Review: Power Outage RPG

Game Info

Publisher: Go Nerdy

Writing: Bebarce El-Tayib

Year Published: 2019

Pages: 190

Visit the Power Outage page on RPGGeek.

Introduction

There are a lot of kid-friendly RPGs on the market. Just check out this list of them on RPGGeek. To my knowledge, however, there is only one RPG designed specifically for kids which also was designed as a guide for parents and educators of children with disabilities. That honorable distinction goes to Power Outage, a new game by Bebarce El-Tayib. Naturally, when I first heard about this game I knew I had to get my hands on it. I needed to see what others were doing in terms of accessible games, and the promise of a super hero themed …
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Review: Sunny Day Pond, a Children’s Game

Game Info

Publisher: Peaceable Kingdom

Year Published: 2014

Number of Players: 2 to 4

Play Time: 10 to 15 minutes

Set-up Time: 1 minute

Learning Curve: Low

Ages: Rated 3 and up, but suitable for some 2-year-olds

Table Size: Small

Introduction

It’s been a long time since I’ve reviewed a board game around here, but one of the original purposes of this website was to talk about game accessibility. One aspect of accessibility is a game’s appeal to a variety of audiences, and Sunny Day Pond is one of those games that’s certainly accessible to young gamers.

Description

Sunny Day Pond is a co-operative puzzle game for children. Its simple design has won multiple awards thanks to its nearly flawless presentation and execution. It teaches several …
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Review: Fields of Blood and Honor

Game Info

Publisher: Flying Hare Productions

Author: Dominick Riesland

Year Published: 2013

Number of Pages: 55 (51 pages of content)

Get Fields of blood and honor at DriveThruRPG.

Introduction

I recently launched a product called Fire Starters as part of the Gamer Lifestyle Product Creation Bootcamp, in which several members of Johnn Four’s Gamer Lifestyle program designed, wrote, and published an RPG product in 30 days.

Fields of Blood and Honor was produced as part of that same bootcamp, which is what makes this product so much more amazing to me. It’s 51 pages of pure content, and it’s …
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Camp Myth: the RPG Review

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 …
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Killshot: Reloaded Backer Preview

Introduction

Broken Ruler Games recently launched a Kickstarter campaign for Killshot: Reloaded, the second edition of their assassin RPG. I was fortunate to receive an early copy of the backer preview, which you can get by pledging even $1 to the Reloaded Kickstarter.

The Kickstarter campaign is going from now, May 29th, through June 28th. Don’t wait to get in on the action though; the sooner you pledge, the sooner you’ll get your own preview copy.

Visit the Killshot: Reloaded Kickstarter page.

Preview

Disclosure: I received an early copy of this backer preview for review.

Killshot: Reloaded is the second edition of Killshot by Broken Ruler Games. [URL] In Killshot, players take …
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Camp – The Game That Grows With You: Review

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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Free RPG Review: HelperMonkey.com

Game Info

Author: Sean Cox

Year Published: 2011

Pages: 20

RPGGeek Entry: HelperMonkey.com | Download for Free

Introduction

Free RPGs are easy to come by, but finding good free RPGs is a little trickier. Thankfully, RPGGeek often runs game design contests and it has produced several gems.

One such game, designed in just two days for the 2011 48-Hour Design Contest, is HelperMonkey.com. This game won first place (even beating my own Colors of Grey) and I enjoyed it so much I even wrote an adventure for it. 

HelperMonkey.com/Santa
HelperMonkey.com-Santa.pdf

492.1 KiB
706 Downloads

There are a …
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Mermaid Adventures Review

Game Info

Publisher: Third Eye Games

Writing and Layout: Eloy Lasanta

Interior and Exterior Art: Melissa Gay

Year Published: 2012

Pages: 102

Introduction

It isn’t every day an RPG meant for kids is released, but if you’re one of the many people who are bringing up a new generation of gamer at your home then you may want to keep at least one of your eyes on Third Eye Games. Mermaid Adventures is the first of two kid-friendly RPGs by this impressive small press publisher (the other game being Continue Reading Mermaid Adventures Review

Guillotine Review

Game Info

Publisher: Wizards of the Coast

Year Published: 1998

Number of Players: 2 to 5

Play Time: 30 minutes

Set-up Time: Less than 5 minutes

Learning Curve: Low

Ages: Rated 12 and up (suitable for 10 and up)

Table Size: Small

Review

It’s the French Revolution, and you are an executioner tasked with beheading nobles. For the next three days, your job will be to corral the royals and make sure none escapes his fate. To make things more interesting (as if that weren’t interesting enough) you’ll earn prestige for offing the most influential nobles, but be careful not to kill anyone the people don’t have a beef with or your reputation will suffer.

Guillotine is a simple card …
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Storming the Castle: First Impressions

Game Info

Publisher: Toy Vault, Inc.

Year Published: 2008

Number of Players: 2 to 4

Play Time: 30 minutes

Set-up Time: About 5 minutes

Learning Curve: Low

Ages: 7 and up

Table Size: Small or Medium (depends on number of players)

Impressions

Birthdays are a wonderful thing.  It is around this time each year which I find myself surrounded by new board games to play, enjoy, and write about.  This year, a family member saw fit to gift me with a board game — one of my favorite hobbies — themed around The Princess Bride — my favorite movie.  In concept, at least, it is a match made in heaven; after all, isn’t it great to combine two things you love so dearly in to one, extra-amazing product?  Well, the answer to that rhetorical question is …
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