I’m not too big on Kaiju movies, but I do enjoy playing Kaiju related games from time to time. “Rampage” for the NES was one of my favorites, even if the monsters’ names were George, Lizzie, and Ralph. “King of Tokyo” puts players in the role of a monster who is wrestling for control of, you guessed it, Tokyo. There’s punching, there’s healing, there’s special abilities…but there can only be one monster left standing at the end of it all. Will it be you?
Board Games
In the mood for a little “Dungeons & Dragons” but don’t have a lot of time on your hands? “Dungeon!” may just be what the doctor ordered, as it is a simplified version of the aforementioned game. I admittedly have never played “D&D”, mainly due to time constraints. There’s also the fact that I seem to enjoy simpler things the older I get…just ask the kids. I’m apparently hilarious when I attempt to work that blasted DVR on the TV remote. At any rate, I picked “Dungeon!” up on a whim to see if it was as user-friendly as it claimed to be. If you’re curious as to whether or not a “D&D” game can be simplified enough for the layman, read on. For the record, my copy is the English fourth edition, released in 2012.
Just because word games are educational doesn’t mean that they can’t be a lot of fun to play. “Qquip”, a two to six player card game currently seeking your help on Kickstarter, seems to be the best of both worlds in that regard. It not only features intuitive wordplay, but will force players to make some pretty tough decisions…as a gaming dad myself, these games are typically ideal for family game night.
I seriously have yet to meet anyone who doesn’t find pandas to be the cutest thing on this planet…that is, except maybe for those who have said no to “Panda Cheese”. “Takenoko” (which means, Bamboo Sprout) puts players in the role of courtesans who must not only feed the emperor’s panda, but manage an ever-growing bamboo plantation. Players earn points for satisfying the emperor’s requests, as well as for feeding the panda and catering to the wishes of the gardener. Will you assist the gardener in growing specific patterns of bamboo, or will you just let the panda devour it all? The choice is yours…though my money’s on the panda.
After a fairly successful experience with the video game adaptation of “Elder Sign: Omens”, I decided to take another plunge into the world of H.P. Lovecraft. Only this time, I’ll be trying to form words with the available letters without going crazy. The trick lies in both the length of the word, as well as how many angles are present in the letters used to form said word. Who will go insane and who will manage to escape the funny farm by the skin of the teeth? Only time (and perhaps a few visits from Cthulhu) will tell…
Like “Trivial Pursuit”? Like “Star Trek”? Perhaps you should take a gander at “Star Trek: The Game”, which was published back in the early 1990’s. I had a copy as a kid, but I was admittedly more interested in firing phasers than I was answering some quote unquote “silly” trivia questions. Last night (1/3/14), I pulled this game out of mothballs to see if it was actually any good. I’d tell you to buckle your seatbelts and prepare for warp speed, but those of us who watch “Star Trek” know that the former seems to have been cut from the budget.
Post-apocalyptic games don’t always have to involve zombies, and that’s exactly the kind of setting that “Survivalistic” entails. In this easy-to-play collectible card game for two people, you’ll be doing your darndest to keep your clan alive by providing them with food and water. While you’re attempting to grow your clan, the other player will be trying to ensure that their clan reigns supreme. Will you lead your clan to victory by growing it so large that your opponent will have no choice but to give up, or will you opt for a more aggressive approach? Before we take a look at this game in further detail, I’d like to thank William Connor Mandry from Mandry44’s Games for providing me with a review copy.
Editor’s Note: I was informed on 2/28/14 that the game was redesigned based on reviewer and customer feedback. I’ve updated the text in this article to reflect the new rules. Time permitting, I’ll update the pictures and video as well.
“Monopoly Empire” wasn’t the best thing to have ever crossed my path, but it was good enough of a “Monopoly” spinoff to receive a thumbs-up from the kids. “Monopoly Millionaire” is the next spinoff that I chose to pick up on a whim and luckily, it was on sale for fifteen bucks (down from the normal twenty to thirty dollars) at my local K-Mart. Instead of trying to build a tower however, players will be racing to reach a net worth (cash-wise) of one million before the others do. How does it stand up to the other “Monopoly” variants on the market, you ask? Keep reading to find out!
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I admittedly lack the pencil and paper RPG gene, even though I love dungeon crawlers…how odd is that? As a full-time accountant who also doubles as a full-time dad and the occasional games journalist, this is partially understandable. It can be hard sometimes to just sit down and play a game of “Chess”, let alone spend hours flipping through pages to try and create a character. “Dice Crawl”, I’m pleased to say, is perfect for my busy lifestyle. “Dice Crawl” is a dungeon crawler currently seeking your support on Kickstarter (as of 12/21/13), sporting plenty of dice and supporting up to four players. Before we take a sneak peek at what this game has to offer, I’d like to quickly thank Alyssa Faden from SoulJar Games for providing me with a prototype copy. It’s important to stress that prototypes are not usually representative of the final product, making everything featured below (including the rules) subject to change.
Some of you may have heard of the game, “Tsuro”…if you haven’t, you’re missing out. Calliope Games, the maker of “Tsuro” and the more recent “Tsuro of the Seas”, is back with a new family-friendly card & dice game titled “Roll For It!” In this particular game, players will be rolling dice and attempting to match them with the cards laid out on the table. Players who match all of the dice on a card get to place it into their score pile. Before I get into specifics however, I’d like once again thank Ray Wehrs from Calliope Games for sending me a review copy.
Building doomsday machines seem to be the theme as of late, but seriously, when does being a mad inventor ever get tiring? “What’s He Building In There?” is a worker placement game that tasks players with earning the most victory points. As you may have deduced, building your doomsday device will assist you in reaching that goal. Before we all start laughing manically, I’d like to thank Sean Scott Garrity from Baksha Games for providing me with a free review copy.
The 13th century was an interesting time for humanity. The Magna Carta was signed, Parliament went mad, and rat clans rivaled for a shot at the throne. What do you mean that last bit didn’t happen? Like you were there! *Sigh*, okay okay…you got me. Here I was, trying to impress you with a clever lead-in to the latest project by Blue Orange Games titled “BraveRats”…not to be confused with “Braveheart”, mind you. While it’s possible that the rats in this game may have worn kilts, it’s best not to think about such things. In “BraveRats”, one player will take on the role of the Yarg while the other assumes the role of the Applewood…two opposing rat clans that want all the power of the throne for themselves. Before we take a look at this game in further detail, I’d like to thank Annika Harper from Blue Orange Games for providing me with a press copy. It’s important to note that the copy I received is a prototype and as such, the below content is subject to change.
Dungeon crawlers that feature a dynamic, randomly generated environment not only offer almost unlimited replayability, but can be a real adrenaline rush. “Dice Crawl”, a game seeking your support on Kickstarter, features such a system. In an interesting twist however, players will be making heavy use of dice in order to advance into the depths. You’ll pick a race and a class with the mindset of getting to the center of the dungeon and collecting the riches that await. It’s designed to be a quick game, supporting between two and four players. I don’t want to spoil things TOO much, as I’ll be covering the game in an upcoming preview…keep an eye out for it!
I honestly couldn’t tell you the last time I’ve ridden a bike. I know that it was back in my youth, presumably back when the dinosaurs roamed the Earth. It was just a matter of time until one promising game developer, graphic designer, and cross-country cyclist by the name of Alex Solomon came up with the idea for a card game based around the subject. In “Geared”, players assume the rules of bike mechanics who are aiming to build as many bikes as they can before race day. Of course, with there being different parts to utilize and action cards thrown in for good measure, players will quite literally (as literal as tabletop gaming can get) be in for the rides of their lives.
I am not one to brag (okay, maybe I am), but I know my “Chess”. I used to play professionally in my youth, being a member of the United States Chess Federation and ranked second best in Western Pennsylvania for my age group at one point. When “Chess” games or variants come across my table, you can imagine how hard it is for me to say no. “War and Chaos” is quite a unique idea, doing away with some of the standard “Chess” rules all the while adding new ones. It even has the capacity to handle four players…but where are my manners? Before we get started with the preview, I’d like to thank Patryk K Braganza-Gallagher from Mad Puppy Gaming for providing me with a prototype copy. It’s important to stress that the game is still in development via the Kickstarter process, making everything you see below subject to change.