Traintopia Game Review

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Co-founder of Pixar and president of Walt Disney Animation Studios, Edwin Catmull, said, “Driving the train doesn’t set its course. The real job is laying the track.” In this game, players take on the responsibility of doing just that. They will build an extensive network of rails, stations, and sites to see along the way. The goal is to connect, but more importantly, connect with a purpose and to provide value. A lesson we can all benefit from, both at and away from the gaming table. Continue reading →

Pirates of Gold Cove Game Review

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Captain Samuel Bellamy (also known as”Black Sam” Bellamy), an English pirate who operated in the early 18th century, said, “Nations rob the poor under the cover of law. Pirates plunder the rich under the cover of their own courage!” In this game, you’ll play as a pirate captain with your crew in search of treasure! The goal is to be as rich as possible, but don’t let the lure of gold make you blind. Play your cards smart, and Lady Luck might smile upon you. Continue reading →

Stringamajig Game Review

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French fashion designer best known for his signature high-heeled stiletto shoes, Christian Louboutin, said, “I am very bad at drawing. Seriously. I can draw shoes. That’s about it.” Drawing is an art form and a talent a few have made into a career. Not to toot my own horn, but I have drawn a damn good stick-person (which no one is willing to pay for). In this game, your artistic skill – present or not – will be tested as you attempt to use a bit of uncooperative string to illustrate a simple word. This is a game full of creativity and hilarity. An artist you need not be, but you best bring your patience. Continue reading →

Dungeon Drop Game Review

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Exploring dungeons takes time and work. You have to get your party in order, gear up, and then make sure everyone is set to arrive at the dungeon’s precipice at the same time. It’s a lot like trying to get the kids up, fed, and out to school. Huh… Anyway, in this game, you can put aside all that prepping nonsense and jump right into dungeons deep. Deal a few cards and drop some cubes. BOOM! Instant dungeon! But like all raids into dark places full of nasty beasts, you’ll have to have your wits about you and some luck to spend! Continue reading →

Letter Jam Game Review

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English novelist and essayist, journalist and critic, George Orwell (whose real name is Eric Arthur Blair – fun fact), said: “Language ought to be the joint creation of poets and manual workers.” In this game, players will work together to put together a series of clues – both seen and unseen – to help each player solve their word puzzle. It’s a game that takes communication and teamwork, guessing and deduction, and, most importantly, is specific to each player’s vocabulary skills! Continue reading →

Horseshoes and Hand Grenades Game Review (prepublished version)

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One of the United States’ most respected former basketball coaches, Dick Motta, said “War is the only game in which it doesn’t pay to have the home-court advantage.” In this game of war, where the soldiers the players will command are literally thrown and tossed into the warzone, there is no advantage to be gained. Victory is simply a matter of luck and good timing. Continue reading →

Grab Your Pitchforks and Torches! Game Review

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French author and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, André Paul Guillaume Gide, said: “There are very few monsters who warrant the fear we have of them.” Not the case in this game! The castle overlooking the village is now occupied by evil. Monsters roam the grounds behind the castle’s tall walls and livestock is going missing at night. Rumors are circulating and fear is growing among the people. Having enough, the local peasantry is taking matters into their own hands. Grabbing pitchforks and torches, they march to the castle’s gates, but will they be ready for what they encounter? Continue reading →

Slide Quest Game Review

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American Christian minister and activist who became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., said, “Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.” If it hurts you to think – to furrow your brow and concentrate critically – then I have a game here you should avoid. This is a puzzler – a quest – to navigate as a team through treacherous terrain and dangerous turns. Only the bravest and most emotionally stable need to apply to play this video game inspired tabletop challenge. Continue reading →

Big Bad Fables Game Review (prepublished version)

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American entrepreneur, animator, voice actor, and film producer Walt Disney said, “All cartoon characters and fables must be an exaggeration and caricatures. It is the very nature of fantasy and fable.” Stories capture our imagination and serve to not only entertain, but to teach. Embedded in the stories we were told as children are lessons to learn. Danger and hope lurk in our nursery rhymes and fables. There are monsters and heroes. In this game, the Big Bad Wolf is out-and-about, but safety can be had if a sturdy house is built. Continue reading →

Shuffle Grand Prix Game Review

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Former American professional stock car racing driver, Jeff Gordon, said, “I think fear is what keeps us from going over the edge. I mean, as a race car driver, I don’t think what makes a good race car driver is a fearless person. I think it’s somebody comfortable being behind the wheel of something that’s somewhat out of control.” In this game, control is an illusion. You can equip your vehicle for speed, throw down traps to slow down your opponent, and even sabotage an engine or two. In the end, what will win the race is random lucky outcomes and close calls. Continue reading →

Crimes in History: H. H. Holmes’ Murder Castle Review (prepublished version)

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American serial killer, Dr. Henry Howard Holmes (better known as  H. H. Holmes), said, “I was born with the devil in me. I could not help the fact that I was a murderer, no more than a poet can help the inspiration to sing.” So good was Holmes at killing that he constructed a building full of traps and prisons right in the middle of a street in Chicago, known now as the “Murder Castle.” You and a few other unlucky souls find yourself lost in the sprawling labyrinth designed to torture and confuse. If you hope to survive, you must find evidence and escape, but time is short! Continue reading →

Fences Game Review

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If you own livestock, you need two things right from the start: space and means to enclose said space. In this game, players will take on the responsibility of building their farmland, filling it with as much livestock as they can, and then closing it with fences to ensure the livestock doesn’t run amok. But there is only so much land to go around, and that makes claiming it just as important as building it. Continue reading →