“Match-3” games and I generally don’t get along. It’s not that I don’t appreciate what they offer, but I’m often left feeling empty by the end of a play session. In short, I get bored quickly with “Match-3” games. “Puzzle Quest” was a nice exception to that rule, offering RPG elements and a deeper “Match-3” experience. Along those lines, “ReignMaker” dares to be just as different, if not moreso. While the RPG aspect is somewhat lacking, there’s both tower defense and town management mechanics mixed in to keep things interesting. Before I go any further with that, I’d like to thank Michael A. Hartman, the President & CEO of Frogdice, for providing me with a free press copy.
As a huge fan of the “Tropico” series, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on “Tropico 5”. This does potentially make me a little biased, though I’ll do my best to be as objective as possible. If there’s one thing that I’m absolutely sure about however, it’s that I know my “Tropico”. I think I’ve logged more hours (300+) into this series than I have any other…this means that you should probably pay attention to what I have to say. The heartache of watching my Tropicans revolt, the sighs of frustration as my finances went into the red, the raging shakes associated with hours of work flushed down the toilet…I’ve experienced them all.
Most of us have been there: sword in hand, shield in the other, and a trusty book of spells in your back pocket for emergencies. Whether you’re playing an action game, an RPG, or an adventure game, this scene will probably be second nature to you by now. Enter “RPG Merchant Tycoon!!”, a game that reverses your role and puts you behind a counter. Rather than selling off all the junk you looted from the corpses of your dead enemies to some random NPC, you’ll be running a shop and providing customers with the loot they’ll need to succeed. It’s a bit like “Recettear” minus the dungeon crawling. When I first learned about this game, I initially suspected that it was developed by a disgruntled NPC merchant who was tired of having to buy useless junk…”oh, the irony!” he’d/she’d gleam happily. In all seriousness though, I’d like to thank game designer Ryan Cowler from FiercePunch!! Games for reaching out and providing me with a press copy.
Telltale really knows how to keep us in suspense for long periods of time, which is not a feeling I particularly enjoy. I am the type of person who waits until a show on television is over before starting my journey, simply so that I don’t have to wait months in between seasons to see the resolution to the cliffhanger. “In Harm’s Way” is the third nerve-wracking installment into Season Two and is no less suspenseful than the last two. It goes without saying that there will be spoilers from the previous two seasons in this review, so I encourage newcomers to STOP READING and just go buy the game already. Those who have already purchased the season pass may find this review redundant, so I’ll be aiming this article at those who are able to purchase these episodes individually.
As a big fan of the “Fatal Frame” series, I was really anxious to get my hands on “DreadOut”. I mean, c’mon…fighting ghosts with nothing but a camera? It may sound silly to the uninitiated, but those who have played “Fatal Frame” know better. “DreadOut” is a more modern-day version of “Fatal Frame” where the player takes on the role of Linda, a high school student trapped in an old abandoned town. Equipped only with a smart phone, she’ll (you’ll) be tasked with solving puzzles all the while fending off some really terrifying “creatures”. Before we get started, I’d like to thank Rachmad Imron from Digital Happiness for providing me with a free press copy.
My experiences with the tabletop game, “12 Realms“, were positive overall. In fact, I believe I had said that it “stands tall as a solid cooperative experience, backed by an impressive array of beautifully crafted components.” Looking back now, I have to admit that the miniatures were indeed nice to look at…though the fun isn’t over yet. Mage Company LTD recently announced their intention to release an expansion titled, “Ancestors Legacy”. Like “12 Realms”, “12 Realms: Ancestors Legacy” will be seeking funding through the Kickstarter process. The expansion promises new realms to explore, new bad guys to vanquish, and new heroes to ogle.
Some might find the micromanaging of resources in games like “Caesar IV” and “Banished” to be boring, but to others, it’s heaven. Don’t ask me why, but figuring out how “A” leads to “B” which produces “C” and satisfies “D” is oddly satisfying, at least in my case. “1849”, a Gold Rush-themed city builder, delivers that feeling in spades. While the “Caesar” series challenged me to find synergy during the Roman Empire era, this one took me into a time period that I have yet to fully appreciate. I know jack about the Wild West, except for maybe that time-traveling DeLoreans could reach 88 miles per hour assuming that a train pushed them off a ravine (watch your “Back to the Future”, kids). Before we take a look at what makes this game tick, I’d like to thank Emily Morganti, a PR consultant on behalf of SomaSim, LLC and Matthew Viglione, the co-founder of SomaSim, LLC for providing me with a free press copy.
I was a bit surprised, in all honesty, to see “Evolution” cross my path. Not because of its name or the gameplay mechanics mind you, but due to the fact that it was created by the same folks who made “Say Anything“, “Wits & Wagers“, “Clubs“, and “Crappy Birthday“…all of which are fairly casual family/party games. “Evolution”, a game currently seeking your support on Kickstarter, breaks the mold and instead goes the strategic route. While still being a relatively family-friendly game at heart, it’ll force players to make some pretty tough choices. Before we get into the nitty-gritty details, I’d like to thank Ryan Metzler, a representative for North Star Games, for reaching out and providing me with a press copy. It’s important to stress that prototypes are not often representative of the final product, making everything featured in this article subject to change.
While some games are purely meant to entertain, others offer an artistic flair that will make you think about the developer’s intentions. That’s exactly what’s going on with “Mirrors”, a card game currently seeking your help on Kickstarter. It’s an easy-to-play card game for two players that plays a lot like “rock-paper-scissors”, but will also make you think and reflect about existence itself.
“Monolith”, as best as I can describe it, is a dice-rolling worker placement game. Players will be challenged to place their dice on the available cards in such a way that earns them both gems and victory points. While timing and placement in games like these are crucial to success, using powers and skills strategically may give players the edge they might need to win the game. It’s a bit like “Roll For It!”, only a bit more complex. Before we start rolling those dice and seeing what’s what, I’d like to thank Michael Lubbers from Goblin Army Games for providing me with a free press copy.
With a name like “Metacell: Genesis, The Card Game”, you might immediately think that this game is complicated…not so. In fact, if I had to compare it to other card games I’ve played, I’d have to say that it was a cross between “Uno” and “Rummy”. All in all, this isn’t a bad pairing. Your objective here will be to match like-colored cards in order to score points, though the game includes some twists that help to make things a bit more strategic. Before we begin with the preview, I’d like to thank Ian Terry from Products for Robots, Inc. for reaching out and providing me with a press copy. It’s important to note that the game is currently seeking funding through the Kickstarter process (as of 4/23/14), making everything featured in this article subject to change.
Transylvania has seen better days. Vampires, werewolves, zombies…it doesn’t get any worse for the poor citizens who currently live there. Fortunately, the local government has a plan: hire only the bravest and best of adventurers to drive those monsters out. That’s where you come in. “Transylvania: Curses & Traitors”, a board game hitting Kickstarter at the beginning of May 2014, will task players with working together as these adventurers to break the curse once and for all. Before we take a sneak peek at what this game has to offer, I’d like to thank Loren Cunningham, the founder of WIBAI Games, for reaching out and providing me with a prototype copy. It’s important to note that prototypes are not often representative of the final product, making everything featured below (including the rules) subject to change. The minis featured in the below pictures, for example, are from D&D and HeroClix games…though I’m told the stretch goal will include unpainted (but detailed) minis.
The “Age of Empires” series always brings back fond memories, whether it be the epic battles I used to wage or the hours I’d spend creating the perfect skirmish map. Then there was “Age of Mythology”, a very similar RTS created by the same company (Microsoft) back in 2002. While I didn’t spend as much time on the latter as I did the former, I still played through the game at least three times. The idea of sending minotaurs into a wave of enemy infantry was oddly appealing for some reason. Before we take a quick look at what “Age of Mythology: Extended Edition” has to offer, I’d like to thank Ashton Williams at Microsoft for providing me with a press copy.
Move over “Uno”! Take a hike “Rummy”! “Metacell: Genesis, The Card Game” is in town and currently seeking your help on Kickstarter. In this easy-to-play card game for two to four players, you’ll be tasked with playing sets of same-colored cards in order to bank points for the end of the game. If you’re lucky enough to play the same colors as your character, you’ll activate their special ability. These can include powers that allow you to add to current sets (effectively increasing their point value) or even take extra turns. It’s the kind of game you can introduce to your family on game night without worrying about complex rules and inappropriate content. I’ll be posting a preview soon that goes into greater detail, but feel free to browse and/or support the game in the meantime if you like what you see!
Being a games journalist isn’t all fun and games, despite what most people may think. In fact, most of the time there’s a large bullseye right on your forehead. You wouldn’t believe some of the crap that come out of people’s mouths (or fingertips) because you gave a particular game a “7/10” instead of an “8/10”. Today I was thrown for a loop when I received a “thank you” email from a fan diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. His story ended up being so inspirational that I decided to donate $25.00 to the “National Multiple Sclerosis Society“. It’s admittedly not much, but the best I can do with a mortgage and a house of five (nine if you count animals).
Arcen Games has a habit of coming up with off-the-wall ideas that make me consider video games in a different light, “The Last Federation” being no exception. It’s somewhat like a 4x game, but you won’t have your own race and your own planets to maintain. Instead, you are the last remnants of a race gone nearly extinct. You’ll be jumping from planet to planet interacting with the other races in the universe, trying to curry their favor in order to make them part of a “Federation”. Uniting the races under this Federation, being the primary goal, is a lot harder than it sounds. Before I go any further, I’d like to quickly thank Erik Johnson from Arcen Games for providing me with a free press copy.