Route 66: Get Your Tricks Game Review

English conductor known for his association with the London Symphony Orchestra, having first conducted it in 1959, Colin Davis said, “The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same.” In this game, players will go down the iconic highway, Route 66. Players will race from the middle of the United States to the West Coast in hopes of being the very first player to see the ocean. However, the road to be traveled is bumpy, and victory will only go to the player who can navigate it wisely. Continue reading

Traintopia Game Review

Co-founder of Pixar and president of Walt Disney Animation Studios, Edwin Catmull, said, “Driving the train doesn’t set its course. The real job is laying the track.” In this game, players take on the responsibility of doing just that. They will build an extensive network of rails, stations, and sites to see along the way. The goal is to connect, but more importantly, connect with a purpose and to provide value. A lesson we can all benefit from, both at and away from the gaming table. Continue reading

Tahiti Game Review

American playwright, essayist, and figure in twentieth-century American theater, Arthur Miller, said “Where choice begins, Paradise ends, innocence ends, for what is Paradise but the absence of any need to choose this action?” In this game, you live on a beautiful tropical island that is rich with beauty, but not with resources. You must brave the ocean and visit nearby islands in hopes of finding what you need to survive. Be smart or your paradise will turn into a hell. Continue reading

Pack O Games (Set 1) Game Review

The earliest card game that somewhat resembles today’s deck of cards is Karnöffel, which was played in the 15th century. Since them, cards have found their way into many different games. Cards can be used as markers, values, and even monsters. But the shape of the card has changed little. In this pack of cards, the complete game is contained in a small box no bigger than a package of gum. Chew on that for a moment. Continue reading

Yardmaster Express Game Review

Anyone who has worked on the railroad will tell you that it’s not how long your train is, but what you are hauling that counts. In this game, players will be making a train of the same length, but it’s how the railcars are coupled that will make the difference. The player who can build a train on the line that has the most of a common good will become the master of the rails! Continue reading

Yardmaster Game Review

Who among us has not seen a train roaring down the rails or heard the lonesome whistle of the engine calling at night? Trains are everywhere, but we seldom take the time to consider how they prepare for their trip. In this game, players will be working to load their trains with valuable cargo. Until the engines roll away, all efforts will result in zero profit. Continue reading

Roadkill Rivals Game Review (prepublished version)

There is no better example of two worlds violently colliding than a long stretch of highway. Here you will find mankind zooming back and forth and nature attempting to move between high-speed vehicles. For those on the road and those animals about to cross it, a brief encounter and misstep can lead to grave circumstances. Continue reading

Cargo: Dead in the Water Game Review (prepublished version)

American writer George William Curtis said, “It is not the ship so much as the skillful sailing that assures the prosperous voyage.” In this game, players will command a fleet of ships that will traverse the Atlantic ocean in search of goods to buy and sell for profit. But the journey is treacherous, filled with pirates and cutthroat competition. Skillful sailing will win the day, but so will cannon fire. Continue reading

Trainmaker Game Review (prepublished version)

The most fundamental concept of economics is supply and demand. One group has goods to sell and the other group has money to burn. What’s missing is the middleman who makes certain the supply reaches those who demand it. That’s where you come in. You have the money and the means to build a railroad empire. With luck and determination, you could make history. Continue reading

Rum Run Deluxe Edition Game Review

In 1920, it became illegal to order a beer or any alcoholic beverage. Both politicians and church leaders saw Prohibition as a means to get the United States firmly back on the moral track it had jumped from. In contrast, criminals and law-abiding citizens saw Prohibition as a wonderful business opportunity. Men who always lived on the right side of the law now made illegal whiskey in their homes and honest day laborers transported barrels of alcohol under the protective cover of night. Continue reading

Railroads Game Review

Supply and demand is an easy concept to grasp. If a person wants something, they are willing to pay for it. Being profitable is the real trick. To be successful, you must keep track of trends and anticipate wants and needs. If you do it right, you can make a lot of money. Do it wrong and you can lose everything. In this game, knowing your market is the key to success! All aboard the money train! Continue reading

Expedite Game Review

They say the sky is the limit, but this is not technically correct. The sky, in this case, is just the beginning and the means to achieve your goals of global influence as a world airline power. Before you is the map of the world and each country represents a destination and opportunity. If you connect the people, the money will follow. But you have fierce competition and what you own now can be taken from you. Nothing is certain. Time to fly the not-so-friendly skies! Continue reading