William Shakespeare wrote in his play All’s Well That Ends Well, “Love all, trust a few.” Which, honestly, is a bit of a contradiction. Love, supposedly, includes trusting an individual completely. But as many of us know, either through personal experiences or hours of watching soap operas, love tends to be a very slippery slope. In this game, lies and manipulation make finding true love a game of luck, observation, and persuasion. Continue reading
Gen Con is “the convention” to attend if you’re a board game lover. Games of all types are played, sold, and discussed ad nauseam for 4 days straight. There are also live events to attend, celebrities to fawn over, and contests to win. It’s truly an incredible event and one of the largest geek culture gatherings currently located on planet Earth. I know, it sounds horrible, right? Here are five reasons why you are making the right decision by not attending. Continue reading
August is a great month to reflect on how little you have accomplished over the summer months. I had plans – GRAND PLANS – to get a lot done. All for not. I still have little islands of boxes and bags in my new home and a list of “things to do” that never stops growing. Cartoonist Cathy Guisewite wrote in one of her Cathy comic strips, “I’ve been put on this earth to accomplish so many things. At the rate I’m going, I’ll never die.” I can relate. Continue reading
Will Rogers said, “The farmer has to be an optimist or he wouldn’t still be a farmer.” A rather useful point-of-view in life and for this game. Farming is hard work. The energy you spend today could be wasted effort tomorrow. Bad weather, animals, and insects can ruin a good days work or the family farm. A farmer is continually forced to make tough choices, sacrifice, and hope for the best. You won’t be losing your livelihood in this game, but do stay on your toes. Farmnation is no stroll in the garden. Continue reading
In the fantasy world, goblins tend to embody all that is gross, nasty, and foul. Fairies, on the other hand, can induce a diabetic coma simply by flying by you. These two extreme opposites go head-to-head in this clever card game that took everyone by surprise. Continue reading
Only the very brave or the very stupid venture into the Black Mountains. It’s an accursed place, inhabited by monsters, cutthroats, and the enigmatic warlock, Zogar. If it weren’t for the rumors of vast treasure troves and arcane knowledge, none would venture to this bleak land. Many leave seeking glory, power, and riches, but few are ever seen again. Those who do return have a haunted look about them and they speak little of the horrors they have seen. Despite everyone’s advice, you now set off to meet Zogar’s challenges. For fame and glory! Continue reading
To run a successful business, you have to know what your customers want. You have a sideshow, performers, animals, and more clowns than you know what to do with. But what do your customers want to see? Should you focus on the animals or shine the spotlight on the performers? Knowing what will sell tickets is key to having the “greatest show on Earth”. Continue reading
Chances are you’ve heard the saying, “the grass is always greener on the other side.” This saying suggests that other circumstances are seemingly more desirable than an individual’s current reality. Which might or might not be true. But what if there is no “other side”? Wouldn’t you want as much of that grass (regardless of color) as possible? In this game, you’ll be leading your sheep to expand and control limited pasture space. There are no wolves in this game. Just a lot of aggressive mutton. Continue reading
The voyage to the New World was fraught with danger and death. When the colonists arrived, they thought the worst was behind them. They were wrong. They are now under attack and they must quickly build forts with strong walls to protect their homes and lives. These are dangerous and desperate times and it’s up to you to lead your colonist. Victory can only be obtained through military or economic might. Choose your path. Continue reading
Can you believe it’s July already? Half of the year has come and gone, and I feel that I haven’t accomplished anything. With only 6 months left in the year, we need to get busy! Socrates said, “Beware the barrenness of a busy life,” but I have a hard time taking advice from a guy who wore a bed sheet. Continue reading
When you think of sports, I wouldn’t be surprised if baseball, basketball, football, and other team games come to mind. We often think of “sports” as being a physical human activity, but this is not always the case. In 1998, a television show titled “Robot Wars” hit the British airwaves and challenged how we look at sports. Now it was machines being powered by human ingenuity that battled in the area. In this game, you get a chance to test your own mental skills, logical thinking, strategic foresight, and tactical guile to become the ultimate robot battling champion. Continue reading
Bat Masterson said, “Never run a bluff with a six-gun.” Life is too precious a thing to use like so many chips in a Poker game. But when the stakes are high, the reward sometimes outweighs the risk. In this game, you will either survive and claim the prize or be just one more Gunslinger dead in the dust. Speed does matter, but you need to be smart, too. Out-think your opponents as well as outdraw them. In the blink of an eye, you could be victorious or dead. Continue reading
