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.
I never thought I’d see the day that I have my very own podcast. I say that because at heart, I’m an introvert. I grew up being afraid of people and it was hard for me to even talk to anyone let alone put myself out on the internet. This pushes me beyond my comfort zone and then some, but I think it’s doing wonders for personal growth.
Space exploration, dice manipulation, resource gathering…”Stellar Leap” has a lot going for it. In this game, players will be trying to earn the most prestige (victory points) by completing missions, growing population, discovering new planetary bodies, and so on. Like in “Settlers of Catan”, resources are earned by rolling dice. Whoever has rested population on the planets of the numbers rolled will earn resources! I personally like games like this as it keeps players invested even when it isn’t their turn.
There’s a fire in the library and only you and your friends can go in to save as many books as possible! “Fire in the Library” is a push your luck game where you’ll be drawing cubes of different colors from a bag and deciding whether or not to continue. Red/fire is bad and can end your turn with zero points. Luckily, you’ll have some tools to help you out along the way.
I can’t say that I’ve ever played a game where I managed a group of street musicians…yet that’s what you’ll end up doing in “Big Easy Busking”. You’ll be assigning energy cubes from three different musicians from your team (trumpet, drums, sax) and play songs onto the available crowd cards / venues in order to hopefully earn both majority and threshold points.
“Dreams of Tomorrow” is probably one of the more beautiful games I’ve ever played. It’s the kind of game that grabs your attention from across the room and draws you over to inquire more about it. It’s a tableau building game where players will be catching dreams by paying experience, then weaving said dreams by paying creativity and hope. Said dreams have abilities on them that can be used to give players an edge, but once a dream is weaved over, the ability is lost. Only weaved dreams count as points in the endgame, so you’ll have to weigh your options carefully.
“Tetris Link” is a fairly enjoyable tabletop game that involves a little bit of dexterity. That, coupled with the fact that there aren’t a whole lot of games like it on the market, makes it a “play more than once” candidate in my household. “Drop It”, truth be told, was even better. Here, you’ll be paying attention to piece placement rules moreso than “Tetris Link” as well as score points in a number of different ways. In other words, I found it to be a bit more strategic.
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Most of us have been there…reluctantly agreeing to house a family member or friend for a certain period of time and it turning out to be more than we bargained for. My ex’s cousin, who shall remain nameless, took hour long showers and was quite the drama queen. He then had the nerve to tell me that I was selfish for kicking him out even though I was supporting him while he went to school. *Shrug*
“Apples to Apples” set something of a trend. I’ve seen hundreds of variations of this card game out on the market ever since its release. Who could blame these developers? Apples to Apples is not only highly popular but a fun social experience to boot. Now, I can’t possibly cover them all because science. That being said, I do take on those that either seem unique or make me laugh really, really hard. That’s why I agreed to look at “Top Tale”, a game coming to Kickstarter in mid-July. Since the game has not released yet it’s worth noting that my copy may not be representative of the finished product. I’m also required by FTC regulations to disclose that I was paid to cover this game, but any and all opinions are my own.
I have about 500 tabletop games in my collection and most of them have one, maybe two ways to play them. You typically buy a game, open the box, and cram to read rules that will persist from game to game. Yes, I’m well aware of games like “Fluxx” where the rules are constantly changing. I’m also aware that some folks prefer to spend their afternoons not with a bulky Gloomhaven box but a small deck of fifty-two playing cards. TIC (Two In Common) Playing Cards are more similar to the latter in the sense that you’ll have multiple games to play in the convenience of a small box. Before we begin I’m required by FCC Regulations to note that I was paid to cover this game, but any and all opinions remain my own.
Did you enjoy “New York Slice”? If so, you may enjoy Piece of Pie, which is a drafting game that tasks you with creating a pie by drafting pieces from the center of the table. You’ll have to observe both the public and private goals, just like in the recently mentioned “Sagrada”. It’s definately more of an entry-level game in my opinion, but it’s both colorful and enjoyable. “Piece of Pie” is ideal for casual gamers or those who aren’t into the heavy games like other people.
We like Sagrada. If you like dice drafting and placement, then we think you’d like Sagrada too. In case you didn’t know, there are a couple of expansions out for this game, one of which (Passion) we recently covered. It adds a wild glass die that can be bought with favor tokens and used to bypass color restrictions. The expansion also includes some new public/private goals as well as special abilities. Watch us play and see if it would be something you’d be interested in playing yourself!
“Too Many Turtles” is a fast-paced, head-to-head tactical card game with a honorable message: “Save the Turtles”. A typical game takes roughly 25-30 minutes, with players laying down turtle cards and moving them around the three rows in their playing area in order to gain the upper hand and win the current round. The first player to win two rounds is declared the victor. This game, at the time of posting, is currently seeking your support on Kickstarter. Before we delve deeper into the gameplay, I’d like point out that my copy was a prototype so everything you see and read about here is subject to change. I’m also required by FTC regulations to disclosed that I was paid to cover this game, but any and all thoughts remain my own.