Summer Camp Game Review

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Summer camp, for many children, is the first opportunity to be away from their parents, jump in a stupidly cold lake, and master the sacred art of burning the bejesus out of your s’more. For some, it meant a night in cabins telling ghost stories by flashlight. For others, it meant sleeping under the stars and late-night campfires. For all, summer camp is an adventure full of memories, bug bites, and maybe a first kiss. Return to summer camp at your family table. This game does not require bug spray or sunscreen but will need you to think about how you want to build your adventure. Continue reading →

Super Mega Lucky Box Game Review

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American astrophysicist, cosmologist, and winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics laureate John C. Mather said: “There is strength in numbers, but organizing those numbers is one of the great challenges.” In this game, players will be tasked to complete cards by crossing out random numbers. But look deeper, and you see that between the known and the unknown, the moment when there is limited and unlimited potential, there is a great deal of apprehension and excitement. It can be addictive. Randomness and luck might be everywhere, but we can infer a great deal by simply observing and making smart choices. And that’s the game. Continue reading →

Munchkin Marvel Game Review

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Beloved and missed American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer, Stan Lee, said: “With great power comes great responsibility.” In this game, players take on the role of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents who are tasked to put down dangerous supervillains who threaten humanity and sometimes cosmic balance. To do so, they must grow in strength and acquire powers. But growing stronger also means making yourself vulnerable. With great power does come responsibility, but it also includes a giant target on your back. Continue reading →

The Whatnot Cabinet Game Review

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A curio cabinet is a display case or shelf that can hold just about anything. At a glance, it appears to be nothing more than a collection of random bits and pieces. A small drawing of a girl by a pond, an old brass key with no lock to work, a bit of sand in a glass jar from a distant shore, and an old watch that has long since stopped telling the hour correctly except for two times a day. Some might see this as junk, but take a closer look, and you’ll see treasures. In this game, players will take their own journey and collect items of personal value. Placing them on their shelves is only the beginning, as collecting and organizing intelligently is how you win the game. Continue reading →

Dale of Merchants Collection Game Review

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American economist, Paul Samuelson, said “Economics is a choice between alternatives all the time. Those are the trade-offs.” If that is the case, having more choices certainly seems like a step in the right direction. A case in point is this nice collection of new game enhancements to the Dale of Merchants series that brings more fun in different ways. As always, be careful who you enlist to help you become the leaders of the merchants, but with so many choices, how can you go wrong? Continue reading →

Snakesss Game Review

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To call someone a “snake” is to suggest they are underhanded and being deceitful. A person who is a “snake in the grass” is even worse. Not only are they deceitful, but they are doing so with the intent of harming you in some way. In this game, the grass is high, and there be snakes hidden at your ankles. But worry not, as a helpful mongoose has your back. The trick, however, is knowing a friend from foe. Trust who you will, but never doubt that some have forked tongues. Continue reading →

Dale of Merchants 2: The Era of Trade Masters Game Review

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Czech writer best know for The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera, said “Business has only two functions – marketing and innovation.” In this game, it’s all about getting the goods to market and beating the competition to the punch. You must be creative, innovative, and most of all, flexible. All your plans at the moment might go up in smoke or all your wildest dreams might come true, but way too soo. It’s all about balance, supply, demand, and outthinking your opponent. Continue reading →

Fossil Canyon Game Review (prepublished version)

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American paleontologist who helped reshape modern theories about dinosaurs, Robert T. Bakker, said, “Fossils have richer stories to tell – about the lub-dub of dinosaur life – than we have been willing to listen to.” There is always something new to discover, and the only way to find it is to dig. Dig in the earth and then dig through all the possibilities of what life must have been like for these long-extinct giants that once walked where we now stand. In this game, players take on the role of a paleontologist and attempt to find and then build a complete dinosaur skeleton. Little do the players know that the real competition is the paleontologist sitting next to them. So dig deep and dig fast. Continue reading →

Mandala Stones Game Review

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Dutch post-impressionist painter, Vincent van Gogh, said, “The great artist is the simplifier.” In this game, players will be asked to make what is seemingly simple decisions, collecting colors, and creating patterns, with the intent of creatively scoring while at the same time creating art. All the while, the player’s opponents are doing the same. Artists might be simplifiers, but when you share a small canvas with more than one, things go from simple to elaborately complex. Continue reading →

Twisted Game of War Game Review

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American politician and women’s rights advocate Jeannette Rankin said, “You can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake.” Unlike real war, in this game of quick skirmishes and battles, there will always be a winner. But as you’ll soon read, not everyone who played felt like they spent their time wisely, including the winners of the game. Continue reading →

Domaniacal Game Review

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I fondly recall playing Dominos with my grandmother at the family table when I was just a little Child Geek. I don’t recall there being much of a “game” to it other than having fun matching numbers and creating interesting connections. Little did I know my grandmother was tricking me into doing math, recognizing patterns, and thinking strategically about what tiles I was using! Much later, I would use the same trick with my own little geeks, which worked great. In this game, the same is asked of its players, but the only real trick is managing your hand intelligently, so you always have options and a road to victory. Continue reading →

Seven Dragons Game Review

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The very first fantasy creature I can remember falling in love with is the dragon. A fearsome foe to fight in games and a wise teacher in others. They represent chaos and order, destruction and creation. Dragons have been part of mythology in just about every culture and continue to be a topic of discussion, interest, and admiration. In this game, players will attempt to match different colored dragons to the table, and just like dealing with real fake dragons, you best be careful how you go about it. Never trust a dragon, and never trust this game to give victory to you easily. Continue reading →