Author Archives: Cyrus

About Cyrus

Editor in Chief, Owner/Operator, Board Game Fanatic, Father of Three, and Nice Guy, Cyrus has always enjoyed board, card, miniature, role playing, and video games, but didn't get back into the hobby seriously until early 2000. Once he did, however, he was hooked. He now plays board games with anyone and everyone he can, but enjoys playing with his children the most. Video games continue to be of real interest, but not as much as dice and little miniatures. As he carefully navigates the ins and outs of parenting, he does his very best to bestow what wisdom he has and help nurture his children's young minds. It is his hope and ambition to raise three strong, honorable men who will one day go on to do great things and buy their Mom and Dad a lobster dinner. Cyrus goes by the handle fathergeek on Board Game Geek. You can also check him out on CyrusKirby.com. Yes, he has a URL that is his name. His ego knows no bounds, apparently....

LumberJerks Game Review (prepublished version)

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American actor, Sean Gunn, said: “I’d always rather be a jerk than a loser.” If such is the case then Mr. Gunn would love this game! The goal is clear: cut down your tree. But, of course, it isn’t that simple. Wildlife will get in your way, dirty hippies will chain themselves to the tree, and your ax has a tendency to not cut as deeply into the wood as you would like. To win, all you need to do is chop faster and stronger than the competition, but always be a huge jerk to the other lumberjacks. Sharpen your ax and get ready to cut into the competition! Continue reading →

Moonrakers Game Review (prepublished version)

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After space travel became commonplace, men and women looked skyward for opportunities to get rich and have a better life. Living in space is dangerous, but the pay is good. You’ll find many different types of folks floating around, but none are more dangerous or unpredictable than the mercenaries. Helpers to some and space pirates to others, these individuals take jobs that pay well and don’t much care about the risks. This was the job you were born for and love your work, but there is only so much work to be had. Time to put the competition out of business. Continue reading →

Lost in Time Game Review

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Huzzah! Timetravel is now possible, allowing people to move back and forth within history to visit mankind’s greatest events. Unfortunately, the technology still has some bugs to work out. Your time machine doesn’t appear to want to work correctly, meaning you’ll now have to crawl your way through time if you ever want to get back home. In this game, it’s not the journey that counts, but the time you spend traveling…in time. Continue reading →

Triumphus Game Review (prepublished version)

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American author and television personality, Ted Allen, said “Planning a dinner party in a way that you’re actually capable of getting it done without panicking is important. It’s bad hospitality for the host to be freaked out.” Good advise, but what if the success of the dinner party determined if you lived or died? Now that is stressful and worth panicking about. In this game, the Emporer’s previous party planner has made their last mistake, losing their job and their head. Now the position is open and you hope to please the Emporer with your elite party planning skills. Continue reading →

Equip: Zupper Dolls Game Review (prepublished version)

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American cultural anthropologist, Margaret Mead, said “I do not believe in using women in combat, because females are too fierce.” But, alas, Ms. Mead was not aware of the awesome power of dolls. In this game, players take on the responsibility of training animated dolls, brought to life just in time to fight not only each other but eventually aliens. Maybe. The backstory on this game is pretty confusing. Regardless! Dolls! Battles! Go get’em, Teddy! Continue reading →

Walking in Burano Game Review

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The official tourism webpage for Burano, Italy states, “The different colors of the houses, which today represent our island main feature, at a previous time was useful to delimit the properties.” To walk the streets of this Italian island town is to see colors upon colors. In this game, players will take part in remaking this island community’s most well-known feature, inviting tourists around the world to walk and enjoy the scenery. Continue reading →

Point Salad Game Review

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Professional Irish rugby union player, Brian O’Driscoll, said “Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.” In this game, players will know a great deal, as all the cards are visible during the entire game. But only those players with the wisdom to see how the patterns start to take shape into points will take home the big salad. Continue reading →

Tiny Ninjas Game Review

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The ninja is stealthy and deadly. They have spent countless hours practicing, making their body a weapon. They are living shadows, dissolving into the dark just as quickly as they jump out of it. They are also adorable. In this game, take control of a ninja clan and battle against your opponent to determine whose tiniest ninja is the biggest of them all. Continue reading →

Tiny Towns Game Review

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Scottish Liberal Democrat politician and a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1983 to 2015, Charles Kennedy, said “Quality of life actually begins at home – it’s in your street, around your community.” In this game, players take on the role of building a tiny town for tiny animals. Careful planning is needed to ensure the community supports itself. Build too fast or build too big, and your tiny town will be a big bust. Continue reading →

Twisty Little Passages Game Review (prepublished version)

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Hungarian inventor, architect, professor of architecture, and the creator of the Rubik’s Cube, Erno Rubik, said “When you are studying from a book, lots of people go straight to the end to look for the answers. But that’s not my style. For me, the most enjoyable part is the puzzle, the process of solving, not the solution itself.” Suggesting that the path to the puzzle’s solution is the adventure. In this book of puzzles, you take on the role of a spy who must risk it all to save the kingdom from a powerful evil. Each step is a puzzle to solve and a danger to encounter! Continue reading →

Pumpkin Patch: Bad Seeds Game Review

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American author, journalist, activist, and the Lewis K. Chan Arts Lecturer and Professor of Practice of Non-Fiction at Harvard University, Michael Pollan, said “The garden suggests there might be a place where we can meet nature halfway.” But what if that garden is full of evil? How far would you want to meet something that isn’t in the mood to be picked, but is always hungry? Yikes. Continue reading →

CoreBall: The Zero Gravity Sport Game Review (prepublished version)

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German inventor, game developer, and engineer, Ralph Baer, said “People love video games because they do things they obviously can’t do in real life. That’s especially true with sports games because fans love to step into the shoes of their favorite athletes.” So very true. In this game, players get to step into the shoes of highly trained athletes who play a competitive game that is a mix of football and rugby. The arena is also a battle ground, where every movement is done in zero gravity and momentum could push you to victory or off the edge, spinning into space. Continue reading →