their place on my shelf…but nothing gets the brain going like a good abstract game. No luck, no B.S…if you mess up, it’s your own fault. “Santorini” is as abstract as they come and by golly, it’s a lot of fun. The goal of the game is simple but getting to that goal, well…let’s just say that if your opponent is even remotely competent then you’re in for a ride.
“Dream Home” is the kind of game that made me consider placing a living room in both my upper floors because I could. Granted, I probably wouldn’t design a home that way in real life, but we’re playing a board game so “YOLO”. In “Dream Home”, players will draft columns of cards and then place the chosen cards throughout their home. Some cards will help players break the rules a bit and even move existing rooms around to get themselves out of a bad situation. You see, points are earned based on how efficiently you pair rooms together as well as how functional your house is. You also have to ensure you have at least four roof cards lest your miss out on some easy points. All in all this was a cool draft & set collecting game that would definitely appeal to families, though Aidalee and I wished there was a “Dream Mansion” version that would allow us to keep playing over a longer period of time. Go watch our initial playthru below!
While I enjoy a good game of “Yahtzee”, my brain often feels left out as if there’s not a whole lot for it to do. “Can’t Stop Express” more than addresses that problem and what’s more, no luck-based re-rolls! Since everyone at the table uses the dice that are rolled from round to round, this means that everyone is on equal footing to score the dice rolled as they see fit. It’s a brilliant game, aside from the annoying “it’s illegal to make copies of this score pad bit” on the score cards. I mean seriously, in the words of Bart Simpson, “get bent”. No other game that I own threatens me with legal action when I need to make copies of score cards, in fact they often recommend saving one for copy purposes. Anyway, I decided to a review & playthru video all in one swoop. Join Aidalee and me as we attempt to score above zero points!
I didn’t last long mining for ore in “EVE Online”. There were times where I actually enjoyed the monotony, but I didn’t like how long it took to progress toward the mid to later stages only to lose everything when making a careless mistake. “Prospectica”, luckily, doesn’t have that issue. You’re still mining ore and earning money, but in a casual and laid back kind of way. Like my other reviews as of late, I decided to do this one in video form (see below). Special thanks to Jim Stolis from Stolistic Games for providing me with a press copy for review purposes.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the (*trumpets/fanfare*) “2017 DGA Awards”. You may now applaud. Seriously though, this time of year is probably one of my favorites. Aside from the fact that tax season is almost here, I get to revisit all the games I’ve played this year and compare them against games I listed as my favorite for the previous year.
Move over “Simon”, you four-colored electronic memory game that I didn’t totally rage quit on repeatedly as a kid you! “Dash” is in town and will test your dexterity skills in ways that isn’t so hardcore and frustrating. I know, I know…”Simon” probably isn’t all that bad, but my short-term memory has always been rather poor. “Dash” is a bit different in the sense that you don’t have to remember long chains of sequences, but still try to remember where the colors are in your grid as they are face-down. I feel that it wouldn’t be a good fit for gamers looking for something in-depth, but it’s pretty solid as far as casual family games go. As with my other more recent reviews, I decided to do this one in a video format. Enjoy!
Thinking about picking up “Starfall”, the latest tabletop game by Designer Scott Almes? Look no further, the below has everything you’ll need to see whether or not it’s something you might want to play. Spoiler: If you like “Sushi Go!”, you’ll like this too.
“Constellations” is absolutely brilliant. It’s quick, it’s educational, and it looks fantastic. Don’t take my word for it…see it for yourself!
Buy low, sell high. That’s what it’s all about in “Facets of Fortune”, one of the prettiest games I’ve seen in a while. With some strategic planning and a little bit of luck, you could be the one to be standing on top of a pile of money when the game ends. Like in recent posts, I opted to cover the game visually so feel free to check out the video below if you have time. Special thanks to Lowell Press from Millbrook Games for providing me with a press copy. It’s available on Amazon for about $25, so be sure to use the Amazon tool on the right sidebar if you’re interested in buying it because you’re awesome that way.
Game Designer Steve Finn was kind enough to send me a copy of “Cosmic Run: Rapid Fire” which successfully funded through Kickstarter earlier this year. At the time of writing, he’s still fulfilling rewards for Kickstarter backers but the game should be available through his website soon. In the meantime, check out my impressions video below for a primer on the rules. It’s meant to be played with two players but has a solo variant listed in the back of the manual. Vinnie Jr. and I had fun with this one (he particularly enjoyed blowing up my ships) and we both recommend it as a quick filler as it plays in less than a half hour. I personally would have enjoyed more depth on the tech side of things, but it definitely accomplishes what it sets out to do.
Arrrrrrrrrrr, Matey! We be here today t’ loot a look “Potato Pirates”, a card game that’ll be seekin’ fundin’ through th’ Kickstarter process in late Augusy\t / Early September o’ 2017. In this three t’ six player adventure, ye’ll be tasked wit’ either acquirin’ all seven o’ th’ Potato Kin’ cards or eliminating all o’ th’ other players from th’ game. Okay, I’m done with the pirate talk, I swear. Special thanks to the folks at Codomo for providing me with a prototype copy for preview purposes. It’s important to stress that prototypes are not always reflective of the final product, making everything that you see and read about below (including the rules) subject to change.
Streaming Rules & Schedule:
Due to YouTube’s recent (and stupid) ad-friendly policy crackdown, I’m moving the rules and streaming schedule here:
It is time to select a new coven leader. But how? By doing what witches do best, of course: HEXING, GARDENING, and POTION BREWING! Break out your CAULDRONS because it is time to play CAULDRON: BUBBLE AND BOIL (by INDIE Game Developer Rob Booth)! The game is nearly ready to go to the printers but in order to do so, CAULDRON: BUBBLE AND BOIL NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT!