The Basics:

• For ages 7 and up (publisher suggests 8+)
• For 2 to 6 players
• Variable game length time (anywhere from 10 to 40 minutes)

Geek Skills:

• Active Listening & Communication
• Counting & Math
• Reading
• Pattern/Color Matching
• Hand/Resource Management

Learning Curve:

• Child – Variable
• Adult – Easy

Theme & Narrative:

• Be whisked away to the magical land of Oz then prepare yourself for an onslaught of chaos

Endorsements:

• Gamer Geek rejected!
• Parent Geek approved!
• Child Geek approved!

Overview

Oz Fluxx is the newest addition to the Fluxx family of card games from Looney Labs. The game doesn’t break any new ground (for those who are already familiar with the Fluxx games), but like the card games before it, the theme of the game is really what it’s all about. All of your favorite classic Wizard of Oz favorites are here, from the most wicked of witches to that little dog who miraculously survives the whole movie. And like all the other Fluxx games, chaos is a given. You’ll never have a chance to get comfortable or complacent as the game constantly shifts and the Yellow Brick Road to victory twists and turns without rhyme or reason.

Oz Fluxx is comprised of 100 cards and all depict some element of the Wizard of Oz story. To play the game well, you must understand the rules (duh), but more importantly, you need to understand the six different types of cards in the game. You don’t need to know a thing about Oz.

Here’s is a quick description of each card type to help you understand how the game is played. Note that all the cards are very clearly labeled and describe what you can and cannot do with them. Even if you’ve never played the game before, by simply reading the cards, a player can play the game right out of the box with little difficulty.

Example of just some of the 100 cards in the game

New Rule Cards

Part of the “charm” of Oz Fluxx is the way the game’s rules can change many, many times during a single game. While it might seem an impossible task to keep track of all the different rules that could be played, the game handles that for you and saves you a nose bleed by making sure new rules trump old rules. For example, one rule could say “Draw 2 Cards” and then a new rule played could say “Draw 3 Cards”. The New Rule Card replaces the old card and is used by all the players until another New Rule Card is played and replaces it.

Goal Cards

These cards define the victory condition and are used by all the players in the game. But, like the New Rule Cards, Goal Cards can trump older Goal Cards. This means that a player could be exceedingly close to winning the game only to have to start over because the goal changes. Of course, this also means a player who is nowhere near victory could suddenly find themselves victorious when a new Goal Card is played and they meet the conditions stated on the card.

Keeper Cards

These cards represent things in the game and are used to meet the Goal Card’s victory conditions. Keeper Cards are played out in front of the owning player and are constantly matched to the current Goal Card to determine if the players are on the right track.

Creeper Cards

These are the bad cards in the game and always come into play as soon as they are drawn (unlike the Keeper Cards which can be kept in the player’s hand and secret). The Creeper Cards can keep you from winning the game and are usually passed to opponents through Action Cards. However, there are very specific Goal Cards that actually require you to have one or more Creeper Cards in play.

Action Cards

These cards are used and discarded, requiring the players to do whatever the card demands. Sometimes the card will only require the player who uses it. Other times, the entire table has to complete the action stated on the card. The Action Card can be a game changer or hardly even noticed. It all depends on when they are played, making them something of gamble and the single greatest source of second guessing in the game.

Surprise Cards

These cards are meant to be played either during  a player’s turn or out-of-turn. Their single purpose is to cause other players problems, but they can also be used to cancel out other Surprise Cards. It all depends on when the card is played, which is described in detail on the Surprise Cards. For example, the “Canceled Plans” Surprise Card will discard a Goal Card when played out-of-turn  or can be discarded during the player’s turn to discard the current Goal Card and force all players to discard a Goal Card in their hand. Like Action Cards, the value of the card is dependent on when it is played.

Game Set Up

To set up the game, first find the Basic Rules card. Place this in the center of the playing area. This card defines the starting rules in the game that all players must abide by until such time a New Rule Card is played and trumps it. After that, shuffle the remaining cards and deal out to each player a starting hand of 3 cards. If any player has been dealt a Creeper Card, they must immediately play it in front of them and are dealt a new card. Players should keep their cards that have not been played to the table hidden at all times.

The remaining cards are placed next to the Basic Rule card, face-down, and becomes the Draw Deck. Determine who should go first (usually awarded to the person who first draws a card) and begin play.

Playing the Game

All games start out with two simple rules. These are draw 1 card and play 1 card. Until a New Rule Card is played and either trumps one of those basic rules or adds to it, the players will do this on their turn.

Keeper and Goal Cards can be kept in the player’s hand, and should remain hidden until such time they are played to the table. Creeper Cards are always played to the table as soon as they are drawn. The player always gets to draw another card if they select a Creeper Card. If the player is very unlucky, they might draw more than one Creeper Card on their turn.

Or the player’s might not draw any cards at all. Again, it all depends on the rules of the game that are currently in play. On their turn, the players must comply with the rules that will state the number of cards the player draws, the number of cards a player can play, the number of cards the player must discard down to, and taking any additional action a Keeper Card might require. Along the way, a Surprise Card might jump out and change everything or keep it the same. As the game progresses, it changes and is never the same game twice.

Example of a game in progress - image taken from the game's rules

Winning the Game

To win the game, a player need only successfully met the requirements of the current Goal Card. At any time a player does, they immediately win, even if it isn’t their turn. There are no points to count or scores to keep. By simply meeting the conditions of the Goal Card, the player is victorious.

To learn more about Oz Fluxx, see the game’s official site.

Prediction

For my little geeks, this is going to be a new game experience for them. They have never played a game that was designed to keep changing. They have learned to adapt to variable levels of game difficulty (Forbidden Island is a great example), but they have never played a game that changes it rules over and over again. For my 4-year-old, this game is not a possibility. He is able to play games that are straight forward and have a defined list of specific and sequential actions that need to be taken. I’m afraid his little mind would rollover like Toto playing dead if he were to attempt the game as an individual player. He is also not a strong reader yet which makes the game impossible to play. As such, he’ll be playing with me or another family member.

My 7-year-old, who is now a very strong reader and no longer a newbie board or  card game player, should have zero issues playing this game. This brings me to our stated Learning Curve. For adults, it is very easy – simply read the rules of the cards and off you go. We gave the Learning Curve for Child Geeks a “variable” value. Depending on how often the rules change and their complexity, this rather simple game can become a strange mix of rules that might cause a level of confusion. For the most part, I doubt my little geek will have a problem. It is only after the rules begin to change that I expect to start seeing his grasp of the game shift between complete comprehension and slight befuddlement.

Oddly enough, I could not find a single Parent or Gamer Geek who had never heard of Fluxx before. They either responded to my news that they would be playing a Wizard of Oz themed Fluxx  game with excitement or groans.

Teaching Oz Fluxx took all of 2-minutes and my little geeks and the rest of the party at the table were ready to play. Before we started, I asked my little geeks what they thought of the game.

“Really neat, Dad. I like how the game will be changing over and over again, but I know this will make it difficult to win.” ~ Liam (age 7)

“I’m ready to play on your team, Daddy! Let’s kick some butt!” ~ Nyhus (age 4)

Looks like everyone is ready to play! Let’s see if our journey is a successful one or we all get lost in the woods of confusion.

Final Word

For the record, I am not a lover of Fluxx, regardless of the game’s theme (even Zombie Fluxx does little for me). I first played the game with a demo team at Gen Con, of all places, and the individual teaching the game actually messed it up. Considering how simple the game is, that was an incredible feat in itself. The result of that negative experience, however, has left a bad taste in my mouth for the game ever since. It’s not that the game is bad, it’s just I have no patience for it. I will be the last one to suggest a game of Fluxx and the first to leave the table if the game is put on it. Now that this has been stated…

My little geeks loved the game and wanted to play it again as soon as we were done. What they really enjoyed was the fast pace of the game and the way it kept them interested by constantly shifting. They would lean into the table to see the cards being played and listen closely when the game rules changed. Because there is nothing a player can do in the way of tactics and strategy, my little geeks didn’t stress out from the game and effortlessly had a great time with everyone at the table. This was especially true when their father groaned when his certain victory was suddenly whisked away by a different Goal Card played by his loving wife.

Parent Geeks also enjoyed the game a great deal. The game is light, exceedingly accessible (as long as you can read), and keeps everyone at the table in the game. It’s a fun family card game that even non-gamers can get into. The Wizard of Oz theme was enjoyed and everyone had, at one time or another, hummed a song or two from the movie.

Gamer Geeks were a mixed bag on this one. Much like another popular card game, Munchkin, Gamer Geeks either loved it or hated it. Very few could take it or leave it. Oz Fluxx polarized the gaming table and the line between those who enjoyed the game and those who did not could have been spotted from the Moon is was so well-defined. For those who loved it, they found it to be a fun game that is silly to play and requires very little in the way of thought. For those who did not like the game, they found it to be a terrible bore and painful to play, requiring very little in the way mental awareness.

All the groups agreed on one thing, however, regardless of their feeling about the game. The Wizard of Oz theme was done well and the game could become exceedingly frustrating.

My 7-year-old waits while his brother and mom plan their next move - the 2-year-old just wants a snack

Gamer Geeks, you are either going to love this game or hate it. There is almost zero strategy in the game and the constant shifting makes it near impossible to use any meaning tactics or strategy. This makes the game an unpleasant experience for some and a wonderful joyride for others. Depending on your mood and your point-of-view on what makes a “good game”, Oz Fluxx will be on your radar as a game to play or in your crosshairs as a game to kill on sight.

Parent Geeks, this is a light game that is easy to teach. It is very family friendly and will require all the players to read and keep track of what they can and cannot do in the game at all times. There is hardly ever any downtime for any of the players as cards played require all the players to sometimes take an immediate action. For this and a number of other reasons, the game can be exceedingly chaotic and very frustrating. The charm of the game is also one of its biggest negatives. It is not stable. Do expect the game to go from simple to disorderly in only a few rounds and then back again. For some families, this mix of order and chaos will be a wonderful new experience. For others, it might have family members yearning for a traditional Euro with strict turn order.

Child Geeks, this is a game that will always keep you guessing and on your toes. The Wizard of Oz theme is a fun one and you’ll be enjoying all the characters from the story as they appear on the cards. Do expect to be frustrated at times as the game can take strange turns. You might be very close to victory only to suddenly have nothing available to make a goal. Regardless, you’ll have a good time and laugh as your friends and family cheer one moment and then grumble in disgust seconds later when a card is played. Don’t be surprised if you join them and groan or cheer just as loudly!

Oz Fluxx is all about adapting. The theme in the game is not a necessary one and does nothing to make the game any different from the other Fluxx games, but it does serve to draw people in. Regardless of what gets the player to the table, they are in for a wild ride. I continue to not like the Fluxx games, but I also admit that my dislike for them is based on personal preference and not a reflection on the game’s quality. Lots and lots of people have fun with the Fluxx games and Oz Fluxx will be a welcomed addition to those who do.

If you are not one of those who enjoy Fluxx, don’t bother getting Oz Fluxx. It’s Fluxx with a farm girl and a dog from Kansas.

This game was given to Father Geek as a review copy. Father Geek was not paid, bribed, wined, dined, or threatened in vain hopes of influencing this review. Such is the statuesque and legendary integrity of Father Geek.

The Basics:

• For ages 4 and up (publisher suggests 7+)
• For 2 to 5 players
• About  30 minutes to complete

Geek Skills:

• Counting & Math
• Logical & Critical Decision Making
• Pattern Matching
• Risk vs. Reward
• Hand/Resource Management

Learning Curve:

• Child – Easy
• Adult – Easy

Theme & Narrative:

• Congratulations! You own your own zoo and must now fill it with animals, but careful planning is needed as you only have so much space!

Endorsements:

• Gamer Geek approved!
• Parent Geek approved!
• Child Geek approved!

Overview

Zooloretto Mini, by game designer Michael Schacht, is a tile placement game that challenges the players to organize and fill their zoo intelligently and to manage a certain amount of risk at the same time. The players will be swamped with new animals, freshly loaded on delivery trucks, and must know when they should or should not accept the animals for delivery. For those players who can manage their space, timing, and balance their risk versus reward, their zoo will be epic! For those who do not, well…looks like you have yourself one very sad and sorry petting zoo.

Zooloretto Mini is comprised of 77 Animal tiles, 14 Offspring (baby animal) tiles, 9 Landscape tiles, 5 Delivery Truck tiles, 1 cloth bag, 1 Panda miniature, and 5 zoo boards. All the components (except the bag and Panda miniature) are made of thick cardboard and well detailed. The zoo boards interlock like puzzle pieces (which is made up of 3 pieces in total) to create the player’s playing area, which is a very nice touch, as it allows for the box the game comes in to remain fairly small.

Note: Zooloretto Mini has been titled the “Little Brother” of the 2007 “Spiel des Jahres” (Game of the Year) award winner, Zooloretto. Zooloretto Mini has been designed to be a simpler, faster, and less “heavy” game, but without reducing any of the charm and challenge of building a zoo.

Game Set Up

To set up the game, first have each player construct their zoo board. This is done by each player grabbing 3 sections that interlock like puzzle pieces. Once created, the player will have 3 areas to build their zoo and 1 barn where extra pieces the player cannot be used are stored. Place any remaining zoo board sections aside for the duration of the game.

Example of how the zoo boards are constructed and the resulting 3 enclosures with barn

Now separate and organize all the Animal and Offspring tiles into different piles, each pile representing one of the animals. This is, by far, the most time intensive portion of the game set up, but can be made into a quick exercise by all the players helping out. Once all the tiles have been organized, a number of animal groups will be removed from the game depending on the number of players. Be sure to remove the Animal and matching Offspring tiles, setting them aside for the duration of the game.

Now place all the remaining Animal tiles (not the Offspring tiles) and the Landscape tiles into the cloth bag and mix them up. Randomly select 15 tiles and place, face down, into a stack near all the players. Place the Panda miniature next to this stack. Next, take the Offspring tiles and place them in a stack, face-up, next to the Panda miniature and face-down stack.

Depending on the number of players, a number of Delivery Truck tiles will be placed in the center of the playing area. Now select a starting player and begin!

The Joys of Zoo Ownership

The player’s only goal in the game is to collect animals and fill their zoo. Sound simple? It isn’t. Turns out that the animal delivery business is less than organized. Zoos can expect a strange mix of animals to be delivered, as well as aesthetically pleasing landscaping supplies to make the animal enclosures a more enjoyable place for the animals to live. The players will essentially place “orders” on the delivery trucks. Unfortunately, so are all the other players and the delivery trucks only make one stop. This means the players will not only need to carefully “order” the delivery trucks but also make certain to watch their cargo so as to not miss on an opportunity to complete their zoo. While it might sound that there is a lot to think about, the game is simplified and streamlined by reducing the player’s turn to only two specific actions.

On a player’s turn, they can complete only one of the following:

• Add a Tile to a Delivery Truck
• Take a Delivery Truck

Add a Tile to a Delivery Truck

The player is “ordering” either an animal or landscaping supplies for their zoo. This is done by the player randomly (and blindly) selecting one tile from the cloth bag and place it on one of the Delivery Truck tiles. Delivery trucks have a maximum load capacity and can fill up quickly. The player can only place a tile on a free place on the delivery truck. If the Delivery Truck tile doesn’t have an open space, it is full and cannot be overloaded. This also means that players cannot add a tile to a delivery truck if all the Delivery Truck tiles are full, forcing them to take a delivery truck.

Note that a delivery truck can carry any combination of Animal and Landscape tiles.

Take a Delivery Truck

The player is ready to call in the order and sends word that a delivery truck should be dispatched. This is done by the player taking a Delivery Truck tile during their turn; however, their turn ends for the duration of the round once they do so. This means that taking a Delivery Truck tile will lock the player out from taking any other Delivery Truck or adding tiles until all the players have selected a Delivery Truck tile, too. Note that a player need not take a full Delivery Truck tile, but it must have at least one tile on it.

Once a Delivery Truck tile is selected, it is placed in front of the player, along with the tiles that delivery truck is holding.  These tiles are now going to be placed in the player’s barn or one of their three zoo enclosures. The player must place these tile immediately.

To being the next round, return the Delivery Truck tiles to the center of the playing area, but only after all the player’s have selected a Delivery Truck tile.

Filling the Zoo

Once the player has tiles to add to their zoo, they have an important decision to make. Each of the 3 enclosures is only big enough for 6 tiles, which can be a mix of Animal and Landscape tiles. Each enclosure can only contain one type of animal, too. Mixing of animals in the same enclosure is strictly prohibited! The means the player must think about what animals they want to collect and where to put them. Once they know what they need, this will make the loading and selecting of delivery trucks easier.

Any tiles not capable of being placed in a player’s enclosure or any tiles the player chooses to not place in their enclosure are sent to the player’s barn. Here the tiles will stay and will count against the player’s final points.

Romance and Miracles

If a player should ever have a pair of fertile animals in the same enclosure (indicated with a male and female symbol on the tiles), the player is awarded with a little animal bundle of joy. The Offspring tile that matches the animal type is found in the Offspring stack and immediately placed in the enclosure. If the Offspring tile cannot be placed in the enclosure, it is placed in the barn. Note that a matched pair can only produce an Offspring once. The male and female animal cannot be used to match a new animal in the enclosure of the opposite sex.

The Rewards of Having Your Act Together

Once a player completes an enclosure, they immediately get to take a bonus turn. On this turn, they can take one of the following actions immediately. Note that the player must take this bonus turn now (they can’t bank it for later) and they get a maximum of 3 (one per completed enclosure, at most).

• Take an Opponent’s Tile: the player takes any tile from one of their opponent’s barns and places it in their enclosure. Note that if another enclosure is completed by this action, the player does not get a second bonus action!
• Discard a Tile: the player takes any single tile from their barn and removes it for the duration of the game.

End Game

Once the bag no longer has any tiles remaining in it, the end game is triggered. The only tiles left to select are the stack of tiles that the Panda mini is guarding. Players take their turn as normal, with their turn ending once they select a Delivery Truck tile. Once all the players have selected a delivery truck and placed any tiles on it, the game is over.

Winning the Game

When the game ends, the players calculate their points. First, the player calculates their positive points. Each enclosure will score a number of points based on the number of Animal and Landscape tiles. The player then calculates their negative points, which is based on the number of Animal and Landscape tiles located in the player’s barn.

Example of a player's zoo board that is completed and ready for scoring

Once both point values are calculated, any negative points are subtracted from the positive points. The resulting value is the player’s total points. The player with the highest total points wins the game!

To learn more about Zooloretto Mini, see the game’s official web site. The Animal tiles from this game can be added to and played with  Zooloretto.

Prediction

Zooloretto Mini has several things going for it right out of the gate for all three test groups. First, for the Gamer Geeks, there is a real “game” here that requires strategy and tactics, timing and taking risk. There is no luck element here, but there is randomness. This will keep them engaged and hooked, even though it is a less heavy game. Second, the Parent Geeks will have no problem playing this game with a wide age range and different experience levels. The game is simplistic enough to be grasped and challenging enough to not be a walk in the park (or zoo, if you will). Third, and most importantly, the Child Geeks get to use their creativity, design their own zoo, and make important and relevant choices but without feeling burdened.

Oh, yes, my friends, I can already tell we have a winner on our hands. It might also interest you to know that I have never played any of the Zooloretto games before. I heard of them and even had a chance to play a game or two, but for one reason or another, it never happened. I already instinctively knew the game was a good one just be reading the rules, mentally putting the game together in my mind, as I learned how the game played and flowed.

When I showed the game to my two oldest little geeks, they immediately were excited to play it, especially when I told them they were going to be making their own zoo. Games where the little geeks get to create something are some of their favorites. The feeling of accomplishment of making “something” always bring a smile to their faces. The promise of creating their own zoo brought such smiles now.

Zooloretto Mini is an easy game to play and an easy game to teach. Not an easy game to win. This fact was recognized by my 7-year-old when I explained that everything you put in the barn was going to count against them. In his words, “avoid the barn at all costs.” Good advice.

It only took a few minutes to explain how to play the game, give the little geeks some examples, and we were ready to play. As my little geeks helped me set up the gaming area, I asked them what they thought of the game so far.

“Looks really good. I like how we can make our own zoos and design the animal cages.” ~ Liam (age 7)

“Yeah, it’s a good game, Daddy. I’m going to make my zoo all rhinos!” ~ Nyhus (age 4)

Excitement and energy is in the air! Let’s see if the game taps into their creative side and is highly successful or ends up stinking like the pachyderm house on a hot summer day.

Final Word

Oh, the fun we had! All three groups had a wonderful time with Zooloretto Mini, but with slightly different degrees of success.

The Child Geeks loved the game. My 4-year-old was able to understand the game well enough to play the tiles correctly and did very well on the points. He took trucks from time to time that did little for him for scoring, but pleased him greatly when he was able to create a baby animal or complete an enclosure. My 7-year-old pretty much understood and mastered the basics of the game right out of the bat.

Parent Geeks also had a wonderful time with the game and were able to play it without issue with their family and non-gamer friends. Non-gamers found it to be a bit “hands on” at times (which made me laugh – we are talking about “building” a zoo here) but all agreed it was a fun game. Parent Geeks also found it to be an excellent “gateway game”, which means the game itself introduces new players to a different level of game playing in a manner that is both easy to understand and enjoyable. Think of it as a game that is the “next step” in your little geek’s gaming education.

Gamer Geeks agreed the game was a good one and found it to be a great way to start or end a gaming evening of heavier games. They all recognized the level of critical and logical thinking necessary to play the game well, and the lack of luck was happily accepted and applauded by all the Gamer Geeks who played it. One of the group members was a big Zooloretto fan and decided they actually liked this version of the game more due to its shorter set up time and more streamlined play.

My 4-year-old exams the tile he just draws before placing it on a delivery truck

Gamer Geeks, this is one of those games that is perfect for those times you want to play a game that isn’t heavy but still requires the players to think. The game is small but the choices that need to be made are important. Add in the fact that all the players are competing for the same resources, and there is suddenly a great deal of player watching and attempting to outmaneuver and out-guess your opponents. The end result is a delightful game that plays fast, provides gaming value, and leaves you with a feeling of satisfaction once completed.

Parent Geeks, this is a wonderful game to put on your family gaming table or to bring over to a friend’s house to play who might not be into heavier games. Little geeks as young as 4-year-old can play this game with very little assistance and the game itself is easy to teach regardless of the gaming experience at the table. The designing element of the zoo is straight forward and the ability to select different landscaping tiles for points ensures that every player’s enclosure will be unique. As an extra bonus, your little geeks might just go ga-ga over the baby animals as they are the most adorable animal tiles I have ever seen.

Little Geeks, now you can build your own zoo! This game is easy to learn and will challenge you, but your choices boil down to take a the tiles or place a tile. Building your zoo is easy, too, but be sure you can use as many of the tiles as possible! Do all you can to avoid putting anything in the barn, but don’t let a few animals or landscaping tiles in the barn slow you down, either. In the end, win or lose, you’ll be happy with your zoo and wish you could visit it yourself!

Zooloretto Mini was well received and is now well-loved. My 4-year-old and I play it often and the game plays just as well with 2-players as it does with 5-players. The lack of luck was a big win for the game and there is just the right amount of randomness to keep you guessing and hooked. Game play length was spot on and everything, from start to finish, was as smooth as a new baby hippos bottom. The only “snag” is the scoring which can be confusing for those who are playing for the first time. For this reason, I strongly suggest you make sure everyone at the table understands how the scoring is completed at the end of the game to avoid hurt feelings.

Challenging and rewarding without being heavy or difficult, Zooloretto Mini will be a fun game to play at your family table with little geeks, friends, and gamer elitists. Do play Zooloretto Mini the first chance you get!

This game was given to Father Geek as a review copy. Father Geek was not paid, bribed, wined, dined, or threatened in vain hopes of influencing this review. Such is the statuesque and legendary integrity of Father Geek.

The Basics:

• For ages 4 and up (publisher suggests 6+)
• For 2 to 6 players
• About 20 minutes to complete

Geek Skills:

• Reading
• Memorization & Pattern/Color Matching
• Risk vs. Reward

Learning Curve:

• Child – Easy
• Adult – Easy

Theme & Narrative:

• Make your opponents sneeze, while trying not to sneeze yourself!

Endorsements:

• Gamer Geek rejected!
• Parent Geek approved!
• Child Geek approved!

Overview

Sneeze, published by Cambridge Games Factory in 2005, is a simple card game that is essentially a pumped-up version of Snap.

The game consists of two decks of cards:

• A “Sneeze” deck containing multiple copies of potential allergies (Cats, Dogs, Dust, Pollen, Smog) and Windy Day cards
• An “And Now…” deck containing rule-breaking cards – these cards require reading skills, but there are simplified rules for playing with pre-literate children

Game Set Up and Play

Each player begins the game with one allergy card drawn from the Sneeze deck, placed face up in front of them.

In clockwise order, players take turns drawing a single card from the Sneeze deck and placing it in one of two “pools” in the center of the table, an upwind pool and a downwind pool. The player must decide which pool to add to before drawing the card. If a Windy Day card is drawn, the upwind and downwind pools are interchanged; if an allergy card is drawn, it is added to the pool. A player “sneezes” if his allergy is matched by cards in the upwind pool; a player with multiple allergies sneezes if all of his allergies are represented in the upwind pool. More than one player may “sneeze” simultaneously, and at times the active player will make themself sneeze. Whenever someone “sneezes”:

• Sneezing players acquire an additional allergy card (to a maximum of four cards)
• All cards in the upwind pool are discarded
• The active player and any sneezers each draw And Now… cards

While you might think that gaining additional allergies should make one more likely to sneeze (in real life), in fact the reverse is true in this game. Having more cards means that more matches are required to make you sneeze, and any duplicate allergies (e.g., two Pollen cards), must be matched by duplicate cards in the sneeze pool.

An alternative way to spend one’s turn is to play an And Now… card. These cards have various effects, such as rendering oneself temporarily immune from sneezing, acting as a allergy wild card. Alternatively, any And Now… card can be played in order to flip two Sneeze cards to add to a single pool.

Ending the Game

The winner is the last player to have fewer than four allergies, or the first player to make 4 players sneeze simultaneously.

Prediction

I picked up Sneeze as part of a bargain lot of Cambridge Games Factory games, having never heard of it before that. It sat on my shelf for a few months until a few weeks ago, when my children were pleading with me to play a game with them just 30 minutes before I had to leave to go to the airport. We had already had a feast of gaming that weekend, as we do most weekends, so I was looking for something very simple to pass the time, and this is what I grabbed. Beyond that, I really had no idea what to expect before we plunged into playing this game!

Final Word

Despite the unpromising start, we had a fantastic experience that first time, diving into the game within 5 minutes of opening the box. Even though we committed several rules errors – entirely my fault, sloppy reading – that did not seem to affect play balance or enjoyment, so the game is robust from that perspective. Player choices are limited, so there are no difficult decisions and the game proceeds at a rollicking pace. As players accumulate more allergies, the rate of sneezing slows, so that pace drops off towards the end of the game, but never so slow that it drags. It also leaves all players with reasonably equal chances of winning, no matter what happens.

The winner is determined more by good fortune than by good play; players are spectators more than they are participants, but, as in sports, even spectators can have great fun. Simply put, this is a simple game that satisfies simple pleasures, and it can’t hurt if players have simple minds. For example, every Sunday, we enjoy a delicious roast dinner and then I travel to the airport and fly interstate for the working week. Sneeze has become our regular post-dinner pre-airport game: the perfect opportunity for me to wind down, although it seems to wind my children up! Not a problem for me, since my wife has to put them to bed.

Playing the game and having fun!

Gamer Geeks will lament the lack of strategy; the game is extremely, almost entirely, luck-driven.

Parent Geeks will appreciate a truly light filler game, something that fits easily into a busy schedule.

Child Geeks will enjoy the brightly colored (some would say garish) cartoon artwork and take great delight when the sneezing occurs.

The Basics:

• For ages 7 and up (no suggested age from publisher)
• For 2 to 3 players
• About 10 minutes to complete

Geek Skills:

• Active Listening & Communication
• Logical & Critical Decision Making

Learning Curve:

• Child – Easy
• Adult – Easy

Theme & Narrative:

• None

Endorsements:

• Gamer Geek rejected!
• Parent Geek rejected!
• Child Geek rejected!
• Computer Geek ACCEPTED!!!

Overview

CPU Wars Volume 1.0: The Battle of the Desktops is one of the newer entries into the ever-growing family of Top Trumps like games. CPU Wars challenges the players to compare processor statistics and attempt to select the value that would win between all the players. Very little is needed in the way of computer science knowledge to play the game. A player can simply guess and hope for the best. While computer geek purist will wrinkle their nose at such behavior, it does make a game that uses very technical stats into a fast game anyone can play.

CPU Wars Volume 1.0: The Battle of the Desktops is comprised of 30 playing cards, each representing a different Central Processing Unit (CPU) and lists 8 categories that are used in the game. Also included on each card is the name of the CPU, a picture of the CPU, and a few words describing the CPU. The card design is exceptionally tidy and easy to read.

Before We Go Further, A Quick Lesson

Let me make it absolutely clear that you do not need to know the first thing about CPUs, let alone computers, to play CPU Wars Volume 1.0: The Battle of the Desktops. As previously mentioned, this makes the game accessible to anyone, regardless of their technical background. However, to play the game well, the player really needs to understand what exactly is being listed on the cards. This very short primer should help you get started. For those of you who work in the technical field of computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, or simply know a thing or two more than your average computer user, please excuse the rather short and somewhat crude descriptions that follow.

What is a CPU? In the most simplest of terms, it is the “brain” of the computer. The CPU is where all the math is done and all the decisions are made. Everything else in the computer is dependent on the CPU, one way or another, making it the most important part of a computer. Each CPU playing card lists 8 categories. These categories and a very short explanation of each is listed here.

• Clock Speed: this measures how fast the CPU can think – the higher the number, the faster the CPU can do calculations
• Bus Speed: this measures how fast the CPU can pass information and receive information – the higher the number, the faster the CPU can offload one completed task and get another to work on
• Introduction Year: the year the CPU was introduced
• Transistor Count: determine digital logic of the CPU – the more transistors, the faster the overall computer processing
• Data Width: think of it as how big a number a CPU can handle – the larger the data width, the bigger the calculations
• Manufacturing Process: the process to create integrated circuits – we could go deeper with this but we don’t want to melt your face – let’s just say the lower the value, the better
• Die Size: refers to the physical size of the “waffer” (what the CPU is built on) – smaller is better because it means it is taking up less space
• TDP: Thermal Design Power – measures the total amount of power a computer’s cooling system is required to use – the lower the better

Example of 2 of the 30 cards that represent CPUs in the game

Good! Now you probably know more about computers than you ever hoped to in your life. Use this new-found knowledge wisely…

Game Set Up

To set up the game, simply shuffle the cards and deal all the cards out to the players, face-down, making certain that all players get the same number of cards. Once all the cards are dealt, the players pick up their cards and hold them so only the top card, face-up, is visible to them. Put another way, the player is holding their hand like they would a deck of cards. Players should keep their cards hidden from other players at all times and are not allowed to look at their cards other than the one that is face-up and visible.

Randomly decide using geek skills, super powers, or a simple toss of a coin which player should go first.

You are now ready to play.

Playing the Game

On a player’s turn, they select one of the 8 categories listed on the top card, and only card, they can see. Next to each value title is a little arrow that is either pointing up or down. This indicates that the highest value (arrow pointing up) or the lowest value (arrow pointing down) wins. After the player selects a value they think they have the highest or lowest value for that will beat the other player’s cards, they read it out loud and place the card on the table. All the other players now place their card on the table, too. Based on the results, one of possible two things will happen next:

• Best Value Wins: player who has the required highest or lowest value (as determined by the category selected) wins the cards. They collect all the cards and place them on the bottom of their deck. They now select a new category, read it out-loud, and the game continues.
• Tied Values: If the cards played all reveal the same value or the winning values are the same, it is a tie and all the cards are thrown into the center of the playing area. The same player now selects another category using their next card in their deck. The winner collects all the cards, including the cards in the middle of the playing area, and places them on the bottom of their hand. The winner now selects a new category, reads it out-loud, and the game continues. Note that there is no limit to the number of times ties can go to the middle of the table.

Winning the Game

The game continues until one player has all the cards.

Game Variant House Rule

If you are looking to play a shorter game, simply have all the players set aside their cards when they win them instead of adding them to their hand. Once all the players have played their cards (15 rounds for a 2-player game, 10 rounds for a 3-player game), have all the players count up their collected cards. The player with the most cards wins!

To learn more about CPU Wars Volume 1.0: The Battle of the Desktops, see the game’s official web site.

Prediction

CPU Wars Volume 1.0: The Battle of the Desktops is pretty straight forward in its game play and rules. Pick a value, compare values, pass the cards, rinse and repeat. Some gamers cannot understand why one would play such a game while other gamers cheerfully sit down to play a game or two with friends, finding joy is the game’s simplicity. For my little geeks, the simple game mechanism and rules will greatly appeal to them, but I do not know how much they will enjoy the game itself. The game designer has done an outstanding job of doing research on the CPU statistics and using very specific categories. These categories are, for the most part, completely unknown to the average player. This makes the game immediately somewhat of mystery to players as they have no idea the real value of the categories making it difficult to determine what card trumps another.

Put another way, there is nothing available to a player to suggest where the value on their card sits in the high/low scale of the categories. Is 64-bit too high? Too low? Nothing on the cards suggests it is either and the players are not allowed to look at their other cards in their hand to do a quick compare and contrast. This means the player needs to really understand the values in the categories to play the game well.

Note I say “play the game well” and not “at all”. There is nothing stopping the player from playing the game as it is regardless of their computer background. It’ll take guess-work, but the player’s job can still be done without complication. Simply select a value and compare it with the other players.

When I pitched the game to my wife and oldest little geek, they were happy to give it a try. After they saw the cards and didn’t understand one bit of what the card was displaying, they started to lose interest. When I explained the rules and how the game was played, my 7-year-old felt better about it, but my wife (being an adult and a gamer) immediately saw the problems. She asked me how she could possibly know if one value was better than another. When I told her there wasn’t a way other than me telling her, she became even less interested.

It took me longer to keep the players interested in the game then it took me to explain it. After a brief explanation and a few demonstrations, we were ready to play the game. Before I did so, I asked the player’s their thoughts on the game so far.

“Easy game, but I have no idea what these card numbers mean.” ~ Liam (age 7)

“You already have a big advantage over us because you know about computers, Dear.” ~ Wife

Good points. Let’s play the game and see how it goes.

Final Word

This game comes with an inherent flaw that cannot be overcome by anything other than knowledge of computer processors. Your average child or even adult will not know the first thing about computer processors other than they are “that thing that is in a computer”. This is a problem as it stops the player from being able to reasonably determine where a value may or may not be on a high or low scale. The saving grace that does allow the game to be played is the helpful arrows next to the values that show which value would win – the highest or the lowest. Given this bit of knowledge, the player can make a guess, but a guess only gets you so far and quickly looses its charm. The game becomes nothing more than a random value selection process, wherein the player is awarded or not awarded a card. Not much of a game, but no less so than the classic card game of War, where players draw a card, place it down, and the highest value wins.

My little geek was not impressed with the game for two reasons. First, he had no real idea what he was selecting and why. The arrows helped him to some degree to determine if he had a chance of winning a card, but not enough to give him any sense of real empowerment over his choices. Second, the game’s theme was nothing that interested him. Computers are cool as they can be associated with video games, but the “guts” of a computer did not capture his imagination anymore than knowing how a toaster worked.

Parent Geeks didn’t care much for the game either for the same reasons as the little geeks. Further more, they were disappointed that there was nothing in the game to help them make better choices by way of education. Several parents suggested the game could be greatly improved if it came with a quick description of each of the 8 categories. I completely agree and is one of the reasons why I went through the trouble of explaining them in the Overview section of this review.

Gamer Geeks were not at all impressed by this game. Random selection of a value and then seeing if anyone could beat it was not a game they wanted to play. I got a number of them to at least try it, but they groaned most of the time and pretty much focused on simply ending the game as fast as they could so they could move on to something else. When I discussed the possibility of tactics or strategy that could be used during the game, the Gamer Geeks could think of nothing other than having more computer knowledge and tolerance for the game than the other players.

None of the groups wanted to play another game once it was completed. Too random and the categories were too obscure. To quote my 7-year-old, “I like War better because at least you know what the values mean.”

Playing a 3-player game was fast, but we really didn't know what we were selecting or why - still, we had fun playing as a family!

Gamer Geeks, CPU Wars Volume 1.0: The Battle of the Desktops is not at all a game worthy of your game table. It is entirely too simplistic and shallow. At most, you will be able to enjoy the recess your brain can take while playing the game. Any level of strategy or tactics can be broken down to two simple questions: do I have a value that I think is lower than any other card and do the other players have a value lower than mine? That’s it. You cannot do anything sneaky or take any action to give yourself an advantage. You can only select a value and hope for the best.

Parent Geeks, while the game mechanisms are easy to use and fast, the level of computer technology related to play the game well is beyond anyone who is not a computer geek. Sadly, there is nothing included in the game to help educate the players about the categories. It’s all guess-work an d there isn’t much fun in that. There is a slight benefit from comparing number values to determine which is higher or lower, but that’s about as far as it goes.

Child Geeks, this is nothing more than a guessing game for you. You will most likely be frustrated more than charmed by this game. The only advise I can give is to pay close attention to the arrows next to each category. If the arrow is pointing upwards, make sure the value that is next to it is a big one. Likewise, if the arrow is pointing downwards, make sure the value is a low one. You’ll have 8 categories to choose from. Select a value and hope for the best.

All three test groups rejected this game and I was a bit displeased with the lack of interest from any of them. I was bound and determined to find someone for whom this game was made. After all, this game was overfunded by 507% on Kickstarter with contributions from 746 backers. Surely, over 700 individuals could not be so terribly mislead by the game that they blindly threw their money at it. No, I refused to believe that and so I went looking and found a new test group.  This group was the Computer Geeks; a seldomly discussed but very active collection of intelligent men and women who get geeky about anything that is computer technology related.

I didn’t have to look for very long. Working for an international technology company has its perks and one of them is the ability to fall blindly backwards at any moment and land on at least 10 individuals who know how to build a computer from scratch. When I pitched the game to them, they were all smiles and liked the concept very much. They actually spent less time playing the game and more time debating the pros and cons of the processors. It was a fascinating conversation to listen in on and a hard one to understand at times. Two individuals actually became rather heated in a debate over two processors and argued the finer points of overclocking (the process of making a computer run faster than it was originally specified). Eventually, they agreed to disagree and got back to the game. They finished the first, then the second, and then a third. In fact, they finished no less than 8 games and had a wonderful, wonderful time. Two of the Computer Geeks offered to buy the game from me right then and there.

Clearly, CPU Wars Volume 1.0: The Battle of the Desktops is a “niche game” with a specific audience in mind. This makes it highly attractive, but only to a small group of individuals. Your everyday Gamer, Parent, and Child geek will not be interested in this game, but the Computer Geeks will be most pleased with it. If you are a Computer Geek or have a Computer Geek in your circle of friend or family, then CPU Wars Volume 1.0: The Battle of the Desktops is most certainly a game you should look into!

This game was given to Father Geek as a review copy. Father Geek was not paid, bribed, wined, dined, or threatened in vain hopes of influencing this review. Such is the statuesque and legendary integrity of Father Geek.

A new project on Kickstarter just launched not too long ago that might have the music lover in your family dancing a jig. The game, Music Mania, is all about music with a game wrapped around it to make it an experience you can share with your family and friends. The introduction video (available from the Kickstarter page) does a great job of explaining the game and what you can expect.

As described by the game designers…

Have you ever noticed how quickly you recognize songs while flipping through radio stations? Out of the thousands and thousands of songs you’ve heard in your life, you can single one out within a second or two from hearing just a few words – it’s pretty amazing! Music Mania is based on that simple principle and then taken to a whole new level of awesomeness: If I sing two words from a song, can you guess what the song is? I bet you can!

Music Mania is a party style board game. Although there are many complexities to the game, it is based on a very simple principle — can you recognize a song in just a couple words? It sounds pretty tough, but it’s actually really easy. It all started with that one little concept and grew into a whole new beast that resulted in test players rolling on the ground laughing, eyeballs popping out of sockets and even a dislocated joint from an extremely powerful high five (not really). But seriously, check out the warning label before you play, or you can’t hold us responsible for any injuries associated with playing.

I spoke briefly to one of the game designers and the amount of trouble, time, and pain they have gone through to narrow down the songs to be used in the game is impressive. They started with over 1800 songs and, through playtesting and feedback, narrowed it down to 400 or so songs that should be recognizable to the larger majority. Of course, just because the song is “known” doesn’t make it an easy win. Players will have to recognize the song with very little information. Communication will be key to victory, but so will knowing your music. Dancing is not required, sadly.

If you think Music Mania is a game you’d like to have at your next party or to play with your family, head on over the Kickstarter project and learn more about it. Like it enough, throw some support their way. If successful, you’ll have one more thing to sing about!

The Basics:

• Four 25mm to 30mm plastic miniatures
• Compatible with same sized miniature scale
• Genre neutral and pre-painted

Geek Skills:

• Imagination

Learning Curve:

• N/A

Theme & Narrative:

• In the dark depths of the waters and earth, something stirs…

Endorsements:

• Gamer Geek approved!
• Parent Geek approved!
• Child Geek approved!

Overview

From the Depths is the first release of miniatures inspired by the Dungeon Crawler universe. The miniatures represent a plant vine, an otherworldly arm, a slimy Kraken tentacle, and three stringy grappler tendrils. Each miniature is securely mounted to a plastic black base with a diameter about equal to a U.S. Quarter (24.26 mm or 0.955 in). Other than the grappler tendrils (which are a solid black), the plant vine, Kraken tentacle, and otherworldly arm are exceedingly well detailed and painted. For example, the Kraken tentacle looks slightly dry brushed and each sucker on the tentacle is a perfect pink making them jump out from the tentacle itself. The otherworldly arm has slightly raised bumps that are differently colored than the rest of the arm. The underside of the otherworldly arm not only has a different color, but also a different texture, too. The plant vine also looks like it was dry brushed and is, for the most part, just green but is detailed enough to show the individual smaller vines that make up the whole.

The miniatures’ simple base and presentation make them compatible with just about any miniature game system that uses miniatures in the 25mm to 30mm range. Since “slimy things that grab” are pretty much a given in just about any genre, be it Sci-fi, Fantasy, or Horror, the vast majority of today’s miniature games can use these miniatures with ease, fitting in perfectly to the current theme and narrative.

To learn more about the Dungeon Crawler “From the Depths” miniatures, see the product’s official web page. On that page, you will also find additional information on their future miniature releases, currently titled Omens and Townfolk.

Prediction

My little geeks LOVE miniatures. In fact, I challenge every parent in the world to find me one child who does not love something in miniature form. Dolls, action figures, you name it. They are miniaturized. Little geeks can see something small and make an incredibly vast and rich imaginative world around it. I remember my brothers and I converting our house into different planets when we would play with our Star Wars toys. The upstairs was the “snow planet”, the main floor was a “water planet” and the basement was a “swamp planet” (on account that it was cold and dark). We would fly our ships and engage our troops on the carpeted plains and on the mountainous pillows. Of course, my mother would become exceedingly exasperated with us, as she would occasionally find action figures in various corners of the house and under couches for the next couple of month.

The level of grief my brothers and I received from our mother was so worth it.

I am pleased to see that this level of creativity and epicness has not skipped a generation. My little geeks convert our home into different worlds on a regular basis. Just the other day, I was told I could not step on the ground as the entire house was sinking into lava. On a previous day, I was told to leave my own room because my little geeks were playing “tomb explorer” and I ruined their game when I turned on the overhead light.

Whoops! My mistake.

When I showed the miniatures to my little geeks, they were most impressed and immediately wanted to whisk them away to play some pivotal role in their next imaginative game. I was all to happy to let them as I wanted to see how long they would keep the little geeks’ interest and to see how durable they were. Give anything to an excited and energetic little geek for an hour and have it returned to you in one piece is an excellent durability test for anything. Before I turned them over, I asked my little geeks their thoughts.

“So cool! I like the giant octopus tentacle best!” ~ Liam (age 7)

“These are awesome, Daddy! Can I sleep with them in my room tonight?” ~ Nyhus (age 4)

Already a big hit and they haven’t even touched them yet! Let’s see how much love they still get after an afternoon with the little geeks and see if there is anything left of them to talk about.

Final Word

SUCCESS! Not only did the miniatures survived their ordeal (or, as I like to call it, “Trial by Little Geek”) but they are still very much loved! Days after they were introduced, my little geeks are still adding them to their play. I even saw the miniatures sharing the floor with Star Wars LEGO sets! WIN!

Durability-wise, all four miniatures survived without a scratch. In truth, this could be the result of the miniatures’ thick plastic, my little geeks taking care not to break them, or both. I personally would like to believe that I have finally instilled in my children the value of keeping track and care of their toys, but all it takes is one quick glance at my floor and count the many, many toys scattered haphazardly to determine this is not the case. We, therefore, can reasonably come to the conclusion that the miniatures are built for battle and can take a beating.

If you are looking for more weight, we found that a U.S. Nickel fits snugly and very well into the base of the miniatures. This solved a few problems for us when we accidentally bumped the mat we were playing on. Four out of five times, the miniatures would fall down. After we put the Nickel on their base, they didn’t fall down once.

Every person who had a chance to use and look at the miniatures were impressed. High quality and well detailed, they were immediate hits. There is just enough included with each miniature to allow it to be recognizable to the beholder, but there is nothing to suggest what genre the miniature belongs to. This makes the miniatures exceedingly versatile and a nice addition to any game that might benefit from slimy tendrils and the like.

Example of four of the different ways my little geeks played with the miniatures

Gamer Geeks, these will be a welcomed addition to your miniature games for certain. Excellent detail, just the right size, and adaptable to just about any miniature game you can think of…as long as that game’s theme is not rooted in real history. Of course, who is to say that the Battle of Gettysburg wasn’t briefly interrupted by a giant flailing of slimy appendages from the dark places of the earth? Pre-painted and ready to go!

Parent Geeks, these are durable enough to play with in just about any setting and lack any small pieces that will break off easily. These will work with any little figures you and your little geeks play with. Introduce them during your next LEGO session or board game where miniatures are used and just see how big your little geek’s smile gets!

Child Geeks, these are fun to add to your growing collection of little action figures. Regardless of their size, you can use these miniatures in your games. Using your imagination, you can easily and seamlessly include them into your adventures.

These new miniatures will be happily included in my  family’s growing collection of miniature games. My little geeks are becoming more and more interested in tactical games that require miniatures to represent location and distance. Because these miniatures are not tied to any particular theme or narrative, they can be used in any miniature game I might want to play. HeroScape, Merchants and Marauders, Mansions of Madness, Wiz-War, and even any of my role-playing game sessions could all use these miniatures with very little effort. Horror, Science Fiction, and Fantasy all have a place reserved for these miniatures and I plan to use them as often as I can. Do check these miniatures out if you are a miniature game enthusiast or looking to add just small number to start a collection.

These miniatures were given to Father Geek as a review copy. Father Geek was not paid, bribed, wined, dined, or threatened in vain hopes of influencing this review. Such is the statuesque and legendary integrity of Father Geek.

The Basics:

• For ages 4 and up (publisher suggests 5+)
• For 4 to 8 players
• Variable time to complete

Geek Skills:

• Active Listening & Communication
• Counting & Math
• Reading
• Emotional Coping Skills
• Hand/Eye Coordination & Dexterity
• Risk vs. Reward

Learning Curve:

• Child – Easy
• Adult – Easy

Theme & Narrative:

• The classic game of Rock-Paper-Scissors with awards and penalties

Endorsements:

• Game Geek rejected!
• Parent Geek approved!
• Child Geek approved!

Overview

RoShamBo brings the classic and time-honored game of Rock-Paper-Scissors to the family gaming table and uses it to be the determining factor in challenges. The winner of these challenges goes on to win the game (eventually), but the losers are usually penalized by being given silly tasks to complete. For example, barking like a dog for 1-minute. The game is simple, to the point, and will generate laughter and groans at the table. Victory and defeat is only a hand sign away, but so is the promise of potentially embarrassing tasks.

RoShamBo is comprised of 1 game board, 8 plastic game pieces (for the players to use as pawns on the board), 1 six-sided die, and 50 Challenge Cards. There are 4 blank Challenge Cards included and are meant to allow the game owner to add their own challenges to the game. The player pieces and the six-sided die are small. Take note and watch your littlest geeks who  still like putting things in their mouth that have no business being there.

Game Set Up

To set up the game, place the game board in the middle of the playing area, have each player select a playing piece, and shuffle the Challenge Cards. Place the Challenge Cards to one side of the game board, face-down, and within easy reach of all players. Have the players place their selected game pieces on the Start space of the game board and then each player rolls the six-sided die. The player with the highest value is the first player, followed by the second highest and so on. Adjust sitting order accordingly.

Now have all the players roll the dice again to determine the order of selecting which bridge they will own. The bridges are special spaces on the game board that allow the player’s game piece to move from one section of the board to the next. The owners of the bridges, referred to as “bridge trolls”, get to challenge players before they can cross them. The player with the highest die value selects the bridge of their choice, followed by the second highest, and so on until the top four players have selected a bridge. There is nothing included in the game to allow players to mark which bridge they own which means all players must simply remember what bridge they select.

In the case of a tie when rolling the dice, the players who tied re-roll.

You are now ready to play the game!

 Playing the Game

In turn order, each player rolls the six-sided die and moves that many square spaces on the board. Where the game pieces lands will determine the next action.

• If the game piece ends on a space with a plus ( + ) symbol, the player gets to roll again
• If the game piece ends on a challenge space (indicated by the image of three hands demonstrating “rock”, “paper”, and “scissors”), they will draw the top Challenge Card from the deck – the Challenge Card is completed and whatever the result of the card is immediately  played out where applicable
• If the game piece ends on a space where a bridge is, that player completes a best 2 out of 3 duel of Rock-Paper-Scissors against the bridge troll (the owner of the bridge) – if they win, they are immediately moved to the next section – if they lose, they simply end their turn – if they are the owner of the bridge, they win by default
• If the game piece ends on a space occupied by another player, whatever symbols on that space are ignored and the players complete a one time duel of Rock-Paper-Scissors - the loser must move 5 spaces away in any direction
• If the game piece lands on any other space, the player’s turn simply ends

Challenge Cards

The Challenge Cards are played whenever a player lands on a challenge space (indicated by the image of three hands demonstrating “rock”, “paper”, and “scissors”). When they do, they read the Challenge Card out loud and complete whatever action is required. Little geeks who are still learning to read may have their card read for them without penalty or game changes.

The Challenge Cards are a mix of Rock-Paper-Scissors, trivia, and one time bonuses. The cards are very clear on what the player should or should not do. There is even a card that allows the player to challenge each of their opponents to a single round of Rock-Paper-Scissors. If they succeed, the immediately win the game. There are also cards that penalize the loser of a challenge to wear an outfit of the winner’s choice for the duration of the game.

Some Challenge Cards are kept and are meant to be used at certain times during the game when conditions are right. For example, one Challenge Card allow the players to win a challenge of their choice by default. Combo this Challenge Card with an action that is near impossible to complete with another Challenge Card and you can have yourself a real game changer.

Unless otherwise specified, Challenge Cards are discarded when they are used. Players who “win” Challenge Cards simply place them in front of them until used.

Players also have the option of renegotiating the terms of the challenge if neither player wants to suffer the consequences of losing. This must be done at the table and only between the players who will be part of the challenge. They have about 30 seconds to agree upon new terms. If they do so, the new terms must be honored and trump whatever the Challenge Card stated. If they do not agree, the player who is currently closest to the winning space gets to decide if the original terms of the Challenge Card are to be used or they can decide new terms which must be honored.

Winning the Game

The game continues until one player crosses the final bridge and enters the winner space. That player must now beat each player in a quick contest of Rock-Paper-Scissors. If they lose, their turn ends and the other players take their turns as normal. Once it is the player’s turn again who is currently in the winner space, they restart their Rock-Paper-Scissors challenge, but only with those players who they have not yet beaten. In this way, the player continues on their turn, battling each player once, until they have beaten each player. Once they have done so, they win the game!

Of course, if a player pulls the “Chance of a Lifetime” Challenge Cards and wins the challenge, the game immediately ends, too.

To learn more about RoShamBo, see the game’s official web site.

Suggested House Rule

When playing with four players, the game can drag on without much player interaction. With few players and lots of board space, we found that four player games were even a bit tedious. As a result, we implemented a house rule that worked brilliantly. Whenever a player rolled a “1″, they had the option of moving their game piece or selecting a Challenge Card. This was a very welcomed house rule that made the game a lot of fun and we suggest you give it a try if you think your game could use a bit of a pick-me-up.

Prediction

My little geeks love a good silly family game, especially one that plays easily. There is nothing complicated about RoShamBo which will make it an easy game to play and to teach at the family table. This also makes it a good game to play with friends at parties and larger family get-together. Since the game fits up to 8 people, you can have yourself a big game.

The silliness of the Challenge Cards will not be lost on my little geeks, but I do wonder if my 4-year-old will take to the game. His emotional coping skills are dependent on his mood, how long ago it was since he last ate, and how much sleep he had. Some of the challenges might be a bit too much for him. We’ll have to play those by ear and shouldn’t be anything to worry about, however.

The only other aspect of the game that has me concerned is lack of game play length. Technically, the game could be won in five minutes or less. Technically, the game could also last hours. Putting in place a game time limit is necessary in order to maintain sanity and keep the game going. Otherwise, the game could drag on and the energy level at the table will completely dissipate.

Reading the Challenge Cards out loud is necessary, but it is not mandatory that the player who selects it be the one to read them. This means my 4-year-old can play at his own seat and control his own game piece. I’ll have his older brother read the Challenge Cards for him for extra reading practice.

Of course, it should go without saying that your little geek needs to know the basics of Rock-Paper-Scissors before they can play. This is honestly the only limiting factor to RoShamBo. The good news is that Rock-Paper-Scissors is very easy to teach and should not be an immovable obstacle resulting in your little geek not being able to play.

I had my 7-year-old read the game rules and set up the game for us. Excellent practice and really gives him a sense of empowerment. I also had him explain the game to the three other players. Again, a great way to get your little geeks involved in the game and feeling like a “big geek” at the table. Highly recommend it.

After the game was set up and my 7-year-old explained the game, I asked my little geeks what they thought of the game so far.

“Sounds OK. I like how the Challenge Cards work.” ~ Liam (age 7)

“Daddy, can I use whatever hand I want? I can? Then I will use my winning hand!” ~ Nyhus (age 4)

For those of you who are curious, my little geek’s “winning hand” is his right hand which he showed to all the players as a fist that he shook at us. Let’s play the game and see how it goes.

Final Word

Here’s is some trivia for you. “RoShamBo” has multiple meanings. The one that is meant here and is the title of the game, is the classic game of Rock-Paper-Scissors. The other common meaning is a game where players take turns kicking or hitting each other in the groin. Without question, this game has nothing to do with hitting, punching, or in any way causing physical harm to another player. I mention this only because of some interesting conversations I had with others when I mentioned I was going to play RoShamBo with my little geeks. I usually had to follow-up my statement with a quick description of the game to ensure they did not call the Department of Children’s Services. Still, it was a great deal of fun seeing some people’s eyes get really big and their mouth drop open when they heard I was going to teach RoShamBo to my children. I openly admit that I found much pleasure in seeing some adults squirm.

The little geeks enjoyed the game, especially when they got to challenge their parents. By using simple Rock-Paper-Scissors to determine the outcome of a challenge, the playing field is always even. Adults do not have any serious advantage over the little geeks anymore than they have over each other. Of course, observation and timing is helpful. A person with quick reflexes could, in theory, change their selected hand sign to beat other players. However, we found that no one was that fast and everyone at the table called “do over” when they thought a player wasn’t playing right. This nipped my little geeks a few times and they quickly learned to be faster and more observant.

Parent Geeks liked the game and making the other adults do silly things, but not all Parent Geeks liked being the receiver of the penalties. For some Parent Geeks, the game became quickly aggravating. To which I told them, “get better at Rock-Paper-Scissors”. For the most part, however, the Parent Geeks had a great time, especially when there were little geeks playing the game, too. Lots of family fun and laughter. The more aggressive player won each game by focusing in on getting to the center, but I doubt they had more fun than the casual player who was there to simply have a good time. The game handled both playing types well and no one felt left out.

Gamer Geeks hated it.

A challenge is declared with the expected response from my 4-year-old

Gamer Geeks, there is nothing for you here. The roll-n-move game mechanism will drive you crazy and the simple Rock-Paper-Scissors challenge will lose it’s charm quickly. Clearly, not a game intended to be played at the gamer elitist’s table. Enough said; moving on.

Parent Geeks, while the Gamer Geeks might not find much in the way of enjoyment, you will. This a fun and interactive family game that could also easily be seen as a party game, too. With up to 8 players, you can sit a lot of friends around the table and have a good time. The challenges are funny and for the most part, easy. This will allow even your young little geeks to participate. Non-gamers will have no problem easily understanding the roll-n-move game mechanism and everyone should be able to play the game with only a minute or two of rules explanation.

Child Geeks, this is an easy game to play and an easy game to enjoy. The challenges are simple to do but not at all easy to win. You’ll be going head-to-head (or is it “hand-to-hand”?) with your opponents with epic Rock-Paper-Scissors combat and you just might have to do some very silly things as a result. Get ready to laugh and groan as the challenges will make you and everyone else at the table perform crazy sounds and stunts.

RoShamBo is a fun family game that uses the simplest of game mechanisms. The real joy of the game comes from the players who are interacting with each other. Everyone of our games was a good time, but not everyone enjoyed the game. The game’s pace can be a bit slow at times as the dice determine the progress of the player and the game could use more challenge spaces. Implementing our suggested house rule will address this concern.

For little geeks, RoShamBo is simple “Game Play 101″ and an excellent way to make the game itself  accessible to everyone, but at a cost. By simplifying the game, the game’s depth is reduced. The end result is a game that is easy to play but is heavily dependent on the players to make the game worthwhile. In other words, do not expect the game to entertain you – you the players will have that responsibility. The positive side to this is that you get to determine the level of fun by choosing the right people to play the game with. Play RoShamBo with a fun group of people and RoShamBo will be an outstandingly good time. Play it with a group who doesn’t like to interact or is not very imaginative, and the game will fail.

If you are looking for a board game that uses simply mechanisms, easy to teach, and let’s the players challenge each other with old school Rock-Paper-Scissors, then look no further than RoShamBo.

This game was given to Father Geek as a review copy. Father Geek was not paid, bribed, wined, dined, or threatened in vain hopes of influencing this review. Such is the statuesque and legendary integrity of Father Geek.

The Basics:

• For ages 6 and up (publisher recommends 8+)
• For 2 to 5 players
• About 30-45 minutes to complete

Geek Skills:

• Counting & Math
• Strategy & Tactics
• Visuospatial Skills
• Worker Placement & Area Control

Learning Curve:

• Child – Moderate
• Adult – Easy

Theme & Narrative:

• Essentially themeless, but it’s fun to build a landscape by laying down more tiles, scoring points as you go

Endorsements:

• Gamer Geek approved! (but only just)
• Parent Geek approved!
• Child Geek approved!

Overview

Carcassonne is a classic tile-laying game designed by Klaus-Jürgen Wrede, published in 2000 and Spiel des Jahres winner the following year. It has spawned dozens of expansions, variants, and compilations and is available as an application for iOS and Android.

The game components are:

• Small square cardboard tiles that may include features of a landscape (cloisters, roads, cities or fields)
• A scoring track
• 8 meeples in each of 5 colors (one meeple of each color will be placed on the scoring track and the other 7 will be available for placement on the landscape created by the tiles)

Game Set Up and Play

The game begins with a fixed starting tile (to seed the landscape). Players take turns drawing a single tile, then placing it orthogonally adjacent to an already-placed tile. Adjacent tile edges must match features depicted on those edges – clear fields, roads or cities – thus creating features spanning multiple tiles. After placing the tile, a player may place a meeple atop one of the landscape features depicted on that tile, so long as no other meeple appears within the same feature. For example, if I play a tile with a road on it, I may choose to place one of my meeples on the road, so long as there are no other meeples, not even my own, on the same road. These meeples are referred to as robbers, knights, monks or farmers, depending on whether they are placed upon roads, cities, cloisters or fields, but these labels are not at all important to game play.

Example of a tile and meeple placement - note that the meeple is now available to score points

After that, meeples upon completed roads and cities – those that no longer extend to any free tile edges – score points and are returned to their owners. Meeples on roads score 1 point for each tile the road spans. Those on cities score 2 points for each tile the city spans (with bonus points if the city tile contains a pennant symbol). At times, there will be more than one meeple on a single feature. This occurs when two or more incomplete features later become joined. When the feature is completed, the player with the highest number of meeples scores points and everyone else misses out. If there is a tie for first, all tied players score full points.

Cloisters are a little different, as they are confined to single tiles. A cloister is considered completed when all eight diagonally and orthogonally adjacent spaces have been filled by tiles. A meeple on a cloister scores 1 point for its own tile plus 1 point for each diagonally or orthogonally adjacent tile (for a maximum of 9 points).

Fields are also different in that they are never considered completed. Farmers will only score points at the end of the game.

Ending the Game

The game ends when all tiles have been placed. Meeples on incomplete features score points for those features, the same as during mid-game with the exception that incomplete cities only score 1 point per tile. Meeples in the fields score 3 points for each completed city that field is adjacent to.

The player with the most points wins the game.

You can grab a complete copy of the game rules from Carcassonne Central, a site dedicated to the game and all of its expansions.

Prediction

My children have been playing Carcassonne on the iPad for over a year, and loving it, so there it is no great feat for me to “predict” that they would enjoy playing a physical rather than digital incarnation. Apart from a 2-player-only version called Carcassonne: The Castle that I have had since 2005 and not played much, it was only last year that I acquired a more conventional version, Carcassonne: 10 Year Special Edition. This version comes with translucent plastic meeples and is packaged in a meeple-shaped box, with a meeple-shaped scoring track. It also includes some extra tiles. The components are okay, although the box lid is rather flimsy due to the awkward shape and mine is coming apart at the seams.

Final Word

For all the advantages of the digital version – portability being the most salient, but not having to shuffle the tiles comes a close second! – it is nice to play with physical components. Besides the tactile experience of handling game components (often mentioned by other commentators, although I think that’s overrated), it is far more comfortable to sit around a table without having to squint or crane one’s neck to follow the action. The digital version plays more quickly, but there is nothing wrong with playing at a relaxed pace; indeed, playing any game under time pressure is a recipe for disaster, a mistake I have made too often already. My 5-year-old daughter takes particular delight in counting out her score manually on the track, rather than having the iPad do it automatically for her. Apart from this, my children do not have a clear preference for either the digital or the physical version, using one as often as the other. I have a slight preference for the physical version, but considering that I spend so much time away from home, online gaming with my children is likely to become a more regular occurrence.

Sound play requires a combination of cashing in on short-term gains and playing the long game. Knowing how to compete for control of a high-scoring feature is a key strategic concept. If a player commits all his meeples too early, he will have none left to score quick and easy points later in the game. This is especially true for farmers (in the fields), as once placed, these can never be retrieved. On the other hand, scoring from fields can be extremely lucrative in some games, so beware letting other players claim control without a fight. Another rookie mistake is to build up a massive city that is only worth half points if never completed, especially since other players may either sabotage your efforts to finish it or swoop in just before it is finished and share in or steal the points from you.

Playing the game with their favorite baby sitter

I know many Gamer Geeks who enjoy Carcassonne, even to the point of playing in tournaments. I have no doubt that good strategy is more important than good luck. That said, I consider vanilla Carcassonne (i.e., no expansions) to be more of a “gateway game” to entice newcomers to the hobby; just a little too simple for my tastes.

As a Parent Geek, though, I love playing this game with my children, particularly as they have an excellent chance of beating me. Just because I complain that it is simple doesn’t mean that I am a good player! It will certainly remain a fixture in my collection.  Indeed, I plan to “upgrade” to a Big Box edition that includes the base game and several expansions.

Child Geeks will love creating a sweeping landscape from almost nothing. Most will come to terms with the rules and strategy quickly, except perhaps for the farmers. There are two obvious solutions for children struggling to play competitively. One is to simplify the game by dispensing with the farmers altogether. Another is for stronger players to play with fewer than 7 meeples, and thus with more limited scoring opportunities.

The Basics:

• For ages 4 and up (publisher suggests 8+)
• For 2 to 4 players
• About 45 minutes to complete

Geek Skills:

• Active Listening & Communication
• Counting & Math
• Logical & Critical Decision Making
• Pattern Matching
• Hand/Resource Management

Learning Curve:

• Child – Easy
• Adult – Easy

Theme & Narrative:

• None

Endorsements:

• Gamer Geek rejected!
• Parent Geek approved!
• Child Geek approved!

Overview

Double Double Dominoes, by Calliope Games, is a light abstract game where the players use dominoes to match numbers and score points. Players cannot only score on their turn, but also their opponent’s, which means the players at the table must be watching and communicating during the game at all times. Place a domino on the board and you could score points for yourself and for more than one of your opponents!

Double Double Dominoes is comprised of 56 dominoes, 4 scoring pieces (in four different colors, one for each player), and a large game board on which the game is played and the points are counted. The product is of high quality and very durable. While not flashy by any means (really very dull in presentation), it gets the job done.

Game Set Up

To set up the game, place the game board in the middle of the playing area and have each player select one scoring piece. Place these scoring pieces on the starting scoring area located on the domino scoring track that encircles the board.

The 56 dominoes should be shuffled (i.e. “randomized”) and placed face-down on the table where everyone can reach them. This area is referred to as the “boneyard”. Based on our experience, we found it a better use of space to simply place all the dominoes in one of the lids of the game box and have players blindly draw from there. Much more tidy. You will also need an area to discard unused dominoes. This area will be referred to as the “pit”. Again, based off our experience, we suggest you use the other, unused lid of the game box for this purpose. Just make sure you keep the two separate.

Each player draws three dominoes, keeping the “pips” or “dots” on the dominoes hidden from the other players at all times. Have each player look at their dominoes and then each player reveals the domino with the smallest number of dots. The player who has the smallest number of total dots on their revealed domino goes first.

You are now ready to play.

Playing the Game

A player’s turn is completed in just a few steps. These steps are as follows:

1. Draw a Domino: the player randomly selects one domino from the boneyard and adds it to their hand for a total of 4 dominoes
2. Play a Domino: the player plays a domino to the game board
3. Score Points: all players record any points that are earned by advancing their scoring piece on the scoring track
4. Repeat #2 if the domino played was a double domino, otherwise the player’s turn ends

If a player cannot play any of their dominoes to the board, they discard one or more of their dominoes to the pit, leaving them 3 dominoes in total.

Playing a Domino

Double Double Dominoes requires the player to always play a domino if one can be played on the board. In order for a domino to be playable, one of its two ends (separated by a solid line down the middle of the domino) must have the same number of dots as the domino it is connecting (i.e. “touching”) to. For example, a player could place a domino with one of its ends with 3 dots with a domino that had 3 dots, but not with a domino that had more or less than 3 dots. The only exception to this rule is the first domino played. The first domino must be played in the center of the board and it must cover the space with the star.

If the player plays a double domino (where both ends of the domino contain the same number of dots), they can choose to go again, but do not draw any more dominoes from the boneyard. The player can continue to play their dominoes as long as they play a double domino, for a maximum of four possible plays. If the player places a domino that is not a double domino, their turn ends. Note that scoring should always take place after each domino has been placed.

Example of a game in play - note that all the dominoes that are touching have matching values

Scoring Points

Players can score points two different ways. The first is by placing a domino on the board in a space that has a numbered value (values 1 through 5). The player scores that many points on the scoring track as soon as the domino is placed. If the domino placed is a double domino, the player scores double the points. For example, placing a double domino on a “3″ would score the player “6″ points.

The second way all players can score during a domino placement is when one of the two ends of the domino placed matches the space a scoring piece is located on the scoring track. That player immediately scores 3 points and advances their scoring piece accordingly. Bonus points are only scored once per domino played and for only one of the two ends, even if it is a double domino. For example, a player places a domino with a “3″ and a “5″ on it. The players who have their scoring pieces on the scoring track that show a domino that has a “3″ or a “5″ immediately get to move their scoring piece 3 spaces forward on the scoring track.

These points are accumulative. This means that the player who places a domino on the board can potentially score points based on where the domino was placed and if their scoring piece matches one of the two numbers on the domino.

Winning the Game

The game ends when one of the following three conditions are met:

• When one or more players reach a specific point total on the scoring track – this value is determined by the number of players
• At the end of the player’s turn who draws the last domino from the boneyard
• When there are no more places left on the game board to place a domino

The final score is determined by the value on the scoring track. The player with the most points wins the game. If two or more players are tied, add the dots of each domino still in the player’s hand. The player with the most dots wins the game.

To learn more about Double Double Dominoes, see the game’s official web page where you can also download a copy of the game rules.

Prediction

My little geeks are not big fans of games that are blatantly trying to teach them something. For example, Flash Cards are avoided like dirty diapers and having any parent using the phrase “makes learning fun” sends them scurrying to hide behind couches or finding the closest exist to escape into the backyard. Double Double Dominoes is, of course, more than just an education game, but the fact that the player is only matching numbers might make my little geeks believe they playing something that is trying to teach them something academic in nature. Yes, this might be a tough sell to the little geeks.

On the other hand, the game itself plays fairly quickly and can feel like a race. Not to mention that the portion of the game that is “teaching” the little geeks is disguised well enough as game mechanisms to make it feel like it is just part of the game. Hmm..the more I think upon it, the more I think the game will be well received. OK, disregard my earlier statement.

When I pitched the game to my little geeks, I did so by suggesting the game was like a race in which you block your opponent. My little geeks rather liked that idea and started talking excitedly about it. When I showed them the dominoes, their faces fell and they started asking where the cars were for the race. I then had to explain that not all race games include wheels. They were skeptical, but happy to continue.

Explaining the game took all of 5 minutes and my little geeks understood what was expected and how to play. I’m telling you, parents, the more games you play with your little geeks, the easier it is to teach and play games with them! It’s like taking up running. The first couple of weeks are Hell, but you get better and better at it. Before you know it, you are running miles when before you were whimpering about jogging a few feet. The same could be said about board games. Long gone are my days of playing Candy Land, but not before I played many, many games with mixed results.

After a quick demo and making certain both my little geeks understood the game, I asked them their thoughts. In between mouthfuls of Cheerios, they said the following:

“Neat looking game. Never played much with dominoes before.” ~ Liam (age 7)

“Look, Daddy! I can stack them really high!” ~ Nyhus (age 4)

Seconds later, the domino tower collapsed and we started the game. Let’s see if the game does well or falls to pieces like the domino skyscraper my 4-year-old created.

Final Word

Abstract games are a funny lot. People who play them either “get them” or have no idea what the intent of the game is. Oh, sure, they might understand the premise of the game, but not really able to grasp the game play or how to go about winning the game itself. Often, I have found that little geeks have a harder time with abstract games than adults. A more experienced mind is able to make connections and bring the abstract to more concrete terms fairly quickly. Young minds sometimes struggle trying to find a place to anchor context. Only through experience can a player start to pierce the abstract and find a base on which to build their understanding. This took time with my little geeks but they have since strengthened their Geeks Skill well enough to go about it fairly easily. As a result, my little geeks understood the game and played it well. Very well, in fact. My children were able to block me and steal my points a number of times.

Believe me when I say that a very small and selfish part of me wanted to send them to their room. Yes, that would teach them! NO ONE STEALS POINTS FROM DADDY!

The little geeks surpassed my expectations not only in their ability to comprehend the strategy and tactics of the game, but the ability to adapt to the changing board. Several times, my 4-year-old and 7-year-old made quiet comments about how displeased they were about certain moves I had made. And yet, on their next turn, they did not hesitate with their moves. These moves weren’t blind and lazy, either. They would take the time to think, and when they made their moves, it was with purpose. Outstanding.

Parents and Gamer Geeks had no problem with this game, which should come as no surprise. The game is not that complicated, after all. A few Parent Geeks remarked that they found the game to be very much like Scrabble because of the bonus points scattered about the board. For those who played Scrabble regularly, they found this to be a rewarding and familiar game mechanism that they took full advantage of. For those not familiar with Scrabble or games where placement of pieces could award higher points, the concept was quickly learned and utilized.

My two little geeks go head-to-head (one is wearing special "domino goggles" while I get their breakfast ready)

Gamer Geeks, this is a fun game but lacks the depth that game elitists with years of board game experience under their belt search for. The game is very straight forward and the level of complexity is based on what is available to you only. This makes some games very easy and some very complicated. But the complications and ease of play are all based on matching what is available at the time of your turn. There is very little you can do prior to or after to influence what will come later down the line. The double scoring makes the game a bit more interesting, but not to a point where it starts approaching Gamer Geek approval. Again, fun game, but not something you’ll look for or request with your regular gaming group.

Parent Geeks, this is a superb game for your family gaming table. Abstract and light with just enough thinking to keep everyone at the table involved without having them overheat their heads. The game allows for table conversation without distracting from the game or slowing it down. Choices are simple and few, which means that no player should be vapor locked for long when it comes to their turn. The game is abstract but not inaccessible. Your family and friends who are non-gamers will be able to grasp the game and play it easily as long as they don’t get befuddled by the domino placement. If they do become confused, a few demonstration should be all that is necessary to get them back on track.

Child Geeks, this is a fun game to learn and an even more fun game to play. If you are not familiar with dominoes, this is a great way to be introduced to them using a game board to help you keep everything organized. You’ll have to match numbers and count, but never to a point where it is too complex. If you are still learning your numbers and counting, this is a great game to help you strengthen those Geek Skills! Be sure to look for spaces that allow you to build on extra points and always watch what the other players do so you don’t lose out on points or give them away freely!

Double Double Dominoes was well received at my household and will be a game I will be most pleased to bring to the table upon request or when asked to bring a game to our next dinner party with friends. The only downside to the game is the number of players that can play it. You could buy another set and play up to 6 players if you wanted, but as a 4-player game, it works very well. Presentation is fairly “blah”, but it isn’t necessary to the game play whatsoever. The end result is a fun game that provides just enough challenge to keep you engaged and smiling throughout. If you are looking for a new family board game, give Double Double Dominoes a try.

This game was given to Father Geek as a review copy. Father Geek was not paid, bribed, wined, dined, or threatened in vain hopes of influencing this review. Such is the statuesque and legendary integrity of Father Geek.

I can think of no better way to celebrate a movie about fake people doing fake things than with a fake holiday. Of course, there is a generous portion of geek sweetness added to it which makes it all the more palatable. Yes, ladies and gents, it is once again May 4th, the official fan-created day to celebrate all things Star Wars. As is custom (in this galaxy and in any other galaxy), several shops have opened their doors and are offering tantalizing deals on Star Wars swag. If you are in the mood for Star Wars stuff to add to your most likely dangerously large collection, now is the time…and save some bucks, too.

Check out all the deals here.

And while you are at it, don’t forget to enter our Star Wars Fighter Pods giveaway!