First Impressions: Baron Munchausen
August 24, 2015 Game ImpressionsI mentioned in a recent GenCon Recap article that I had the opportunity to play The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen as my first impromptu game of the con. This zany game of tall tale telling provided a great experience for several of us during the IGDN Social, a casual pre-con get-together for Indie Game Developer Network members and friends.
Game Info
Publisher: Magnum Opus Press
Year Published: 1998
Number of Players: 2+ (the more the merrier)
Play Time: 30+ minutes (depends on number of players)
Set-up Time: 5 minutes
Learning Curve: Low
Ages: Any, although it’s geared toward adults
Table Size: Small
Impressions
When someone sat down at my table during the IGDN Social and said “We’re going …
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Belfort First Impressions
April 4, 2014 Game ImpressionsGame Info
Publisher: Tasty Minstrel Games
Year Published: 2011
Number of Players: 2 to 5
Play Time: 90 to 180 minutes
Set-up Time: 5 to 10 minutes
Learning Curve: Medium
Ages: Rated 12 and up
Table Size: Medium to Large
Introduction
At Gamestorm 16 I had the opportunity to play Belfort, an award-winning worker placement game published in the US by Tasty Minstrel Games.
In Belfort, players are competing to win control of several different city districts. To do so, they’ll use a variety of workers — namely elves, dwarves, and gnomes — to perform labor, gather resources, build new structures, and wrest control from other players.
Game Play
Tasty Minstrel Games (TMG) gives us a pretty good overview of the game from Continue Reading Belfort First Impressions
Kickstarter Preview: The ONE
June 17, 2013 Game ImpressionsRecently I received a preview copy of a game called The ONE, a dice game from Dave Kiurski. The game is a luck-based party game in which players roll giant foam dize through plastic tubes and record the outcome on a record sheet.
The ONE is actually four games in, well, one. Each game has variants on rules used to determine the victor. The basic game is a challenge to see who can roll the highest total of three frames. It’s a double-elimination tournament, and the game continues until a single person can be declared The ONE — the person who has not lost any games.
In a game called The Last ONE, players roll off in an effort to capture one another’s dice. The player who rolls the highest value of a given frame takes a dice from the player who rolled the lowest value. The game repeats until one player has …
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Kickstarter Preview: “The Award Goes To”
June 13, 2013 Game ImpressionsIntroduction
I owe a lot to Kickstarter for the success of Psi-punk, and I think the platform is a great way for other new independant publishers to get a chance to put their new and unique games in front of the entire world. Sometimes those games just need a bit of exposure, which is why you’ll find plenty of Kickstarter mentions and previews here on the site.
Preview
Today’s preview is for a card game by Monkey Finger Games called “The Award Goes To” This game is a blind betting game that lampoons Hollywood, movies, and actors. It’s also great for bolstering basic math skills for kids, and that’s something I really like to see.
So what is it about, and why is it so kid-friendly?
In “The Award Goes To,” players take on the roll of Hollywood producers who are just trying to make the best movies they can. And win …
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Ra by Rio Grande Games: First Impressions
April 15, 2013 Game ImpressionsGame Info
Publisher: Rio Grande Games
Year Published: 1999 (original German language version), 2009 (3rd Edition, now with 2-5 players option)
Number of Players: 2 to 5
Play Time: 60 minutes
Set-up Time: 5 minutes
Learning Curve: Low to Medium
Ages: Rated 12 and up
Table Size: Medium to Large
Introduction
Ra was the last of three board games I had a chance to play on Saturday of Gamestorm 15. By the time this game came out it was about 9:30 at night and we were all getting pretty tired, so Ra made a nice choice — it’s a fairly simple game that is easy to learn, but apparently difficult to master. The core auction mechanic is a cinch to …
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Pirate’s Cove by Days of Wonder: First Impressions
April 12, 2013 Game ImpressionsGame Info
Publisher: Days of Wonder
Year Published: 2002
Number of Players: 3 to 5
Play Time: 90 minutes
Set-up Time: 5 minutes
Learning Curve: Low
Ages: Rated 8 and up
Table Size: Medium to Large
Introduction
At this year’s Gamestorm 15 convention, I had the opportunity to play Pirat’es Cove, a game about stealing treasure, killing pirates, and bragging about it at the tavern. Though I only got to play it once, I found the experience very enjoyable and this game is now near the top of my wish list. What makes it so fun? I’m glad you asked.
Game Description
BoardGameGeek has a pretty thorough description of Pirate’s Cove:
Come aboard and sail to Pirate’s Cove… the legendary hideaway of …
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Castle Panic First Impressions
March 27, 2013 Game ImpressionsGame Info
Publisher: Fireside Games
Year Published: 2009
Number of Players: 1 to 6
Play Time: 60 minutes
Set-up Time: 5 to 10 minutes
Learning Curve: Low
Ages: Rated 10 and up
Table Size: Medium
Introduction
Ever since I first saw Castle Panic on Wil Wheaton’s TableTop, I have had a hankering to give it a try. I love co-op games and fantasy themes, so this seemed like a great mixture of the two. Finally I got a chance to give it a test spin at this year’s annual Gamestorm convention, and I certainly was impressed.
Description
Courtesy of the Castle …
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Lost Cities: First Impressions
March 28, 2012 Game Impressions
Game Info
Publisher: Kosmos, Rio Grande Games
Year Published: 1999
Number of Players: 2-2
Play Time: About 30 – 45 minutes
Set-up Time: About 5 minutes
Ages: 10 and up
Table Size: Medium
Impressions
I recently got to take Lost Cities for a spin during the 14th annual Gamestorm convention in Vancouver, WA. My friend and I were looking for a quick game to pass the time, and this one was recommended by one of the people attending the Games Library booth at the convention.
Lost Cities is an easy-to-learn card game designed for only two players and was part of the Kosmos 2-Player Games series. The premise is pretty simple: You …
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Back to the Future – the Card Game: First Impressions
March 21, 2011 Game ImpressionsBack to the Future – the Card Game is a great family game that is worth adding to just about any collection. It isn’t incredibly detailed or difficult to learn, so I think even younger folks could pick it up and understand it, and it certainly doesn’t feel like a cheap licensed cash-grab either. While not incredibly deep, the gameplay is interesting and entertaining enough to play more than just once or twice, which certainly makes it worth the cost. Though I wouldn’t consider this a must-have game for everyone, it certainly deserves a spot on the gaming shelf, especially if you’re a Back to the Future fan.
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Mystery of the Abbey: First Impressions
December 18, 2010 Game Impressions
Game Info
Publisher: Days of Wonder
Year Published: 2007 (with Pilgrim expansion) / 1996 (originally)
Number of Players: 36
Play Time: 90 to 120 minutes
Set-up Time: About 5 minutes
Ages: 10 and up
Table Size: Medium
Impressions
I recently had the joy of trying out this “who done it” game with some friends who I gave it to as a Christmas gift. A buddy of mine and I were trying to pick out a game that would make a great gift for a couple, since both have varying tastes in board games and were looking for something that would be good for a larger group. After much deliberation, we decided to go with Mystery of the Abbey because it seemed like …
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