One of the many miraculous abilities of the human mind is to create order from chaos. We can take a 5000 piece puzzle and put it together, we can look at strings of numbers and determine a pattern, and we can look at a hand of cards with random letters to create words. It’s our ability to reason that has allowed us to go to the Moon, avoid being eaten by tigers, and to invent games we can play with the whole family. Continue reading
Some see it as a rite of passage. Others see it as a whole lot of work for not much pay. Regardless of the position you take, the job of a paperboy or girl is a big first step into the adult world of responsibility. You have to wake-up early, collect the papers, organize them, roll them, and then stuff them in your bag. Then it’s time to hit the streets riding your BMX as Van Halen screams from your headphones attached to your Sony Walkman! I miss my childhood… Continue reading
Being a farmer is not an easy life. You are forever at the mercy of nature and must risk it all in hopes of having a yield big enough to sell within a fickle market to make a profit. Farming is not for the thin-skinned or weak of heart, as land disappears, competitors are always looking for a weak spot, and there is little you can do to protect yourself other than mentally prepare for the worst. For those who are strong and lucky enough, the rewards are worth the struggle. You must be smart, savvy, quick, and able to take a punch. If you are, welcome to Farmageddon, the war in the farm fields. If not, try to get a job in the retail market. I hear they are hiring. Continue reading
Imagine a world where vast kingdoms are ruled not by men, but by beasts. Magic and mystery float through the air like clouds, and sword and shield protect the innocent. An endless world full of adventure and exploration. This is the background for a deck of cards known as the Decktet. The cards it contains mean many things and can tell the future as well as the past, wage wars and create peace, create sunny days at the market or deadly storms at sea. All things are possible through this one deck. 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
As the dice tumble and change, so too does the fortunes of the players. A single roll of the dice might provide much opportunity or nothing of value. With the use of cards that can shift the dice and change the outcome, all the players must race to collect the dice values and colors they need before they are altered and made useless. This is a game of timing, of judging how much risk is acceptable so as to make big points, and getting what you can before someone else does! Get in, get out, take it, or leave it! Continue reading
Cthulhu Fluxx is the newest addition to the Fluxx family of card games from Looney Labs. This time around, the players will not only be playing for victory, but also to keep their sanity! The Elder Gods are starting to break through and it is up to the players to drive them back! Of course, sometimes the goal is to also fall deeper into madness! Cthulhu has awakened and Yog-Sothoth means to devour the world! Time to find some ancient artifacts and send those Elder Gods back to the dark and remote corners of existence! Continue reading
I very much like this game. When I play it with my little geeks, it is an exercise in memorization and watching my children learn the subtle art of risk vs. reward, bluffing & misdirection, and ganging up on Daddy. When I play with casual gamers, it is a fun and relaxed game where we all laugh and roll our eyes at each other as we steal points and make bad decisions. When I play it with my Gamer Geek friends, it turns into a bloodbath and sharp words are exchanged at the table. Three very different game experiences with the same game. Games that can be played with such a wide group with different levels of experience and provide very different but always rewarding game play are rare. Continue reading
Jail is remarkably boring. All you do is sit around all day, perhaps workout, eat some food, and watch some TV. It’s like that everyday and will be the rest of your life unless you do something about it. The right thing to do is work to become a better person and get out of jail early for good behavior. But that will take forever, because you’ve got a lot to work on. Nope, the fastest way out of your cell is to breakout and make a run for it. Of course, you’ll have to avoid the guards, so digging a tunnel is the best way to go. And your High School guidance counselor said you lacked initiative! HA! Take that public education! 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
PLAGUE, by Grey Gnome Games, is a low-fantasy themed trick-taking card game set in the dark ages of Europe where three major kingdoms are in a great war and death is all about. Sword and shield might rule the battlefield, but the Plague can reduce the mightiest army to dust and decay. The game plays fast, has a unique scoring mechanism, and uses simple rules making it highly accessible. Continue reading
A successful farmer knows when to buy and when to sell, but the market is a competitive one, which means you must watch your opponents as closely as you watch the market! Simply excellent in its execution, smart in its design (other than the paper money), and thoroughly enjoyable, Fill the Barn is a game you should sit down and play the very first chance you get! Continue reading
