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....

Geek Life On a Budget

The hobby of board games, card games, dice games, and the mixing of all three is not a cheap one. In fact, you can expect to pay at least $20 for a game and from there the price skyrockets. It is not unheard of for games to be as expensive as over $100. That might seem like a great deal of money (and in all honesty, it really is), but for those who are passionate about the hobby, the money is well spent. Continue reading

Paradisio Game Review

Vibrant blue waters, pristine beaches, and a lush tropical paradise are yours to explore and to build. Create a vast island or smaller archipelagos surrounded by bluer than blue waters. Paradise is only a tile or two away, but be careful to not get lost in the beauty. Each turn of the beach, each curve of the shoreline, and every cove needs to be connected. Fail to build your island paradise correctly and your utopia will quickly become a dystopia! Continue reading

Venture Forth Game Review

Power comes in many forms, be it wealth, knowledge, or might. Throughout the land, brave heroes seek such power, being led by their own ambitions, as they explore the land full of adventure and danger. The players will lead their own adventuring group of heroes and brave the road between pockets of civilization, encountering both friend and foe along the way. Some would say it is the journey that matters most and not the destination, but when the final destination is fulfilling your wildest dreams, one cannot help but take even the most dangerous road, even if the journey could mean death! Continue reading

Tangram Fury Game Review

Sitting down and relaxing while working on a puzzle has been an enjoyable and relaxing pastime for generations. BORING! It’s time to kick those puzzle skills up a notch and get your mind and fingers racing as you attempt to complete a Tangram puzzle before the other players do! You’ll need razor-sharp focus, nimble fingers, and a mind like a steel trap in order to win this game! It’s time to separate the puzzle “builders” from the puzzle “players”! Continue reading

Penguin Soccer Game Review

The game of soccer is celebrated, played, and followed just about everywhere in the world. It should then come as no surprise that a family of Penguins also enjoy playing the game! Instead of a field, they have a patch of ice, but that hardly makes any difference. The game is still the same and is just as challenging, if not more so. Now you can play the game with them and use all your strategic and tactical skills to score a goal! Careful! One wrong slip on the ice and you could find yourself losing the game! Continue reading

Code Monkey Game Review

Welcome to the wonderful world of corporate entry-level programming! Expect to be given more work than you can handle, be told how to do your job, and have your fellow programmers attempt to one-up you constantly. It’s not all bad. You have an endless supply of snacks and, best of all, the pretty receptionist that works down the hall might know your name! Just another day at the office, but this time, you are going to leave feeling a winner…maybe. Continue reading

Mermaid Beach Game Review

Mermaid Beach is a fun and fast game with a light level of character interaction and aggression. It’s a lot more fun than Go Fish, Old Maid, or Hearts, and yet has the same game mechanics of all three included resulting in a fun game for everyone to play. It’s perfect for the age group and for families, but the game elitist won’t have much use for it. A pity as I’m sure there are a lot of gamers who would enjoy Mermaid Beach. Continue reading

Joe Name It Game Review

Smarts and wits will be tested as the players are tasked to name a random number of people, places, or things. Sometimes, only one player will be put in the hot seat. Other times, everyone can play. Regardless, all the players must do their best to be the first to win the game as the game is also playing against the players! This makes for a strange mix of cooperative and competitive game play that is going to be a lot of fun at your next family gathering or party! Continue reading

Splish Splash! Game Review

What could be better on a hot day than a quick dip in the pool or a nearby pond? NOTHING! Recreate the fun of a hot summer’s day playing in the water with Splish Splash! as you and the other players attempt to make the biggest splash in the pond! Fun and chaos will ensue, but hidden underneath the surface of this kids game is a surprisingly entertaining experience for the entire family! Continue reading

A Story of Game Design From A Game Designer

Being a game designer is very much like being an architect and an artist at the same time. Game designers must split their focus between form and function to achieve a final product that is both pleasing to the eye and fun to play. Doug Arduini, the designer of the trivia game, Non-Trival Quest, recently sent us a brief summary of how his game came to life and went from a simple idea to a fully realized self-published product. Continue reading