Dragons, trolls, undead skeleton warriors, goblins, and orcs muster outside the walls of the castle. From the parapets, the commanders and a handful of Heroes look down at the massing Legions of Darkness. The walls of the castle are thick and old, well seasons by the elements and war. The castle has stood against time and against countless foes, but the army that is approaching is bigger than any warrior can remember. Continue reading
I really enjoyed Word Wars I.II.III. I found it to be terribly frustrating and rewarding, leaving me giddy when I was able to make three simple words. Only three! And yet, it felt like an incredible feat of intelligence. This is especially true when you score points. It really is a challenge of intellect and seeing words in a cloud of limited possibilities is a great puzzle to solve. Continue reading
A fellow fatherly geek writes to us for advice on how he might safely exit his personal collectible card game Hell. Well, were’ no Virgil, but we think we can help guide this poor soul out with some helpful advice. And no, not a drop of Holy Water or lengthy rituals are necessary. All that is needed is time, patience, and the will to play Candy Land and games about cute little monsters you capture in small plastic balls for a couple of years. Continue reading
Victory has a lot going for it. It is fast, nail-biting, and requires skill. It is not just a game that you can expect to play well by only partially paying attention. The players must constantly reevaluate their opponent’s and their own position as meeples are removed and replaced, or even reinforced on the battlefield. But the game has some serious set backs, too. Continue reading
You’ve got the land, built the cages and pens, and are ready to open your zoo! One problem, though, you have no animals! No worries, you can go out and capture the animals you need to fill your zoo. Oh, but there’s the type of animals to think about. You can’t just go putting lions next to kangaroos or fill an entire section of your zoo with moose, after all! Jeepers, owning a zoo is work! No time to think about your career choices now! Go grab your net and start bagging critters! Continue reading
Despite being forewarned, I was surprised how quickly my little geeks grasped the concept of this game. It is easy to understand, rather more difficult to explain. The first time we played, I won quite comfortably, not by any means a walkover though. Subsequently, I have struggled to keep up with my 7-year-old son and my 5-year-old daughter is not far behind. Continue reading
The world was at war in 1915. Young men left their homes to fight in foreign lands with names they could not pronounce, but knew all too well once the fighting began. Massive armies clashed with victories and losses on both sides. There were also heroes and leaders who overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles at every turn. One such obstacle was the deadlock between miles of trenches where soldiers on both sides hunkered down. Continue reading
Bop-It! Smash, from Hasbro, is the “little brother” version of Bop-It! XT, offering easier controls, simpler game play, and a new way to train your brain. While Bop-It! XT challenged a player to listen and react, Bop-It! Smash changes it up and challenges the player to observe and react. This makes the game a very different experience and can be played by a younger crowd as well as individuals who are hard of hearing or even deaf. Continue reading
A fellow geek and reader asks us how she can unglue her child from video games. Hmm… If is very tough to pull children away from the TV and computer screens. In our house, we managed to do it through tabletop games that compared to the video games our children were playing. Instead of trying to drag them away from the screen, entice them with something that is familiar to what they are already doing. Continue reading
Bob S., a reader of Father Geek, has sent us a question asking if we can offer any suggestions on how to best store games. Is there a best way to store games? Perhaps, but when you take into consideration space, collection size, and personal preference to how a game should or should not be stored, there is no single good answer. But we do have suggestions! Continue reading
Here’s a fun fact. I once contributed to a comic. Well, technically, one release of a comic strip and it never went anywhere despite the illustrator and I having “big dreams” about our work. I was the writing talent and my friend, Brian Fyffe, was the talented illustrator. We worked very well together as we had the same humor, liked the same things, and agreed that I could not draw myself out of a wet paper sack, let alone draw something that resembled a wet paper sack. Continue reading
The game is very much like RoboRally in the sense that is makes the players think ahead and visualize what the game will look like in the near future. I personally love games like this and Pirate Dice is no exception. Each game is different, even when playing with the same opponents. The random map set up and the random available maneuvers makes each game feel fresh. I couldn’t be happier with the game and expect it to become one of the top pirate games played in my house for many years. Continue reading
