It’s been one heck of a rollercoaster ride, but I suppose it has to end at some point. Erica Reed is returning for one last time in this engaging four-part series, itching to get her hands on the person responsible for killing her brother. I’m going to assume that you’ve played the past three episodes, but I’ll attempt to keep things as spoiler-free as possible. I’m also going to keep this review short and sweet, for reasons I’ll make clear in a moment. Before we bid our final goodbyes to the series, I’d like to thank Katie Hallahan from Phoenix Online Studios and Emily Morganti, a PR consultant on behalf of Phoenix Online Studios, for providing me with a free review copy.
I wrote a preview for this game a while ago and was pleased overall with the content that the Beta build had offered. I admittedly have never met a farming game that I didn’t like, but this one introduces other gameplay elements that sets it apart from the rest of them. Let’s face it, how many other games can you name that take elements from “Planets vs. Zombies”, “Diner Dash”, and “Harvest Moon” and roll them into one neat, inexpensive ten dollar package? “Farm For Your Life” has been out of the Beta stage for a little less than a year now, so it’s about time that I get off my behind and get planting! Before we get started with the review, I’d like to quickly thank Andreas Bendt from Hammer Labs for sending me a press copy.
If there’s one area that I’ve always wanted to improve upon, it would have to be my health. I’ve recently lost twenty pounds through diet and exercise, but the latter is always a struggle. I don’t know about you, but I find exercise to be very, very boring. I’m the type that needs to be engaged intellectually as my brain rarely ever just switches off. Imagine my surprise when I discovered “Strength Stack 52”, a card game of sorts that promotes fitness. Before we take a look at this current Kickstarter project, I’d like to quickly thank Michael Volkin for reaching out and providing me with a press copy. It’s important to note that because the game is currently seeking funding through Kickstarter (as of 9/17/13), that my copy may or may not be fully representative of the final product.
“Outlast” turned out to be an incredibly nail-biting affair. I even went as far as recording my entire experience from beginning to end. If you’re curious to see how it turns out, or if you’re stuck on a particular part, then feel free to check out my walkthrough below.
Apparently, Will Smith’s fear of robots running amok was justified (watch your “I, Robot” kids). In this instance you play the role of a human who is being hunted by robots across a British landscape. The maps are procedurally-generated in this sandbox world, meaning that you’re experiences in one game may not mimic that of the next. Your goal? Survive, any way you can. You’ll need to stealthily move around the foliage to stay hidden, but also scavenge food and weapons to help you in your quest. “Sir, You Are Being Hunted” is currently under development, though you can pay to play early via Steam’s Early Access program.
“Delver”, a roguelike dungeon crawler, has recently made its way onto Steam’s “Early Access” page with a bang. It features a perma-death system for those of you who love being penalized for making mistakes, but manages to maintain a certain charm via pixelated graphics. While there are plenty of games that contain said features (Minecraft, etc.), this one ended up being just as much of a time sink. Before I quickly cover the current state of the game, I’d like to quickly thank Chad Cuddigan (developer and publisher) for providing me with a free press copy. It’s important to note that because this game is still under developement, that the content featured in this article is subject to change.
Ahhhh, the caveman days…such simpler times. All we ever had to ever worry about was starting fires, inventing the wheel, and keeping those darned “Fruity Pebbles” away from Barney. Simple is exactly what “Stack & Attack” shoots for, setting its sights on audiences who love strategic games wrapped around casual themes. In this particular instance, “Stack & Attack” is a casual deck-builder game that tasks players with building a rock tower. Players will be endeavouring to build their own towers while at the same time, attempting to impede the progress of their opponents’ towers. Before we start throwing rocks at one another, I’d like to thank Chris Finlayson for reaching out to me and providing me with a free preview copy. It’s important to note that the game will be launching soon on Kickstarter (as of 9/7/13), so it goes without saying that the pictures and rules included in this article are subject to change.
I’ve been a very busy bee as of late. My board game reviews and Kickstarter previews are picking back up, hopefully due to the new board game video series that I’ve introduced on my YouTube channel. At any rate, I still love to play video games…especially scary ones. After hearing so many good things about how scary “Outlast” was, I knew that I just had to play it. Due to time constraints and the fact that I am covering this on my own dime, I’ll opt to keep this article short and sweet.
“Walk the Plank!”, a game that blew its Kickstarter goal out of the water earlier this year (2013), features both dumb pirates and Davy Jones’ locker…you can see where this is headed. In this quick card game for three to five players, players will be trying to push and shove other pirate crews off of the plank and to their doom while trying to safeguard their own. Before we take a quick look at the components and how the game is played, I’d like to quickly thank the folks at Mayday Games for providing me with a press copy. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because I covered their recent Kickstarter success, “Click Clack Lumberjack”.
“Sheepie Sleepy”, a family-friendly board game for up to four players, is currently seeking your help on Kickstarter. “Sheepie Sleepy” tasks players with rolling dice and moving sheep around the board in an attempt to get as far as possible. The dice themselves include symbols for coffee, sleeping, sheep, and earplugs…some of which you’ll want to roll while others will end up setting you back. The game promises easy to learn rules and mechanics, making it fun and accessible for your entire family.
“Jenga” was created in the early 1970’s by one Leslie Scott, whose focus at the time was coming up with games that she could play with her family. “Jenga” also means “to build” in Swahili (your history lesson for today). For those of you who have never played this game before, you have now chance to play the game at casino daisy and win real cash, that’s exactly what you’ll be doing…though you’ll be deconstructing and possibly wrecking things in the process. For the benefit of those who have never had the fortune of playing “Jenga”, allow me to quickly outline the components and rules before launching into the review. It’s worth noting that there are a few different versions of “Jenga” on the market, so the content featured below may differ slightly from what you might see in your travels.
I never thought I’d see a match-3 game appear in board game form…but lo and behold, I saw “Bejeweled” sitting there on Kmart’s board game shelf. I must admit that I had my reservations…most board game adaptations of video games and vice versa usually don’t fare well for one reason or another. I’m personally not someone who is into match-3 games, though I do take exception to games like “Puzzle Quest” that implement similar mechanics but are a bit more involved. Jen, on the other hand, loves her some match-3 games. I quickly scoped out the price tag of fifteen bucks and figured, why not?
I’m not going to lie…I’m absolutely terrible at Golf. If there’s one thing that turns me into Mr. Hyde faster than driving amongst idiots, it’s Golf. Perhaps some of you know what I’m talking about. Luckily, you won’t have to worry about such things when playing “Off The Tee”, a current Kickstarter project that is seeking your help. “Off The Tee” is more along the lines of a trivia game, but with a Golf-esque theme. This game is for 2-8 players , ages 12+, and features a number of different goodies for fans and non-fans alike to sink their nine-iron into.
“Tok Tok Woodman”, a tree chopping game that successfully funded through Kickstarter in late 2011, is back and better than ever. The makers of the aforementioned Korean game have decided to tweak the original design in order to help the game appeal to a wider audience…hence, “Click Clack Lumberjack” was born. The revamped version improves upon the original packaging in order to make it more shelf-friendly, adds a few variants to give the game lasting appeal, and more. Before we take a quick look at this recent Kickstarter success, I’d like to thank Seth Hiatt from MayDay Games for reaching out and providing me with a press copy. It’s important to note that I received my press copy after the campaign ended and before retail copies were made. Thus, the contents in the pictures below may or may not be fully representative of the final product.
Have you been itching for a family-friendly tactical card game? Perhaps you liked my review of Pixel Tactics, but thought it might be too much for your kids to handle? With “WarFields”, I’m pleased to report that the search is over. It’s fun and easy to play, but yet still requires folks to think a little in regards to which cards they should place on the battlefield when. Before we take a sneak peek at this current Kickstarter project, I’d like to thank Chris Green from Menaveth Games for reaching out and providing me with a prototype copy. It’s important to note that because the game is still in the funding phase, the components featured in the pictures below may not be fully representative of the final product.
Are you the type of person that just HAS to come up with silly words to fit acronyms when you see them? Do you excel at games like “Scrabble” and “Jumbulaya” because your vocabulary knows no bounds? Are you witty and quick with clever comebacks in verbal sparring matches? If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then “Phraze-It!” might be right up your alley. In this easy to learn game for kids and adults alike, you’ll be tasked with coming up with phrases that fit the letters that are randomly rolled from turn to turn. Before we take a quick look at the game, I’d like to thank Todd Greenwood from Lots-o-Watts Games for providing me with a prototype copy. It’s important to stress that the components featured in previews aren’t always representative of the final product.