Bingo Dice Game Review (prepublished version)

Indian politician, television personality and former cricketer, Navjot Singh Sidhu, said “One who doesn’t throw the dice can never expect to score a six.” Depending on the game (and the context), that is either a good thing or a bad thing. In the case of this game, you want a six, but not always. And when you want that six is critical to winning or making someone else lose. Pick up the dice and let them roll! Continue reading

Poetry Slam Game Review

American poet, Robert Frost, said “Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.” Which begs the question what is going on when my youngest says, “Roses are red, violets are blue, I got some gum stuck to my shoe.” Which he did. Poetry, it would seem, can be about anything. Emotional, entertaining, and downright odd. It all works. Which is good because that’s what this game requires. Continue reading

GROWL Game Review (prepublished version)

The woods surrounding the village are dark, deep, and old. Children are taught not to go near it and only the bravest (or the most foolish) adults venture into its depths. The wood hides something that stays in the shadows, but not any longer. There have been animal attacks in the village and rumors are starting to be whispered from ear to ear that a werewolf is responsible. Villagers no longer trust one another and everyone is a possible enemy. Continue reading

Voodoo Game Review

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

The Cohort Game Review

Australian moral philosopher, Peter Singer, said “Ancient recipients of instant news probably couldn’t do very much about it, for instance. Xerxes would still need three months to get his army together, and he might not get home for years.” In this game, each player will be putting together a Roman Legion as quickly as possible and on very short notice. Shortcuts will be necessary, which means that complications will arise. Building an army is a lot more difficult than leading one into battle! Continue reading

Animal Ailments Game Review (prepublished version)

French actor and professional mime, Marcel Marceau, said “What sculptors do is represent the essence of gesture. What is important in mime is attitude.” In this game, players will be tasked to mime a random animal and a random ailment that plagues them. If time allows, they can steal cards, quietly, from opponents and gain additional points! Continue reading

Show & Tile Game Review (prepublished version)

Nobel Prize poet and playwright, Sir Derek Alton Walcott, said “The English language is nobody’s special property. It is the property of the imagination: it is the property of the language itself.” Words have meaning, and once spoken, bring forth mental images to those who listen. In this game, players will be spelling words not with letters, but with shapes. Continue reading

Commies! Game Review (prepublished version)

American publisher, philanthropist, and diplomat, Walter Annenberg, said “The greatest power is not money power, but political power.” In this game, power is given to you, but you must share it. This will not do. With the help of others, you might be able to take it all, but you are not the only one with big ambitions. You must work with others to obtain your goals, while at the same time helping others obtain theirs, to a point… Continue reading

Dungeon Busters Game Review

Greed is a powerful motivator. A group of adventurers willingly venture into a dangerous dungeon to claim treasure. Monsters are abundant, but the real threat is not what lurks in the darkness. Watch your friends carefully, for they might be the real danger. Continue reading

King of the Jungle Game Review

Neil deGrasse Tyson, an American astrophysicist, author, and science communicator, said “In the animal kingdom, one of the keys to survival is to outwit your enemies. And when you’re surrounded by carnivores, one of the best strategies is to fade into the background and disappear.” In this game, you are always hunting and being hunted. Your survival depends on knowing more than others. But even the weakest mosquito can take out the strongest lion if the timing is right. Continue reading

Go Cuckoo! Game Review

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

Loud About Game Review

American columnist, Franklin Pierce Adams, said: “Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory.” Memory is a funny thing. We think we remember things exactly as they are, but time erodes the details, and new life experiences fill in the gaps making a single memory a composite of memories and assumptions. In this game, memory is key to victory, but you’ll be hard-pressed to remember that when your’e in the heat of gameplay. Continue reading