Accessible Games

Monster Kart Monday #2: More Mermaid Adventures

By: Jacob Wood, July 22, 2013 News

In last week’s Monster Kart Mayhem update, I talked about the newest race course for Monster Kart Mayhem based on Third Eye Games’ Mermaid Adventures. At that time I hadn’t finalized the Power-Ups or many of the race course details, but now the entire course has been completed.

Each new course, of the six total courses planned, will have a varying number of new racers and race course locations, but they will all have nine Power-Ups. The complete list of new Power-Ups for Mermaids of Monster Kart Mayhem includes:

• Shooting Starfish
• Oi-eel Lamp
• Turtle Armor
• Treasure Map
• Pearl Necklace
• Piranha Repellent
• Clam Clamps
• Clown Fish
• Mime Fish

I’m pleased to say that I have developed new and creative ways to work with the simple game mechanics of Monster Kart Mayhem to make some fairly unique race course terrain effects and Power-Up effects, as well as new Perks and Quirks for each of the racers.

For instance, the Clown …
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Monster Kart Monday #1: Mermaid Adventures

By: Jacob Wood, July 15, 2013 News

Last week I told you I was working on additional content for Monster Kart Mayhem and that I would have more to report soon. This week I’ll show you a first look at the first add-on for MKM, Mermaid Adventures.

If that name sounds familiar to you, it’s because Mermaid Adventures is a great RPG for kids by Third Eye Games. Check out this review I wrote in January 2013. Mermaid Adventures was also recently nominated for an ENnie award, one of the most prestigious awards in gaming.

With all of that being said, I received permission from Eloy Lasanta, the game’s author, to use Mermaid Adventures as the inspiration for the first add-on track of Monster Kart Mayhem. The world of Mermaid Adventures actually worked out very well for the game: in the core book, we discover that the residents of Atlantis …
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Camp Myth: the RPG Review

By: Jacob Wood, July 11, 2013 Game Reviews

Game Info

Publisher: Third Eye Games

Writing: Chris Lewis Carter and Eloy Lasanta

Layout: Eloy Lasanta

Cover Art: Tey Bartolome

Interior Art: Melissa Gay, Jay Camay, Therese Sevidal

Year Published: 2013

Pages: 110

Introduction

I mentioned in my review of Mermaid Adventures that this game was successfully funded on Kickstarter and would be out some time in 2013, and here it is.

Camp Myth: the RPG is the latest by Third Eye Games and follows Mermaid Adventures as another kid-friendly game using 3EG’s Pip System. In a world created by author Chris Lewis Carter, players get to take …
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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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Camp – The Game That Grows With You: Review

By: Jacob Wood, April 23, 2013 Game Reviews

Game Info

Publisher: Education Outdoors, Inc.

Year Published: 2007

Number of Players: 3 to 8

Play Time: 15 to 30 minutes

Set-up Time: 1 minute

Learning Curve: Low

Ages: Rated 8 and up

Table Size: Small

Introduction

On a recent trip through Oregon’s gorgeous Tillamook State Forest, I stopped at a forestry center and had a look around the gift shop. There I found this cute little board game called Camp – The Game That Grows With You. It looked like a basic trivia game without a lot of depth, but the topic was of interest and the sample questions on the back of the box seemed interesting so I thought “What the heck, why not give it a try?”

As it …
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Why Fudge is a Great Accessible RPG Pt. 2

By: Jacob Wood, February 8, 2013 Accessibility Articles

Introduction

Last week I began a discussion about what makes Fudge such a great accessible RPG. I gave a brief overview of Fudge and talked a little about how it’s great for teaching children how to play RPGs (or just to help them learn valuable lessons, like how cool dinosaurs are).

I’d like to continue that discussion with a few more topics. I’ll begin with a few more examples of Fudge for kids — this time from the perspective of others who’ve had experience with that topic — and finish up with a few examples of how Fudge is great for people with visual impairments.

Fudge for Kids

Fudge for Kids doesn’t extend just to dinosaurs and smiley-face trait ladders. There is an RPG currently in development that keeps children in mind. It’s called Heroes of Oz (Continue Reading Why Fudge is a Great Accessible RPG Pt. 2

Why Fudge is A Great Accessible RPG

By: Jacob Wood, February 2, 2013 Accessibility Articles

Introduction

Fudge, the Free-form Universal Do-it-Yourself Gaming Engine, probably wasn’t designed specifically with accessibility in mind but it possesses a lot of qualities that make it one of the best RPGs in regards to ease of access. It is simple yet powerful, infinitely adaptable, easy to learn and play, and its unique Fudge Dice are nicely tactile. I’d like to spotlight it for a moment and talk about why Fudge is a Great accessible RPG.

There is a lot to say …
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