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....

Hold Your Breath! Game Review

To quote an old adage variant, “Stupid is as stupid does.” Which is to stay, stupid people do stupid things. Or in this case, pirates. Instead of swimming to land and finding safety after a horrible shipwreck, they decide to have an impromptu breath holding contest – in shark infested waters – with monsters. You want to root for the pirates, but at the same time you cheer on the hungry sharks. Continue reading

Pocket Adventures Card System (Set II) Review

I have many fond memories of being a Child Geek and playing Dungeons & Dragons with my friends. Our role-playing games were little more than kicking down doors, killing all that moved, and looting everything to buy bigger and better gear. We loved it. But that was when I was a kid and had all the time in the world. As an adult, I am constantly scrambling to make time, find time, or be on time. But I still miss my days of exploring dungeons and beating up the bad guys. That’s why I’m so pleased to have found the Pocket Adventures Card System and a pocket to put it in. Continue reading

Legacy: Forbidden Machines Game Expansion Review

Time travel comes at a cost. While moving back and forth, an energy known as “vesper” seeps through the Timeline, corroding it. It travels with the Antiquitects as they go about ensuring Time remains balanced, but it’s through their actions that Time is now unraveling. In hopes of saving Time itself, the powers that be have given the go ahead for the Antiquitects to build the Forbidden Machines; powerful inventions that could destroy the balance and erase everything. Continue reading

Dragon Racer Game Review (prepublished version)

Dragons were once feared, but they are now domesticated and adored. Some households even have dragons for pets. You and others breed, train, and race dragons. It’s the ultimate sport that brings man and dragon together to form a single team. You must trust your dragon completely as your dragon trusts you. This is a race where speed matters, but speed alone won’t win you the cup. You must think fast, think smart, and work with your dragon or you’ll be left far behind. Continue reading

Legacy: Gears of Time Game Review

With the advent of time travel, the powers that be quickly established a government department with one single purpose: maintain the status quo. Using the Ancient Machine, as the time traveling device has come to be known, you will venture to the past to ensure previously established technologies remain firmly establish. But time is a funny thing and history books can be re-written with ease. You have an opportunity to be the first to invent everything, if you are savvy enough to do it under the radar. Continue reading

Bling Bling Gemstone Game Review

It might be cold, dark, and dangerous in the mines, but that’s where the wealth is. Gemstones the size of your HEAD can be found below ground. It’s easy enough to find them, but the trick is tapping them out of the stone. The mine is unstable and the rock is very fragile. If you want to “strike it rich”, you need to strike softly. Hit too hard, and you’ll be covered in worthless rock. Continue reading

Neptune Game Review

You’d think there would be enough room for everyone in space. I mean, it’s space! Big, empty, and cold. But space is home to planets and these spheres made of gas, rock, and ice represent power. This is what people fight and die for. It never made much sense to you until you figured out how much money and control you could have if you had a planet or two of your own. So now you play the same game, fighting in the cold vacuum of space for a few floating planets. Continue reading

The Great Snowball Battle Game Review

As every child knows, when the snow starts to fall, the balance of power in the neighborhood begins to shift. The big kids down the street no longer have total control over the playground and the roving bicycle gang can no longer patrol the tennis courts. Every boy and girl is drafted to help fight for one cause or another. Grab a snowball and wage a cold war like only kids know how to do. Continue reading

Runecast Game Review (prepublished version)

You lived a life of adventure and danger. As expected, you died young, but with honor. Songs are sung of your deeds and you feast for eternity in the halls of Valhalla. But there is trouble in Midgard and Loki’s mad mind is causing chaos and havoc. Odin himself has sent you back to Midgard to fight Loki’s minions and bring order to the world. You might have the blessings of the gods, but such trivial flatteries are nothing to a good blade. Continue reading

FOLD Puzzle Game Review

It’s nice to take a break from board, dice, and card games and engage our minds with a puzzle or two. One could argue that puzzles are just like games, since the player is attempting to meet an objective. And like board, card, and dice games, the means to achieve the objective is right in front of you. The path to obtain it is not always clear, however. Unless you are playing Candy Land. In which case, just keep moving forward, kids. Continue reading

Colours and Shapes Game Review (prepublished version)

One of the first things children begin to recognize, other than the faces of their parents, is colors and shapes. There are thousands of books and videos that cover the education and exploration of these two subjects. As such, it’s a bit of an understatement to suggest that colors and shapes are at the core of our earliest learning. And yet, how often do you think about colors and shapes as an adult? As a gamer, you think about it more than you might realize. In this game, colors and shapes are used to match sets and win big. Thank goodness you paid attention to your earliest lessons as a baby, eh? Continue reading

Dreaming Spires Game Review

Socrates said, “The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance.” In the spirit of Socrates and his passion to challenge people’s thinking (which ultimately lead to his death), schools, colleges, and universities have been formed. Students of all ages and from all walks of life have met under roofs of thatch, mud, wood, metal, and marble for centuries to learn. You are now tasked to create a college that will house the greatest scholars so young minds might be challenged, nurtured, and released into the world in hopes of making it a better place. Continue reading