Tag Archives: Action / Dexterity Games

Action/Dexterity games often compete players’ physical reflexes and coordination as a determinant of overall success. (source: BGG)

Fish & Katz Game Review

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I am currently a cat owner. I have had the pleasure of having dogs as pets, and I can confidently say that these two animal companions are different in a few key ways and similar in most others. Case in point, I have never met a dog or a cat that wasn’t eager to eat whatever I had. Dogs are more upfront about their intent and interest, with them begging at the table. Cats are much more subtle, feigning disinterest and then suddenly pouncing on unattended food. I am not ashamed that I have been bested more than once by my cats as they stole a bit of chicken or took off with a cracker. They are super crafty. In this game, you must be as quick and nimble as a cat to ensure the delicious fish you want doesn’t get into the wrong paws. Continue reading →

Fishing Race Game Review (prepublished version)

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The fishing industry is highly competitive and dangerous. It’s also highly lucrative. The risks are often outweighed by the wealth one can obtain by having a single successful season. But like all resources, there are limits to availability. In this game, all the players will be simultaneously attempting to catch as many fish as possible. Time is limited, and so is the supply of fish! 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 →

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 →

Blob Lobber Game Review

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American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, and poet who led the transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century, Ralph Waldo Emerson, said “Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect.” I don’t think “luck” is something you need to believe or disbelieve in. It’s just what we call the outcome of random possibilities that are not in our perceived control. Get off your high horse, Emerson! In this game, skill is set aside and replaced with the very real sense that the universe is on your side or laughing at you. Continue reading →

Pucket Game Review

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One of the most well-known Italian polymaths of the Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci, said “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Activities don’t have to be difficult to be entertaining, and seemingly simple tasks can be surprisingly complex. For example, how difficult can it be to pass a small wooden puck to another side of a board? The answer will surprise you. Wait, no it won’t. Continue reading →

Voodoo Game Review

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One of America’s most quoted writers of inspirational maxims, William Arthur Ward,  said, “Change, like sunshine, can be a friend or a foe, a blessing or a curse, a dawn or a dusk.” In this game, change will occur regardless of how a person feels about it. Expect to take on some strange new character traits as you and your friends attempt to outlast and out best each other as you hurl curses with little regard of its impact. You can always break your own curse, but expect the results to be less than beneficial. Sometimes it’s better to be cursed and unlucky if you want to win. Continue reading →

Rooster Rush Game Review

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There is an old joke about a chicken that crosses the road. It’s a horrible joke, and yet, as a species, we keep asking ourselves this same question, attempting to frame the answer in a comedic way for reasons that can never be truly justified. Most of the time this joke produces a groan. In this game, there is no joke to laugh at. Your chicken’s life depends on a sharp eye and quick reflexes. Continue reading →

Cookie Box Game Review

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American pastry chef, television celebrity and cookbook author, Johnny Luzzini, said “Baking is about multi-tasking. If you are organized and prepared, that’s half the battle.” Cooking is as much an art form as it is a science, and by “art form”, I mean juggling. In this game, players will be challenged to keep a cool head, focused attention, and be as fast as possible doing both. Continue reading →

Loot the Body! Game Review (prepublished version)

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The job of an adventurer is pretty easy. Find treasure, kill monsters, and stay alive. Out of the three, staying alive is the hardest to do alone, which is why you see so many adventuring parties. Safety in numbers in all that. The problem is, the more people you have, the less treasure you personally get. Thankfully, there is an easy – if not somewhat underhanded – way to fix this issue. Continue reading →

Kettou Game Review

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Japanese-American cartoonist and comic book creator, Stan Sakai, said “A samurai should always be prepared for death – whether his own or someone else’s.” To live by the sword is to die by the sword. The way of Bushido is the way of balance, of courage, and sacrifice. It’s time you tested your skill to see if your years of training have prepared you for this moment. Death is assured, but not necessarily yours. Continue reading →

Go Cuckoo! Game Review

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The cuckoo bird is a marvel of evolution. It is, by all accounts, dumber than a box of rocks, clumsy, and prone to accidents to the extreme. This species of bird should have long since disappeared from the face of Earth, but it continues to thrive for reasons that no scientist can explain. In this game, you’ll be helping this awkward bird build one very unsafe nest. Continue reading →