Accessible Games

First Impressions: Baron Munchausen

By: Jacob Wood, August 24, 2015 Game Impressions

I 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

Get the game at DriveThruRPG.

Impressions

When someone sat down at my table during the IGDN Social and said “We’re going …
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Belfort First Impressions

By: Jacob Wood, April 4, 2014 Game Impressions

Game 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 Award Goes To”

By: Jacob Wood, June 13, 2013 Game Impressions

Introduction

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

By: Jacob Wood, April 15, 2013 Game Impressions

Game 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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