I’ve already gone on record praising the “The Search For Planet X” and “The Search For Lost Species”, the two predecessors to “The Search For UAPs”. That said, it stands out enough to warrant its own critique, but more on that later. UAPs stands for Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena in case you were wondering, I’ve looked it up at least five times now. The term UFO has a lot of stigma behind it and used in a more casual light, while UAP was coined to replace UFO in a more serious, scientific setting (que the “The More You Know” piano jingle). Special thanks goes to Renegade Games for sending a copy for review purposes.
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There aren’t a lot of good and reliable logic puzzle-y style board games on the market, but I attempt to grab them when I can. “Alchemists“, “Awkward Guests“, and “The Search For Planet X” immediately come to mind. In the case of “TSFPX”, the predecessor to “The Search For Lost Species” (hereby dubbed “TSFLS”), you’re looking for stellar phenomena to deduce where Planet X is in the night sky. Here, you’re attempting to find the Lost Species on a land-based island using similar logical deductions. Special thanks goes to Renegade Games for providing me with a press copy for review purposes.
So, Aidalee has been pushing me to watch “My Little Pony” ever since she moved in eight years ago. She even tried to hook me by telling me that John de Lancie voiced Discord, a omnipotent semi-villain that took its inspirations from “Q” in Star Trek: The Next Generation. In exchange for watching Lord of the Rings I agreed to watch a few episodes. It was…tolerable…and charming in its own way. Needless to say Aidalee squealed when she heard that I was being sent a copy of this title, courtesy of the kind folks over at Renegade Games.
I’m a Trekkie. Or a Trekker. I really don’t know what the difference is. I’ve watched the shows / movies and read the books for the last forty or so years. The video games came and went as older games refused to work on newer systems. There’s GOG for some of it, thank goodness…”Armada” was amazing but I wouldn’t mind strolling down “A Final Unity’s” lane one more time. Then there are the board games. Oh, we had that crappy “Star Trek” trivia game, don’t get me wrong, but the more modern games like “Star Trek: The Next Generation Deck Building Game” run rings around stuff from the 80’s / 90’s. Though, seeing fake Gowron (same actor, different character) capture the ship in the VHS game is worth another play. EXPERIENCE BIJ!!!! I digress, I’m here to talk about “Star Trek: Captain’s Chair” and you sorry lot get to read reference after reference even if it’s not funny or warranted. It’s a complex deck-building game for one or two players and after about five plays I’m ready to give my impressions of it. Will Picard see five lights, or will my love be forever wondering in star-flight? Those aren’t units of measure, don’t bother trying. Shaka, when the walls fell. Continue Reading
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel back in time to another dimension? Ever thought about an alternate universe where things were similar but not quite the same? Well that’s certainly not this game! However, that doesn’t mean Dimension isn’t packed with intensity and chaotic hecticness! Especially when looking things over with (optional) time running out!
“Terraforming Mars” seemed to take the world by storm. I, unfortunately, wasn’t able to jump on the hype train until much later when I bought the digital version via Steam and eventually, iOS. I liked the game so much that I invested in both the card game version and the dice version when they released years later. Still, “TM” has quite a few expansions…one of which is “Automa”, a recently released solo experience against Marsbot. Special thanks to Jondi over at OffDutyNinja for providing a press copy for review purposes. I’ll be breaking with my usual review format, so strap yourselves in!
Have you ever seen the movie, “Cube”? Prisoners awakening to find themselves trapped in some sort of strange environment, only to realize later how deadly it is? “The Night Cage” gave me those vibes, but only if it were Cthulhu running things instead of a high-level secret organization. In this (literally) dark cooperative game, 1-5 players will attempt to each get a key and converge on the same gate before their finite stack of room tiles expire. Essentially, you’ll be crawling through the darkness armed only with a candle…what could go wrong? Special thanks to Kurt over at Smirk & Dagger Games for providing me with the base copy of the game for review purposes, as well as Jondi over at OffDutyNinja, LLC for providing the Shrieking Hollow Expansion. I’ll opt to cover the latter towards the end of the article.
While I’ve played my fair share of “Rock Band” and “Guitar Hero” in my day, I don’t think I’ve ever played a tabletop game devoted to the management of bands. In “Rock & Roll Brouhaha” (available via The Game Crafter), players will become band managers and manage musicians, buy gear, look for gigs, and schedule venues. It’s expandable to boot; I’m told that an expansion is already in the works. Before we get started, I’m required by FTC regulations to disclose that I was paid to cover this game, however any and all opinions remain my own. The only thing paid for here was my time and expertise.
So what if Pluto isn’t labeled as a planet anymore? That doesn’t mean we can’t eventually plop diners onto it and serve all sorts of rowdy customers coming and going through the solar system. Realistically, such a entrepreneurial endeavor is a ways off but that’s okay…board games exist for a reason! In “Pluto Dinerama”, an upcoming crowdfunding project, players will be working both cooperatively and competitively to serve customers and earn victory points. The copy I received was a prototype, so everything you see and read about here is subject to change. I’m also required by FTC regulations to disclose that I was paid to cover this game, however any and all opinions remain my own. The only thing paid for here was my time and expertise.
My parents divorced when I was young. I don’t remember the details much, just that they eventually met new people and remarried. I first saw Karl in the sixth or seventh grade standing next to my mom in the parking lot of my school. She was waiting to pick me up and likewise, he was waiting to pick up his daughter who also happened to be my classmate. Later, my younger brother and I were introduced to the term, “joint custody”. It was through our visits to what came to be “Mom & Karl’s Place” that I started to learn who he was. I’ll admit, it was a rocky start.
“Fuse” is a fun, hectic, and light cooperative game that I prefer to play with modified rules (to accommodate certain medical conditions). Enter “Flatline”, another chaotic cooperative game by the same developer (Renegade) that picks up where “Fuse” leaves off. Here, players serve as medics treating the injured from the catastrophic events of “Fuse”. Primarily, this game involves rolling dice and assigning them to various board spots all the while on a round timer. Like I said, chaotic.
I was a late-comer to “Game of Thrones” as I typically don’t watch shows that try too hard to be adult-themed. Even when I did finally buckle down to watch it, it took me a few months of binging to get through it. Luckily, I won’t need a few months to play “Dragon Soul”, a game that you can currently buy over on the official website. Here, players will be tasked with holding a certain number of uncontested castles by doing battle with battalions and quite possibly, a dragon! Special thanks to Sebastian Baverstam, an independent board game designer, for sending a copy. I’m required by FTC regulations to disclose that I was paid to cover this game, however any and all opinions remain my own. As always, the only thing paid for here was my time and expertise.
I have a feeling that “Wingspan” will persist as a great board game for many years to come. While I do own the “Oceania” and “European” expansions, I sometimes feel that the wild nectar tokens introduced in the former were a bit too powerful and tainted the original game a little bit. Luckily, “Asia” can be played as a standalone experience. It’s primarily a two player game, but can be played solo or used to expand the base game up to six or seven players. Special thanks to Stonemaier Games for sending a copy for review purposes.
“The bees have discovered economics!” is probably my favorite line from any rulebook I’ve seen as of late, although I love the term “beeples”. While the tabletop game “Apiary” features space bees, “Honey Buzz” has bees of the more regular sort and tasks players with competing for the Queen’s favor by earning the most victory points…as Earth bees tend to do. Special thanks to Elf Creek Games & their PR company for sending a copy.
Criminals are running rampant and only you and your team can infiltrate the ranks and break up the syndicate. In this 2-4 player experience, each player will be tasked with sending agents to gather intel, infiltrate mobs, and arrest criminals. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins. Special thanks to Doctor Finn’s Games for sending out a copy for coverage purposes.
I can’t help but draw some parallels between “Atlantis Rising” (the board game) and the “Stargate: Atlantis” (the television series). I mean, you’ve got a massive city with branches protruding from a central hub and Ancients / Atheniens who run the place. It certainly helped to attract me to this title, in addition to the fact that it’s a co-op experience like “Pandemic” and more on-point, “Forbidden Island” (where tiles sink into the depths). At its heart however, this is a worker placement game. Special thanks to Elf Creek Games & their PR company for sending a copy. Continue Reading