My girlfriend and her family are avid “Dominos” players. I’ve picked up a thing or two but they’ve got the game down to a science. In other words, I rarely win. I may just introduce them to “SUM8”, a game currently seeking your support on Kickstarter, just so that I have a fair shot of winning…well, something. “SUM8” supports 1-2 players and ages 8+ with an average play time of 30 minutes. This game reminds me a little of “Dominos” what with the playing of numbered tiles on a flat surface, but it goes beyond in a number of ways.
Wait, we’re doing this again? ALREADY!? Time sure flies when you’re having fun. I hope 2021 has been a good year to whomever is reading this. With personal and health issues abound, we’ve been doing the best we can to make ends meet AND do the things we love to do…play games!
I’ve taken the plunge into Dungeons and Dragons 5e for the first time this year. All I can say is that it’s addicting! We’ve completed the Lost Mine of Phandelver and are currently running Storm King’s Thunder. I’ve got over 75 hours of recorded sessions on my YouTube channel, so go have a look once you’re done here if you’re a fan.
The Podcasts are still going strong too. We’ve decided to do them monthly due to time constraints, but with enough support I’d love to do them weekly like we used to. While we mostly talk about games, we do delve into other nerdy interests from time to time. You should give us a listen on my YouTube Channel!
With regards to the awards we’re keeping it simple. The following is a list of board games and videos games we’ve played this year and absolutely love. It doesn’t matter when they were released. Some are still considered “Early Access”. Some of our entries have indeed been released in 2021, but you’ll no doubt recognize some old chestnuts in there that are getting the recognition they deserve.
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow and subscribe to me on Twitch & YouTube. Support me on Patreon and/or PayPal. Buy games via my affiliate Humble Bundle & Green Man Gaming links. Most importantly, be kind to others and keep on gaming!
Think you can make it big? Have what it takes to reach the ten million dollar mark? You’ll have a chance to find out in “PURE PROFIT”, a card game that tasks players with carefully managing their hand and growing their bank in the process. It supports 2-6 players & ages 12+ with an average play time of about 15-20 minutes. Before we get started I’m required by FTC regulations to disclose that I was paid to cover this game. As always, any and all opinions are my own. Continue Reading
Civilization has been wiped out by multi-colored meteors of all things. Of the survivors, some had discovered that they had gained incredible superpowers. As you would expect, some used their powers for good while others used it for evil. In “Heroes & Villains”, a collectible/customizable deck-battle game that’s coming to Kickstarter October 12, 2021, you’ll be tasked with building a deck of superpowers and battling others for supremacy. It supports 2-6 players and ages 10+ with an average play time of 15 minutes per game.
Special thanks to Kate Arrington, General Manager at Neddy Games, for sending a prototype copy for promotional purposes. It’s important to stress that prototypes are typically not reflective of the finished product, making everything you see and read about here subject to change. Before we begin I’m required by FTC Regulations to disclose that I was paid to cover this game, but any and all opinions are my own.
I’m 100% behind pet adoption programs. There’s absolutely no reason to walk into a retail store and buy a dog for $600+ when you can help rescue animals in need via adoption. The dogs and cats that I’ve owned were all adopted through either Animal Friends or the Humane Society, two organizations dedicated to rescuing animals and finding them forever homes. “ComPetability” has such a theme in that you’re trying to match up animals in your hand so that they are compatible. Before we begin I’m required by FTC regulations to disclose that I was paid to cover this game, however any and all opinions are my own. As always, the only thing paid for here was my time.
All things considered, the folks stranded on Gilligan’s Island had it pretty easy. I mean, they didn’t have to contend with things like dinosaurs, pirates, and monsters…rather it was usually just one doofus screwing up rescue attempt after rescue attempt. “Shipwrecked!”, a tabletop game for 1-4 players and ages 12+ with an average play time of 1-1.5 hours, has all of those aforementioned things and more. It’s a semi-cooperative survival game where players strive to have the most riches and make it out alive. Special thanks to developer Matt Clarke for sending a copy for review purposes. I’m required by FTC regulations to disclose that I was paid to cover this game, but any and all opinions are my own. The only thing paid for here was my time.
I was a huge video / board game nerd growing up, but it wasn’t until this year that I played my very first D&D campaign. Let me tell you, it was OVERWHELMING! Hit dice? Dex saves? Cover? That said, my group and I just finished “Lost Mine of Phandelver” with no casualties and I’m hooked. I can see why some people walk into physical stores just to buy miniatures and 3D terrain. Roll20 made things easy for our group, but there are no doubt plenty of other options out there that work too.
I can’t draw. I’ve tried. I can tell you how to find the missing side of a right triangle using Pathagorem’s theorem, but I can’t cut along dotted lines to save my life. At first, I was a bit weary of previewing a game that tasks you to draw…but once I read that you’ll be using a blindfold, I was IN. I had no excuse for drawing poorly before, but now…NOW it’s the blindfold’s fault! Totally not mine…yeah, we’ll go with that.
The year is 1875…ten years before Doc Brown was thrown back into the past because of a stray bolt of lightning…but I digress. “ToughTimes” is a 2-4 player card game (30-60 minute average playing time) that will task players with achieving “Stability” by collecting certain cards and resources. There aren’t any DeLoreans around, but there does exist a powerful “Saloon Time Machine” card that can erase the present…no joke!
Special thanks to Travis Mullinix for sending me a copy for review purposes. Per FTC regulations I’m required to note that I was paid to cover this game, but any and all opinions are my own. As always, the only thing paid for here was my time.
A long, long time ago, my grandmother taught me the game of “WAR”. The concept was easy enough…each player gets half a deck of shuffled, regular playing cards and you both flip your top cards one at a time. The player with the higher value placed both cards into their own personal discard pile. Ties were handled a bit differently…draw another face down and another faceup…the card that was facedown determined who won (the faceup card was simply spoils of war). This continued until one player got all the cards and was declared winner. “Twisted Game of War” goes a step beyond that and introduces its own quirky way of playing. Special thanks to the folks at Mental Eclipse for sending me a copy for review purposes. I’m required by FTC regulations to note that I was paid to cover this game, but any and all opinions are my own.
I grew up playing “Chess”, as most of you regular readers / viewers already know. I’ve played in countless tournaments as a child and dabbled in a game or two as an adult. When I was 12 I believe my FICO rating was somewhere around 1400…I did okay. As an adult I’ve come to appreciate the crazy amount of “Chess” variants out on the market. One of them is “Martian Chess” by Looney Labs and I’d like to quickly thank them for sending me a copy for review purposes.
I didn’t know him as John. I didn’t know him as Jack, as he preferred to be called. I knew him as “Pap”…always have, always will. I said goodbye to my other grandfather in 2012 (Victor) and it’s with regret that I have to say goodbye again now.
2020 has been a rough year for everyone. I myself had 3 surgeries this year and I am now trying to find a way to deal with chronic pain that keeps me awake at all hours of the night. I’m so thankful that game developers/publishers continue to pump out games so that the rest of us gamer folk can enjoy them, especially now that social distancing is a thing. Platforms like Tabletop Simulator and Steam have been incredibly helpful. I personally would love to see more board games go digital.
The universe is vast and full of stars. Some of these stars line up to form constellations…but why I am telling you this? You’re probably one of those people that plan their day around the daily zodiac horoscope. Sorry, I’m a Taurus, I tell it like it is! I digress, we’re here today to talk about “Twinkle”, a tabletop game that’ll be entering the Kickstarter process in December, 2020. Before we begin it’s worth noting that the copy I received is a prototype and thus, everything you’re about to see is subject to change. I’m also required per FTC regulations to disclose that I was paid for my time to cover this game, but any and all opinions are my own.
I’m conflicted. One on hand, I like this game’s art, mechanics, and overall theme. On the other, the backbone of the game is half-formed and the balance off. “The Few And the Cursed” is a deck-builder / western that tasks players with getting the most grit / VP. There is no deck-building market however…players draw two cards and choose one to add to their hand immediately, which is interesting. Again…I’m conflicted, because bad RNG can mess up your deck plans and there’s nothing you can do about it.
As an older dad with a teenage son and plenty of fur-babies, I rarely have time to indulge on a long-winded RPG. “Dragon Age”, “The Elder Scrolls”, “The Witcher”…I try to play them but often never finish them because of how busy I can get. “RPG Battles: The Card Game”, an upcoming Kickstarter project, aims to curb the long play times with a quick 15-30 minute play session. It also supports 2-6 players and has a recommended age limit of 14+. Before we get into the specifics I’m required by FTC regulations to disclose that I was paid to cover this game, though any and all recommendations are my own.