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....

Castle Danger Game Review (10th Anniversary Edition)

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In this abstract game of strategy, players must move and defend at the same time. Walls must be constructed to protect and sometimes demolished to advance. Cannonballs can target seemingly unreachable units that are a long way off from the battle line, and the limits of space will require players to consider the value of each of their pieces. In the end, the player who can balance and optimize the fastest will win the war! Continue reading →

Bad Neighbors Game Review

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It was bound to happen. When the Zombie-Alien-Demon-Vampire Apocalypse erupted, your family was prepared for the worst. What you didn’t count on, ironically, was your neighborhood. The biggest threat is not the giant undead half-demon munching on your grandmother. Rather, it’s your neighbors who are quietly spying on you from behind closed curtains. This game is all about the survival of the fittest in the suburbs. Lock, load, and live! Continue reading →

Jupiter Deep Game Review

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At 1300 hours Jupiter time, the following message was received by Orbital Mission Command: “This is Jupiter Deep! There is something attacking the colony! We don’t know what it is, but we know for certain it’s alien. Early reports suggest the attack is emanating from the planet, but this is has not yet been confirmed. We have initiated standard evacuation protocols and aw….ssssaaaassss..zzzzzzz……………” No other transmissions have been received. Continue reading →

Milestones Game Review

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Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, said that “Life is a journey, not a destination.” In this game, there are no set paths to victory or signposts to guide. From the very start, the destination is clear, but how the player gets there is totally up to them. Each step is a lesson and an opportunity to improve, making the journey a process of exploration and refinement. All paths lead to victory, but this is a race, so don’t dawdle. Continue reading →

Argh! Game Review

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The nondescript island is barely a scratch on your nautical maps. If one were to glance quickly, many would mistake the mark as nothing more than a small stain. But you know better. The little island has no name, but it’s known by a select few as “Plunder Island”. There, buried in the white sand, are riches beyond imagine. You have gathered the wealth with the help of others, but now it’s time to claim the riches for your own! Continue reading →

Paperback Game Review (prepublished version)

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The idea of being a novelist has always been alluring to me. I romantically dream of a life full of literature, sweater vests, and luncheons with poets and other writers. Conversations would be deep and meaningful as we sipped our expensive coffees. In reality, being a successful writer means lots of long hours, rejection letters, and moments of pure panic as you struggle to write. In this game, players will get to experience the trials and tribulations that come with attempting to write the next great novel! Continue reading →

Guile Game Review (prepublished version)

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The legend of King Arthur is loaded with heroic deeds and betrayal. At the very heart of King Arthur’s kingdom, the Round Table, deceit spreads like a disease. No one can be trusted fully and the forces that would see King Arthur fall work hard to influence and corrupt the king’s most trusted Knights. The true ruler of the kingdom and of the Round Table is the player who is the most cunning and knows that loyalty is a very fickle thing. Continue reading →

Crappy Birthday Game Review

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Remember blowing out the candles on your cake and making a birthday wish? Of course you do. I’ve always wished for the original G.I. Joe U.S.S. Flag Aircraft Carrier. Sadly, no matter how many candles I blow out, my wish never comes true. That’s OK, because it’s the thought that counts, right? Well…sometimes. The idea that there is no such thing as a “bad gift” is thoroughly explored and repeatedly debunked in this gift-giving party game of hilarity. Continue reading →

Alliances Game Review (prepublished version)

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John Kenneth Galbraith, an economist, public official, diplomat, and a leading proponent of 20th-century American liberalism, said, “Politics is the art of choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable.” If that is the case, then the world political stage is a smorgasbord of rotten and slightly tolerable results. The same cannot be said about this game of political intrigue, power, and persuasion where players attempt to conquer and control one country at a time. Continue reading →

Elemental Clash: The Master Set Game Review (prepublished version)

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There is a veil that separates reality from endless possibility, and just beyond it lies the power to manipulate and destroy the very powers of creation. Only a handful out of a thousand are sensitive enough to perceive the veil, and from that number a rare few have the ability to focus its power for their own use. These Spellcasters, as they have come to be known, are loved, feared, admired, and hated, but their worse enemies are themselves and their need to dominate all. Continue reading →

Matching Lions Game Review

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The African Savanna is teaming with life. Large herds of animals wander from one watering hole to the next and prides of lions rest on rocks or hunt in the tall grass. Every animal has its place in the wide open space and every animal has a purpose. Some eat the grass and some eat the grass eaters. And then there is the hyena, who is the “jerk” of the wild. But even the hyena has a role to play, as do the players of this game. Continue reading →