The 1950’s was an interesting time for science fiction, bringing you such classics such as “The Twilight Zone”, “Science Fiction Theatre”, “The Day the Earth Stood Still”, and “The War of the Worlds”. “FORTRESS MOON”, a game currently seeking your help on Kickstarter, is all about the 1950’s retro future. One player will assume the role of the LUNAR COLONISTS, who are discontent and fed up with the working conditions they’ve been forced to endure on Earth’s moon. As a result, they’ve taken control of thirty mine-bases in which the other players (AKA EARTH FORCES) will be tasked with taking back.
Board Games
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Retro games and I have a love/hate relationship. As a child of the 80’s, I grew up with them…developing fond memories all the while being completely mindful of the fact that I spiked my controller into the floor on several occasions. “Game Over”, a game seeking your support on Kickstarter, is certainly a welcome nod at the genre. In this easy to play card game for 2-6 players, folks will be battling retro characters in one big battle royal. Based on the information provided by the developer, games on average only take about fifteen minutes to complete…an ideal time frame for quick party action with friends and family (recommended ages 12+).
How many tower defense games have you seen me cover on my website? Ten? Twenty? Fifty? I’ll just opt to make it easy on you folks and simply say, “a lot”. It’s a genre that I never get tired of and with good reason…tower defense games are both strategically fun and addicting. “The King’s Armory”, however, breaks the mold and puts the action right on your dining room table. Now I know that games like “Castle Panic” have been doing this for quite a while now, but this is the first game I’ve seen that is both in-depth and keeps with the video game formula. Spawn and exit locations? Check. Towers that attack the monsters as they advance down the path? Check. Heroes that you can control on said paths? Check. While I haven’t had the pleasure of playing it, “The King’s Armory” certainly looks like a lot of fun to play.
It’s always a great feeling to see a promising idea reach its Kickstarter goal within days of going live. “HOST”, a card game developed by Broken Prism Games, is one such item. It still has twenty-one days to go (as of 10/29/13) and shows no signs of slowing down. In this particular game, the world’s first great apocalypse has begun. That begs the question…what finally did in our big blue planet? Zombies? Aliens? A little of both, it turns out. Before we take a sneak peek at what this game has to offer, I’d like to thank Matthew Ryan Robinson from Broken Prism Games for reaching out and providing me with a press copy. As with all prototypes, it’s important to stress that the components featured are usually not representative of the final product, making the below rules and contents subject to change.
All of us, at one point in our lives, have told a lie. I’m also willing to bet that the first lie you told was directed at some form of authority figure or parent. I, of course, never did that as a child. I was the good son twenty-four/seven and never got into trouble. Don’t ask me what the color of the sky is in my world…the jury is still out on that one. At any rate, as a father myself, there’s sense in denying it…kids will lie just to test your limits and to see how far they can push until you push back, figuratively speaking. “Lie Your Face Off!” is a variation of that theme, placing players in the role of kids who must lie to their parents in order to earn points. Before we get started with the preview, I’d like to thank John Bintz (the game’s creator) for sending me a press copy. As with all prototypes, it’s important to stress that they usually aren’t representative of the final product making the below content subject to change.
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.
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.
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.
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?