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The Lunaris over the Moon River was an easy Sail to Rauha

Posted by Steph

Weekly Update

02 Oct 2023

Steph Hodge

(punkin312)

United States
Tennessee

Well, it's no Ginkgopolis...

Please thumb deserving posts

Hia Everyone!

Now Available: Steph's Awesome Gaming Calendar 2024! https://stephsshop.ecwid.com/

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Footprints

World Wonders

I am always down to learn new dice games. There is something just fun about rolling dice and working with them. A recent dice game I got to the table is Lunaris 45. This game was provided by the publisher. New to me!

In Lunaris 45 players are trying to gain the most money to win the game. In order to gain money you will need to fill contracts and score them.

During the game, players will take turns and roll their dice. They can first choose to buy an upgrade. Then they can use their dice to solve a problem. The 3rd thing the player does on a turn is a choice between solving a second problem, grabbing a personal contract to work on in a later round, or validating.

The upgrades are great for helping you complete problems. they might give you additional dice to roll or the ability to use dice from the common pool of dice. Solving the problems is how you will gain your money and what you need to focus on.

The validating is how you actually gain money in the game. The most interesting choices are when to upgrade and when to validate. If you upgrade you are adding those cubes to your income track and then you gain less money when you validate. You want upgrades but you are lowering the value of your problem-solving. It is a tricky balance, and it is fun to figure out.

The game ends when the final common problem is solved or there are just no cards left to solve. It goes pretty quick.

Michael and I enjoyed our few plays of this. It works well and you have a lot of fun choices to make. It comes down to just rolling dice well. But you can buy upgrades to help with that.

I think a lot of people will enjoy this one. It isn't complicated and will work well for lots of groups. I will be happy to play this one again. I am not sure how different/unique it is, but it is solid. Worth checking out if you are headed to Spiel.

Microbadge: All the Meeples of the Rainbow blog

There are 4 new small box games that were just released from Allplay and I was excited to check out the beautiful Sail. The publisher provided me with a copy of the game. New to me!

Sail is a 2-player cooperative trick-taking game. I love all those words I just wrote so I was highly interested in playing this game as soon as I got it.

I mostly play 2-player games so I am very happy when I see 2-player only since it is easy for me to get those games played. When a game says 3+ players it is much harder to get played. I was also very interested in the water theme of Sail. Lots of cool things about this game.

In Sail, the players are trying to sail the boat into the target zone. If they can do that successfully, then they will win. If they run into the Kraken enough times where his deck of cards runs out or sail past the target zone, the players will lose.

During each hand of cards, there will be many tricks played. Depending on the result of the trick, various things will happen. There are symbols on the cards and the symbols will combine to form the action that happens once the two cards are played. You have to try and be careful about these actions as they aren't always a positive result.

Because it is a trick-taking game, you might have guessed that you must follow suit if you can. So you have to kind of guess what the other player might have when you lead a trick.

To start the hand, you will always get to pass a card, so that helps to balance the bad hand you might have. Each player has a cool ability too and that might also be a reason to pass a certain card vs. another.

There can be quite a bit of luck with the cards you draw. So for us in our first play, it seemed a bit chaotic and uncontrollable. We are avid card players so we aren't really dumb when it comes to card games. Perhaps we were just unlucky. We just played the basic scenario and we lost horribly. I can't even imagine the harder levels, but perhaps in time, we will be good enough to attempt those.

Not many scenarios are provided in the game, so I wonder about that. If you really love the game will it get boring after so many plays? Hard to say at this point. I definitely enjoy the challenge that is presented in Sail, but I am not sure Michael is as keen to play it more. I definitely want to play it a few more times!

I have enjoyed Kingdomino and the series so I was looking forward to checking out Moon River. This game was provided by the publisher. New to me!

In Moon River, players will draft tiles 1x1 square tiles and once 2 tiles have been drafted you can form a domino from those two tiles. If you are familiar with Kingdomino, you will find similarities with this game. You will be playing these formed dominoes to your tabealu to create areas of the same terrain types. At the end of the game, you will score based on those area sizes and the number of cows you collect in the areas.

This game is different from Kingdomino because of how the tiles work and the bonuses they provide. There are some tiles that will gain you a person token. The person token will provide additional end-game scoring but might also steam cows from other players. there is a little bit of take-that during the game. You have to plan for that and try to avoid it. You will also need to move cows around the board to try and get the best scoring. Having two cows on a tile at the end of the game won't help you since only one cow will score.

When playing with 2 players you actually have to use two guys to draft the tiles and in the end, you will have double the area than you normally would with 3-4 players.

For me, This game definitely lasted too long with 2-players. I wouldn't recommend playing this game with 2. I do think I would enjoy it more if I tried it with 3 and 4 players. I like the concept of creating my own domino tiles, but it ended up more effort than I might have thought.

It is easy to compare this game to Kingdomino and it just isn't as good/clean of a game as Kingdomino. I wouldn't ever choose to play Moon River over Kingdomino. The added complexity of Moon River isn't even that great. I would rather add in the expansion to Kingdomino for added complexity or play Queendomino. For me, this game is not a keeper and just doesn't hold up to the other titles already with similar mechanics. I am happy to have played it and I will try it again. I will be curious as to what other people think about it.

Early this year, I was excited to see Rauha show up on BGA. It was months before it was even released in the US.

When Nidavellir came out I was ALL ABOUT IT. I had to see what the next game from GRRRE Games was all about. I learned Rauha and quite enjoyed it so I requested a review copy of the game which was provided.

In Rauha, players will draft cards to their tableau. Some cards cost money or might have restrictions on where they have to go. After players select the card they want they can add it to their board or they can choose to discard it for crystals or a spore. Crystals help to purchase cards and activate cards and the spore helps for the scoring phases. Then the player will activate the current row or column of 3 action spaces.

After 3 drafting phases, there will be a scoring phase. Any cards that have spores on them can activate again and any divine entities you have will activate again.

The divine entities are gained when you get 3 matching icons on your board in a row or column. These cool abilities will trigger when you get them and you can steal the divine entities from other players. You will want to try and steal them right before the scoring happens so they will trigger for you again. There is a little bit of take-that with the divine entities since you are actively stealing them away from other players.

The cards you draft will change halfway through to be bigger and better cards for your board, but they will often cost more to claim.

The game ends at the end of the 4th scoring once your little dude makes it around the board one full cycle.

It is a really fun game and I am glad it showed up on BGA many months ago. I have already played the game 9 times this year. I will admit, it didn't quite take off the way Nidavellir did for me. I am still delighted to play Rauha and will continue to play it, but it is just not as strong of a game as Nidavellir. I will still keep Rauha in the collection since I do indeed really enjoy it!

I will recommend it with lower player counts. With 5 players it is a bit much and more fussy with turn order and stealing. So, if you are curious about this game then you should try it on BGA. I think it is definitely worth checking out.

Don't forget to pick up my Awesome Gaming Calendar 2023! https://stephsshop.ecwid.com/

Thanks to Dfube, I now have a chance to sell some cool All the Meeples of the Rainbow shirts!
If you enjoy the blog and want to support me and my good friend Dfube you can check them out here: https://itsyourroll.games/collections/all-the-meeples-of-the...

New to the Collection:
Secret Santa
Western Legends Showdown
Almost Innocent
Orion
Big Bad Wolf

Thanks for following along!

Happy Gaming!!!

-Steph

All images in this post are copyrighted, owned, and controlled by Steph Hodge Photography, unless otherwise noted.
Please contact me if you would like to purchase or use my images in any way.
Disclaimer: I am a contract Employee of BGG. I review games that are provided by the publisher. I am not compensated for my blog content.
Thank you.

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The Ensemble around the Christmas Tree had a Missao to sing "Heaven, Here I Come"

Posted by Steph

Weekly Update

29 Sep 2023

Steph Hodge

(punkin312)

United States
Tennessee

Well, it's no Ginkgopolis...

Please thumb deserving posts

Hia Everyone!

Now Available: Steph's Awesome Gaming Calendar 2024! https://stephsshop.ecwid.com/

Some new vids for Nucleum!

The Rules

The Playthrough

At GenCon I got to learn a great new game called Ensemble. I enjoyed this game so much that I requested a review copy to show off on my channels and they were able to provide me with a copy.

This game is played with 2-10 people! It handles big groups very well and it even allows works with players coming and going.

Ensemble is a cooperative party game where you will want to think like everyone else at the table. If you can make it through 9 levels you will win the game.

Everyone has a numbered deck of cards 1-9. There is a clue cards and a few cards in slots 1 and 2 on display to start. The clue card is evaluated by all players and everyone will have to decide if the clue card is more like card 1 or card 2 in the slots. From your hand of cards, you will select the number 1 or 2. If all players reveal the same number that is great you will move on to level 3 and reveal 3 cards for the display. The problem is if one or more people don't agree with the response. You won't win the level and end up losing a heart. You just remain at the same level for the next pick.

Depending on the player count you will start gaining a small leeway the more hearts you lose. There is an allowance that will allow one player to be wrong and you can still advance to the next level.

If you end up losing all your hearts you will lose as a team.

This game is easy and so much fun to pull out and play with any number of players. I really really enjoy it and have had a great time playing it! Makes for a great convention game.

Michael and I tried out the first scenario that you can open once you beat the basic game. We aren't sure we are playing that scenario correctly since we aren't sure if the bomb card works instead of the hearts or in addition. We wish it were more clear or if there were more people talking about this in the BGG Forums.

Regardless, I like the added scenarios that they are included at all. I love all the artwork and just the fun play. One of my favorite party games this year for sure!

At Tennessee Games Days, we were able to gather up 5 players to try Heaven, Here I Come!. this game was provided to us by the publisher. New to me!

This is actually a game that requires a minimum of 5 players in order to play. That is a lot of people!

In this game, players are trying to persuade others to vote with them on a scapegoat. On the evil scale, you are ranked somewhere and if you are weakest on the scale you are the scapegoat. With information you know and some information provided by other players, you are trying to deduce who is the most evil and who is the scapegoat.

It is actually kind of complicated to grasp, but the flowchart is on the player's aid in order to help everyone try and figure it out.

When we played I knew I was most evil, and I wasn't sure if Michael was also on the same level. I should have believed him when he put up Panik as the scapegoat. I was pretty obvious that I was most evil, but I was trying to get more information from Drew and Laura. They weren't being very forthcoming. It was really hard to read. Panik was able to win the game since we voted on laura as the scapegoat.

Ultimately, I don't think this was the best group for the game, but it is also not really my type of game anyway. It will take a certain group to really enjoy this one. The cards were pretty funny though. I was glad we were able to try it but I don't see this one hitting the table again in the future.

I know we aren't really in the Christmas Season, but I still love playing games with the theme! This time I was able to check out Christmas Tree that was provided by the publisher. New to me!

Christmas Tree is a quick easy card game with some set collection an card drafting. In a two-player game, it is a race to get to 7 points first.

At the start of the game, you will set up a display of cards that looks like a Christmas tree. When it is your turn, you will choose to take from the top row of cards and add to your hand or to discard a card to that row and take the next row instead. You can keep doing this until you select a row to take.

Instead of taking cards, you can play a set of cards to score points. You can play 3,5, or 6 cards that match to score 1,2, or 3 points. You just keep cards next to you. Then other players will have to discard that matching type from their hand if they have it - half rounded down.

There is a little bit of take-that involved but it isn't so bad because players will get replacement cards from the deck, it is just random at that point.

So as you can see this is a quick little filler game. Perfect for families and holiday time. Cute theme and artwork. The game is simple and nothing new, but works fine. I would play it again for sure. I don't really think it stands out though.

Since we were into set collection games I was able to check out Missão M. This game was provided by the publisher. New to me!

In Missao M, you are trying to collect a variety of tiles from the board and ultimately you will want to get them on your player board to score the most points at the end of the game.

During the game, players will move around the board and collect 2 tiles at a time. If a player chooses to not collect tiles they can instead choose to score some tiles from their hand. You can't choose to score tiles for two turns in a row.

When you collect tiles you actually roll dice and then move one way around the board and then move the opposite way to collect the second tile. You will often collect tiles you don't want but you want to try and avoid that since all excess tiles will be negative points at the end of the game.

It was funny since we had just played Christmas Tree and then we pulled out Missao to play. They have a lot of similarities. In Missao you collect different types of tiles for your player board (which kind of looks like a Christmas tree), but the real mechanic that reminded me of the other game is the fact that when you choose to score a set of tiles, the other player will have to discard one from their hand if they have it.

It is a cute game that was clearly designed for kids and families. Simple set collection game that plays out quickly. We were able to play a few times and stream the game too. Strategy gamers isn't really the target for this game. We were happy to try it and stream it, but I don't think it will see much play after those initial plays.

Don't forget to pick up my Awesome Gaming Calendar 2023! https://stephsshop.ecwid.com/

Thanks to Dfube, I now have a chance to sell some cool All the Meeples of the Rainbow shirts!
If you enjoy the blog and want to support me and my good friend Dfube you can check them out here: https://itsyourroll.games/collections/all-the-meeples-of-the...

New to the Collection:

Thanks for following along!

Happy Gaming!!!

-Steph

All images in this post are copyrighted, owned, and controlled by Steph Hodge Photography, unless otherwise noted.
Please contact me if you would like to purchase or use my images in any way.
Disclaimer: I am a contract Employee of BGG. I review games that are provided by the publisher. I am not compensated for my blog content.
Thank you.

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Fri Sep 29, 2023 11:00 am

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The Beacon Patrol around Nautilus Island and Urubama Valley were really watching the Vivarium

Posted by Steph

Weekly Update

27 Sep 2023

Steph Hodge

(punkin312)

United States
Tennessee

Well, it's no Ginkgopolis...

Please thumb deserving posts

Hia Everyone!

Now Available: Steph's Awesome Gaming Calendar 2024! https://stephsshop.ecwid.com/

Some new vids!
Yokai Sketch

Christmas Tree

Box art/covers matter. If a game looks attractive by the cover, more people will show an interest in playing it. When I saw the cover for Beacon Patrol I thought of Maine and how charming it looked. I knew it was a game I wanted to play. I was delighted when the publisher provided me with a copy to review. New to me!

Beacon Patrol is a cooperative tile-placement game where you will score points based on the tiles that have a red featured icon that is fully surrounded by tiles on all 4 sides.

During the game, the active player will get to move their boat up to 3 times and place 3 tiles they have. They can also swap a tile with another player.

Since you are activating a boat, you can only move your boat on water and when you add tiles you can automatically move your boat onto the new tile.

Since it is cooperative you have to work with your teammates in order to get the tiles you need and want to complete the different paths you might want to take. I love trying to figure out the best path and using the tiles we have to make it possible.

Because you have to place a tile with your boat you are really limited the the region you are in. Sure, it starts off easily enough, but as the playing field grows it really takes some thought in order to progress and do well.

Michael and I really enjoyed our first play of this game. It is tough and there are even ways to make it more challenging. I think our first score was middle of the road so there is still a lot of opportunity for improvement.

If you enjoy tile-placements like Carcassonne, but also like a cooperative challenge, then you should definitely look into Beacon Patrol. For us, we found this game to be a keeper! This is one that we will stream in the near future.

I was looking forward to checking out a new release called Nautilus Island. This game was provided by the publisher. New to me!

The game has vivid colors and bold artwork that really makes everything stand out. It is a very attractive game!

In Nautilus Island, players are looking to collect sets of cards and claim bonuses before the other players do. If you can walk away with the most points at the end of the game you will win.

The game is played over several rounds. Each round all players will take a turn either drafting cards from an available location or playing cards to their tableau.

The catch is that you can only play cards from your hand and they have to be the same color when you do play. You are also limited by the number of card slots at the location you selected during this turn.

I like how the card drafting works since some stacks of cards are facedown and others are faceup. You might just want the mystery meat and get what you get if you don't see cards you want faceup.

When you go to play cards from your hand, you can claim bonus tokens from the board for the matching colors and if you want to close off your set you can claim finished set point tokens. If you take a finish set token then you can no longer create a set for that color. You need to be sure you are okay with that. If you don't close off the set then you may never get the chance to go back and claim a set, so pick and choose wisely when you do this action!

It is just a simple card game and well done. Michael and I both enjoyed our few plays of this game so far. It works well for 2-players and I can see it working well with more players too. I don't think it does anything new, but what it is doing mechanically is super solid and fun. I would happily play this anytime. It is a nice game!

Perhaps this is a year of open drafting because the next game I want to talk about is Vivarium. This game was provided to me by the publisher.

Vivarium is a game I learned last year and it was still in prototype form. Nothing much had changed from the prototype so it is not much a new game since it was new to me then.

In Vivarium, players are drafting cards from the center gameboard. These cards go into your tableau for a set collection. You will win if you have the most points at the end of the game!

During the game, you will use dominoes in order to select the card from the grid. You always have to swap a domino out with one that is in the center. From the 2 dominoes you now have you have to use a number from each in order to find the row and column that matches. You take that card. You will draft 2 cards each round. There is an end-of-round evaluation from the cards you have taken and possible that 2 points will be awarded to whoever completes the goal best.

There is always something to think about when you go to draft a card.

There are various types of cards. The animals will give points and provide terrain types. They are good to collect, but you will also want to collect special cards that will help score additional points at the end of the game or bonus action cards that will help gain you special actions during the game.

It is a very quick-playing card game. I think Michael and I played it in under 30 minutes in the video below. This is a super solid game with interesting artwork.

I don't think the gimmick of the dominoes is all that special. I mean it didn't matter all that often. You can also pay gems to change the number by 1 so it was really here nor there. In the end, I liked the game pretty well and I would definitely play again. I am not sure how much replay value there is, but it's still fun. I gave this 7/10 back when I first played it and I think it is still about the same. So, that's pretty good. Worth playing for sure.

During a recent game night we were able to bring Urubamba Valley. This game was provided to me by the publisher. New to me!

This is a 3-5 player game so we had to play it with the group!

In Urubamba Valley, players work to produce goods and collect valuable coins from those goods. You will win if you have the most money at the end of the game!

During the game, players will take turns doing one thing at a time. There are only a few different actions to take so the game can be snappy.

Each turn, you will select one thing to do like planting, taking income, or buying seeds and upgrades. Since money is points you will want to spend wisely. Pick the upgrades that will pay off the best, gather the seeds you can actually plant, and learn different farming skills so you can plant more types. There are definitely strategies to focus on and players you might want to partner with to gather the best fields and make them grow. The bigger the fields grow, the better the income will be the next time you take income.

We were able to figure out the rules and jump into the game fairly easily. Everything made sense and worked well. The only pause for concern was the vines in the game. We didn't use them once and weren't really sure if they would pay off in the end, so no one paid for them

For me, I enjoyed the simplicity of the game. It was clear and to the point what the goals were. I do think everyone else enjoyed it slightly more than me, so it was all-around a crowd-pleaser. I could see getting this game to the table again. Because it is 3-5 players it makes it harder to get to the table. I thought it was interesting enough and I am pleased we were able to give it a play.

Don't forget to pick up my Awesome Gaming Calendar 2023! https://stephsshop.ecwid.com/

Thanks to Dfube, I now have a chance to sell some cool All the Meeples of the Rainbow shirts!
If you enjoy the blog and want to support me and my good friend Dfube you can check them out here: https://itsyourroll.games/collections/all-the-meeples-of-the...

New to the Collection:
The Big Bad Wolf

Thanks for following along!

Happy Gaming!!!

-Steph

All images in this post are copyrighted, owned, and controlled by Steph Hodge Photography, unless otherwise noted.
Please contact me if you would like to purchase or use my images in any way.
Disclaimer: I am a contract Employee of BGG. I review games that are provided by the publisher. I am not compensated for my blog content.
Thank you.

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Wed Sep 27, 2023 11:00 am

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There was some Mythic Mischief in the Canopy of the Amazoia during the Clone Wars over Mount Doom

Posted by Steph

Weekly Update

25 Sep 2023

Steph Hodge

(punkin312)

United States
Tennessee

Well, it's no Ginkgopolis...

Please thumb deserving posts

Hia Everyone!

Now Available: Steph's Awesome Gaming Calendar 2024! https://stephsshop.ecwid.com/

There are a few games on Kickstarter right now that I wanted to shed some light on since I was provided with a preview copy. I will start with Canopy: Evergreen. This preview/prototype copy was provided to me by the publisher. New to me!

If you are familiar with Canopy I think you will find this game quite similar except now there are rules for more players. It is designed for more players and there are some slightly different mechanics regarding the animal cards and how everything plays out. You will still want to have the most points at the end and build up a luxurious rainforest.

During the game, you will be drafting cards from various stacks of cards. The pile you look at you will choose to take or move on to the next pile. Whenever you pass on a pile you aren't able to go back and claim it. You will always add a card to the stack once you look at it either to add another to the stack or the replenish the stack you take.

The cards come from a season deck and once the season deck has depleted then the season will be over and you will have an end-of-round scoring. After 3 seasons the game will end and you will add up your total points.

The game is all about set collecting and grabbing the cards you want when you see them. Some of the cards you draft will give you food. If you have enough food you can choose to purchase animal cards at the start of your turn. The animal cards might have a cool way of scoring points during the game or at the end, but they might also gain you a cool ability to use each season. Animal cards will give you points at the end of the game for the chain you have made for all of the land types, but also if you have collected 2 or 3 of the same animal type.

The game plays well with 4 players and with 2. Michael and I were able to try it with both player counts and it works very well. We love that you get to build up your trees in 3D. In normal Canopy, they were all just cards that you keep from round to round. Here, you will reuse the season cards each round and you will collect tree pieces to indicate that.

We all like the use of the tokens that you can collect from your forest board which might give you a leg up on some of the different scoring opportunities. They work well.

This is a smooth-playing game with lots of great choices. I love how you draft the cards. I am always one to push my luck on the next stack of cards that might just be what I am looking for. The unknown is so great. It makes for fun choices.

This is a great game and worth a look if you enjoyed Canopy or even if you just want a fun drafting game. I am super glad we were able to check it out and play it on stream. Take a look at the rules video if you want to learn more about the rules or see a live playthrough. Nice game!

Speaking of Rainforests, it was time to check out Life of the Amazonia. The publisher provided this game to me. New to me!

I love the Amazonia theme and the idea of building up a rainforest. It is what attracted me to Canopy and now this gorgeous game.

In Life of the Amazonia, players are trying to collect trees, flowers, and animals all in their rainforest habitats. You will be doing this by spending resources you have each turn. This is a bag-building game with various tracks to advance on and a bunch of different scoring opportunities.

At the start of the game, you will set up the animals on display. There are a bunch of animal cards for scoring so you will select one to use for each animal. You have a standard setup of tokens in your bag to start. There are ways to buy more and ways to cull tokens from your bag so you can focus on the strategy you want to work on.

Each turn you will use the tokens you have pulled from your bag to buy new tokens, gain various animals and trees, or even new land tiles to help expand your habitat.

If you want to focus on getting more tokens you need coins, if you want to focus on gaining terrain/trees/flowers you need more leaf tokens, if you want to gain more animals you need more food tokens, if you want to gain special ability cards and end game cards you need water tokens.

You will need a little bit of everything to do well in this game. The higher the valued tokens the faster you will claim the items you hope to get.

At the end of the game, you will score for your position on the waterfall tracks. These tracks you will advance on when you choose to gain more terrain/flowers/trees and as you advance on the tracks the items become more and more expensive. But you also get more and more points.

This is a really fun game with a ton of aspects I enjoy like building up my rainforest. I enjoy the bag-building aspect of the game as well. It works very well and it is difficult to do everything. You will want to focus on a few things. I like that the animals score differently in each game so you can mix and match those animals and that will provide new strategies to work on.

It is easy to compare this to Cascadia. But, this game has so much more going on and will be a longer endeavor for sure. I do think it will appeal to the gamers out there who like Cascadia but are looking for something more. I would say it is definitely worth a look. I have enjoyed my few plays so far!

At Tennessee Game Days I ran into Austin from IV Studio and he handed me the new Mythic Mischief Vol. II which is currently on Kickstarter! With about a week to go on the KS, it is doing very well! New to me!

Michael and I learned Mythic Mischief earlier this year and said we would be happy to do a preview for it on the Livestream (video below).

If you have played Mythic Mischief then you will be very familiar with this game. In Volume II you will find 4 new factions to mix and match with the base game for all new abilities and strategies to discover.

The gameplay is essentially the same. It is all just new factions and new solo modes to try.

If you aren't familiar with the game, it is designed for 1v1 gameplay where you are trying to get the other mythics in trouble by getting caught by the keeper. If you get to 10 points first you will win. You will only gain points if you get your opponents caught on your turn. The game could also end after the second phase of the game if the keeper makes it to all of his destinations and the night phase is complete.

Each turn you will use up your actions to move around the board and move hedges and opponents. you will want to pick up tomes to help increase your abilities. You need to position yourself well enough so your opponent can't easily target you for getting caught.

This is a thematic abstract game. You don't often find those, so I get why people are all about it and love it.

For me, I just wish there were more ways to score points during the game. I am not a big fan of all the take-that as it just doesn't feel good, for me. I prefer trying to set myself up for success with patterns and comboing other things. So, the game is only okay for me. If there were more ways to score points I am sure I would enjoy it more.

As far as quality goes, IV Studio has some outstanding quality with their titles. I am always impressed by their minis and inserts. If you are a minis person then this is a game you should check out since every mini is completely different and well-detailed. Gorgeous production and I think I have a pre-production copy.

I think if you know you like abstract take-that games then this might be the game you have been looking for. It is worth trying at least to see if it is something you might enjoy. Check out the Kickstarter since there is limited time left.

Ohhhh I am always looking for another Lord of the Rings game to try so I was very pleased to see a new title from Kosmos called The Lord of the Rings: Adventure to Mount Doom. This game was provided by the publisher. New to me!

Lord of the Rings vs Star Wars and I am LOTR all the way. I love love love this theme and it is even better when it is a cooperative game! Yes, Adventure to Mount Doom is a new cooperative game too with a gameplay of about an hour.

Kosmos generally has family-weight games so it doesn't surprise me that this is on the shorter side and will work great for families and kids. They do have the Andor series after all.

In Adventure to Mount Doom, players work together to move the party along the path and hit the different destinations. To do this you must roll dice and select which character is going to move with the selection of dice but you also have to roll an event die as well. 2 bad events can happen each turn, so you have to try and manage which dece you are selecting and who will move. Ideally, you want to move everyone about the same before moving on to the next section.

As you move to the different sections you will start to reveal new events and triggers that make it harder and harder to move through the land. Eventually, if you make it to the next to last stop, only Frodo can move to the very end of Mount Doom, you know, as in the movies.

It is a fun dice game to manage. You won't always roll what you need to and you will run into hard times. It is not a simple walk in the park easy cooperative game. There was a time I just kept rolling out Nazgul and I thought for sure we were dead in the water! We were able to maintain the evil and make it to the end.

I believe there are ways to ramp up the difficulty if you do find it too easy.

Michael and I both enjoyed playing this one and we will stream it shortly. Such a great theme, I hope they keep making more and more LOTR games since I can't get enough! Worth checking out if you love the theme as I do. It is an easy-to-learn and play game and I would recommend it. It would be a great family game too.

Back in April, we were all ready to play Star Wars: The Clone Wars, but we were too late and the game had to be packed up before we ever started! Fortunately, Zman was able to send me a copy so I could rectify that and get this game played! New to me!

Michael and I have been really enjoying the different varieties of Pandemic. There have been a lot of different games that use the Pandemic system and this new Star Wars Clone Wars game is also using that system.

What is so cool about the game is that it feels familiar but it stands on its own and has enough differences to make it unique.

First off, this is a Star Wars game, so it will appeal to all those fans out there! It is a Pandemic game so it will also appeal to all of those fans out there too! Seems like a perfect combo.

In each game, you will select your favorite character and have a cool ability. You and your teammates will join forces to try and take out the villain and the minions. There are missions to complete before the final battle happens so you have to work around the board to complete those missions.

Unlike regular Pandemic, The minions won't spread to surrounding planets. You will also get to keep your cards in play unless you take damage when you have to discard them. The cards will be used to move around and fight the different enemies on the planets.

I have been looking forward to playing this game since April and I am glad we were able to finally!

Michael and I were able to pull out the victory, but I wasn't sure we would be able to. We had a few early triggers and it was shaky. We will stream this game in the near future and on the next level up in difficulty. We will see how it goes.

This game is tons of fun and will remain in the collection. I am not sure I like it as much as Lich King, but it is still very good. Worth looking into if you enjoy the Pandemic games as I do!

Thanks to Dfube, I now have a chance to sell some cool All the Meeples of the Rainbow shirts!
If you enjoy the blog and want to support me and my good friend Dfube you can check them out here: https://itsyourroll.games/collections/all-the-meeples-of-the...

New to the Collection:

Thanks for following along!

Happy Gaming!!!

-Steph

All images in this post are copyrighted, owned, and controlled by Steph Hodge Photography, unless otherwise noted.
Please contact me if you would like to purchase or use my images in any way.
Disclaimer: I am a contract employee of BGG. I review games that are provided by the publisher. I am not compensated for my blog content.
Thank you.

0 Comments

Mon Sep 25, 2023 11:00 am

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The Minotaur was By the Book with his Deadlines for the Overboss

Posted by Steph

Weekly Update

22 Sep 2023

Steph Hodge

(punkin312)

United States
Tennessee

Well, it's no Ginkgopolis...

Please thumb deserving posts

Hia Everyone!

Some new vids!
Canopy: Evergreen

Mythic Mischief Vol. II

Michael and I are always looking for another cool cooperative experience and this time we tried out Minotaur. This game was provided by the publisher. New to me!

Minotaur is a dungeon crawler type of game where everyone will pick a character with cool abilities and stats and head into the labyrinth and try to find the medallions. Of course, you will encounter monsters that are looking to attack and kill you. If you die then the team loses. If you manage to find all of the medallion pieces and assemble them before that happens you will win!

During the game, players will take turns each then the minotaur will take his turn and maybe appear on the board. What is cool about this game is the small 3x3 maze map that you are traveling through. If you walk out the edge, you will remove the opposite edge of the map. It is an ever-changing grid of cards. You just don't know what will be on the other side of that door.

You have to pay attention to the different medallion pieces since if they disappear then you have to try and find it again which will take a whole bag cycle. That is a long time to try and stay alive!

Let's just say it is very easy to die. You have to be as efficient as possible! This is not a game you can just easy breezy walk into and win. Michael and I have now played two times and we lost almost immediately the first game. We had a better go of it on the live stream, but we were still far from succeeding. Perhaps you need a little luck with your token draw, but I think winning will be possible if you keep playing and find cool combos, and work well with others.

Michael and I have enjoyed playing this one and we will keep trying to defeat the game. It is a challenge. My one concern will be remembering all the rules. There are a lot of little nit-picky rules and if it isn't a game we return to quickly enough, we might just have to relearn it. It is kind of a lot for a smaller boxed game. But, it also means you get a lot of gameplay in a small box game.

Happy to give this one a few plays and I think it will be fun for a lot of groups. I like it!

During a recent game night, we decided to try out the new party trivia game called Deadlines. The publisher provided Thie.New to me!

Deadlines is a game where you have to try and arrange famous people by their birth year/age range/date of death. If you can end the game with the fewest mistakes then you will win the game.

Each category can hold 12 cards and you will try to place the people in the right slot. As you place more and more people the range becomes tighter and thus harder to identify accurately.

it is fairly easy to understand how to play. We could play with the chat on our live stream and had a great time of it.

The box says 20 minutes but there is absolutely no way you can play this game in 20 minutes. Maybe if you play a shortened version of the game, but even still, you have to consider your moves and all of the information in front of you. It is more like an hour-long game.

I don't ding it for being longer, but it is false advertising. Both of our games were a lot of fun and they both ran about an hour.

While I enjoyed our experience, I don't think it is a game that I will return to all that often. I am not great with dates so it makes it harder for me. I was mostly using my best judgment when placing cards. It was okay, but I lost both games and didn't expect to actually win the game. You will start to learn the cards after a while too.

Glad to play the few times I have so far and I would definitely play again in the future. I am not sure it is a long-term keeper though.

Michael and I were looking for a quick 2-player game and found Overboss Duel. The publisher provided this. New to me!

I haven't actually played Overboss: A Boss Monster Adventure but from my understanding, it works in a fairly similar way. This game, however, is designed for 2-players and has a lot of new factions and abilities. I also believe it can be combined with the first game if you just want to add new materials.

During the game, you will be placing tiles into the field and placing monsters too. You will want to try and fight off the heroes that show up. The more heroes you can defeat the better your side of the board will be looking for end-of-the-game points. Each monster type will score a little differently and have a different action associated with it.

When you play tiles you can play to either your side of the board or to your opponents. Maybe it will mess them up, but you don't have to provide a good combo of terrain and monster. Don't help your opponents out!

Everyone has a secret leader who will provide reveal abilities and end-of-the-game bonus points if you meet the conditions. These are things you have to keep in mind when you are playing those tiles!

I think this game will work well for those who don't take gaming too seriously and just want to do tricksy take-that moves. There is a fair bit of take-that in this game. it plays out pretty quickly so will work for casual gamers who just want something with a zing. Not exactly for the rules lawyer type of strategy gamers since I don't really think that is the vibe for this game.

It was fun to play once, but ultimately it just isn't a game that I would want to return to. It is just not my jam. I don't love the contestant bashing of the heads in order to make good moves that attack your opponent. Not my style. Happy to give it a whirl to make sure though.

I had time to try out a new solo puzzle game called By the Book from Foxmind Games. The publisher provided this game to me. New to me!

I am generally not one to play solo games, but I have always enjoyed such puzzles growing up. You might find the little solo puzzle games at restaurants or coffee tables at people's homes. This is definitely a game that would work for such an instance.

By the Book is a series of puzzles that will provide what books/cat you will need to solve it. You have to make sure once the books are stacked and the cat can fit just fine, then you will add the shelf on top and use the pot to make sure it is level.

There are plenty of levels to try out and they get harder and harder.

I played through all of the easy levels. That was a breeze so I am excited to see how it plays out with the harder levels. Maybe it won't be as easy.

Awesome components and is just a fun puzzle for those who enjoy such solo puzzles. worth checking out if so! Look how cute!

Don't forget to pick up my Awesome Gaming Calendar 2023! https://stephsshop.ecwid.com/

Thanks to Dfube, I now have a chance to sell some cool All the Meeples of the Rainbow shirts!
If you enjoy the blog and want to support me and my good friend Dfube you can check them out here: https://itsyourroll.games/collections/all-the-meeples-of-the...

New to the Collection:
Cascadia
Cascadia Landmarks
Minigolf Designer: Minigolf Empire Extension

Thanks for following along!

Happy Gaming!!!

-Steph

All images in this post are copyrighted, owned, and controlled by Steph Hodge Photography, unless otherwise noted.
Please contact me if you would like to purchase or use my images in any way.
Disclaimer: I am a contract Employee of BGG. I review games that are provided by the publisher. I am not compensated for my blog content.
Thank you.

2 Comments

Fri Sep 22, 2023 11:00 am

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Come Sail Away to The Last Kingdom where the Number Drops into the Coral Reef

Posted by Steph

Weekly Update

20 Sep 2023

Steph Hodge

(punkin312)

United States
Tennessee

Well, it's no Ginkgopolis...

Please thumb deserving posts

Hia Everyone!

I am always on the lookout for a new Saashi & Saashi title so I was so excited to check out the new Come Sail Away!! The publisher provided this game to me. New to me!

From my understanding, this will be the first time that Saashu & Saashi will be attending Essen Spiel and will be showing their games with Oink and Itten. Be sure to check out their booth if you are headed to Spiel and pick up all their games!!

Come Sail Away is a new bigger boxed game with about a million meeples inside! You will want to gain the most points during the game as you place the guests in the locations they want to be on the ship.

During the game you you select people cards and you will have to place those people on the board. There is a dropping mechanic like you find in Mancala but you will choose where to start and whether to drop from the left or right side placing one meeple at a time.

Certain rooms can only hold red guests for instance. if you drop a green meeple on a red room then he will become disgruntled. There are facility tiles that will require specific types of people like pairs of the same color or perhaps a variety of colors depending on the patterns you see on that tile.

If you place a guest with a luggage tag into the correct room type you can advance on the luggage track and gain awesome new small room tiles and cool meeple abilities.

You just draft 12 cards and the game will be over. So many choices and it will just be fun every time. It plays so quickly too!

Since I first played this game, I have already played it 5 times!! That is a sign of a great game. Everyone wants to play it and because it is such a quick game, it is easy to pull out and play! The puzzly nature of placing the meeples down is fun and the drafting cards is fun. Lots of great things happening in this game which makes it approachable and enjoyable.

This is a game that needs to get a US distribution because I just know that everyone would enjoy playing this one if they could get their hands on a copy. That is why I highly suggest stopping by their booth at Spiel and picking up a copy before they run out.

One of my favorite games this year and I hope more people get to play it.

I haven't seen the show Last Kingdom, but I have heard AMAZING things about it. I was still curious about the new board game called The Last Kingdom Board Game which I found at GenCon and the publisher provided it for me to check out. New to me!

It says it can play 2 players on the box, but I wasn't sure how well that would work out since it was seemingly an area-control game. Fortunately, we found out pretty quickly that it works pretty well with 2 players, so don't let that deter you.

In The Last Kingdom Board Game, players are trying to gain influence over the regions and score points. The game is played over 2 eras and in each era, all of the regions will be scored. You need to manipulate your position to score the most points to be the victor in the end.

During the game, you have to manage your cards and your tokens really well because you are super limited. Since you only get a handful of cards to use for the entire era, you have to pick and choose when to actually use a card and gain the benefit. How important is the territory being scored this turn vs. the next turn? Will you want to use your really cool card early or save it for a pinnacle moment?

Each turn you will perform a number of various actions if you can afford them and you will choose one at a time until all players have passed. The target region will then be evaluated for influence to see which factions will win the region. If you align with the right faction that wins you will gain points.

What is cool about this game is that you are able to switch sides during the game. You might have a special card that allows for switching or you can take a basic action to switch. It is not EASY to switch, but it is possible and if you time it all correctly it might just fall into your lap everything you need to win the game. You have to be timely and pay attention to what is happening on the board.

I really like how you have such a limited number of cards each era and that you have to pick and choose when to play them. Do you play them early, seed them through the era, or hang on for a big ending? So much to think about and plenty to do to try and get the leg up.

The card play is fun and interesting, and I also enjoy the constant battle to try and gain those points from the region. It isn't bad to lose though since you get tokens for your troubles and the tokens help you take additional action in the next turn. Pick and choose your battles I suppose.

This game works well with 2 players since you are able to change sides if you have the right cards or enough tokens to do so. It isn't a direct combat as it might look if you were just passing by. There is definitely more going on which makes it more than a dudes on a map game.

Right now I have only played one time and I was very impressed. I would definitely like to play it again and then again with more players. I also definitely want to go watch the show since I think I would really enjoy the show too! It feels like a very thematic game, so if you enjoy the show then you will probably enjoy this one. Definitely a Game of Thrones-esque feeling. Check it out!

We have recently learned Ecosystem so I was looking forward to trying the new Ecosystem: Coral Reef. The publisher provided this game. New to me!

Coral Reef is really just like the original one but there are all new animals and powers. If you are familiar with Ecosystem, you are really able to just dive into this one. (see what I did there...)

If you aren't familiar with Ecosystem then why not? It is a lovely card-drafting card-placement game. You will simply draft 20 cards and as you draft them you will add them to your display. At the end of the game, you will compare 4x5 grids of cards and see who will score the most points based on the collection you have.

The fun part about this game is drafting cards that will work well for your ecosystem. You want to find the cards that work best and will score you the most points but you also want to stop your opponent from getting cards they are looking for. You will look for the 3 types of cards since the lowest of the 3 types will score extra.

Everything about this game is just fun and relaxing. There are no real complicated rules or anything. What you need to know is on the player aid, but I sort of wish all of the point scoring were on the actual cards too. otherwise, it is a nice game that I think will appeal to a lot of casual gamers who like quick and easy games. It will also work as a filler game for strategy gamers who are just looking for something fast to play. This is a game I would happily play more of.

Michael and I tried out the new Number Drop. The publisher provided this game.

I actually played this on BGA a while ago so it was not new to me. I am not sure if this was available overseas perhaps first? It was a long time ago that I first played Number Drop and it is only just getting released in the States.

In Number Drop, Dice are rolled and you have to assign the numbers rolled in a particular polyomino pattern. You are trying to get numbers in a grouping of the same numbers or in ascending/descending order. If you can make groups of 3-8 that is great and will provide points at the end of the game. You might also unlock a mean trigger for your opponent in the meantime.

You keep dropping these numbers/patterns in your board until someone has reached the game end-line trigger. You will tally up your score and whoever has the highest score will win.

While you want to great lots of groups, you also have to look out for filling up the rows for bonus points.

The game is very 90s. neon pink and blues and whites. It definitely gives me those vibes which I can appreciate.

The game works fine and is a game I would play again. It feels a bit forgettable and I feel like there will also be something else I would rather play. It is still fine and there is nothing wrong with it, but perhaps it just isn't that exciting. If you get the chance to try it, you can try it on BGA. So it is totally accessible to play.

Don't forget to pick up my Awesome Gaming Calendar 2023! https://stephsshop.ecwid.com/

Thanks to Dfube, I now have a chance to sell some cool All the Meeples of the Rainbow shirts!
If you enjoy the blog and want to support me and my good friend Dfube you can check them out here: https://itsyourroll.games/collections/all-the-meeples-of-the...

New to the Collection:
Senjutsu
Maximum Apocalypse
Brass Empire
Lawyer Up Season 2
Nucleum

Thanks for following along!

Happy Gaming!!!

-Steph

All images in this post are copyrighted, owned, and controlled by Steph Hodge Photography, unless otherwise noted.
Please contact me if you would like to purchase or use my images in any way.
Disclaimer: I am a contract Employee of BGG. I review games that are provided by the publisher. I am not compensated for my blog content.
Thank you.

2 Comments

Wed Sep 20, 2023 4:36 pm

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The Art Society had a Match Madness that was just The Perfect Wave for Sanssouci

Posted by Steph

Weekly Update

18 Sep 2023

Steph Hodge

(punkin312)

United States
Tennessee

Well, it's no Ginkgopolis...

Please thumb deserving posts

Hia Everyone!

Some new vids!

BOOoop.

Vivarium

There is so much to say about Art Society I don't even know where to begin. As a last-second text message during GenCon, I was asked to rush to a booth before the hall closed on Sunday. This little gem of a game was handed to me for a review from Mighty Boards. I was more than delighted. New to me!

Since it is still not even published yet, the copy that was handed to me didn't even have rules in it. So, I suppose what you see in the photos is subject to change, but I am fairly sure this is a mostly finished copy of the game. The quality I have is awesome so I would be surprised if they changed it. The cover of the game is actually duel-layered. So awesome!

Art Society has a mix of everything I love from the mechanics to the theme. If you have seen my New to Me blog I posted last week, you would have found this game in the number 1 spot because it just hits all the right notes for me.

In Art Society, players will gain artwork for their walls. if you have the best collection of art and thus gain the most points at the end of the game you will win.

During the game, the active player will select tiles from various sizes to put up for auction. The number of players plus 1. They are only revealed once all tiles have been selected for the turn. Once they are revealed, all players will select a bid card from their hand to play. The highest bidder will select first and so on until all players have a painting tile and one is remaining. The leftover painting will influence that type and increase in value.

The game is pretty simple, but it gets to be puzzly when you start placing the pieces on your board. The key is that you don't want the same types of paintings to be hung next to each other it will cause a faux pas and those paintings will score 0 points. You have to be careful to not make any faux pas connections on your board! You will want to match the frame types since they will give you bonus points!

Once someone runs out of bidding cards, or has two tiles in their excess painting stack, or that someone has completely filled their board the game will end.

Depending on the 4 types of paintings and their values you will gain between 2-5 points per painting unless there is a faux pas. The painting with the highest value will gain additional points for each in the line of sight.

I just love everything about this game. It has a bidding phase which is sort of like an auction mechanic. You want to get first dibs on the tiles, but you also sort of want to be last to pick so you can determine which color increases in value. It is a nice balance for how you use the tiles in the game. There is more to this game than meets the eye, and it is a wonderful discovery.

I love this game with 2 players, but playing with 4 players was so great too! It feels a bit more dynamic with the bid cards, but really I am happy to play at any player count.

This is a game I will always want to play and I wish I have played it more than 3 times. I have been consistently thinking about this one and wanting to get it back to the table. I already know this is going to be a huge hit and that everyone will enjoy it. It is an elegant game with so many great choices. I hope everyone loves it as much as I do!

Sanssouci has been a staple in my collection since I picked it up 10 years ago. I was delighted to see a reprinted version come out. This new edition was provided by the publisher so I could try it out and see the differences. The game is definitely not new to me, but they did include a new module in the box. I haven't tried that yet though.

This new edition of Sanssouci has new artwork for the box and for the tiles. It is a more realistic-looking artwork. The original version is a bit more cartoony.

The game hasn't changed at all. If you aren't familiar with the game then where have you been?

It is just a walk in the park!

Each turn you will select a card from your hand of 2 cards and then take a tile that matches it. You have to place that tile in a specific location depending on where you drafting it from on the main board. That tile goes into the column of the picture and the row of the right color.

After you place the tile you can move one of your visitors down a path and score points depending on where it landed.

Simple simple relaxing game of drafting tiles and trying to score the most points. You have hidden goals to work towards too.

I love the ease of this game and if more people can enjoy it, I would hope they can now find a copy! I got a comment from Alicia on my video and she said she taught her mom this game and her mom LOVED it, and that her mom is not really a gamer. So that just says it all. It will appeal to all people who just want an easy relaxing game experience.

Sanssouci is just a nice game. That is the reason it has been a staple in my collection all these years. It doesn't get played a whole lot but is always a welcomed game on my table. I would definitely recommend checking it out if you like tile-placement games.

We were able to have Jason over for our Livestream playthrough of The Perfect Wave! This game was provided by the publisher. New to me - ish.

I played this a few times in prototype form and Michael and I gave some feedback, but it was mostly ready to go. It is awesome to see the game published by The Op! The Op actually won a booth award at GenCon for having the best booth set up. It was because of this game it had a cool beach set up with the staff in Hawaiian shirts and everything. I added a picture below. It was a great booth!

This card game is very quick-playing, even with 4 players. The game is about creating the Perfect Wave and then being able to ride that wave in for the victory at the end of the game.

Each turn you will have 2 action points to spend and you can do a number of different things. You will mostly be drafting cards from the display and then playing them to your board. The wave cards have to be played in ascending order with values that are more or equal to the previously played card. This is only looked at when you catch the wave at the end of the game. You can actually play cards anywhere in your tableau to the right of where your surfer has already paddled out.

If you want to perform a trick you can also draft trick cards to place about the wave cards on your board. You don't need to have played a wave card in order to play a trick card, but you can only score for a trick if you have a wave card at the end of the game.

Sometimes a Paddle Out card will show up in the display and that is the best way to move your surfer out to prepare for the wave. If the game ends, you can only catch the wave from where your surfer is located in the water. It doesn't matter what other wave cards or trick cards you might have played further out, it just won't matter.

The further you paddle out the higher the points will be for the wave you do catch.

There are common goals you can work towards, but to actually make them possible to score you will need to spend your whole turn to activate one goal and then it is valid for all players to score points for that goal. you do have a hidden goal to work towards as well, so that is something to consider too.

For a quick game, you get a lot of awesome actions and things to think about. Games have been around 20-30 minutes even with 4 players since the turns are so quick. People are fast to jump on the chance for the Paddle Out cards as they should be since there are so few of them in the deck you have to take the chance when it arises.

You have the extra tokens that help to get cards you need that might be in the discard pile or extra paddle-out movement when you need it. The end of the game will sneak up on you when you least expect it so you will have to try and plan for it if you can.

Everything just works well and I have really enjoyed my recent plays. It is a fun bright theme and a game that I can easily pull out and teach and play quickly. I am happy that I can finally add this game to the collection. Such a lovely game I hope more people can try it out!

Michael and I tried out a 2-player game called Match Madness Duo. This game was provided by the publisher. New to me!

I haven't tried out Match Madness before, but I was curious to try this duo version.

If you are into puzzle-solving games then you have now found a game you need to check out.

During the game, you will have a collection of blocks to work with in order to try and solve the pattern before the other player. Each of the blocks will have 4 sides with various similar shapes. Your goal is just to create that pattern.

Very simple rules and you will just have a heads-down game. Very multi-player solitaire and quiet as everyone tries to figure out the puzzle. It is a race to get so many cards won before the other player. Or really until you want to quit.

It is a nice game, but you have to enjoy this type of game. Feels like more of an activity, but because you are each working on the puzzle it can be made into a game.

Glad I got to try this one, but probably not one that I will revisit very often because it is just not a game that Michael enjoys as much. I am happy to play it more. I like the challenge.

Don't forget to pick up my Awesome Gaming Calendar 2023! https://stephsshop.ecwid.com/

Thanks to Dfube, I now have a chance to sell some cool All the Meeples of the Rainbow shirts!
If you enjoy the blog and want to support me and my good friend Dfube you can check them out here: https://itsyourroll.games/collections/all-the-meeples-of-the...

New to the Collection:
Couture
Mind Space
Chomp
Sail
Fit to Print
Deep Dive
Point City
Salon De Paris
Pollen
Penny Black

Thanks for following along!

Happy Gaming!!!

-Steph

All images in this post are copyrighted, owned, and controlled by Steph Hodge Photography, unless otherwise noted.
Please contact me if you would like to purchase or use my images in any way.
Disclaimer: I am a contract Employee of BGG. I review games that are provided by the publisher. I am not compensated for my blog content.
Thank you.

8 Comments

Mon Sep 18, 2023 11:00 am

Post Rolls

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It was really a Block and Guess attempt by the Inoka - Pirate Tails, but they were Speedy Feedy about it

Posted by Steph

Weekly Update

15 Sep 2023

Steph Hodge

(punkin312)

United States
Tennessee

Well, it's no Ginkgopolis...

Please thumb deserving posts

Hia Everyone!

Some new vids!
Junk Drawer

Waffle Time

Michael and I were looking for a quick game to check out one night and we pulled out Pirate Tails. This was provided to us by the publisher. New to me!

In Pirate Tails you are looking to collect lots of nuts to gain points. The more of the same type you get the better your score might be but it depends on the values of the cards you collect. After 3 rounds, the game will end and you will count up the different sets you have collected. whoever has the most points will win.

At first, this game reminded me a lot of Coloretto. But the way cards get into the display and the way you score sets is very different. Each turn you will take 3 actions. Draw a card and take a card to your supply, draw a card and place it face up on a location, and draw a card and place it face down on a location. The two cards played to locations have to be different locations. You must do all 3 of those actions on your turn but they can be done in any order.

If you don't want to draw cards you can simply take one island with all of the cards on the island. If all other players have taken from an island, you then must stake from an island and end the round. You start a new round and do that 3 times.

You want sets of 4 or more of the same nut since you will then score your highest card of the 4 cards. If you have one nut it will be 0 points. If you have 2 cards of the same then you score the lower card value. If you have 3 cards you'll score the middle value.

It is a very quick-playing game and easy to teach and play which is nice. I love the vibrant colors and fun theme.

I had a great time playing, but I think I would like it with more players even more. It can definitely be rushed by the other player if you just play with 2. If you think you are winning in a 2-player game then you can rush it by just taking an island card as your first or second action. Probably would have been better if you couldn't rush it. For now, it is a game I would happily play again. Not sure it is better than Coloretto, but I like that you place cards facedown. It is the unknown!! That is fun.

When James and Susan were over we were able to play a new party game for 3+ players called Block and Guess. This game was provided to us by the publisher! New to me!

In Block and Guess, players team up into 2 teams. The goal is to gain as many points as possible. And you play so that everyone can be the builder twice in the game. Whoever has the most points at the end will win!

Each turn, the active builders will pull a number card from their deck of cards and show it to the other builder. Both builders will then know each of the things they are both trying to do. There is an event card that will be revealed that will alter the rules slightly for the builders. For example, we had one that said you have to build with your eyes closed.

Taking turns, the builders will hand off items to each other. If I know Michael has to build a rake, I won't want to give him objects that will help him build that rake. I don't want to make it easy for the other team to guess.

Once each builder has 3 objects they will build their item. The guessing players will be able to look at the card with all the possible answers before they choose which one to guess. Once built, the guesses will make a guess and either get it wrong or right. if they are right they will get 2 points for the team. If they are wrong, then we proceed to the second part of the turn. The opposing team gives 3 more items and there is one more chance to get the right answer. If guessed correctly the second time the team is awarded with 1 point.

It is a pretty simple party game with lots of fun objects to try and get your point across by building something.

I don't think I love the fact that the other team will choose your objects for you, but I guess it makes the game more challenging. It already seems hard enough, but perhaps not. I like the different events that happen.

It is a cute game and I would be happy to play it again. I think I like other party-type games with similar ideas. I feel like the point structure isn't that great, like too many party games out there. But, I suppose you aren't playing for points, you are playing for funzies.

For me the game was fine and I could play again. I am not sure I would seek it out though. Glad to get it to the table and bring it to the stream. We had fun times playing it on stream with the chat.

Michael and I were looking for quick 2-player games and I saw Inoka to try. This game was provided by the publisher. New to me!

I was originally attracted to this game for the wonderful artwork. It is so very attractive.

Inok is a 5-10 minute 2-player rock-paper-scissors type of game. You can play with more players, but it is really meant for 2 I believe. If you can win 3 rounds first you will win the game.

Each round you will draft 5 cards to your hand and then each player will simultaneously choose one to play. If you win the clash you take the leaf. If after the 5 cards, you have the leaf token you will win the round.

It is a very simple game and it is small. I can't say it is doing anything new or exciting. It is a very basic rock-paper-scissors game. It really isn't my type of game. It was too bad since I think the artwork is just so charming. I am glad to have tried it, but it is not a game I would return to playing anytime.

Michael and I were looking for another quick game and found Speedy Feedy. This game was provided to us by the publisher. New to me!

You can tell from the cover of the box that it has a younger target audience. The cute artwork will draw any kid in or anyone who just loves adorable artwork. So cute!

This game is a speed game as you might have caught from the name. Each type of animal likes a certain type of food. Each turn everyone reveals a card the food type that has the most will be the animal you want to hit. You have to take into account the top of the deck too. If you hit the right animal you will win the cards for your score pile.

Once you get through the deck of cards the game will be over. Very simple. You can play with a few variants too if you want more of a challenge.

It is super light and easy to play. I can see families and kids enjoying this one for a quick game to play before dinner. I don't think it does anything special or new in terms of speedy real-time games, but it's good and solid. I would easily play this again. I love that the game had stickers inside the box. All kids love stickers!! I am glad we could play.

Don't forget to pick up my Awesome Gaming Calendar 2023! https://stephsshop.ecwid.com/

Thanks to Dfube, I now have a chance to sell some cool All the Meeples of the Rainbow shirts!
If you enjoy the blog and want to support me and my good friend Dfube you can check them out here: https://itsyourroll.games/collections/all-the-meeples-of-the...

New to the Collection:
Ensemble
Rich and the Good

Thanks for following along!

Happy Gaming!!!

-Steph

All images in this post are copyrighted, owned, and controlled by Steph Hodge Photography, unless otherwise noted.
Please contact me if you would like to purchase or use my images in any way.
Disclaimer: I am a contract Employee of BGG. I review games that are provided by the publisher. I am not compensated for my blog content.
Thank you.

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Fri Sep 15, 2023 11:00 am

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The Freelancers and the Tucana Builders in Neotopia loved the Aurum

Posted by Steph

Weekly Update

13 Sep 2023

Steph Hodge

(punkin312)

United States
Tennessee

Well, it's no Ginkgopolis...

Please thumb deserving posts

Hia Everyone!

I had heard so many fantastic things about Freelancers: A Crossroads Game so I was very excited to give it a whirl. This game was provided by the publisher. New to me!

On the box, it says it needs 3-7 players so I knew it would be a game to play with the group if they were up for it. If you so play with 2-players you can use the variant found on the website, or just use 2 characters each.

If you are familiar with other Plaid Hat Games, you will know they like to use a book and an app to drive a story and adventure for your game. I would compare this to other titles they have like Forgotten Waters or Familiar Tales.

What is absolutely fantastic about this game is that you can use their web app in order to learn the game as you go. It is so easy to use. They underline keywords so you can learn more about those actions if you need to learn more. But really, they walk you through everything perfectly.

In this game, you will choose a character and job. You have to fill in some mad libs to get your story going, but you and the other freelancers in your team will work together to try and accomplish whatever you have been hired to do. Along the way, you will have many encounters and events. You will gain various titles and level up your skills.

The story all unfolds as you journey your chosen path. The app will read it all to you so all you have to do is listen and figure out the best course of action.

I really love the app they have created and can see it being easily expanded.

I have now played through Map A and Map B and they were completely different stories. I could even replay either map because we left so much unseen. Who knows what might happen the second time through? New characters and new events will really just make the game totally replayable.

Everyone in the group loved playing through the first full game. We weren't sure if we would play the whole thing, but everyone was having a great time so we pressed on and finished out the story.

We all loved how the tutorial walked us through how to play so we could just set up and get going with ease.

It is very accessible and user-friendly. This is a great game for anyone who enjoys a fun adventure cooperative game. You will surely have a few good laughs! We had a great time so I am sure many others will find the fun too!

I was excited to check out Tucana Builders since I have been a fan of Trails of Tucana. This game was provided by the publisher. New to me!

There aren't that many roll-and-write games that turn into a boardgame, but hey, why not?! I will say that if you are a fan of Trails of Tucana, the new Tucana Builders will have a very similar feeling but now you are placing tiles.

In Tucana Builders, you will play over 2 rounds, and in each round, you will end with a scoring phase. If you have the most points by the end of the game you will win!

Each turn you will draw a tile from the bag and then someone will reveal the terrain you have to play on with that tile. Each round you will get to use your wild card once so you have to choose wisely.

The game is all about figuring out the best paths to connect the animals to the matching huts and the tucans match all of the huts. Each of the huts will score at each end of the round, but there are also common goals to work towards that will gain you more points if you finish them first.

It is a pretty simple game to figure out and play which makes it easy to pull out and play.

I have really enjoyed my first few plays so far even though I am so very bad at it. I can't say it is better than the roll-and-write game but they are definitely the same weight and playtime. I will likely end up keeping both games since they give me similar but also different feelings when I play. Sometimes I just want to play tiles! A bright and beautiful game that I would happily play anytime.

Neotopia is a beautiful new game that was excited to get to the table. This game was provided by the publisher. New to me!

Neotopia is a pattern game where you are trying to create patterns on the board in order to score points in the 3 different regions. You want to have points in all of the regions since you will get to score your lowest score multiplied by 3. The game ends once all of the center tiles have been removed. You will want to have the most points!

Each turn, you will perform 3 actions. The 2 different actions are to either draw a card from the display or to play an element tile on the game board. If you place a new element on the game board you can play a card from your hand if the tile you just played is part of the pattern on the card. It is tricky since you can't play the same type of card that was previously played in the same region.

You have to hope other players play into your cards, but you are also trying to set up your own cards and you hope other players don't use the spaces you want to.

Along the way you might collect special action tokens and you can use one of those each round if you want to. They are really great and you will definitely want to collect those.

We played this at a recent game night with 4 players. We also played it on stream with 2 players. There is definitely a different dynamic with fewer or more players, but I actually think the sweet spot for the game might be at 3 players.

With 4 there is a bit of a chaotic nature since you can't really plan for your turn as well as you can with 2 players. With 2 players you can set your plays up better, but there isn't as much change on the game board to play off of. It is a bit of a trade-off.

Either way, I still like the puzzle aspect of trying to score your cards and balance the 3 score tracks. It is a nice game. I have enjoyed my few plays and would like to play again with 3 players to see it at all player counts. I think a lot of people will enjoy this one if they give it a whirl.

At a recent game night we were looking for a card game to play and since we needed 3-4 players for Aurum it was a perfect fit for the end of the night. This game was provided by the publisher. New to me!

Aurum is a new card game where you play in teams. The catch with this trick-taking game is that you must never follow suit for any card that has been played. With each hand of cards, you have to wager what you and your teammate will take in for the amount of tricks, but only the highest value will be in effect. During the round, you will have a chance to change out the value to another value since you get more points if you can hit the correct bid exactly.

For each trick, the highest value card will win the trick, and the lowest value card will win a golden points card. The golden cards are going to be points, but they can also be used as a trump card in a later trick. The golden cards are the only type of cards that can be played in multiple during one trick.

I really do like partnership trick-taking games probably more than not. We actually all found this game to be super solid. I am not a big fan of not following. It makes it nearly impossible to predict how many tricks you think you will make.

We played the basic game to start out where everyone gets a golden 0 and I think that makes it a lot easier. I am 100% sure I would like to play this game again without using those golden 0's. I think it will be more fun to decide when to give up points or not.

I liked this game and would give it another go, but I think in general I would just rather play another card game. We weren't disappointed in our play though. It was good to get to the table!

Don't forget to pick up my Awesome Gaming Calendar 2023! https://stephsshop.ecwid.com/

Thanks to Dfube, I now have a chance to sell some cool All the Meeples of the Rainbow shirts!
If you enjoy the blog and want to support me and my good friend Dfube you can check them out here: https://itsyourroll.games/collections/all-the-meeples-of-the...

New to the Collection:

Thanks for following along!

Happy Gaming!!!

-Steph

All images in this post are copyrighted, owned, and controlled by Steph Hodge Photography, unless otherwise noted.
Please contact me if you would like to purchase or use my images in any way.
Disclaimer: I am a contract Employee of BGG. I review games that are provided by the publisher. I am not compensated for my blog content.
Thank you.

4 Comments

Wed Sep 13, 2023 11:00 am

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It was the Dawn of Ulos and the Inheritors were just Screaming at the Dahlias!

Posted by Steph

Weekly Update

11 Sep 2023

Steph Hodge

(punkin312)

United States
Tennessee

Well, it's no Ginkgopolis...

Please thumb deserving posts

Hia Everyone!

Some new vids!
Freelancers: A Crossroads Game

Nautilus Island

I was excited to check out Dawn of Ulos which was provided by Thunderworks Games. New to me!

Imagine the awesome fantasy world for the theme and imagine an economic game kind of like Acquire. Perhaps this is the creation you will come up with - Dawn of Ulos!

In Dawn of Ulos, you are wagering on the different factions to succeed. You can wager on any faction but the more land that faction occupies the more expensive it will be to buy their faction cards. These faction cards are used in a number of ways, but will ultimately be worth its final value price at the end of the game if it isn't used in other ways.

During the game, players will take turns placing terrain tiles so a faction can start and grow. Not one person owns a faction, so you can always choose to buy into a faction you didn't start or expand it.

If you expand a faction you will boost their strength value on the power track when you expand to match their favorite terrain types. The Goblins like forest and desert so each time the goblins expand into a hex of either type it will advance one step on the power track. If they make it to the end of the track they are now a legendary faction and can't lose that status even if they lose some strength value.

The stronger the faction gets the more value their cards are worth and the better they can defend their territory.

On your turn, you will place one tile. Then you can take an action either by using a card from your hand, or you can buy up to 3 cards at the value of the faction on the power track. Finally, you have to draw one tile from the stacks to replenish your hand of tiles.

If you cause 2 groups to merge, then you have to resolve a conflict. A conflict will look at strength value, but will also be supported by players who wish to use faction cards to help boost that value. You might be giving up valuable cards to help your faction win, but could pay off big time if you can take over the land and become legendary.

The game ends once the tiles have run out or 2 factions have legendary status.

Michael and I have played the game with 2-players but I know this game will just shine if you play with more. I feel like the sweet spot will be 3 or 4 players.

I think this game and concept is a lot of fun. So many economic games like this are about companies and stocks. I love the theme of fantasy more so it is way more appealing. I like the multi-use cards. You might choose to perform the action on the card to get a boost, but you are then giving up that possibly high-scoring card to do it. The choices are hard. You want to buy into all the factions so you have that possible card to use for the action, since it might help you!

It is a dynamic game so having more players would be better and there will be more changes from turn to turn to play off of vs a very tactical feeling of 1v1.

I liked this game and would definitely play again. It is not my normal cup of tea, but every once in a while it is fun to try my hand at such games. I would be curious to know if this is a game that works for your group if you have tried it before.

If you end up getting the game I highly recommend the lovely coins that go along with it. They are fabulous!

I don't think I have seen the movie Scream but I saw Scary Movie which has the same character with a long face. In any case, I was up for checking out the new Scream: The Game since I heard some fun things about it. This game was provided by Funko Games. New to me!

This game feels super thematic even though I haven't seen the movie. It is a cooperative real-time game where we have to try and not get caught by the scary guy that is after us.

You will need an app to run the game since he will often phone in and say we have to do a side mission or we get caught. He calls in frequently!

During the game, we will have to try and complete sets of items to fulfill the different requirements we all have. Each turn we can draw a card, swap a card with another player, or complete the set you need to.

It is all real-time so you have to really pay attention to what people are saying and what people need to complete their goals.

If we can all get the goals completed and not get caught, then we will win the game.

I will say this game is super stressful! You feel the pressure of the clock and know he will phone in asking someone to provide cards. I like the stress. It makes the game move along at a brisk pace and you are completely in it.

We all had fun playing the game and I definitely think that fans of the movie will find this game enjoyable. It is a clever use of an app and it works well. I was very happy to give this game a play and for it to be as much fun as it was. It is worth checking out if it appeals to you at all.

I was excited to check out the new Bohnanza game called Bohnanza: Dahlias. This game was provided to me by Amigo Spiel. New to me - ish!

I call this one new to me because it is a separate entry in BGG and the biggest difference is that you have 3 planting fields the whole game. You don't buy one partway through.

For me, If you like Bohnanza then is a no-brainer. I simply love the flower theme way more than the bean theme. The beautiful artwork by Beth Sobel is worth picking up the game.

If you aren't familiar with Bohnanza, well it is a card game. In the game, you have a hand of cards that you can't rearrange the order of. You must always play the topmost card from your hand into your field, but you can choose to play the second card as well. Then you will reveal two from the deck and try to negotiate with other players to trade for the cards you want.

Ideally, you pick up a whole bunch of flowers in one set and then you can score coins to the set value. The catch is the fact that you have to always plant the card from your hand and from the deck that you reveal. So you might not get the full set you were hoping for.

It is a classic card game at this point and I think the flower theme is just great.

Definitely worth checking out if you also enjoy the flowers like I do. It's a nice game.

Michael and I tried Inheritors which was provided to us by Northstar Games. New to me!

Inheritors is a small box card game where you are trying to gain influence to become the next ruler.

Each turn you are going to do one action of many possible actions in order to try and gain the influence you need to win.

Here are the actions: You can play an influence card to your tableau but they have to go in order from 1 to 6 in the appropriate color. You can discard 1 card to draw 2 cards from the deck or discard 1 card to take all of the cards from one row in the market. Maybe you want to claim a quest by discarding 3 cards of the same color and you draw a card from the deck. Or you can play an advocate card for its ability.

Many possible options. What is cool about all of this is when you discard a card it will go into the market area so you are giving up cards that the other players might end up wanting to increase their influence.

If you have enough influence in one region you can claim a leader card which is also going to give you abilities going forward.

The game will end once all of the quests and honors have been taken, or the the last card has been taken from the deck.

Ultimately you will want the most points from your influence cards, tomes and epics, relics, quests, and honors.

For a small card game, there is enough going on to keep your attention. I find that if you can't get the lower cards early then you will likely start off in a weaker position than the other players. It is hard to come back from that. If I can gain a leader card much quicker than my opponent then I am just better off. So it is a bit restrictive to have to play cards in numerical order.

That being said, it wasn't too harsh and the game is fast enough where it may not matter in most games.

I had fun playing it, but I am not sure it stands out for me to recommend it to play off the shelf. I would happily play it again though. Definitely glad to give it a whirl. It is a charming game with cute critters and a colorful display which is always attractive to me.

Don't forget to pick up my Awesome Gaming Calendar 2023! https://stephsshop.ecwid.com/

Thanks to Dfube, I now have a chance to sell some cool All the Meeples of the Rainbow shirts!
If you enjoy the blog and want to support me and my good friend Dfube you can check them out here: https://itsyourroll.games/collections/all-the-meeples-of-the...

New to the Collection:

Thanks for following along!

Happy Gaming!!!

-Steph

All images in this post are copyrighted, owned, and controlled by Steph Hodge Photography, unless otherwise noted.
Please contact me if you would like to purchase or use my images in any way.
Disclaimer: I am a contract Employee of BGG. I review games that are provided by the publisher. I am not compensated for my blog content.
Thank you.

4 Comments

Mon Sep 11, 2023 11:00 am

Post Rolls

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The Lunaris over the Moon River was an easy Sail to Rauha

The Ensemble around the Christmas Tree had a Missao to sing "Heaven, Here I Come"

The Beacon Patrol around Nautilus Island and Urubama Valley were really watching the Vivarium

There was some Mythic Mischief in the Canopy of the Amazoia during the Clone Wars over Mount Doom

The Minotaur was By the Book with his Deadlines for the Overboss

Come Sail Away to The Last Kingdom where the Number Drops into the Coral Reef

The Art Society had a Match Madness that was just The Perfect Wave for Sanssouci

It was really a Block and Guess attempt by the Inoka - Pirate Tails, but they were Speedy Feedy about it

The Freelancers and the Tucana Builders in Neotopia loved the Aurum

It was the Dawn of Ulos and the Inheritors were just Screaming at the Dahlias!

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