Jabuka: an uninhabited volcanic island in the Adriatic Sea known for messing with compasses and other devices due to magnetism. It also happens to be a word game that features coffee bean letters, because it just so happened that the developer thought of the idea while sipping a cup of “joe” at Starbucks. These coffee bean letters can be rotated to form other letters, with the ultimate goal being to form words that are difficult for your opponent to steal while coming up with alternative words using letters in words that your opponents have formed. Special thanks to the folks at Jabuka Games for reaching out and providing a copy.
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My business/economics college class was dry on occasion, but there were times that I enjoyed the projects that the professor handed out. One such project was to create a business and being relatively good at “Chess”, I decided to invent a 3D/4D computerized chess set. We didn’t have to actually make the product, just the PowerPoint. The gaming community and our level of technology isn’t exactly ready for 4D Chess, though I have seen 3D renditions throughout the years.
I’ve always had an interest in the sciences, though anyone who knows me wouldn’t be surprised. There isn’t enough Star Trek, Star Wars, Stargate, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, and other big names related to the science community floating around for my liking. “Lab Partners”, a tabletop game that will be seeking funding through the Kickstarter process in July 2019, takes a look at the chemistry side of things but in a fun/humorous way. Essentially, you are an unpaid intern working at your new position at ChemCo’s Research and Development Department. I know, right? Like, what could go wrong?
The zombies are hungry. You and a band of small survivors should probably work together, but it’s every man and woman for themselves in this harsh apocalypse. Your job: be the first player to play seven checkpoints and escape. “OMZ! (Oh My, Zombies!), as you may have guessed, is a casual zombie-themed card game that’s currently on Kickstarter looking for your support. I’ve already posted a written preview and video outlining the game and its features, so be sure to check them out after you’re done here. It supports 3-6 players and plays fairly quickly.
I’ve seen folks occasionally voice that the zombie genre has been pecked to death (pardon the pun)…I am not one of those people. Bring them on, I say. There’s something both frightening and appealing in fantasy no-win scenarios because in 90% of the movies I’ve seen, there’s never a cure. “OMZ!”, a 3-6 player card game that’ll be seeking funding through the Kickstarter process in late May 2019, advertises no such cure either. Rather, players will be attempting to accumulate seven checkpoints in order to escape. It’s important to stress that what I received was a prototype, so everything that you see and read about here is subject to change. I am also required by FCC regulations to disclose that I was paid to cover this game, however my thoughts and opinions are my own.
I honestly never thought I’d see the day. “Defense Grid: The Awakening” (the original video game by Hidden Path Entertainment released in 2008) was one of the first tower defense games I had ever played. It, and another game called “Sol Survivor”, frequented my time in between longer sessions of whatever Star Wars Flight Sim or 4X game I was playing at the time. “Defense Grid 2”, released in 2014, only improved on the formula by adding multiple AIs that gave you different abilities. Enter, “Defense Grid: The Board Game” and as mentioned previously, learning about it came to be an unexpected (but pleasant) surprise. Special thanks to Anthony Hanses from Forged by Geeks LLC for providing me with a free press copy for review purposes.
“Fluxx” is back with another rendition of Star Trek, this time “Deep Space Nine”. To date we’ve seen The Original Series and The Next Generation…from what I’m told Voyager is due out next year. The DS9 version plays similarly to the others so if you’ve played one of the others you’ll be able to jump into this without a problem. One of the key differences is a new meta card that lets you discard so many goal cards to draw more cards, an interesting way to get rid of a hand of goals you really don’t want especially if there’s a hand limit rule. It’s expensive to buy each one ($20 a pop), so if you’re strapped for cash buy the version that suits you best.
Vinnie Jr. graced us with his presence last night as we checked out “Sushi Roll”, Gamewright’s latest rendition of “Sushi Go”. I don’t blame him…he’s 18 now and way too cool for his dad. 18? Wait what? Ugh…I feel old. Anywho, “Sushi Roll”, as you may have guessed, uses dice instead of cards. The amount of content mirrors that of the original smaller tin, though it’s worth noting that it doesn’t hold a candle to the amount of content in the larger deluxe tin (“Sushi Go Party”). That said, the re-rolling and swapping mechanics are new, welcome, and fresh. Come check out our 45-50 minute play session and first impressions. Purchase links available in the description of the video for all three aforementioned versions, so pick the one(s) you like and help support me in the process!
I first learned what a “DEFCON” was by watching “WarGames” starring Matthew Broderick. While I would often prefer to play a nice of “Chess”, there’s something to be said for games involving global thermal nuclear war. Yes, the theme is both morbid and gruesome, but you can play such games without the risk of your hair falling out or your skin melting off the bone. “ELEVEN FIFTY NINE”, a quick two-player micro dice game that is due to launch in early April 2019, will task players with surviving an arsenal full of nasty nuclear bombs. Before we begin it’s important to stress that I received a prototype for press coverage purposes. Prototypes are not often reflective of the finished product, making everything you read about and see here subject to change. I am also required by FCC regulations to disclose that I was paid to cover this game, however my thoughts and opinions are my own.
Roughly ten years ago I was diagnosed with a blood clotting disorder called ITP. I consider myself lucky however, as my platelets usually hover around 60,000-90,000 which generally doesn’t require hospitalization or treatment if you’re careful. There are folks out there who have much lower levels and require weekly IVIG treatments and steroids to stay out of the red zone. It’s serious medical issues like this that folks need to be aware of as it can happen to anyone and that’s why I was happy to check out “Blood Drive Solitaire“, a card game that promotes blood donation. Before we begin I’m required by FCC regulations to disclose that I was paid to cover this game, though any and all opinions are my own. Continue Reading
Hey folks! Just dropping a quick line to let you know that “VikingJarl” is looking for your help to successfully fund on Kickstarter. “VikingJarl”, with 17 days left to as of this article’s publishing date, has reached $11,262 of it’s $19,183 goal…meaning there’s still time to set sail and jump in on the action. Roughly $50 USD will grant you a copy of the game with an estimated delivery date of December 2019. There are plenty of pledge levels and some cool looking stretch goals, so feel free to go above and beyond to pick what suits you best. Continue Reading
If “The Sims” has taught me anything, it’s that gardening is hard work. That, and the fact that I should never, ever sing Karaoke and attempt to make friends at the same time. “Gartenbau”, a game that’s coming to Kickstarter in late March, 2018, lets you garden in a semi-imaginary way without all the fuss. It supports 2-4 players & ages 12+ with an average play time of about 60 minutes. It’s important to stress that the copy I received is a prototype, so everything you’re about to see and read about (including the rules) are subject to change. I’m also required by FCC regulations to disclose that I was paid to cover this game, however my thoughts and opinions are my own.
I’m a kid of the 80’s, so I’m no stranger to games like “Sorry!” and “Trouble”. Enter, “uDog”: a relatively casual game that takes a lot of inspiration from the aforementioned games. Your team’s job is to get all of your marbles from their “kennel” to their home spaces before anyone else. It supports anywhere from 2-8 players, depending on the model that you buy (more on that in a bit). Before we begin I’m required by FCC regulations to disclose that I was paid to cover this game, though any and all opinions are my own.
I hate “Yahtzee”. Specifically, I hate the dice and the dice hate me. Every roll…okay, 90% of them, come up with some combination only suited for the Chance category. “Poker”, on the other hand, was an enjoyable cutthroat event that both sides of my family played on a regular basis. My grandfather was a notoriously mean “Pinochle” player. Long story short: I grew up playing both “Yahtzee” and “Poker”, but I never imagined that both games could be combined to form their own entity. Enter “Royal 9”, a dice poker game for 2-6 Players and Ages 12+ with an average play time of 30-60 minutes. Before we begin I’m required per FCC Regulations to disclose that I was paid to cover this game, though any and all opinions are my own. Continue Reading
I don’t get to post recommendations often, what with my time being tied up with Kickstarter previews and video game content, but I just had to take the time to recommend “Ganz Schön Clever”. It’s a roll-and-write, like “Yahtzee”, but beefed up on about seven kinds of steroids. With six different categories in which to score, you’ll be trying to figure out which boxes to tick and which dice to sacrifice as you’re rolling them. Further, you can choose a die as the passive player, but only one that your opponent didn’t choose. Other abilities, like +1’s and rerolls, can make or break your victory dance. This is easily in the running for the 2019 DGA Awards and I guarantee that you won’t be able to play it just once.
Times sure have changed. I remember a day where “going outside to play” was a thing…now I have to wonder if the sole reason for going outside nowadays is so that folks can finally catch a Snorlax on their Pokémon Go app. Seriously, I can’t make it through a single day without seeing someone on their phones doing something…and I’m big enough to admit that I’m probably one of the worst offenders. “Off The Grid”, a tabletop game that’s currently retailing on Amazon for roughly $19.99, attempts to get kids away from the phones and “Internets”. Before we begin I am required by FCC regulations to disclose that I was paid to cover this game, however my thoughts and opinions are my own.