User: gr9yfox: Board Game Collection
| Title | Version |
User Rating
|
Geek Rating | Status |
User Plays |
Comment | Commands |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Hive
(2000)
|
|
Jan 2018
|
7.189 |
Owned
|
|
This is one of my favorite designs. It's very elegant, organic and portable too. This is the game I've taught the most people to play.
2012-04-07
|
|
|
Android: Netrunner
(2012)
|
|
Nov 2012
|
7.673 |
Owned
|
|
Netrunner might very well be the best game I've ever played but it was recently discontinued. Again.
Fantasy Flight did an outstanding job on their version. Cleaned up the design, moved from boosters to a more fair business model but the cherry on the cake is their setting! It presented itself using familiar cyberpunk tropes but quickly took players from neon-lit alleys to India, Africa and even the Moon! A a positive, hopeful and diverse world, which in turn was reflected in its community.
2019-01-14
|
|
|
Race for the Galaxy
(2007)
|
|
Nov 2014
|
7.655 |
Owned
|
|
Great tactical game with a lot of interesting decisions to make, great iconography instead of text and plays very fast. There's a steep learning curve on this one but when you do learn, it's great.
I like it better every time I play it.
2014-11-17
|
|
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Netrunner
(1996)
|
|
Jan 2013
|
6.609 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
I love the original Netrunner. The bluffing, the tension and the feeling of helplessness on either side makes for a great session. I can clearly see why Richard Garfield considers Netrunner his best creation.
(In the collection, in Portugal)
2018-09-18
|
|
|
Kamisado
(2008)
|
|
Dec 2015
|
6.303 |
Owned
|
|
Really elegant and clever game. You move your pieces vertically or diagonally and stop when you want. The color of the square where you land is the color the opponent will have to move next. Genious.
2014-02-15
|
|
|
The Gallerist
(2015)
|
|
Feb 2014
|
7.687 |
|
|
Solid game about sponsoring artists, making exhibitions from their pieces and selling their art.
2014-02-15
|
|
|
Kanban: Driver's Edition
(2014)
|
|
Aug 2014
|
7.308 |
|
|
Great game about taking orders and building cars. It was a pleasure seeing this game develop in our game designer meetups!
2014-08-18
|
|
|
Troyes
(2010)
|
|
Oct 2015
|
7.561 |
Owned
|
|
Unique use of dice creates a good game full of strategy and interesting decisions. Looks abstract at first, but once you know the rules you'll notice the theme, which is in every action you can do.
There's a lot of variety to Troyes, and the randomness from the dice doesn't take over the game. The setup and the dice create a lot of variety.
2016-08-01
|
|
|
Tak
(2017)
|
|
Apr 2017
|
6.629 |
Owned
|
|
Great abstract game that's easy to teach, quick to setup and plays very well. The goal is to build a road to the other side of the board by bringing new pieces in and modifying stacks of pieces in a Mancala-ish way. Two other pieces (walls and capstone) disrupt this.
I'm glad they released the beta rules and motivated everyone to assemble their own version despite their kickstarter campaign. Players have been creating really inspire set. I also made my own portable version and am very glad of how it turned out.
2017-01-28
|
|
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Las Vegas
(2012)
|
|
Sep 2017
|
6.876 |
Owned
|
|
What an excellent filler! Las Vegas has a simple rule set and interesting choices.
First you deal the bills to each casino until you reach 50k. This is a clever way to make sure there's always money in each casino and to create a ladder of possible rewards. A casino that only has a 90k bill can be profitable but very risky. On your turn you roll all your dice, pick every die with a single number and place them all in the respective casino. Then the next player goes. Once every player has placed all their dice, we see who won! The player with the most dice in a casino gets the biggest bill. Very important: ties cancel each other out! Simple, quick and lots of exciting choices, I wouldn't change a thing.
2017-09-23
|
|
|
Modern Art
(1992)
|
|
Jun 2018
|
7.239 |
Owned
|
|
A masterclass in auctions by Reiner Knizia. The game uses four different types of auctions and the choice of when to use them is the key to success.
The rules seem fairly simple but they really open the game for the players to make interesting choices. The beating heart of this game is not the auctions though, but the scoring system. It's really clever how the artists' popularity changes the painting's value, and how they change over time. By far the best auction game I've ever played. In an interesting twist, the more I play it, the more I like it!
2018-05-21
|
|
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Air, Land & Sea
(2018)
|
|
Feb 2020
|
6.779 |
Owned
|
|
Fantastic duelling game that does so much with the few components it has.
The premise is simple. Play cards to conquer two out of three available theaters of war. There are 18 cards split in three groups of cards with the numbers 1-6 and a special ability that either activates when you play it or becomes active while the card is up. If you want to play a card in a theater of war it's not meant for you can play it face down, and it's worth 2. Once all the card is played, the battle is over. The winner gets 6 points. The goal is to get 12. ...but there is an extra layer which adds a lot of tension. Players can choose to withdraw before the end of the round. They won't get any points but the opponent won't get as many points as if they won the round. Makes you reassess your odds at every turn. Love it.
2019-07-18
|
|
|
Dominion
(2008)
|
|
Apr 2012
|
7.504 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Excellent game that spawned a whole new genre of board games. The only con I see is that it might feel that each player is playing a singleplayer game, but the expansions seem to fix that.
2012-04-07
|
|
|
Cosmic Encounter
(2008)
|
|
Oct 2016
|
7.371 |
Owned
|
|
Some of the must fun times I've had with boardgames. The rules are simple and the alien races are exciting. The game is unbalanced on purpose to make the players react - and it might be the first game where I thought that's a good thing!
2013-01-28
|
|
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Telestrations
(2009)
|
|
Feb 2016
|
7.161 |
|
|
Great fun party game that gets people guessing what you drew and having someone draw that description, until everyone has done it. Reading the final sequences is hilarious and the components are good.
2014-02-15
|
|
|
For Sale
(1997)
|
|
Jan 2015
|
7.105 |
Owned
|
|
A wonderful bidding game with two distinct phases. First you try to buy good property for cheap, then you sell it for as much as you can. This game is the best of its kind. Reminds me of "No Thanks!", but it's not as easy for a player to ruin the game for everyone else.
2015-01-02
|
|
|
|
Oct 2017
|
7.017 |
Owned
Prev. Owned
|
|
Great strategy game that deserves multiple playthroughs per session. I haven't found a dominant strategy - if you become predictable that just means your flaws are exposed.
2014-07-15
|
||
|
Power Grid
(2004)
|
|
Oct 2017
|
7.746 |
Wishlist(3)
(Like to have) |
|
Only played through the "Tutorial" version of the game, but I really liked it. Great design there, everything makes sense and flows nicely. Would like to play the full version.
2014-10-28
|
|
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Sail to India
(2013)
|
|
Oct 2017
|
6.238 |
Owned
|
|
There's a surprising amount of game in this small box! The money and score tracking is done in a really interesting way here, and the turns flow fast due to having two actions only.
2015-01-01
|
|
|
Mage Knight Board Game
(2011)
|
|
Oct 2015
|
7.882 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
What an ambitious game! I must warn you it's very challenging to learn, and so rewarding when you get it. As you're reading the manual, don't mistake content for complexity. You don't have to learn every single thing before you start playing.
Excellent hand management mechanics that make you feel powerful, and it generates a very engrossing puzzle that's also the best solo gaming experience I've had so far. There can be a lot of downtime, so I found it best with one or two players.
2015-10-13
|
|
|
|
Feb 2015
|
7.697 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Adds more variety to an already excellent base game. The goals are fun to play with if the players already know the base rules, and it's cool that they're not mandatory.
Haven't tried the solo game. (In the collection)
2018-09-18
|
||
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Rococo
(2013)
|
|
Oct 2015
|
7.218 |
|
|
I was blown away by this game. The box art didn't really suggest what we'd be doing in the game so I didn't expect it to be about making dresses.
Tight design, interesting decisions and lovely art. I wouldn't change a thing.
2015-10-29
|
|
|
Ginkgopolis
(2012)
|
|
Jun 2016
|
7.043 |
Owned
|
|
Ginkgopolis is a wonderful mashup of mechanisms. It's got drafting, engine building, tile laying, area majority and deckbuilding in every round! It's amazing how it all flows.
I'm very glad there's a solo variant where I could learn it first. The theme isn't very relevant while playing but it's definitely unique and it brings in a wonderful art direction.
2016-05-30
|
|
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Cyclades
(2009)
|
|
Oct 2016
|
7.301 |
Owned
|
|
Excellent hybrid between american and euro design which plays very smoothly. Cyclades is a dudes on a map where the main way to select your actions is through winning the right to do them via intense auctions. The production is great, with vibrant art and well made miniatures (with different molds for each player color!).
Teaching it is a breeze, mostly because it looks more complex than it actually is. It also plays quickly, compared to most other games in its type. Bonus points for playing well with two players!
2016-11-10
|
|
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Rex: Final Days of an Empire
(2012)
|
|
Jul 2017
|
6.618 |
Owned
|
|
Rex is fantastic. The races are very distinct, the alliances are different from any game I've played and they work brilliantly. They can only be accepted or broken in specific moments in the game, you share your ability with your allies - but the winning condition gets harder!
The race's powers are wildly different and give players a lot of control over aspects of the game. Also replayability, because now I want to try them all. The fights are a sequence of difficult decisions that work very well. Winning is costly. Expect diplomacy, intrigue and betrayal. It's some of the most fun I've had with a boardgame.
2017-07-20
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Ra
(1999)
|
|
Oct 2016
|
7.311 |
|
|
What an excellent game! Reading the rules made it sound a bit abstract but after we started playing we found that it's surprisingly thematic! The mechanics make perfect sense with the theme and it flows very well. The uncertainty of when the auctions will happen makes it very exciting and losing your winning Sun tiles makes decisions painful. The scoring is also very well designed. I'm glad it was reprinted!
2016-10-03
|
|
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Codenames: Pictures
(2016)
|
|
Dec 2016
|
7.071 |
Owned
|
|
Great party game with very elegant rules and tons of replayability. Strikes a perfect balance between amount of rules and fun. Codenames Pictures improves on the original game, making it language independent!
2016-12-05
|
|
|
Concordia
(2013)
|
|
Jan 2017
|
7.965 |
Wishlist(3)
(Like to have) |
|
Excellent euro game with elegant, streamlined rules. Some people complain about the amount of games about "trading in the Mediterranean" but this is the best one I've played so far.
2017-01-01
|
|
|
Raptor
(2015)
|
|
Jan 2019
|
6.996 |
Owned
|
|
Very tense, asymmetrical game where one player is a raptor mom trying to save her children and the other is a team of scientists trying to capture her kids.
After building the level from tiles and placing the characters, the players will take turns playing cards to do actions. The thing is, the lowest card played gets to resolve its action, and the highest only gets to do a number of basic actions - but sometimes that's exactly what you need so you'll have to guess what the other player will try to do. Excellent rule set and artwork, with a fresh theme. Tense right up to the end.
2017-01-22
|
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Troyes: The Ladies of Troyes
(2012)
|
|
Sep 2017
|
6.750 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Ladies of Troyes is a great expansion. It brings enough new cards to double the content and variety of the base game and it includes two new interesting aspects. The purple die can't be bought so it is the only bit of security you have. The other is the guard that walks along the walls, unlocking new abilities. I need to play this more, but I got the feeling the activity cards may make this more or less useful.
(In the collection)
2018-09-18
|
|
|
Samurai
(1998)
|
|
May 2018
|
7.241 |
Owned
|
|
Excellent tile-based area control puzzle where the players are trying to influence the people of feudal Japan in three different topics.
The rules are elegant and quick to teach and the gameplay is full of interesting decisions. Most tiles are straightforward but there are a few that create unpredictable situations. The clever tiebreakers make the players want to spread out rather than just focus on one type of token. Plus, it plays very quickly!
2017-10-03
|
|
|
Hanamikoji
(2013)
|
|
Mar 2019
|
7.260 |
|
|
Elegant rules, quick playtime and hard choices. I really enjoy the way the game deals with the different actions you can do in a turn. There are four actions you can pick from - once! And that's it. It makes every turn very tense.
Plus, if at the end of a round there is no winner you keep the influence and play one more round! I dislike the theme so much that I made my own retheme where you have to attract dogs using their favorite toys,
2019-07-18
|
|
|
Brass: Lancashire
(2007)
|
|
Nov 2020
|
7.963 |
Owned
|
|
Great economic game about the industrial revolution. With proper manipulation of supply and demand opponents have to use your resources, which upgrades your buildings as result.
Gorgeous production, good sized box.
2020-02-23
|
|
|
Vinhos Deluxe Edition
(2016)
|
|
Nov 2017
|
7.467 |
Owned
|
|
If you've were ever curious about Vital Lacerda's games Vinhos Deluxe Edition is a great introduction. In addition to the original version of the game, it comes with an excellent new graphic design, off the chart production and a more newby-friendly version: the 2016 Reserve. It's a stepping stone into Vital's ludography.
Vinhos is a great game about wine making in Portugal. Every mechanism is informed by theme, which makes it smooth to learn and also easy to remember. I really enjoyed the way the wine is produced and how it values as it ages. It's complex, not complicated. You'll have a great time.
2017-11-19
|
|
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Orléans
(2014)
|
|
Oct 2017
|
7.888 |
Owned
|
|
Excellent bag building game that flows very smoothly and has a perfect duration. The choices are very interesting, the iconography is helpful and it uses the particularities ov bag building versus deckbuilding well as you can leave some workers on the board (incomplete payments or market) and the ones from the actions always go back to the bag.
The side board with the achievements is a really interesting way to cull your supply of workers. Note: Played it with a lot of component upgrades and promos, have yet to see the base game.
2017-10-23
|
|
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Citadels
(2000)
|
|
May 2019
|
6.973 |
Owned
|
|
Great card game and social interaction that goes way beyond what I thought could be achieved with just cards.
It can be too long with the full player count, but you can always reduce the number of required buildings to speed it up (7 is good!). With 2 or 3 players each gets two roles, so you get to play with time as a dimension as well (get money with one, spend it with the other). It adds a very welcome layer to this already fantastic game.
2019-05-21
|
|
|
Tobago
(2009)
|
|
Apr 2017
|
6.891 |
|
|
The most original game I have played in a long time. Every mechanic is unique and the game itself is really fun.
2012-04-08
|
|
|
The Resistance
(2009)
|
|
Oct 2015
|
7.144 |
Owned
Prev. Owned
|
|
Simple rules and tough choices create a different story in each player's head. This is the game I bring out when there's a large group or a sceptic.
2013-01-27
|
|
|
Puerto Rico
(2002)
|
|
Jan 2013
|
7.850 |
|
|
I really like the way the job dynamics work in this game. I didn't win, but it certainly made me want to try it again.
2013-01-28
|
|
|
Dominion: Intrigue
(2009)
|
|
Jan 2013
|
7.560 |
|
|
Dominion was groundbreaking, but this expansion fixes the one flaw that bugged me in the original: lack of player interaction.
2013-01-28
|
|
|
Dominant Species
(2010)
|
|
Jan 2013
|
7.626 |
|
|
Evolve your species to be able to expand to new lands and eat new types of food.
It's the first time I had to make (worker placement) choices with such an advance that I wasn't sure if they were going to be effective once they did happen.
2019-03-24
|
|
|
|
Feb 2014
|
7.386 |
|
|
Great adaptation of the source material. The action system is fantastic, where you place a face down order per province you control. Once all provinces have one, then you flip them over and resolve. This can create really interesting situations where you agree to do something but end up doing the opposite - just like in the books.
2017-10-02
|
||
|
|
Nov 2015
|
7.406 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Brilliant modular game design that allows for heavy customization and even player-created adventures.
Also, it's hard! I really like having a challenging game I face now and then. Makes winning a lot more rewarding. Unfortunately if you're playing to progress through the story the investment can get unreasonably high.
2015-11-03
|
||
|
Magic: The Gathering
(1993)
|
|
Oct 2014
|
7.362 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
This is one of the games that got me into gaming more seriously, and created so many standards within the industry. I don't follow it anymore because I didn't want to keep buying cards to keep up, but I greatly enjoy the gameplay and deck building.
(In the collection, in Portugal)
2019-01-28
|
|
|
Endeavor
(2009)
|
|
Oct 2017
|
7.099 |
|
|
Great strategy game, and one of the first few games with no luck element after the initial setup. I felt I was in control, and fully responsible for all my bad choices.
2013-01-29
|
|
|
Chaos in the Old World
(2009)
|
|
Oct 2017
|
7.411 |
|
|
Asymmetric area control game with a solid theme. Each player has a different victory goal, and the board itself can win if everyone is too destructive.
2019-03-24
|
|
|
Drum Roll
(2011)
|
|
Oct 2015
|
6.221 |
|
|
Manage your crew, but don't get too greedy because you have to pay their wages! Solid game with a fresh theme.
2014-02-15
|
|
|
Condottiere
(1995)
|
|
Aug 2020
|
6.612 |
Owned
|
|
The most portable area control game I own. Exciting and plays a range of players.
The star of this design is the limited hand of cards which can take a long time to refill. It forces players to pick which fights they want to be a part. Sometimes you may want to start a war somewhere where another player is really interested in just to make them spend their cards. The rules are not too complicated but new players always forget what the cards do because the symbol is not too clear (FFG) so it takes a few turns/games to get into it. This is the game that CD Projekt ripped off to make Gwent.
2019-12-06
|
|
|
Diamant
(2005)
|
|
Feb 2014
|
6.696 |
|
|
Excellent press-your-luck game. I really like the way the advantages for leaving the cave really push you to do it, but they myght go so wrong if more people leave at the same time. The hazard warnings also increase the tension in a way that is very easy to understand. Great fun!
2014-02-15
|
|
|
Tigris & Euphrates
(1997)
|
|
Oct 2017
|
7.529 |
|
|
Some pretty original ideas here. I wasn't too into it, but respect its design.
2014-02-15
|
|
|
Go
(-2200)
|
|
Feb 2014
|
7.325 |
|
|
Classic game that's trickier than it seems.
2014-02-15
|
|
|
No Thanks!
(2004)
|
|
Mar 2021
|
6.933 |
|
|
Very simple components and rules, but the decisions it creates are very tense! Very portable.
2014-02-25
|
|
|
Saint Petersburg
(2004)
|
|
Feb 2014
|
7.093 |
|
|
I wasn't expecting much because the name is so generic, but it was a nice surprise! I really liked it, and would certainly play it again.
2014-02-15
|
|
|
|
Feb 2014
|
7.452 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Very accessible game with beaufiful painted miniatures. Gameplay is very streamlined and waiting time is seriously reduced because both players choose and assign their actions at the same time.
I have found it cumbersome to play casually because there's a lot to the setup when you including building and equipping squads.
2017-10-25
|
||
|
Android: Infiltration
(2012)
|
|
Jul 2019
|
6.193 |
Owned
Prev. Owned
|
|
A "push your luck" game where the players are going into a building to steal, keeping an eye out for the alarm and getting out before the police gets there.
It's a lot of fun. It's not a serious game and there's a lot of randomness, but the players also get a lot of control. They can help or hurt each other, which might lead to some awesome backstabbing close to the end of the game. Paints a vivid picture in the player's mind.
2021-03-15
|
|
|
The Resistance: Avalon
(2012)
|
|
Jun 2014
|
7.390 |
|
|
The original Resistance is great. This new version adds the new roles and doesn't have the extra cards. This means you can use sleeves to add these roles to your original copy of the game instead of buying another one.
Also, I prefer the original theme because it's so clear. "You're a spy" is intuitive and "You're a minion of Mordred" is not, even if you know the story. We gravitate towards "you're a bad guy", which detracts from the theme.
2018-07-04
|
|
|
Pickomino
(2005)
|
|
Jan 2015
|
6.381 |
Owned
|
|
This is a great little push your luck game, and very portable if you take it out of the original box. Very easy to teach, and I like how goals can change from scoring to steal points from other players, and how higher numbers aren't always the best thing to get.
2015-12-26
|
|
|
Splendor
(2014)
|
|
Jun 2017
|
7.328 |
|
|
Very accessible and easy to play engine-building game with little player interaction or theme. But that doesn't really matter when the gameplay is this solid. The box is a lot bigger than the components, and the poker chips are nice to handle.
2017-06-26
|
|
|
Mascarade
(2013)
|
|
Oct 2015
|
6.413 |
Owned
|
|
After chasing the out-of-print Coup for about six months, I got this off a friend. After an intense play session, I'm hooked! This is even better. See, in Coup you can deterministically figure out what's going on and win, but Mascarade makes it more dynamic and fresh. I love it, and can't wait to try it with more people and characters.
2014-07-15
|
|
|
Skull
(2011)
|
|
Oct 2014
|
7.010 |
|
|
Boils bluffing to its very core, it's easy to teach and to play and it's a lot of fun! Also, really easy to improvise a version out of a standard deck of cards - or beermats at a pub!
2014-10-07
|
|
|
Lords of Waterdeep
(2012)
|
|
Oct 2014
|
7.621 |
|
|
A eurogame with a Dungeons and Dragons theme. What a weird mix, but I like how it worked out. It's not the deepest worker placement game but the gameplay is very smooth and it's a really nice introduction to the genre. It's insanely well produced, as you can see right when you open the box and gleam at that amazing box insert.
2015-08-06
|
|
|
7 Wonders
(2010)
|
|
Nov 2014
|
7.640 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Great drafting/set collection game that can take a lot of players and doesn't take long at all! It takes a fair bit of space though. As your empire grows, so does your footprint.
2014-11-07
|
|
|
El Grande
(1995)
|
|
Nov 2014
|
7.580 |
|
|
Great bidding/area control game. It took me a bit to get the hang of it, but there's a lot more strategy than it seems at first.
2014-11-10
|
|
|
Pandemic
(2008)
|
|
Nov 2014
|
7.497 |
|
|
Very good coop game with a good theme and rising tension. It works well as a gateway game for people that aren't into the hobby (yet!).
2014-11-17
|
|
|
Galaxy Trucker
(2007)
|
|
Nov 2014
|
7.275 |
|
|
I was really impressed by the crazy ambition and wacky theme of this game. Building the ship is lots of fun, and seeing the ships get blown apart is even better.
There's a nice sense of pace as the three game stages advance.
2014-11-30
|
|
|
Trains
(2012)
|
|
Oct 2018
|
6.864 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Excellent deckbuilding game where you improve your deck as well as make actions on a board. It flows very well and gives your actions more of a purpose. The player interaction avoids monotony and adds replayability.
A quick search online shows there's plenty of other maps to try out, so I believe this base box will give me a lot more to play than most deckbuilders.
2015-01-14
|
|
|
Jaipur
(2009)
|
|
Mar 2015
|
7.394 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Excellent two-player game about trading. It's got a great length and an elegant ruleset that allows for interesting decisions.
I'm very impressed by how the designer made a trading game work with only two players. That central market is brilliant.
2015-03-14
|
|
|
|
Mar 2015
|
6.669 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
An essential expansion that adds a lot of replay value to an excellent game. Fits its original box too, so I'll always keep them together.
2019-05-06
|
||
|
|
Mar 2015
|
7.134 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Great worker placement game for two players. It has a nice theme, lovely components and good layouts that guide you when you're playing.
It takes about 30 minutes to play, which is exactly what I was looking for at this time. I hear the four special buildings can get repetitive soon, so I got the expansion at the same time.
2019-03-24
|
||
|
Caylus
(2005)
|
|
Apr 2015
|
7.585 |
|
|
Excellent worker placement game, influenced lots of games so far and I can see why. I particularly like the way the players can control how soon the turn will end, and how it gets more and more expensive as more players pass their turn.
2015-04-06
|
|
|
Imperial Settlers
(2014)
|
|
Oct 2017
|
7.225 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
What a great game! It's a friendly looking empire/tableau building game with ruthless player interaction. In a way reminds me of Race for the Galaxy but it's so much easier to learn, and the factions give it a dash of personality.
Part of its ease of play is due to its graphic design, which makes everything very clear. The player boards are a great way to keep things organized and the building placement makes it easy to read. As soon as you open the box you can see the amount of care that was put in every little detail. The components are great, the art is wonderful and there's even a video tutorial you can learn from!
2015-05-01
|
|
|
Roll for the Galaxy
(2014)
|
|
May 2015
|
7.515 |
|
|
Excellent game. I'm a big fan of the original and this brings new challenges to the table. If I didn't already have Race I would have probably started here because Roll is easier to introduce new players to.
Note: It also seems easier to cheat, but why would you play with people that do that?
2015-05-31
|
|
|
Tajemnicze Domostwo
(2013)
|
|
Mar 2019
|
6.736 |
|
|
Clever mix of Cluedo + Dixit becomes something much better than either one! First time I played it we couldn't stop, and ended up playing it a few more times afterwards. It created some very interesting conversations and interactions, and I loved it! This is exactly why I like boardgames so much.
2015-05-31
|
|
|
Dogs of War
(2014)
|
|
Jun 2015
|
6.729 |
|
|
The first impression from the kickstarter wasn't too good, it seemed overproduced and trying to excuse design flaws with bling. They could all be wooden cubes and disks for all I care because the gameplay is solid and provides really interesting and tense decisions. I was happy to be proved wrong.
2015-06-07
|
|
|
Innovation
(2010)
|
|
Mar 2018
|
7.071 |
Owned
|
|
After a mixed first reaction I've grown to like Innovation a whole lot. It is clever, original and very portable - at least the third edition by Asmadi.
Be warned it can be chaotic and there are heavy "take that" elements so be sure to mention that when introducing it to new players. The "splaying" mechanic is great, and something I hadn't seen before. For an abstract interpretation of a Civ game the cards are really thematic. I will be bringing it with me when travelling, especially if we're just two.
2019-03-24
|
|
|
Fleet
(2012)
|
|
Jul 2015
|
6.531 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Surprise! An unusual theme hides a solid engine building game. You bid to get fishing licences so you can send out fishing boats so you can convert those fish into points.
2015-07-14
|
|
|
Deep Sea Adventure
(2014)
|
|
Jul 2015
|
6.762 |
Owned
|
|
What a great push your luck game! This one is about diving for treasure to get valuable (and heavy!) loot. All players share one oxygen tank so they can coordinate or backstab based on it.
Deeper loot is better, but it's heavy and there's a long way up. The presentation and components are lovely as well, and I really like the loot pieces. The more sides it has, the more valuable it is.
2015-10-13
|
|
|
Tides of Time
(2015)
|
|
Jul 2015
|
6.417 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Excellent minimalistic drafting game for two players that is easy to learn and has a lot of replayability.
Can you still call Tides of Time a microgame when it comes with such big cards and box? I'd say so, because at its core there are 18 cards and 4 tokens. If so, it's by far my favorite microgame. (Print and play)
2019-07-09
|
|
|
|
Aug 2015
|
7.032 |
|
|
After a lot of bad experiences, I approach licensed games (especially when they have pictures of the actors on the cards) with care. Boy, was I surprised!
I haven't seen the show, so I was very pleased to be able to play the game without feeling like I was missing out on references or even jokes. The game is separated into two distinct parts. Outside the arena you gather resources, buy gladiators/slaves/equipment and attack other players. Then there's the arena fights, which are a (usually) 1 on 1 fight with interesting choices when you take damage. It's better than the sum of its parts.
2015-08-17
|
||
|
Summoner Wars
(2009)
|
|
Oct 2019
|
6.855 |
|
|
Summoner Wars is a great tactical game with a clever hand management aspect to it. It's very streamlined and easy to pick up.
Every unit you kill goes to the discard, which creates tense moments where sometimes the best thing to do is to kill one of your own units before the opponent gets them. The races play very differently and seem to be well balanced. I like the way the fantasy tropes are remixed here, and can't wait to try some more.
2019-10-10
|
|
|
Summoner Wars: Master Set
(2011)
|
|
Jun 2016
|
7.201 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Summoner Wars is a great tactical game with a clever hand management aspect to it. It's very streamlined and easy to pick up.
Every unit you kill goes to the discard, which creates tense moments where sometimes the best thing to do is to kill one of your own units before the opponent gets them. The races play very differently and seem to be well balanced. I like the way the fantasy tropes are remixed here, and can't wait to try some more. (In the collection)
2019-02-12
|
|
|
Shadowrun: Crossfire
(2014)
|
|
Oct 2016
|
6.584 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
I love this game! First off, I don't know much about the Shadowrun universe, this was the first game I played that takes place there.
It's very hard! We played it many times before we beat our first mission and it was very rewarding ...and frustrating, as it didn't give us enough karma to get our first upgrade. The notion of progression is very enticing, gives me another reason to pick this game over another and I can see that the upgrades will be enough for a very long time. Some people are angry that there are only three missions, but at this point I'm very happy to see there are several other missions you can download and print off the game's website.
2015-08-24
|
|
|
Codenames
(2015)
|
|
May 2017
|
7.517 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Great party game with very elegant rules and tons of replayability. Strikes a perfect balance between amount of rules and fun.
Edit: Codenames Pictures is even better, making it language independent!
2016-12-05
|
|
|
7 Wonders Duel
(2015)
|
|
Oct 2015
|
7.982 |
Owned
|
|
Excellent two player drafting game that is more than just a stripped down version of 7 Wonders. I really like that there are three possible endgame triggers, and how fast the turns go. When learning we were meant to play "just one game", and suddenly played three.
I usually don't like small cards, but I'm glad they used them because it would take a ridiculous amount of space on the table.
2015-10-12
|
|
|
|
Jan 2017
|
6.321 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
More wonders for 7 Wonders Duel is always good! This one has an interesting mechanic, which allows you to build one of the top cards from the stack for free and a nice picture with the two designers in front of Messe Essen.
(In the collection)
2018-09-18
|
||
|
Valley of the Kings
(2014)
|
|
Jan 2016
|
6.628 |
Owned
|
|
Original deckbuilding game with a good use of the egyptian theme. It's present everywhere from the card layouts to the game mechanics: The shop is a pyramid which crumbles when you remove cards, and the only way to score cards is to place them in your tomb. This creates an interesting situation where you have to store away your good cards during the game, or they'll be worthless in the end.
It's also very portable!
2016-01-26
|
|
|
|
Oct 2015
|
6.756 |
Owned
|
|
I love this game and its wonderful production. Similar to Spyfall but with drawing instead of talking, the result is something special. The players are making a drawing one line at the time - but one doesn't know what they're drawing, and he's trying not to stand out.
Great production, lovely components. To make it easier to play with a larger group and on a large table I often bring my own notepad and pens for everyone.
2019-03-24
|
||
|
|
Oct 2017
|
6.437 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
The Atlanteans bring a whole new faction and upgrades for the other ones. I'm impressed by how different they are. They make no points on faction buildings, but use technology to supercharge their basic ones! You need to make points along the game, not just at the end.
2015-10-15
|
||
|
Five Tribes
(2014)
|
|
Oct 2015
|
7.631 |
|
|
Cool game, solid mechanics and great production values, easy to learn and seems very replayable. Nice twist on the mancala mechanic.
There's a couple downsides, though. The first one is the rules for scoring market cards are unclear. The other is that you can't completely plan your turn during other players' turns since the board can change, which has immense potential for analysis paralysis. Luckily it didn't happen in our game.
2015-10-29
|
|
|
Mottainai
(2015)
|
|
Dec 2015
|
6.547 |
Owned
|
|
I still need a few more plays to really get the hang of it, but I am already very impressed by this game's potential! Intriguing mechanics, tough choices and a reduced deck size that makes it very portable.
I really like the theme, artstyle and layout as well. Next to all the overused themes it's very refreshing.
2018-05-28
|
|
|
Mascarade: Expansion
(2014)
|
|
Jan 2017
|
6.087 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Adds more replayability to Mascarade with clever new roles and it fits the base box. Win/win!
(In the collection)
2018-09-18
|
|
|
|
Aug 2017
|
6.774 |
Owned
|
|
The Alliances Master Set is a great addition to any Summoner Wars collection. The production values are off the charts. The box can take your whole collection, the playmats feel great to play on and the new race mashups have very distinct styles to them. It feels very well balanced.
2018-06-01
|
||
|
Trains: Rising Sun
(2014)
|
|
Oct 2018
|
6.523 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
A great addition to an already excellent game, with creative new cards, new maps (two for 2 players!) and the route mechanic, which is also compatible with the original game.
Both games fit a single box, but the board, props the lit up a bit - still better than carrying both boxes. This is a great place to start with Trains. (In the collection)
2019-02-12
|
|
|
Schotten Totten
(1999)
|
|
Mar 2016
|
6.996 |
Owned
|
|
Very good game of set collection. Each player adds cards to piles on the middle of the table to pull the boundary stones to their side. The rules are simple (though the combos might take a while to memorize if you don't know them from poker) and it plays really well.
Refreshing theme, even though you can ignore it! It has several similarities with Lost Cities, including the designer.
2016-03-26
|
|
|
Istanbul
(2014)
|
|
Oct 2016
|
7.424 |
|
|
Istanbul is a great game about using your assistants to buy and sell resources at the market, and occasionally sending your family on errands before they're caught and arrested (again!). The mechanics are ain intriguing puzzle and the production quality is great.
It is lighter than it seems!
2016-10-03
|
|
|
Quantum
(2013)
|
|
Jul 2017
|
6.883 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Great tactical game that moves very quickly, has a clever design and a unique use of dice. Bonus points for allowing the players to create their own maps.
Its production values and art are impressive for what is essentially an abstract tactical game.
2017-07-07
|
|
|
Catacombs (Third Edition)
(2015)
|
|
May 2016
|
6.694 |
Owned
|
|
Very fun platform choice and mechanics for a genre that is way overused: a dexterity dungeon crawler! I'd like to high-five the designer for coming up with it.
The Third edition is a full overhaul with much better art, streamlined rules and (yes!) walls! Lovely!
2016-05-24
|
|
|
Haggis
(2010)
|
|
Jan 2017
|
6.544 |
|
|
Finally a shedding/climbing game that can be played by two players! Having versatile face cards on the table mitigates a lot of bad card draw. Bonus points for being playable with a regular deck of playing cards.
2017-01-01
|
|
|
Patchwork
(2014)
|
|
Mar 2019
|
7.541 |
|
|
Excellent two-player game about building a quilt and leaving as few holes as possible. The rules are simple and easy to teach, but the consequences are deeper than they initially appear.
I imagine it would work great as a (sneaky) gateway game that can can grow along with the players. Note: Only played the app, but it felt like a great adaptation.
2016-08-01
|
|
|
The Castles of Burgundy
(2011)
|
|
May 2017
|
8.008 |
|
|
Great strategy game that combines eurogame mechanics with dice, in a way that it doesn't feel too luck-driven, Instead of buying a tile or good and placing it right away they go to limited storage spaces, which means timing is also a very important factor in the player's choices. It works great with two players.
2017-05-28
|
|
|
|
Dec 2016
|
5.518 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Interesting game about building a great canal and making sure everything is looking good when the inspector goes around to investigate. Its theme is grounded in history and the mechanics work well, even though there's a bit more "take that" than I expected at first.
2016-12-28
|
||
|
Dungeon Petz
(2011)
|
|
Mar 2019
|
7.230 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Dungeon Petz is delightful, with a lot of rules but they all make sense thematically so it's easy to teach and remember. You definitely get a sense that you're developing a story and it feels terrible when you let your pets down.
2017-01-11
|
|
|
|
Oct 2016
|
6.928 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Very accessible game with beaufiful painted miniatures. Gameplay is very streamlined and waiting time is seriously reduced because both players choose and assign their actions at the same time.
Improves on the first core set with the updated damage deck and Poe Dameron!
2016-10-20
|
||
|
|
Nov 2016
|
7.269 |
|
|
This game is great! It has an interesting mix of mechanics that connect really well. Bidding/picking prices for the tiles adds tense choices and I particularly like the varied scoring mechanic, where at the start of the game you draw some scoring conditions and every sound you score one or more of them. It keeps the game fresh and cleverly avoids a dominant strategy.
2016-11-02
|
||
|
Mysterium
(2015)
|
|
Mar 2019
|
7.157 |
|
|
Clever mix of Cluedo + Dixit becomes something much better than either one! First time I played it we couldn't stop, and ended up playing it a few more times afterwards. It created some very interesting conversations and interactions, and I loved it! This is exactly why I like boardgames so much.
2016-12-26
|
|
|
|
Sep 2020
|
7.498 |
Owned
|
|
This is the most immersive detective game I have ever played.
After an introduction you are left with a case book full of people, an address directory, a map of London and newspapers. It's up to you to choose where to go and who to interview. Sometimes they'll tell you useful information and point you to somewhere or someone new, sometimes it will be a dead end. You'll take notes, have engrossing discussions and, when you feel like you've got it, you can choose to end the game. This, in itself is quite rare! There are so many games that outlast their welcome. After that you'll reveal questions about the case. The more you answer correctly, the more points you get. Meanwhile Holmes has solved all of that and will gladly tell you how. The rules then tell you to compare your score with Holmes', which I think can potentially be discouraging. The joy of the game is the investigation and connecting the dots. Exploring your resources to find clues and important information. It is possible to get stuck in the investigation, which can feel deflating but fortunately you can swing by 221B Baker Street and Holmes can give you a clue. It came out almost 40 years ago and I've never played anything like it. I'll be back to this review once we're done with the cases.
2020-09-26
|
||
|
Troyes: Bonus Cards
(2011)
|
|
Oct 2017
|
6.172 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
More content for Troyes!
(In the collection)
2018-09-18
|
|
|
Movable Type
(2016)
|
|
May 2017
|
5.594 |
Owned
|
|
Very enjoyable drafting word game. Don't let the streamlined rules fool you, it's full of hard choices! The added goals increase the challenge and suggest new strategies you might have not considered.
2017-05-01
|
|
|
Onitama
(2014)
|
|
Jan 2017
|
7.184 |
|
|
Wonderful abstract game that is very easy to teach and flows very nicely. The moves you can do are on cards, and when you use them you hand them over to our opponent. The matches are short but full of interesting mind games.
Of the 16 available moves (and 2 extra promos), you only use 5 per game, so there's no way to develop a dominant strategy since it might not even be possible on the next match. They also add a lot of replayability.
2019-03-24
|
|
|
Kingdomino
(2016)
|
|
Sep 2018
|
7.228 |
Owned
|
|
A simple and fun tile drafting game where each player is trying to get the tiles to build the best kingdom they can. The rules are easy to teach and the scoring is straightforward.
It's super quick at 2 players, but luckily there are several variants and one of them extends the game.
2017-01-22
|
|
|
Solstice: Fall of Empire
(2017)
|
|
Apr 2018
|
5.522 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Solstice is a fantastic game with some drafting, some area control and a lot of difficult choices. The rules are straightforward but it might take you a few games to get the hang of it because you're drafting not just your card but your opponent's. How much control do you want to have?
There is a lot of replayability due to the planets and the event cards. A love letter to Dune as only a game designer could do, capturing the tension and intrigue through a clever use of game mechanisms. (Print and play)
2018-09-18
|
|
|
Rise of Augustus
(2013)
|
|
May 2017
|
6.515 |
Wishlist(3)
(Like to have) |
|
What a great surprise! Augustus takes the core mechanic from Bingo and builds a great game around it. You pick goals from a market, which have different costs and give different benefits when you complete them. The town crier player draws disks from a blind bag, with resource symbols you can conquer in your objectives. The choice of when to take the "achievement" tiles is also very interesting. Do you take it now, or leave it behind and try for the next one? Games are fast and fun.
2017-05-28
|
|
|
Automobiles
(2016)
|
|
Aug 2021
|
6.641 |
|
|
What a surprise! Automobiles is a fun, exciting bag builder about car racing with plenty of interesting decisions, surprises, a sense of momentum and plenty of variability.
It feels great to race around the track, speeding up as you move further from the edge, but beware that the faster you race, the more wear your tires will have, and you'll have to deal with it sooner or later. I think this is the best racing game I've ever played.
2021-08-16
|
|
|
Power Grid: The Card Game
(2016)
|
|
Oct 2017
|
6.129 |
|
|
A very pleasant surprise! It focuses on the power plants themselves, auctioning and buying the materials that fuel them. I thought the spatial aspect of Power Grid was a very important part of the game but I didn't miss it at all, and it allowed the whole game to take place within an hour. Plus, it works well with two players!
2017-10-01
|
|
|
The Quest for El Dorado
(2017)
|
|
Jun 2017
|
7.374 |
|
|
Super solid and focused deckbuilding game. It's a race to the end of the map, using your cards to traverse different terrain and obstacles.
It's really interesting to see that most deckbuilding games offer a big range of possible combinations the players can explore, but here the focus is in efficiency, hand management and market manipulation. Some stacks are available for purchase but others only are possible to buy when one of those stacks runs out.
2017-06-24
|
|
|
Bärenpark
(2017)
|
|
Sep 2017
|
7.125 |
|
|
Excellent game. Bärenpark takes the main concept from Patchwork but reworks it in a number of interesting ways. All the pieces are technically available from the start, being unlocked every time you build on top of specific icons. You can choose to expand the park in different directions, and every time you fill one of your tiles you get a bear statue of decreasing value.
Once you've learned how to play, check out the Achievements variant! It makes the game more tense, and the choices more interesting.
2017-09-11
|
|
|
Sushi Go Party!
(2016)
|
|
Sep 2017
|
7.286 |
Owned
|
|
Like Sushi Go? Here's another serving! Party bumps up the player count to 8, includes lots of creative new cards that you can mix and match to form different "menus", increasing replayability. Also included is a scoring track, so you don't need to write those down. The only downside is this makes it less portable.
2017-09-25
|
|
|
The Voyages of Marco Polo
(2015)
|
|
Oct 2017
|
7.655 |
|
|
A great game with dice allocation and exploration. Players take a character, explore the map to get resources so they can fulfill contracts, get money and victory points. The iconography is really well done and the variable setup allows for a lot of replayability.
2017-10-01
|
|
|
|
Feb 2018
|
6.034 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Fun power and I welcome the increase in wonder choice.
(In the collection)
2018-09-18
|
||
|
Chicago Express
(2007)
|
|
Mar 2018
|
6.925 |
Owned
|
|
Simple rules, pretty components and quick sessions! A good introduction to train games and the concept of shared ownership without getting bogged down in rules and stock market lingo. It's funny when players realize that buying stocks for cheap is probably not a good deal, because the trains will run on that budget.
I really enjoy the way the dials focus and limit how many times you can do each action per turn. Plus, passing the turn and moving a dial to no effect is a completely valid move.
2019-03-24
|
|
|
The Networks
(2016)
|
|
Jan 2018
|
6.807 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
The Networks is a very clever drafting game about managing a television network. A wonderful use of theme has you buying the rights for shows, cast stars and get ads for them. As the shows age they generally bring you less viewers, but you can always replace them with newer, fancier shows. The goal is to get the most viewers by the end of the game.
2018-01-07
|
|
|
Battle for Rokugan
(2017)
|
|
Mar 2019
|
6.667 |
Owned
|
|
Medium-light area control in the Legend of the Five Rings universe.
It is reminiscent of the good parts of the Game of Thrones boardgame (place orders face down, once they're all placed flip them up and resolve), takes considerably less time to play and comes in a smaller box, which means I'll end up playing it more often. Note: I wouldn't reccommend it with two players, as it's very zero-sum and has no intrique.
2019-03-24
|
|
|
Russian Railroads
(2013)
|
|
Jan 2018
|
7.536 |
|
|
A very streamlined engine building/management game about advancing the construction of railroads in Russia. To be honest it felt quite abstract, but the systems are solid and it was a pleasure to play.
2018-01-07
|
|
|
The Palaces of Carrara
(2012)
|
|
Mar 2019
|
6.698 |
|
|
What a surprise! This game is a gem, just about the right level of complexity and length. The three base actions are simple to grasp but become very meaningful as the game progresses. The "push your luck" nature of scoring is very tense, the material limits for the cities cleverly gate your decisions and the marketplace is brilliant. Every time you choose that action it moves forward, refills and the prices lower. There's a chance you'll be able to get some materials for free, but everything will be cheaper for your opponent as well.
A pleasure to play.
2018-02-01
|
|
|
Inis
(2016)
|
|
Jun 2021
|
7.495 |
Owned
|
|
A great area majority game powered by card drafting and themed on Irish mythology. It is quite striking, both visually and in terms of the game's design. The rules are very straightforward, with a few interesting wrinkles around the clashes, which can be interrupted halfway or not happen at all if the players agree.
The way it handles victory conditions feels very novel, where the player who has completed the MOST victory conditions wins, so you have to be on the lookout. Plays well with two, which is unusual in this genre.
2021-06-14
|
|
|
|
Feb 2019
|
6.740 |
|
|
This game is in the unique position of being right between a miniature skirmish game and a board game, and it does both well!
The rules are very focused and intersting, giving the characters different personalities through their abilites. Modular player boards increase the variety and the 3 phase limit is welcome, making sure the games don't take too long. I appreciate that painting the miniatures is not a requirement, and Games Workshop even helps by using different color plastic for the warbands.
2019-02-11
|
||
|
Five Ravens
(2017)
|
|
May 2018
|
5.521 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
I'm very impressed by this design. The level of intrigue in a two player match is outstanding, both here and in Solstice, by the same designer. Scheming, intrigue and hard decisions - all in 20 minutes! I can't wait to play again.
(Print and play)
2018-09-18
|
|
|
Druids
(2016)
|
|
May 2018
|
5.522 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
I had a chance to play the second version of Druids and I enjoyed it a lot. While the winning conditions reminded me of Onitama, but that faded as soon as I took the first move.
A big part of it is the movement. You move orthogonality and point the piece in the direction it moved to. Now you can't move that way. IT can be tricky because it is an arrow pointing to where you can't go, but I haven't been able to find a better solution. I haven't struggled so hard to take a step forward since Mage Knight! Don't worry, though! This slows the players down and gives the opponent some time to prepare and plan. It creates neat situations when you get on your opponent's face and they can't get you back right away. Some pieces have environmental effects which can be used by the Druids. This creates very dynamic board states and keep players on their toes. I like it a lot and look forward to playing it again. (print and play of version 2)
2018-09-18
|
|
|
|
Sep 2018
|
6.226 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
I love this game. At its core it's a rule set for a miniature game played using Hot Wheels. It is accessible, creative and disruptive. I am fascinated by miniature games but they've always seemed too expensive, overly complicated, bulky and fragile to carry around.
Gaslands solves all of this by letting you improvise all your own components. All you need is the rulebook, which is cheap. This has captivated a lot of players, who are now kitbashing incredible looking cars and tracks and sharing them online. The core system is rock solid, the tweaks to standard template systems are clever, the push your luck element of the dice is very well implemented. As for rules, you can go as deep as you want. There are several game modes, rules to add sponsors, more gear and vehicle types. Can't wait to play again. (Still own it but I don't count it as a boardgame)
2021-08-04
|
||
|
|
Jul 2020
|
6.919 |
Owned
|
|
Fantastic, accessible card game, which it introduces a lot of new concepts
- No fighting wizards. The goal is not to reduce your opponent's health points to zero, it's to get a currency that allows you to forge 3 keys and there are many ways to get there. - No costs for cards. Instead you pick one of the three houses in your deck and can only play, activate or discard cards from it. This works surprisingly well. - New business model. No random boosters, no deck building. They sell separate decks, generated randomly and the players don't alter them. You need to learn how to use your deck, so there is no netdecking and decks that dominate the meta. - Lots of interesting formats for organized play. An innovative new concept from the designer of the most revolutionary card games, Richard Garfield. I'm very impressed, it seems to have been designed just for me. However, I'm growing disappointed with the competitive scene. Some of the most fun sounding modes aren't played because they aren't focused on ruthless efficiency. At least in my (fading) local scene they've all bought a ton of decks to find the best one, which feels unfair. If the endgame here is just to buy decks until you find a good one, I'm out.
2019-03-24
|
||
|
Root
(2018)
|
|
Jul 2019
|
7.882 |
Wishlist(3)
(Like to have) |
|
Very interesting asymmetrical wargame with charming woodland creatures. The goal is to be the first to get to 30 points, and each faction has completely different ways to get there. Dominance cards can introduce alternate winning conditions, but you have to trade your points for that chance.
Great production value and art direction. The theme and artwork are a great way to make a wargame appealing to people that wouldn't be interested in a real world conflict simulation. More rules-heavy than I was expecting, I'm sure we got some things wrong but everyone wanted to play again.
2019-07-25
|
|
|
|
Mar 2019
|
6.264 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
This game is in the unique position of being right between a miniature skirmish game and a board game, and it does both well!
The rules are very focused and intersting, giving the characters different personalities through their abilites. Modular player boards increase the variety and the 3 phase limit is welcome, making sure the games don't take too long. I appreciate that painting the miniatures is not a requirement, and Games Workshop even helps by using different color plastic for the warbands.
2019-03-08
|
||
|
|
Aug 2020
|
7.094 |
Owned
|
|
Unmatched is easy to learn, fast, aggressive and fun! The characters all play differently and the maps really change things around.
Sharp design, beautiful artwork, top notch production. This is the first game I wanted to buy based on art alone. Arthur: Merlin helps with ranged attacks while Arthut can boost attack cards. This one seems tricky to figure out. Medusa: Incredibly powerful character. Attacks from a range and does damage to enemies that are close. Alice: Alice can change sizes. When she's big she does more damage and when she's small she's harder to hit. Sinbad: Gets faster and more efficient as the game goes on, depending on the number of Voyages in the discard. Keep him in your sights!
2020-08-10
|
||
|
The Quacks of Quedlinburg
(2018)
|
|
Apr 2019
|
7.658 |
Owned
|
|
Brew the most bubbling potions but be careful or they might explode! Quacks is a great combination of bag building and push-your-luck.
The mechanics are easy to grasp and feels great to play. Play is simultaneous, so you rarely have to wait for the other players. The theme is fresh and the artwork is charming. Alternate abilities for each token and player boards add a lot of variance. I'm looking forward to playing it again.
2019-04-14
|
|
|
Dice Forge
(2017)
|
|
May 2019
|
7.060 |
|
|
Roll dice and gather resources to buy new dice faces so you can buy powerful cards! Dice Forge combines familiar elements in a way I hadn't seen yet. The concept is easy to grasp, the feeling of progression is palpable and the production values are off the charts.
A lot of fun, and looks striking on the table.
2019-05-04
|
|
|
High Society
(1995)
|
|
Jun 2019
|
6.837 |
Wishlist(3)
(Like to have) |
|
A great auction game by Reiner Knizia with a twist. Players use a hand of cards with a painful number distribution to bid on cards that get them points, and when bad cards show up they also pay to avoid them! Special cards can also double your total.
The twist is, the player with the least money in hand at the end loses automatically, doesn't matter how many points they had. Beautiful production on the latest edition.
2019-06-17
|
|
|
SHÅŒBU
(2019)
|
|
Jul 2019
|
6.271 |
Wishlist(3)
(Like to have) |
|
Shobu is a fantastic abstract game. The goal is to push all the opponent's pieces from one of the four boards. Here's the twist which makes every decision tricky and painful:
first you make a move on a board, then you have to repoduce it on another. Only the SECOND move can push the opponent's pieces. This means there are several layers to this. As the game progresses you'll see possible moves be closed off or opened, which can naturally be used to plan ahead. There are no safe places until some of the positions get blocked. (Caught a glimpse of it online and seemed really intriguing so I reproduced it with components with other games. Created a fan even before the game is out!)
2019-07-16
|
|
|
Oh My Goods!
(2015)
|
|
Jul 2019
|
6.768 |
Owned
|
|
Clever, fun and affordable engine builder with a dash of press your luck and worker placement. So portable I don't have to think twice before bringing it to game nights.
Bonus: BGG user Denman Scofield created a solo mode that is very easy to implement and fun to play. MORE game out of this tiny box!
2019-07-22
|
|
|
Conspiracy: Abyss Universe
(2019)
|
|
Feb 2020
|
6.362 |
Owned
|
|
A condensed version of Abyss which focuses on my favorite aspects of the game: tight card drafting and set collection.
The pyramid structure forces the players to make hard choices, there are different and very valid reasons to adapt halfway through. Kept me on my toes. Quick game with streamlined rules, good choices and beautiful art.
2021-05-25
|
|
|
Clans of Caledonia
(2017)
|
|
Oct 2020
|
7.727 |
|
|
Economic development in 19th century Scotland. Pick a contracts well and find your own ways to fulfill them, using a simple but effective market system. The clans themselves are very distinct, which leads to a lot of variability. Plays well with two.
2020-10-19
|
|
|
Tag City
(2018)
|
|
Sep 2019
|
5.602 |
Owned
|
|
Smooth gameplay, elegant rules and easy to teach.
Letting the leader choose one of two shapes per die gives the players a pleasant control over the random results. The key to the "I split, you choose" mechanism is the one die that everyone will HAVE to draw, which also creates an intriguing choice for the last player. Every player wanted the option to draw a single square, but I'm sure that choice was deliberate so make the players think how they'll plan better the next time they play. Great production value and a refreshing theme. The dry-erase boards made us get creative when filling in the grid with our own scribbles. Not sure if that was intended, but it felt intuitive.
2019-09-22
|
|
|
Fort
(2020)
|
|
Sep 2020
|
6.750 |
Owned
|
|
Fort is a very interactive deckbuilding game where your deck is always in flux. Cards that you don't use can be drafted by the opponents but don't worry, there is a chance you'll get them back. It's more tactical, quick and lighthearted than what you would expect from a deckbuilder.
It's also (along with the original, SPQF) the only deckbuilder I've seen with such a constant pace. On your turn you play one card. At the end of the turn you get a new card. This takes the focus from buying more and more cards to doing the most you can with the ones you're currently holding. Lovely, colorful artwork, great production values (player aids, double layered boards, screen printed tokens and a reasonable sized box!).
2020-09-26
|
|
|
Point Salad
(2019)
|
|
Feb 2020
|
7.025 |
Owned
|
|
Excellent filler game where on your turn you either collect two vegetables or a new scoring condition.
Since the players keep their vegetables together, at the end of the game the teardown is practically done, which is a nice touch. Quick to setup, play and it's a lot of fun. What a nice surprise. A lot better than I expected from a game with a pun for a title.
2020-09-09
|
|
|
Res Arcana
(2019)
|
|
May 2020
|
7.447 |
Owned
|
|
Res Arcana squeezes a lot of gameplay out of very a few cards. This is a very focused game of engine building and resource conversion with really quick turns. Even if you draft, which gives it another layer of strategy, it goes by so quickly straight to the gameplay.
Wonderful production value with different shaped/colored tokens and a functional tray you can play from.
2020-05-03
|
|
|
|
Jun 2020
|
6.577 |
|
|
My first 18XX. Intriguing mechanics, some of which went over my head but I would play it again. Played it online, which took care of some of the math and didn't allow us to make mistakes but I missed some of the social interactions that would happen around a table.
2020-06-01
|
||
|
|
Aug 2020
|
6.683 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Unmatched is a great duelling game. This standalone box has two new characters (+ sidekicks) and a double-sided map.
Robin Hood: Not strong but is very agile and capable of hit and run. Bigfoot: Big, strong, fast. Draws more cards when they are alone. (In the collection, in Galway)
2020-11-16
|
||
|
KeyForge: Worlds Collide
(2019)
|
|
Jul 2020
|
6.184 |
|
|
Sanctum and Mars retired for a bit, making room for two new factions, Saurians (Roman dinosaurs) and Star Alliance (the Federation from Star Trek). It was a breath of fresh air!
2020-07-27
|
|
|
KeyForge: Mass Mutation
(2020)
|
|
Aug 2020
|
5.899 |
|
|
Keyforge continues expanding the things it can do that other games can't, this time bringing Enhancements (bonus effects that are distributed throughout other cards in the deck) and giant creatures that take two cards. Also there are interesting mutations on cards from previous sets.
2020-08-16
|
|
|
Downforce
(2017)
|
|
Aug 2020
|
7.038 |
|
|
Downforce is an excellent game that is easy to learn, plays quickly and maintains tension and mystery throughout. The cards usually make several cards move at once, including other player's, and each player has a card that allows one of their cars to speed up quite a lot, but only once.
Thanks to the betting system it's not just about getting in first place. If you guess the winner right you can make a lot of money. Best racing game I've played.
2020-08-23
|
|
|
Dragonheart
(2010)
|
|
Aug 2020
|
6.180 |
|
|
Simple, light head to head game where both players are adding cards to areas which let them affect others. There is a lot of tactics in seeing which one is worth affecting at every turn.
Streamlined rules and a very nice presentation where the board depicts a scene with all the characters and the cards "blend in" when played because they have the same artwork plus a frame. Plays quickly and is very fun.
2020-08-23
|
|
|
Imhotep
(2016)
|
|
Oct 2020
|
6.964 |
Owned
|
|
Fun game where the players are builder in Egypt, choosing in which boat to place their stones. When a boat is full the player who completes it gets to choose to which port they go - and it might not be the one you were counting on!
2020-10-30
|
|
|
|
Feb 2021
|
5.982 |
|
|
Very clever, solid, complete design that has interesting decisions from start to end. Manages to do a lot with a few components. I'm glad it was picked up by CGE and is getting the attention it deserves.
2021-02-28
|
||
|
|
Oct 2014
|
6.777 |
Owned
Prev. Owned
|
|
Very interesting design solutions here. The game manual was very confusing at first, but I was very pleased when I started playing. I'm not a fan of combat outcome being decided by dice rolls but I haven't been unlucky yet.
2015-12-19
|
||
|
Catan
(1995)
|
|
Oct 2017
|
6.979 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
This is the game that brought me into the hobby. I find it elegant, balanced (player decisions balance the dice rolls) and pleasant to play.
Meanwhile I get the feeling that other games have surpassed it, and players who are already in the hobby might be expecting more. It is still a good game to introduce people to the hobby. (In the collection, in Portugal)
2019-03-24
|
|
|
Ascension: Deckbuilding Game
(2010)
|
|
Jun 2014
|
6.784 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Enjoyable and fast deck-building game that is very addicting on the iPad as well.
2012-04-07
|
|
|
Dragon's Gold
(2001)
|
|
Oct 2014
|
6.100 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Most games are over when you slay the dragon, but in Dragon's Gold it's where it starts! Most of the game is about negotiating how you're going to split the rewards.
The set collection scoring grows in importance as the game progresses, and players wonder exactly what the other players were able to amass during the game.
2019-03-24
|
|
|
Elder Sign
(2011)
|
|
Jan 2013
|
6.822 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Interesting take on Arkham Horror and the Cthulhu mythos. It's simple to play and teach, but creates a tense mood and a sense of impending doom that brings me back to try and beat it.
(In the collection, in Portugal)
2018-09-18
|
|
|
Crokinole
(1876)
|
|
Oct 2014
|
7.658 |
|
|
This traditional game is always fun. I only see it at conventions, and always play it at least once.
2013-01-28
|
|
|
Alien Frontiers
(2010)
|
|
Mar 2019
|
7.193 |
|
|
Dice allocation/placement game with a retro sci fi theme, where you're developing tech and colonizing a planet.
It was a pleasant surprise to see that higher values didn't necessarily mean a best result in the game.
2019-03-24
|
|
|
Bohnanza
(1997)
|
|
Feb 2014
|
6.933 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Accessible and fun card game that made me laugh. What a weird theme!
The mechanic twist of not being able to adjust the order of the cards in your hand is brilliant, and something which I haven't seen anywhere else.
2016-06-29
|
|
|
Catacombs
(2010)
|
|
Apr 2017
|
6.500 |
|
|
Very fun platform choice and mechanics for a genre that is way overused: a dexterity dungeon crawler! I'd like to high-five the designer for coming up with it.
2016-05-24
|
|
|
Love Letter
(2012)
|
|
Feb 2014
|
7.140 |
Owned
|
|
Easy to learn light game with only 16 cards. Luck plays a part here, but the matches are so quick there's no time to be upset. It's amazing how much gameplay the designer managed to squeeze out of so few cards.
Also, fits in yout pocket (and budget).
2014-02-15
|
|
|
Dixit
(2008)
|
|
Feb 2014
|
7.140 |
|
|
Very interesting game design, focused on emotions and imagination. The rule that punishes you when you're too obvious makes this whole game.
2014-02-15
|
|
|
Tsuro
(2004)
|
|
Feb 2014
|
6.550 |
|
|
Very elegant game. Easy to teach, pleasing on the eye. Not to deep but plays quick, and it's fun.
2014-02-15
|
|
|
Havana
(2009)
|
|
Mar 2019
|
6.372 |
Owned
|
|
Really nice role selection city builder. The way the turn order is defined is very dynamic and unique.
2014-02-15
|
|
|
Chinatown
(1999)
|
|
May 2017
|
7.033 |
|
|
Buy property in Chinatown, set up shops, sell your products and expand by buying neighboring property.
2019-03-24
|
|
|
The Magic Labyrinth
(2009)
|
|
Oct 2017
|
6.471 |
|
|
Great kid's game about wizards walking headfirst into invisible walls. The adjustable board creates new challenges.
The whole physical aspect of this is delightful. The big player tokens, the magnets, pushing them around and the feeling you're moving towards a wall before anyone else knows it.
2014-02-15
|
|
|
Discworld: Ankh-Morpork
(2011)
|
|
Feb 2014
|
6.917 |
|
|
Competent game with a beautiful board, interesting mechanics and characters. Added value if you have read the books it's based on.
2014-02-15
|
|
|
Puzzle Strike
(2010)
|
|
Mar 2019
|
6.114 |
|
|
Dominion with poker chips! Fixes the original Dominion's lack of player interaction, and the different characters create an uneven (and exciting) playing field.
2014-02-15
|
|
|
Fist of Dragonstones
(2002)
|
|
Mar 2019
|
5.858 |
|
|
Solid blind bidding game with neat dynamics due to the cards, which change each round.
2014-02-15
|
|
|
Quarriors!
(2011)
|
|
Feb 2018
|
6.575 |
|
|
This game looks great, but I wasn't a big fan of the way it plays. The custom dice look awesome but the numbers in the corners (very important to gameplay) are pretty small and can be hard to read across the table.
2014-02-15
|
|
|
Chess
(1475)
|
|
Feb 2014
|
6.956 |
|
|
Classic strategy boardgame.
2014-02-15
|
|
|
Riff Raff
(2012)
|
|
Feb 2014
|
6.240 |
|
|
This game is a lot of fun! Cool to look at, moves in an interesting way and is one of those examples of a something that videogames can't emulate.
2014-02-15
|
|
|
|
Aug 2017
|
6.501 |
|
|
Good card game that seems to be a different game with two players than with three or four.
The multiplayer Melee version of the game is really interesting and reflects the theme well with shifting roles and alliances.
2017-10-23
|
||
|
Warhammer: Diskwars
(2013)
|
|
Feb 2014
|
6.277 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Well made, accessible miniature game without the miniatures. The flipping mechanic is very interesting and allows for more dynamic movement than using a ruler to move in a straight line, and there's no doubt as to who's attacking who. A lot of content in the core set.
However, I played it so rarely that every time I picked it up I had to relearn it and gameplay halted when someone got stuck in the many keywords.
2015-06-14
|
|
|
Duplik
(2005)
|
|
May 2014
|
6.294 |
|
|
Very original, and a lot of fun! Contrary to what you might think, you don't need to learn how to draw to have fun with this game.
2014-05-19
|
|
|
Concept
(2013)
|
|
May 2014
|
6.665 |
|
|
Nice game, both fun to watch as to play. Some of the words are timely (like references to a TV show like "Fear Factor") so I fear it might need updates in the future.
2014-05-28
|
|
|
Friday
(2011)
|
|
Mar 2019
|
6.968 |
Owned
|
|
This is the very first solo boardgame I played (well, other than Solitaire) and it really impressed me. The deckbuilding mechanics are very clever and fit the theme, the way Robinson ages as you go is very effective and grim. I love it.
2014-06-27
|
|
|
Hanabi
(2010)
|
|
Mar 2019
|
6.980 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Fun, portable and very tense. It's easy to teach and can handle a lot of people.
2014-07-02
|
|
|
|
Feb 2015
|
6.692 |
Owned
|
|
A miniature roll & write civilization game where you're competing with other players to build wonders. Creating new cities gives you more dice to roll but it creates more mouths to feed.
2019-12-19
|
||
|
|
Jul 2014
|
7.570 |
|
|
Monumental scale game of space opera strategy. Not my style in theme or mechanics, but I appreciate the work that was put on it.
This is a great example of a game which would be well translated to a digital format, due to so many moving part and fiddly bits. Also, the chance to play it online over days could draw me towards it.
2014-07-20
|
||
|
The Lord of the Rings
(2000)
|
|
Oct 2014
|
6.584 |
|
|
I was very impressed by this game. I like how you progress through several boards and how there aren't enough tokens for all the players. The group's mood gets heavier with every step.
Playing it now I realize how it influenced a lot of other games.
2014-10-01
|
|
|
Lost Cities
(1999)
|
|
Oct 2014
|
7.084 |
|
|
I had played the portable version of Keltis before and thought it was ok, but this version makes it a lot better. Having hands, discards and easier scoring make it quicker and more exciting. Sure, you can only play it with two but I never played the other one with 3 or 4.
2014-10-06
|
|
|
|
Oct 2014
|
7.410 |
|
|
Very interesting game. I really like the crossword mechanic where a player draws a card and only reads it if a specific event happens. Only played through the beginner scenario (which we son) and would definitely like to play it again.
2014-10-23
|
||
|
Lost Legacy
(2013)
|
|
Oct 2014
|
5.889 |
Owned
|
|
A spiritual sequel to Love Letter, with more variety and a better endgame. I like that you can mix and match cards from any other version, or add them up to include more people.
2014-10-28
|
|
|
|
Dec 2014
|
5.605 |
Owned
|
|
The best Lost Legacy set I've played so far. Orb of Seduction has a real "detective" feel to it due to all the leads and the powering-up of characters due to them and Eternal Grail uses discarded facedown cards in a nice way.
2014-12-22
|
||
|
Forbidden Island
(2010)
|
|
Oct 2014
|
6.694 |
|
|
Great design, beautiful components and an affordable price! Its layout is very clear, and there's a real sense of panic when the island starts to sink. I felt it was easy, but there are several harder difficulties to which I'll definitely give a shot.
It's surprisingly similar to Pandemic, though.
2014-11-17
|
|
|
Sushi Go!
(2013)
|
|
Oct 2014
|
6.934 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Very simple drafting game. Easy to learn, easy to teach. I like the fact you don't use all the cards in a match, so you won't know what's in play until you go through a full round.
2017-09-25
|
|
|
Yspahan
(2006)
|
|
Oct 2017
|
6.794 |
|
|
Interesting mechanics, which play very smooth. The dice track is very interesting: Roll all the dice and distribute them along a "ladder" of abilities. In your turn you pick one of them. There is a chance the top abilities won't appear every round.
2019-03-24
|
|
|
Hey, That's My Fish!
(2003)
|
|
Mar 2020
|
6.596 |
|
|
Move your penguin from ice block to ice block, picking up as many fish you can. The ice block you just left vanishes, and soon all the ice will be gone. Fun and quick to play.
2014-10-29
|
|
|
Santiago
(2003)
|
|
Nov 2014
|
6.700 |
Wishlist(3)
(Like to have) |
|
A great negotiation/bidding game where you buy seeds, plant and then bribe so the water goes there. The land dries up if there's no water, and interesting partnerships show up for mutual benefit.
2014-11-10
|
|
|
BANG! The Dice Game
(2013)
|
|
Nov 2014
|
6.804 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Neat little game! It's quicker than the card game version, the characters add a lot of personality to the game and the way everyone plays and the deduction aspect is welcome.
Cool custom dice. I find it better than the popular King of Tokyo due to the characters and the deduction aspect of it.
2014-11-26
|
|
|
Coup: Deluxe Edition
(2014)
|
|
Jan 2015
|
5.958 |
|
|
Interesting bluffing game with few components.
I was very impressed the first time I played it, but the novelty wore down over time. This version of the game has beautiful art.
2016-10-10
|
|
|
|
Jan 2015
|
6.098 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Small box, small price tag, good game! There has been an upgrade in art and a downgrade in the component quality but that makes this box an excellent gateway into a fun deckbuilding game.
Also, the different card borders makes the setup and teardown so much quicker it's worth a mention.
2015-01-06
|
||
|
|
Jan 2017
|
5.619 |
Owned
|
|
Another fun version of Lost Legacy with two new flavors!
I wasn't sure what the rules meant by "Trash", so we just set those aside, tapped, and didn't include them when adding up the totals for the Dragon cards. This means I'm not totally sure if I played it correctly, but it was fun!
2017-01-01
|
||
|
|
Oct 2015
|
6.606 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
More variety in Imperial Settlers is always welcome, but I don't think I want to play with that Volcano card. Open Production buildings offer new interesting choices and interaction.
2015-10-13
|
||
|
Mijnlieff
(2010)
|
|
May 2015
|
5.841 |
|
|
Your move defines where the opponent can place their pieces. The symbols are not that intuitive at first, but I like the modular boards.
2019-03-24
|
|
|
Spyfall
(2014)
|
|
May 2015
|
6.737 |
|
|
Very simple rule set and an interesting premise! A different twist to deduction games. Had a lot of fun trying to make jokes that everyone but the spy would get.
2015-05-31
|
|
|
Medina
(2001)
|
|
Jul 2015
|
6.484 |
|
|
Great components and easy rule set. It has a nice bluffing element as you want the buidings to grow but snatch them before any other player does. The city you made is beautiful to look at in the end.
2015-07-18
|
|
|
|
Sep 2018
|
6.509 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
What a great game! Reminds me of Scotland Yard but everyone's hiding most of the time. Some players are the humans and they're trying to escape through the hatches, others are the aliens and they are trying to kill the human players, but at first you don't know who is who.
We played the base game then immediately played it again, this time the Advanced Version (which we liked even better). The new edition just got here and it looks wonderful! laminated notepads replace the previous sheets which I feared would run out, so I can play it forever! There is also more content in the form of more maps, characters and items. Unfortunately I could never get my friends as excited as I was.
2018-09-10
|
||
|
Targi
(2012)
|
|
Aug 2015
|
7.430 |
|
|
Such a cool, different approach to worker placement! The actions are on cards which are laid out in a grid, and you can place your workers on the edges. At the end of the round you can take them and get the actions, AND also the middle cards in the points there they connect. The middle cards are refreshed when they're used.
It's interesting to see a worker placement game designed for two players.
2015-08-07
|
|
|
Pocket Imperium
(2013)
|
|
Feb 2016
|
5.700 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
A streamlined, but abstract game of conquering planets and fighting other players. Every turn you choose in which order your cards will happen, and these effects increase or decrease based on how many other players picked them. This leads to intriguing mind games.
2019-03-24
|
|
|
Abyss
(2014)
|
|
Mar 2019
|
7.056 |
|
|
First of all, what a refreshing theme! It doesn't affect the gameplay too much but it adds a really cool mood to it.
Cool, smooth gameplay and interesting decisions to the base set collecting game. You get to make decisions during other player's turns, so you don't feel like you're just waiting for your next turn. The incredible production values show everywhere, from the components to the art, which is probably the best I've ever seen on a boardgame.
2020-03-07
|
|
|
Epic Card Game
(2015)
|
|
May 2019
|
6.120 |
Owned
|
|
A very ambitious game. I haven't played Magic: the Gathering in years but I have good memories of it, so the idea of a similar game that's contained in a single box is very appealing to me.
It took a bit to learn what keywords are equivalent to the ones in MtG and the turn structure (mainly when in the opponent's turn I can intervene). The economy system in the game is very interesting! Must play further. It's annoying that it needs so many tokens that don't come in the box. I got extra tokens from the Kickstarter and they still run out. At least they've provided files so fans can print their own.
2019-03-22
|
|
|
Austerity
(2015)
|
|
Mar 2019
|
5.625 |
|
|
Very clever base mechanics allow you to play with randomness in a very fluid way. Good graphic presentation and rules writing. Easy to assemble but it needs a fair bit of tokens!
2015-09-06
|
|
|
Cacao
(2015)
|
|
Dec 2015
|
6.821 |
Owned
|
|
Very good tile-laying exploration game that plays really well with two players. Also, it's fast! We never play just one game.
It's easy to compare this to Carcassonne. I like this one a lot more! Instead of making "bets" with your meeples, you use them right away and can chain actions in the moment. Another big plus is not having the confusing farmer rules. Win/Win. Good production values and functional insert too.
2015-12-13
|
|
|
Blood Rage
(2015)
|
|
Mar 2020
|
7.820 |
|
|
What a big surprise! From the theme, artstyle and components the game looks like a more "american" style game with lots of fighting but when you get to fighting the mechanics are a lot closer to "european" games.
Great use of the nordic mythology, it's clear that their priorities are much different because dying isn't necessarily a big punishment like in most games. Sometimes that's exactly what you want to do. Plus, these are the best looking and most detailed miniatures I've ever seen! Every 10 minutes someone walked past our table and said "WHOA!"
2015-12-15
|
|
|
Fool's Gold
(2015)
|
|
May 2016
|
5.819 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
A really nice mix of worker placement and push-your-luck that recreates the Gold Rush. Beautiful and unusual graphic design evokes the theme without looking old. It's got a nice arc to it (first you find some gold, then less and less), making it a great example of how to convey theme through mechanics.
I wish more people knew about this one.
2019-11-02
|
|
|
Eclipse
(2011)
|
|
Jul 2016
|
7.694 |
|
|
Interesting 4X game about space exploration and conquer with streamlined mechanics and well designed iconography.
Overall I liked it but I really wanted more interactions between players other than attacking each other's stuff. Politics, anticipation, excitement! This might be because I was playing the app so I'd like to play it with other people to see how different it is. I'm really not a fan of dice rolling to resolve combats, which is the main downside to me. Note: Only played the iOS app. The original one looks like a pain to set up and tear down, but I want to eventually play it and compare.
2016-08-01
|
|
|
The Battle for Hill 218
(2007)
|
|
Feb 2016
|
6.080 |
|
|
Despite the boring theme, it's a really cool game! I was surprised by the dynamics that emerge from such simple mechanics.
Very portable too, but hard to get at this point.
2016-02-23
|
|
|
Akrotiri
(2014)
|
|
Mar 2019
|
6.701 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Akrotiri is a delightful game about exploring the sea in search of temples. You will finance your exploration by picking up and selling goods (whose price changes based on a simple but effective system of supply and demand). You travel by boat through shipping routes and sometimes through islands, from one port to the next.
The main thing that sets this game apart is how you find the temples. Each player has a few "map" cards that don't tell you exactly where the temple is, but an approximate idea ("This temple has one Red symbol to the North, two Blue symbols to the West and one Green symbol to the East"). Once you do find (or, most likely, "create" a valid spot you can race there to "discover" it. Your opponent can also unknowingly create the situations you need. Good theme, streamline rules, interesting decisions. It's unlike anything in my collection, and I enjoy it a lot.
2018-07-22
|
|
|
|
Sep 2018
|
7.143 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Get your ass to Mars! This role selection game about bringing your astronauts to Mars flows very well. The roles are clear and twisted, making turn order crucial.
The limited number of rounds raises the stakes and has the advantage of preventing it from taking forever, but in my opinion it ends up being too short.
2018-10-02
|
||
|
Pandemic: The Cure
(2014)
|
|
Jun 2016
|
7.018 |
Owned
|
|
Quick setup, interesting mechanics and very portable. It's a coop game with an element of push-your-luck, a modular board and cool custom dice. It's really interesting to see how Pandemic still feels like Pandemic even when translated to different mechanics and components.
2016-06-06
|
|
|
AquaSphere
(2014)
|
|
Mar 2019
|
6.914 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
What an interesting game! By looking at the setup and the rulebook it looks super complex, but when you learn how to play it you only choose one of two things (three if you pass). Don't let it fool you, the ramifications are huge!
I like the refreshing setting (even if it's not too relevant for gameplay), the different look of the board and the action programming. It has interesting constraints and an interesting timing element to it. I didn't think it played great with two because you can be too far away in the board so that your workers rarely interact/interfere.
2018-01-23
|
|
|
6 nimmt!
(1994)
|
|
Jan 2017
|
6.798 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
It's really fun! It reminds me of the second half of For Sale, where you have a hand of cards which you have to play and you're trying to outguess every other player to get the best result. The main difference is you're trying not to win any cards.
It reminds me of Coloretto as well, but the scoring is a lot more intuitive and the game can take a lot more players. I can certainly see why it's so popular and I wish it will stay around for long.
2016-06-12
|
|
|
Mage Wars Academy
(2015)
|
|
Jun 2016
|
6.186 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
I'm very impressed with Mage Wars Academy. After dealing with luck of the draw for years the concept of the spellbooks is very appealing and it gives the players a lot of range for their decisions. The two characters are very different, I'm curious to see where this will go.
2019-03-24
|
|
|
Elements
(2010)
|
|
Jun 2016
|
5.842 |
|
|
Great little push your luck, bluffing and deduction microgame where you're trying to create a good hand of cards within a changing threshold. Every move the other player does tells you a little bit of what's in his/her hand, and I really like that the focus is on figuring out the best time to end the game. Short and sweet.
2016-06-15
|
|
|
Tash-Kalar: Arena of Legends
(2013)
|
|
Jul 2016
|
6.809 |
|
|
A great abstract game by Vlaada where each faction feels and plays very different. Knowing the opponent's faction helps to figure out which combinations they're trying to pull off. Deserved more quality in the components.
2016-07-05
|
|
|
Biblios
(2007)
|
|
Dec 2016
|
7.018 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
A very light but great auction game with simple rules and very interesting decisions! In the first part of the game you keep a card and give the rest, to the other players and a facedown pile. When the deck runs out, the pile is auctioned off.
Excellent filler game with great production values.
2016-12-06
|
|
|
PitchCar
(1995)
|
|
Mar 2019
|
6.999 |
|
|
Excellent dexterity game that makes people smile when they see it. It emulates racing in a really fun, lighthearted way and it's very easy to teach. It's pricey and heavy so I don't own it, but I'm happy whenever I see it at an event.
2016-07-05
|
|
|
Sub Rosa: Spies for Hire
(2016)
|
|
Jan 2017
|
N/A |
Owned
|
|
Clever microgame with more mind tricks than you would initially guess! The players bid to hire spies on the table, Some of the bids also allow you to activate the agent's abilities - and interfere with the previous bids.
It gets better at the higher player counts!
2017-01-01
|
|
|
Camel Up
(2014)
|
|
Mar 2019
|
6.907 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Camel Up is a fantastic push-your-luck party game where the players bet on racing camels. It is easy to teach and fun to play, or even watch when it's not your turn. Risky bets can pay off if you're the first to do so, and there are a couple ways to mitigare your luck.
2016-10-03
|
|
|
Camel Up: Supercup
(2015)
|
|
Mar 2019
|
6.543 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Supercup improves Camel Up with several modules which make the game more exciting! The extended track makes the race longer, which is welcome. The double dice for the last camel in each leg creates very interesting situations where a camel can come back up from last place. The photographer is a funny one, where players try to guess where the biggest camel pile will stop. Betting on the camel order adds a new layer to the odds you can bet on, and it's a lot of fun!
2019-05-06
|
|
|
Karuba
(2015)
|
|
Oct 2016
|
6.925 |
|
|
A very original puzzle game from Haba! The players will be traiblazing through a jungle, picking up crystals and gold on the way to forgotten temples. The islands start the same but each player builds the paths their own way, lead by a very ingenious bingo-like system where one of the players shuffles their tiles and draws them one by one. The thing that makes the choices that much tougher is that it's a race! Whoever gets to the temples first also gets the biggest reward, and you can discard a piece instead of placing it to get your explorers to move.
2016-10-03
|
|
|
Coup
(2012)
|
|
Oct 2016
|
6.874 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Interesting bluffing game with few components.
I was very impressed the first time I played it, but the novelty wore down over time.
2016-10-10
|
|
|
In a Grove
(2011)
|
|
Jun 2019
|
5.739 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Ingenious deduction minigame that is as small as it gets.
One character was killed and there are three suspects, along with four bystanders, who lightly drafted to spread a bit of information around. Each player can see two of the three suspects, then guess who they think did it. Usually the higher number is the suspect, unless one of the numbers is the 5, which flips that rule around. The rulebook is somewhat unclear, so it took us a few rounds until we were sure we were playing correctly. I have to mention the restrictive player count of 3-4. I'm usually with less or more than that amount, so it took me over two years to get it to the table.
2019-06-12
|
|
|
Tides of Madness
(2016)
|
|
Oct 2017
|
6.382 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
I already loved Tides of time and this adds a push-your-luck element. The madness tokens raise the stakes and create extra pressures in several situations. At the right moment it can be used to force the opponent to lose.
With the changes to the card skills the victories seem to be tighter than in Tides of Time. Adds more components and rules, diluting the elegance of the original game a bit.
2017-10-25
|
|
|
Cacao: Volcanoes
(2015)
|
|
Apr 2018
|
5.781 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
The volcano tiles create spaces you don't want to be in! It's not a big punishment because the players will likely have used their side with the most workers when they placed the piece.
The addition of using the frame to seal the components in is brilliant! (In the collection)
2018-09-18
|
|
|
|
Jan 2019
|
5.647 |
|
|
More variety for Cacao is welcome, and it integrates easily with the base game.
2019-01-18
|
||
|
Insider
(2016)
|
|
Mar 2019
|
6.513 |
Owned
|
|
Very interesting mashup of mechanics, reminds me of "20 questions", plus the opposite of Spyfall (the Insider is the one who knows the answer). One of the few deduction games I've played where all the players are seemingly working together.
Better at higher player counts.
2019-03-24
|
|
|
Treasure Hunter
(2015)
|
|
Feb 2018
|
6.280 |
|
|
Intriguing drafting game. The gameplay is smooth, the two rewards create very interesting and tense decisions. There's a lovely arc to every round.
2019-03-24
|
|
|
Iliad: Heroes of Troy
(2016)
|
|
Jul 2017
|
5.534 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
An enjoyable game about the Iliad where you need to plan your moves carefully because there's a chance your moves will be giving points to your opponents instead of you! It's funny that in the two player game the Gods are still present, and there's a chance they'll win, instead of the two players.
Memorizing all the symbols can be a bit overwhelming in the beginning, but luckily there's player aids that cover them. The rulebook is laid in a confusing way and there are no pictures, so I had to go over it a few times in order to get to grips on how turns flow.
2017-07-09
|
|
|
Elysium
(2015)
|
|
Mar 2019
|
6.944 |
|
|
Great tableau building/set collection game with hard choices, good combos and a great scoring system. The cards you buy have several effects which help you during the game but eventually you have to take them down to Elysium so they can add to your endgame score.
It has a lot of replayability because you don't use all "suits" in every match and the production quality is excellent, with a great (thematic!) insert.
2017-01-01
|
|
|
XCOM: The Board Game
(2015)
|
|
Jan 2019
|
6.744 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
XCOM has a bold direction. Instead of focusing on the battles, the game zooms out into the world map. UFO terror, tech research and balancing the budget. Players take on different roles and responsibilities, Half of the turn happens on a timer and the other allows players to catch their breath before going at it again.
One of the roles requires an app that handles part of the game, feeding into the sense of oppression and paranoia. It also teaches how to play. Yep, there's no rulebook in the box. The app does a fair job teaching the players but I got the feeling the explanations took a bit too long because they repeat themselves quite a bit. This makes it sound more complicated than it is. The app has an index, but it's not an ideal way to review the rules. It plays like nothing else in my collection.
2019-01-17
|
|
|
Santorini
(2016)
|
|
Mar 2017
|
7.311 |
|
|
Santorini is easy to get into and provides interesting choices. It's easy to play using pieces from other games, but the production values in the retail version are super impressive.
Note: Only played the base game, at 2 players.
2017-03-12
|
|
|
Potion Explosion
(2015)
|
|
Apr 2017
|
6.942 |
|
|
After playing many different attempts to recreate a match-3 videogame in an analog format, they finally did it! The box is cleverly made and the use of real marbles makes the pieces as weighty and clicky as they deserve to be. The tactile aspect is a big part of why I enjoyed it so much.
Gameplay itself is very solid as well. You collect ingredients to finish potions, which you can then use to help yourself and interfere with your opponents.
2017-04-09
|
|
|
Rhino Hero
(2011)
|
|
Apr 2017
|
6.694 |
|
|
A dexterity game with cards! Don't worry, it's not just a card castle. The Wall cards have a crease in the middle and you play them in 90 degree angles. Then you play a Floor card which tells the next player how to place their walls (and usually an ability triggers as well). It's fun, quick and easy to teach.
2017-04-09
|
|
|
Can't Stop
(1980)
|
|
Apr 2017
|
6.692 |
|
|
Great "push your luck" game that with elegant, easy to teach rules. It's abstract in nature but I enjoy the mountain climber's theme due because busted rolls feel like you slipped up and fell back to where you started your turn.
I really enjoy the mechanic where you roll 4 dice and split them into two pairs. It creates tense choices that don't feel totally unfair since you have some control over it.
2017-04-22
|
|
|
War of the Ring
(2004)
|
|
Apr 2017
|
7.409 |
|
|
Impressive wargame that didn't fit my table but we played it nevertheless! There was so much to it and I'm sure we made mistakes but I'd like to play it again with the full ruleset.
2017-04-22
|
|
|
Colt Express
(2014)
|
|
May 2017
|
6.983 |
|
|
Accessible action programming game for all the family. The theme is brought to life by the bright components and artwork. It even has a 3D train that us used in gameplay!
The different stages of the trip create interesting situations, like the train braking or going through a tunnel. However I found it hard to take meeples out without making other stuff fall out.
2019-03-24
|
|
|
NMBR 9
(2017)
|
|
Mar 2019
|
6.595 |
|
|
Very good abstract tile laying game in three dimensions! The rules are super straightforward and easy to teach, the box keeps everything within reach and it saves a lot of time in finding the right pieces.
What really makes the game, in my opinion, is the scoring system. The score is multiplied by how high the pieces is, so the decisions gain another dimension: time. Do I want to build it as high as I can right now, or create appropriate conditions for when the higher value pieces come out?
2017-05-28
|
|
|
Loony Quest
(2015)
|
|
Mar 2019
|
6.597 |
|
|
Very creative, well presented and fun. It's a new type of drawing game, where the theme is a platformer game. You go through several worlds, completing challenges through drawing. Not figurative drawing, mind you. There's a "level" at the center of the table and you draw on a transparent sheet of plastic. When the timer runs out, that sheet will be overlaid to the level to see how you did.
For example, you have to get to the end of the level, picking up items and avoiding enemies and walls on the way. The challenges are varied and you can get power-ups to mix things up. Super fast and fun.
2017-05-28
|
|
|
Alien Artifacts
(2017)
|
|
Jun 2017
|
6.172 |
|
|
I got to play the prototype at UK Games Expo.
Sci-fi game where you conquer planets, build a fleet and develop technologies. I really enjoyed the resource system, where you mix the half of two cards. I also like the fact you don't have to pay for all the (rising) costs right away, meaning you can drip resources on them if there's nothing better you can do. With one action per turn the turns go quickly so the game is quick if everyone knows how to play. I got the feeling there wasn't a lot of player interaction, but I don't consider that a problem. There are some aspects I didn't get to explore so I'd love to play it again. Can't wait to see how it turns out, especially the different alien races.
2017-06-11
|
|
|
Startups
(2017)
|
|
Apr 2018
|
6.368 |
Owned
|
|
Startups builds on familiar mechanisms from No Thanks and adds interesting player interactions and a surprising finish.
The production is great, I like the company logos and how colorful the components are, and the anti-monopoly is a cool concept. When you have the majority of a company, you can't get any more stock, but you also don't have to pay the fine when you skip them. Sometimes you have to let another players get the monopoly so you can steal it back later.
2018-04-29
|
|
|
Jamaica
(2007)
|
|
Mar 2019
|
6.886 |
|
|
Really fun and with an excellent presentation! A pirate race around Jamaica, where players collect treasure, feed their crew and fight their opponents along the way. One of the few racing games where going back is a valid and viable choice (sometimes).
It has a lot of really good ideas, the main three being the dice allocation, the limited storage and the ending. Every round the main player rolls two D6 and assigns one to the "day" and another to the "night". Each player is holding three cards, each with a "day" and a "night" action. The players pick a card for the round, and each action will be multiplied by the number on the die, The ships have a 5 slots for storage. Each time you get something you have to fit it in one of them, but if there's no room you have to throw something out. When a player has made it all the way around the island, the player with the most loot (not the player who made it first) wins! Fun!
2019-03-24
|
|
|
Magic Maze
(2017)
|
|
Jul 2018
|
6.869 |
Owned
|
|
Really fun real-time co-op game where the players can't communicate with each other, except by tapping a "Do something!" token on the table.
The game is about fantasy characters who go to a mall to steal gear and run away before the time runs out. Yes, the theme is weird. I guess they wanted to make a game about stealing, and added the "fantasy" layer so it wouldn't sound as wrong. People will buy anything with a fantasy theme, it seems. The gameplay is very interesting. Nobody is a specific character, you can move each character but only in one direction, or activate a skill. It's almost as if someone broke a videogame controller into pieces and gave each player one or two buttons. This really makes everyone work together to move. We only played the first four levels, but there are seventeen! The complexy increased in a steady way, and we were forced to adapt on the run. It's a lot of fun.
2017-06-24
|
|
|
|
Mar 2019
|
6.793 |
|
|
I played a lot of games about dueling wizards summoning and attacking the other, but this one changes the paradigm.
The decks are relatively small. You can pick your starting hand and your dice pool. Decks are built around specific Phoenixborn with exclusive cards and special abilities. Each Phoenixborn has a different limit to how many creatures can be on the battlefield, and build a spellbook while they play. These are spell "pages" that stay on the table for multiple turns and you can later use to activate their abilities, and reinforce with multiple copies of the same page. To top it off, the base box comes with 6 prebuilt decks so you can take your time until you're comfortable with the game before you build one.
2018-07-17
|
||
|
Legend of the Five Rings
(1995)
|
|
Aug 2017
|
6.286 |
|
|
Fantastic trading card game of fantasy in feudal japan. The theme is unusual, the dual decks create interesting decisions and the clans are very distinct and well defined.
The fanbase is fascinating. They're very loyal to their clan and AEG certainly uses that well, letting tournament winners make game-changing decisions.
2017-08-13
|
|
|
Broom Service
(2015)
|
|
Aug 2017
|
6.895 |
|
|
Very enjoyable combination of mechanisms. There is a bit of a action programming (picking which cards you'll bring for the round), but the order of the actions can be altered by the other players, a little trick taking (forcing the other players to play cards they picked for the round) and push-our luck (the tough brave/cowardly choice).
2017-08-20
|
|
|
Takenoko
(2011)
|
|
Sep 2017
|
7.138 |
|
|
A pleasing game about a gardener and a panda that won't stop eating his bamboo. Every turn the player rolls the Weather dice and does two actions, which usually can't be repeated. They're mostly about placing new tiles, irrigating terrain and moving the characters to grow bamboo (gardener) and eat it (panda). The main goal is to complete success conditions on goal cards.
2017-09-11
|
|
|
Tikal
(1999)
|
|
Sep 2018
|
7.155 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Players explore the jungle looking for treasure and hidden temples. Very solid mechanics and interesting choices that still hold up almost 20 years after its release.
The scoring round is implemented in an intriguing way, where both players can score from majorities so it doesn't feel too unfair. I had heard the game could take a bit long to play so we started by playing the Mid-sized Tikal variant, where it took about 1 hour. I'd suggest you do the same.
2019-03-24
|
|
|
Money!
(1999)
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Oct 2017
|
6.135 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Neat bidding and set collection game with tough choices. You're bidding for two lots of cards. If you win you can replace one of the lots with your bid, but you can also take another player's bid! The gameplay rules are simple but scoring gets tricky so I wouldn't reccommend it to non-gamers.
2018-07-03
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Port Royal
(2014)
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Oct 2017
|
6.930 |
|
|
Fun "push your luck" game with engine/tableau building played out of a deck of multi-use cards. You build your crew, raid boats, gather money and go on expeditions.
2018-09-27
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Century: Spice Road
(2017)
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|
Feb 2020
|
7.175 |
|
|
Fun, breezy engine building/hand management game where you collect and trade goods in order to fulfill contracts and gain victory points. The production values are good, the cards are large and it even comes with metal coins and plastic bowls for the different goods. The turns are super quick.
I have a couple things I don't like in the game. - The same artwork is used for cards that have different effects so it's easy to mistake them at a glance. It eventually taught me to ignore the artwork. - The second is the coins are never used as coins. The players simply collect them and never get to use them other than to add to their score at the very end. Still, I had fun and would play it again. The publisher is promising this is the first in a trilogy of games that can be combined to form a larger one. I'm looking forward to it!
2020-02-03
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QANGO
(2016)
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Oct 2017
|
5.526 |
|
|
Good abstract game with simple rules! I want to play more of it to make sure there isn't a big advantage to going first. I got the feeling the second player was forced to counter.
2017-10-04
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Steam
(2009)
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Nov 2017
|
7.274 |
|
|
Interesting game about building lines to connect cities and then transporting goods between them. The longer the distance transported, the bigger the reward. This also means the game rewards you for being inefficient, taking the longest route possible.
I approached with care but found out it's not as complicated as it initially seems.
2017-11-25
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Formula D
(2008)
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Oct 2017
|
6.851 |
|
|
Fun racing game with a push-your-luck mechanism at its core. You can speed up to roll dice with higher numbers, but make sure you stop at the curves or the car will take damage! It's compatible with earlier editions so there are loads of tracks to explore.
2017-10-23
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Transatlantic
(2017)
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Oct 2020
|
6.318 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
In Transatlantic you buy ships an try to keep them running for as long as you can. The thing is, newer ships will push them out so you need to keep that in mind. The card system is clever, limiting your decisions per turn in a way that feels natural and easy to track. There's even added motivation to spend lots of cards before picking them back up.
You can tell the designer really cares for their history because every ship is unique, has lots of different stats and there's even a book inside with their stories. It has some production issues. The rulebook left us with some questions and there are color choices both in the ship cards and the tiles which are either too close to each other or the tokens don't match the illustrations. Could use an updated edition.
2020-10-19
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InBetween
(2017)
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Mar 2020
|
5.991 |
Prev. Owned
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InBetween is an asymmetric duel inspired by Stranger Things. One player is the Creature, trying to torment and eventually devour the townspeople. The other plays the Village, trying to keep them safe.
The player's actions are so defined by the cards they have in hand that I found it hard to know what my opponent could do, so it was more tactical than strategic but I imagine that changes once we're familiar with all the cards. Started a bit slow but the end was tense and surprising due to the multiple possible end triggers. There's quite a bit to keep in mind with all the abilities and items in play. Fortunately it also plays well even if you, like me, don't care for Stranger Things.
2020-03-09
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Harvest Dice
(2017)
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Nov 2017
|
6.097 |
|
|
Good dice drafting roll and write game that is easy to teach and has interesting decisions. Reminds me a lot of Rolling Japan/America in the way the vegetables grow but the crates mechanism that defines the value of the vegetables is a very clever layer on top.
2017-11-08
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Two Rooms and a Boom
(2013)
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Feb 2018
|
6.567 |
|
|
A simple game that can cater to an absurdly large group. The core of the game is solid and leaves a lot of room for the players to interact.
The several alternative roles I played with changed the game in fun ways (zombies, lovers, moby dick+ ahab) and there are so many I haven't had a chance to try yet. Kudos for releasing a print and play version.
2018-02-19
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BentoBlocks
(2017)
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Mar 2018
|
N/A |
|
|
(Print and play) A clever game about allocating sushi to fill a bento box. While at first it might appear like "one of those games where you fill a square grid", the drafting is done in a very clever way.
The starting player rolls the dice, then allocates them based on their number. Each number can go on one of two places. Then the other players get a go at picking. It's easy to explain, creates interesting decisions and adds an "I split, you choose" layer to the draft. Give it a shot!
2018-04-16
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Cacao: Golden Temple
(2016)
|
|
Apr 2018
|
5.597 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
A more competitive temple creates welcome peaks in excitement.
(In the collection)
2018-09-18
|
|
|
Cacao: Big Market
(2016)
|
|
Apr 2018
|
5.590 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Once you know this tile is in, players will wait so they can sell their beans there instead.
(In the collection)
2018-09-18
|
|
|
The Fox in the Forest
(2017)
|
|
Jun 2019
|
6.965 |
|
|
I am not a fan of trick-taking games but The Fox and the Forest won me over.
The presentation is gorgeous and the scoring system is really interesting: it rewards players for losing, and also for winning a lot - but not too much! This particular aspect gets the players to try to read the mind of their opponent, and gives them an opportunity to turn the game around by making them win too much. However, the main reason is that it won me over is the rulebook. Most trick-taking games build upon their predecessors and assume everyone is familiar with the language of trick-taking games. If you're not, they're impenetrable. The Fox in the Forest welcomed me in and I'm very thankful for it.
2019-06-23
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Sprawlopolis
(2018)
|
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Oct 2018
|
6.987 |
Prev. Owned
|
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Notes on the solo game: Simple to learn, setup and play. The different goals on the back of the card mixes things up in a great way, changing your priorities and sometimes creating tough choices and a challenging minimum score in order to beat it.
There's a lot more meaningful decisions than in "Circle the Wagons", another tile laying popular game from Button Shy so I like it best. The city cards look good but repetitive. Every one has all four colors and road(s), so there's not a lot of anticipation and surprise over what you will get later. Bonus point for selling game as Print and Play, as it makes it much more accessible for players all over the world. (Print and play)
2018-10-21
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Jul 2018
|
7.099 |
|
|
More content for Galaxy Trucker is a lot of fun but it makes it more complicated to teach so I would avoid it when introducing the game to new players.
2018-07-01
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||
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Jul 2018
|
6.508 |
|
|
More content for Galaxy Trucker is a lot of fun but it makes it more complicated to teach so I would avoid it when introducing the game to new players.
2018-07-01
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Memoir '44
(2004)
|
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Jul 2018
|
7.385 |
Prev. Owned
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Streamlined, World War 2 themed light wargame with great production values. The Command & Colors system works well, as long as you're aware of the randomness of the cards and dice. The cards also simplify the rules and choices in a turn: Every turn you play a card and draw another. Simple! Most cards involve moving units in one of three parts of the board but others have sneakier, more drastic effects.
Comes with 16 scenarios in the core box but there are a lot more available for free online thanks to the modular nature of the boards.
2018-09-02
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Backgammon
(-3000)
|
|
Jul 2018
|
6.363 |
|
|
I see this game around as far as I can remember. I think I even had a chess/checkers/backgammon set to which I didn't have the rules so I never knew how to play. This week, at 32, I played it and was very surprised to learn it's more exciting than I thought.
It is essentially two different races. You want to get your pieces to your area while blocking (or taking out) the opponent's pieces. Then you have to get out before they do. The movement is controlled by two D6. Roll them to see how the pieces move. You can use each result in a different piece or both on the same, and rolling doubles lets you use it four times. This lets the losing player feel like they still have a chance. Another important aspect is the doubling cube. It lets a player raise the stakes, then gives the other the option to do the same. I'd certainly play it again.
2018-07-16
|
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|
Carthago: Merchants & Guilds
(2017)
|
|
Jul 2018
|
5.826 |
|
|
Very solid card driven game with hand management, worker placement and multi-use cards. Allows for different strategies so I'd like to play it again.
2018-07-28
|
|
|
Palm Island
(2018)
|
|
Oct 2018
|
6.679 |
|
|
Great concept and execution. You're stranded on an island and must overcome multiple challenges. To do so you can activate cards by turning them 90 degrees, flipping them upside down and front to back. Each card has two halves with a building and possibly resources.
It's great to be able to play without needing a table. I wish they sold the color print and play. (B&W Print and Play)
2018-10-21
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Bloodborne: The Card Game
(2016)
|
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Jan 2019
|
6.334 |
|
|
Bloodborne is an interesting take on a push-your-luck game. Players are defeating a series of enemies on the way to a Boss. They pick a card to use each round and solve them in player order. Every damage you deal gives you Blood Echoes, but watch out! You'll lose them if you die. To keep them you have to "bank" them at Hunter's Dream and when you go there you take an additional card.
There are some interesting effects that skip player order, others which only happen if only one player used the card, and there is an interesting element where players get the bigger reward if they're the ones dealing the final blow to the enemy. I liked it and would play again. It is very interesting to compare the boardgame adaptations of Bloodborne and Dark Souls. While the videogames are somewhat similar in terms of gameplay, the boardgame adaptations took distinct approaches. Dark Souls tries to simulate the movement/facing and enemy AI through a deck, Bloodborne focuses on the core of the experience, which is about seeing how far you can go until you need to retreat. To me that's more faithful to how my feelings and decisions when playing the original videogame.
2019-01-17
|
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Greenland (Third Edition)
(2018)
|
|
Apr 2019
|
5.806 |
|
|
Big game in a small box! Take the role of tribes in Greenland and do your best to survive and thrive in a harsh environment.
At its core the game is simple (send people to complete tasks, roll a die for each and if they get the following numbers the task is successful) but a lot of additional layers are added as the game progresses, especially due to the Events deck. Creatures appear and migrate away, Disease knocks out half of the population. A big part of it is about planning for bad rolls and luck mitigation. The rulebook is intimidating, fortunately a friend taught us how to play.
2020-02-03
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Terraforming Mars
(2016)
|
|
Aug 2020
|
8.279 |
|
|
Solid engine building game where the players are companies trying to shape and get their own slice of planet Mars. Feels balanced and there is a lot of replayability thanks to the unique research cards and company cards. There is a lot to memorize, and it only increases as the game progresses.
Poor production quality. The graphical design and illustrations are all over the place from illustrations to 3d renders to photos. The paint of the metal cubes starts flaking away. I strongly dislike tracking so many resources with tokens on a "ruler". One bump of the table or a sleeve when reaching for something and your progress is ruined.
2020-08-30
|
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|
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May 2019
|
6.410 |
|
|
A CCG aimed at multiplayer (3-5) that involves intrigue and politics. Get your minions, equip them and attack your prey - but be careful or you'll bleed out!
It seems hard to get into. There are a lot of specific keywords, symbols and situational cards. Proxies are acceptable since it's been out of print for so long, but this means building decks is overwhelming. This game refuses to die. It's amazing how there's still a vibrant community after 25 years, and it was picked up for publication once again. I hope they also create products aimed at beginners. As a designer it's very inspiring to see.
2019-05-12
|
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Exploriana
(2019)
|
|
Nov 2019
|
5.608 |
|
|
Light push your luck game about exploring three continents of increasing difficulty. There's not enough room for every player so going first matters.
Watch out because it's easy to go bust, but there are some ways to mitigate that. There are incentives to push it just a little bit further thanks to increased rewards and set collection scoring. There are a few too many systems but the player doesn't have to engage with all of them. I like the small box and modular board.
2019-11-02
|
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Nov 2019
|
6.748 |
|
|
Interesting compact two-player game about the Cuban Mission Crisis. Tense, compact and with a good deal of both strategy and tactics. I like that the game gives the players some hint about what the other one might be going for in the coming round.
I imagine it gets better as the players get more familiar with the cards.
2019-11-08
|
||
|
Wingspan
(2019)
|
|
Feb 2020
|
7.946 |
|
|
Good engine builder with top notch presentation and production. The streamlined turn structure is made trickier due to the bird abilities, which can be a lot to keep in mind as the game progresses.
2020-02-03
|
|
|
Wingspan: European Expansion
(2019)
|
|
Feb 2020
|
7.852 |
|
|
Only played the base game combined with this expansion and it was good so I'm giving both the same rating.
Getting it to fit the base box was tricky.
2020-02-03
|
|
|
Century: Golem Edition
(2017)
|
|
Feb 2020
|
7.277 |
|
|
Same as Spice Road but with more appealing and colorful artwork by Justin Chan, a bit more colorblind-friendly choices and gems which are easier to pick up.
2020-02-17
|
|
|
Sushi Roll
(2019)
|
|
Mar 2020
|
6.484 |
|
|
Sushi Roll is nice, plays quick and has a lot of similarities with the original version, but allows you to be much meaner, stealing and re-rolling dice people had their eyes on.
It's odd to see a dice version of a game be bigger and more expensive than the original. For me Sushi Go is about accessibility, so I still prefer it for its simple rules, cheap price and portable box.
2020-03-02
|
|
|
Pandemic: Fall of Rome
(2018)
|
|
Mar 2020
|
7.055 |
|
|
Interesting take on Pandemic where you are hiring legions and guiding them around to fight the invading barbarian tribes. Yes, fight. Using dice!
2020-03-02
|
|
|
DVONN
(2001)
|
|
Mar 2020
|
6.911 |
|
|
Streamlined rules, clean visuals and quick game. Move pieces on top of each other, making towers that have to move as many spaces as their height. You can take over player pieces, but if they lose the connection to the red DVONN pieces, they vanish.
I like boards that start to disappear as the game progresses, underlined by the taller towers needing to move even further. Having the setup be "playable" is quite nice.
2020-03-22
|
|
|
KeyForge: Age of Ascension
(2019)
|
|
Jul 2020
|
6.475 |
|
|
The first new set for Keyforge came with some new cards and fun mechanics (alpha, omega) but ultimately the decks weren't as powerful as the original set and the new dynamics made games drag.
2020-07-27
|
|
|
Qwinto
(2015)
|
|
Aug 2020
|
6.450 |
|
|
Qwinto is a very clever roll and write that does a lot with very few components. Three different dice, a pencil and a score sheet per player is all you need.
The players are trying to fill rows with an ascending sequence of numbers. To do so the players will roll 1-3 dice and write the sum in a column that matches one of their colors. The thing is, the other players can take their rolls as well (and use them in different spaces). This creates interesting choices and the players are always involved in everyone's turn.
2020-08-10
|
|
|
Kingdomino Duel
(2019)
|
|
Aug 2020
|
6.122 |
Owned
|
|
I'm very impressed by Kingdomino Duel. It could have just been an adaptation of the original game, but they went above and beyond.
In every turn the main player rolls the four die and picks one. The other player picks two. The main player gets the last dice. The players will place and draw the dice together, like a domino piece. Instead of thematic types of land the players draw patterns on shields, which works well. One new thing in this game are is the spellbook. As players take die that don't have "X" on them (equivalent to the crowns) they will gain points that they can exchange for one-type helpful effects such as picking the two dice first or splitting the dice. Due to using dice instead of tiles the outcome is more unpredictable, making it more tactical than strategic. The production quality is great. Good box with a magnetic flap, large dice, spot UV on the box. The back of the sheets is used as a spellbook.
2020-08-10
|
|
|
L.L.A.M.A.
(2019)
|
|
Nov 2020
|
6.210 |
Owned
|
|
L.A.M.A. is a great, light, family game. It's easy to see why people are comparing it to UNO but it introduces a few clever twists that to me elevate it far beyond.
- Being able to play the current number or the next increases the number of the viable cards. - Looping the count with the llama makes things more unpredictable with more players. - Having each number only count once at the end of the round makes it harder to guess what everyone is holding and gives players a chance to not lose as many points if they're forced to draw cards. - Being able to return one chip (either worth 1 or 10 points) is an excellent catch-up mechanism that keeps players in the game and rewards them for taking chances. Very easy to teach, I could see myself bringing it to all sorts of family gatherings or maybe to play at lunch at the studio.
2020-11-01
|
|
|
Android: Mainframe
(2016)
|
|
Dec 2020
|
6.067 |
Owned
|
|
Abstract game that could have another theme (and it originally had), but the Android theme works well enough. Simple to teach, the limited decisions can be interesting and the different characters make me want to replay it at least a few more times.
It's a gentle way to dip my toes back into the Android universe.
2020-12-29
|
|
|
Food Chain Island
(2020)
|
|
Feb 2021
|
5.973 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
A pleasant solitaire puzzle that is straight to the point. Simple rules, a breeze to setup. Teaches quickly and if you win, it's already packed up in the end.
Reminds me of peg solitaire but the animal powers bring in a welcome twist. (Print and Play)
2021-02-27
|
|
|
Draftosaurus
(2019)
|
|
Mar 2021
|
6.810 |
|
|
A quick and easy game of drafting dinosaurs and finding a place for them in your park. The action of filling in spaces of your board feels a bit like a roll and write.
2021-03-13
|
|
|
Azul
(2017)
|
|
May 2021
|
7.696 |
|
|
Very solid abstract game with great presentation and streamlined rules. A breeze to teach and to play.
Played it in Portugal and the rule to degine starting player is "The player who most recently visited Portugal takes the starting player marker", made us all feel like it was not meant for Portuguese people. Also, a Portuguese, it's a red flag that for a game that sells the appeal and aesthetic of Portuguese tiles, no Portuguese people were involved in the production.
2021-05-20
|
|
|
Mandala
(2019)
|
|
Jun 2021
|
6.892 |
Owned
|
|
A solid game with a streamlined set of rules, quick playtime and a pleasant presentation - including a cloth board!
Play cards to complete two mandalas on the center. Once all six colors are present the mandala is complete, and it washes away. The scoring system is clever. The points for the different colors will be defined by the players as they collect new ones. It is often described as an abstract but I find the theme fits it very well, with the constant building and tearing down, but something remains. The only (minor) fault is that the stack of square cards can be tricky to shuffle.
2021-06-26
|
|
|
Tussie Mussie
(2019)
|
|
Aug 2021
|
6.323 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
An "I cut, you choose" game with a gentle theme and a nice twist. Every turn there is an offer of two cards. One is face up, the other is face down. Each card is different, and each one has points and/or a scoring condition.
Easy to teach, breezy to play. My partner really loved the flavor text, reading the face up one in the offer out loud and trying to read all her cards in the end to see what story they told together. (print and play)
2021-08-15
|
|
|
Agropolis
(2021)
|
|
Aug 2021
|
6.054 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
It's more Sprawlopolis, and that's great! It works pretty much the same way but has brand new goals and a scoring variant which raises the difficulty if you're able to beat it consistently.
(print and play)
2021-08-15
|
|
|
|
Aug 2012
|
5.895 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Cool light game, and it the fact that it was designed by a mathematician shows. It's easy to play and the available decisions get more interesting and tense as the game progresses.
(In the collection, in Portugal)
2018-09-18
|
||
|
Carcassonne
(2000)
|
|
Dec 2015
|
7.308 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Interesting strategy domino that is easy to pick up and teach.
However there have been many rules iterations, especially regarding how farms are scored so I always have to ask the other players which rules they're used to play with. (In the collection, in Portugal)
2018-09-18
|
|
|
WarCraft: The Board Game
(2003)
|
|
Oct 2016
|
5.834 |
Prev. Owned
|
|
Modular board, cool components (though the units don't have much to do with the Warcraft characters) and an interesting adaptation of the computer game.
The manual isn't very clear on several things (mostly the combat!).
2016-10-04
|
|
|
RoboRally
(1994)
|
|
Jan 2013
|
6.936 |
|
|
Program your robot around the factory to reach the objectives. What can go wrong? Everything! Robots bump each other into pits, shoot lazers and eventually break.
2019-03-24
|
|
|
|
Jul 2019
|
6.852 |
|
|
Betrayal has an interesting premise. At first the players are exploring the mansion looking for gear, and defining the layout as they do. After a while a Haunt is triggered, which usually means one of the players becomes the Betrayer. They get new abilities and a secret goal. The rest of the group also gets a goal.
Part of the appeal comes from the curiosity to see 50 scenarios that come in the box. I like that the house has multiple floors the players can go to, and sometimes find (or create) secret passageways between them. The rules are very loose and there is a lot of randomness, so it feels more like a narrative experience than a game.
2019-07-18
|
