Meeting My Hero
At Gen Con 2012, I was able to meet one of my heroes, the Dungeon Bastard. Hilarity ensues at the 55 second mark. Continue reading
At Gen Con 2012, I was able to meet one of my heroes, the Dungeon Bastard. Hilarity ensues at the 55 second mark. Continue reading
I, say! Have you heard, old boy? Those well-to-dos at the British Royal Academy of Space Exploration are at it again! They’ve got it in their heads that Mars is the next great land for us to tread on. I even hear that the Queen, of all people, is backing this lunacy! I don’t know about you, but those so-called “scientists” are messing with technology we cannot hope to understand or control! Dangerous, if you bloody well ask me. But think of the glory if it could be done! Mars! You know, I might have just talked myself into joining this little competition of theirs. After all, it’s all for a good cause and I would look simply smashing in a space suit! Continue reading
It is truly an island paradise, full of exotic birds and beautiful sandy beaches. Go deeper into it, however, and you’ll start to see the island’s more sinister side. The island natives, for one, are not too pleased that you have landed on their island, and are more than happy to push you back into the ocean with their spears. Then there’s the pirates and the walking skeletons, not to mention that very large and unstable volcano that looks to be erupting in the very near future. So why even bother to land on such an island? For the treasure, of course! And not just any treasure – pirate treasure! Work together to survive and be rich or, well…let’s not think about the alternative. Continue reading
It was an adventure like no other, to be sure. I think back on it now and wonder how we ever survived the storms, the sea monsters, the starvation, and the mutant cannibal monkey men. Oh, aye, they were a right jolly mess, they were. Ate half our crew, they did, and looked to still be hungry when they were done. But where was I…? Oh, the treasure! We found it, we did! The captain was right – there were mountains of gold and jewels! There was too much for a man to carry and too many baubles to count. It was then that I got me an idea… You see, the captain, he didn’t have the best of eyesight and I, well….I had me some mighty deep pockets, lad. Pockets I could fill with gold! Continue reading
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, or so the old idiom goes. In other words, what is useless to one can be exceptionally useful to another. A broken clock, for example, can yield springs and gears. A broken microwave can provide a magnetron and a capacitor. The point is, just because something is broken doesn’t mean it isn’t still useful. A product’s value might increase tenfold by simply breaking. And for a creative mind, all those parts can be collected and used to build something fantastic. All it takes is a little imagination and a scrapyard of junk becomes a smorgasbord of limitless possibilities! Continue reading
The most appealing aspect of this game is it’s a dungeon crawler that does not require a Dungeon Master (a player who controls the monsters and dungeon events). We have always enjoyed fully cooperative games like this, taking care to play at a leisurely pace and ensure that all players are contributors rather than spectators. I have played this three times so far with my little geeks and continue to be impressed with the quick set up and play. Always a bonus to be able to start playing 5 minutes after opening the box, not including time required for rules explanation. Continue reading
In the tribal culture of the Inuits, stories are told of brave hunters who risk it all. These stories entertain as well as teach the listener that endurance of the mind and spirit are essential to survival for the individual as well as the tribe. But bravery must be tempered with wisdom and boasting and bragging can be just as dangerous as a confrontation with a hungry polar bear. The truly wise and truly brave know that nothing can be accomplished without teamwork, but at the same time, failure is sure to follow a pack of fools. In which group do you want to be placed and how much are you willing to risk to obtain legendary status? Continue reading
The classic game of Dots and Boxes returns to the gaming arena with a new look, but with all its old tricks. Speed is not the key to victory here. A player must be patient, sneaky, and most of all, fully aware that their opponent is always trying to bait them. The game might sound complicated and intense, but it comes across as light and casual. Where the real battle is taking place is in the player’s minds as they attempt to mentally outmaneuver their opponent and claim victory one carefully placed piece at a time. Continue reading
The classic game of Monopoly jumps into the 1st century of the 3rd millennium by merging modern technology via the Apple iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad with the tried-and-true board game and bits. By doing so, the game takes itself into a new direction by providing mini games and electronic fund transfers, giving the players a new game experience without upsetting the game balance. But not necessarily for the better… Continue reading
When I was a kid, I wanted to conquer the world. Through the game of Risk, of course, not actual global conquest. I loved Risk. I played the game every day at family reunions, and I was always trying to get friends to play. As I got older, and played more games, I started to realize that an individual’s goals can conflict with other players’ goals without the need – or possibility – of hostility. And so, I went about to design such a game. Continue reading
Every time the back-to-school commercials come on television, parents everywhere find themselves asking the same thing: “Is it that time already? Where did the summer go?” And honestly, as your child contemplates about the painful act of waking up early, catching the school bus, and coming home in the afternoon with lots of homework to do, they’re probably asking themselves the exact same thing. (sponsored post) Continue reading
Borrowing from the classic games Score Four and Connect Four, Eternas offers a refreshing new take on the classic abstract strategy game of four-in-a-row pattern building. Up, down, and diagonal are all here, but the new twist is that the columns in which the players build on are in a circle. There is no longer a board or grid edge that the player’s cannot cross or are restricted by and the only limitation is the height of each column. Best of all, there is never a chance for a tie as the players use and reuse their pieces until one player completes the necessary pattern to win. Continue reading