Seriously, I’m in zombie apocalypse heaven! First “Project Zomboid”, now this…I think I may have to look into cloning myself just so that I can keep up with all of these games. As you may have guessed, “How to Survive” is all about surviving in a world filled with zombies. Whereas games like “Dead Island” and “Left 4 Dead” feature a first person viewpoint, “How to Survive” keeps things at a top-down perspective. It’s sort of like “Smash TV” or “Diablo”, but with an intricate and in-depth crafting system along with a few other goodies.
I am a big fan of the game show “Jeopardy”, even if I’m lousy at it. Some of the answers are so vague or specific that I have a hard time coming up with the correct question. “Blurt!” is similar in play style in that a clue is read and players must guess the word, though the objective isn’t to accumulate the most money. Rather, you’ll be trying to move your game pawn around the board in order to complete a full lap before everyone else does. Before we sneak a peek at “Blurt!”, I’d like to thank Nancy Davies, the Vice President of Salmon Borre Group, for providing me with a free press copy.
A lot of the people I know love a good game of “Sudoku”…it’s a quote unquote “simple” numbers game that doesn’t in fact turn out to be quite as easy as they originally thought. For those of you who have never played it, “Sudoku” is made up of a 9×9 grid composed of nine 3×3 regions. Your objective is to fill the 3×3 regions with the numbers 1-9, while also making each row or column in the 9×9 grid only contain numbers 1-9. “Botchee Deluxe” is a variation of that theme, though it offers players with alternative ways to play. Before we go any further, I’d like to thank Gary Stout from Botchee Games for providing me with a press copy. It’s important to note that while the components appear final, there’s still some question as to how the final rulebook will appear as well as whether or not the game will be sold in the US. Since the game is still being developed in this light, I’ve opted to cover the game as a preview rather than a full-blown review.
Two spies, one board. It goes without saying that only one will come out on top. Are YOU cunning enough to be the last spy standing? “Nowhere to Go”, a strategic two player game, tasks players with being the first to block their opponent’s spy so that they have…well…nowhere to go. Think “Spy vs Spy”, but family-friendly and without all of those clever/deadly traps. Before we take a look at this game in further detail, I’d like to thank Nancy Davies, the Vice President of Salmon Borre Group, for providing me with a free press copy, and also for the recommendation of the Dreamjackpot games which are amazing.
Well, “Freeze Up” certainly takes me back. The last electronic handheld game I remember playing as a kid (besides my Nintendo Game Boy) involved Tiger Electronics and a number of incredibly unplayable licensed games like “Double Dragon” and “Simon’s Quest”. Further back we had those infamous “Speak & Spells” that you just couldn’t believe were (*GASP*) actually talking to you. Long story short, it’s been a while since I’ve held something like “Freeze Up” in my hands. No, seriously…I had to Google what a Double-A battery looked like. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a bit, but you get the idea. Having reviewed so many board games and video games within the past year, I’ve almost forgotten what these things look like. Before we take a look at what “Freeze Up” is all about, I’d like to thank Nancy Davies, the Vice President of Salmon Borre Group, for providing me with a free press copy.
“Pente” was the very first 5-in-a-row game that I learned as kid. “KYRO 5” draws parallels as the object in both games are the same, though it does something that I haven’t seen done before (at least, in my experiences). Instead of just placing pieces to form five in a row, you’ll also be moving them around in a specific way. Before I delve any deeper into this game, I’d like to thank Nancy Davies, the Vice President of Salmon Borre Group, for providing me with a free press copy.
Dice and I have a hate/hate relationship. I’m not sure who started the war, but it’s been an uphill battle trying to get them to cooperate when I need them most. Perhaps I’m just one of the unfortunate souls to always be paired with malcontent dice, who take sadistic pleasure in rolling snake eyes every time despite the odds. Despite my luck (or lack thereof), there’s something to be said for easy to play dice games. “Even Steven’s Odd” is one such item, though it does something unique that sets its apart from games like “Yahtzee”. Before we get started with the review, I’d like to thank Nancy Davies, the Vice President of Salmon Borre Group, for providing me with a free press copy.
Survival sims are probably my favorite type of video games to play. Throw in some zombies to the mix and I will be hard pressed to put them down. “Project Zomboid”, a game currently in the Alpha stages of development, is my latest addiction. It’s a top down zombie-survival game that tasks the player with finding food and staying alive, all in real-time. You’re not immune to infection, making death a very real thing. It’s not a question of whether or not you’ll survive…rather, it’s a matter of “when” you’ll kick the proverbial bucket.
Some of you are no doubt under the impression that you’ve played every type of “Rummy” game known to man, and it’s very possible that you have…until now. “Draw Blood”, a “Rummy” style, monster card game, is currently seeking your help on Kickstarter to add some spooky thrills to your otherwise normal “Rummy” game. It plays like “Rummy” in that you’ll be trying to get rid of your cards by playing melds, though you’ll have to keep your monsters alive in order to do so.
Some of you may already be familiar with “Talisman” in general, whether it be from playing the board game or via the review I wrote for “Talisman Prologue”. If you haven’t, that’s quite alright…I admit that I myself have never played the board game. If I had the money and/or space available to snatch up every game I came across, I’d be one happy camper. “Talisman”, to sum it up, puts players in the role of a character who must complete quests across multiple stages. This video game adaptation, along with “Talisman Prologue”, keeps with the feel of the original board game in that you’ll be rolling dice as opposed to clicking the mouse thousands of times like you would in the “Diablo” series.
I’ll give you three guesses as to what genre “Worker Placement”, a board game that’ll be launching on Kickstarter in November 2013, falls under. I’m honestly surprised that after all this time, no one hasn’t scooped up the name already. Like “Cargo Noir” and “Lords of Waterdeep”, “Worker Placement” tasks players with making the most out of the resources that you’ve been given by assigning them to various parts of the game board. In this case, each player is running a temp agency designed to help place workers into varying jobs. Those who do it the most efficiently will make the most money and win the game! Before we take a sneak peek at what makes this game tick, I’d like to thank Mark MacKinnon from Dyskami Publishing Company for reaching out and providing me with a prototype copy. As with all prototypes, it’s important to stress that they aren’t usually representative of the final product making the below content subject to change.
Real Estate? Tower Defense? Monsters? Where do I sign up? “Unholy Heights” snuck onto Steam about a week ago and I snatched it up without a second thought. In this particular game, you’ll be managing an apartment building full of monsters and charging them rent. While you’re seeing to their needs, heroes will come and attempt to kill you, the devil, who is situated on the very top floor presiding as the landlord. I’ve already dropped nine hours into the game having only spent four bucks to purchase it, so I consider that a victory on my part. It’s an excellent value for the content it delivers, so certainly check it out if you haven’t already.
It’s that time of year again…at least in our household. With last year’s DGA Awards being an overall success, we decided to sit down again this year to hash out our favorite board games of 2013. Like last year, it’s important to stress that Dad’s Gaming Addiction is a quote unquote “small, one-man show” that simply doesn’t have access to all of the games released in 2013…both my closet and girlfriend seem to appreciate this fact, even if I don’t. As such, we’ll be listing only the games that we own and played throughout the year.
The residents of “Blackwood” may want to consider taking an extended vacation, at least until the vampires and vampire hunters are done with the place. In this exciting and thematic game for two to four players, both factions will be fighting for control over key locations throughout the small, peaceful town of “Blackwood”. Will the vampires drain the entire town dry, or will the vampire hunters be successful in fending off these powerful beasts? That’s up to you. Before we get started with the review, I’d like to thank Justin and Anne-Marie De Witt, the co-owners of Fireside Games, for providing me with a free press copy.
I’ve admittedly spent hours at the arcade wrecking cars as a child, but there’s something to be said for causing others crash and burn in your very own dining room. “Vehicle Vendetta”, a fast-paced card game currently seeking your help on Kickstarter, promises exactly that. Road rage might be frowned upon in real life, but here, all bets are off. Will you have what it takes to come out ahead and drive past the competition?
As bloody as movies like “Gladiator” and games like “Chivalry: Medieval Warfare” are, I find myself oddly drawn to them…there’s just something about a good, old-fashioned last man standing brawl that gets the adrenaline pumping. When I was a kid, I’d spend hours at the arcade playing “WWF Royal Rumble” for that very reason. “ETA: Enter The Arena”, a game currently seeking your help on Kickstarter, is a competitive card game that takes place during the days of the Roman Empire. Each player will be given a set of cards and will be aiming to not only beat their opponents silly, but do it with “style”. Before we take a look at this current Kickstarter project (as of 9/30/13), I’d like to thank Jonathan Oberto from Promethean Games Inc. for providing me with a press copy. It’s important to stress that because the game is still in the Kickstarter stage, that the components featured below may or may not be fully representative of the final product.