Tower of Madness by Curt Covert, Game Review

The townspeople say it is just another haunted house you and your fellow investigators are approaching. But you know the Elder Gods are stirring. You are one of the few who understand what is happening, and what is ultimately at stake. You enter looking for clues to solve the riddle of this house and how it ties into the greater horror. The things you have seen have already touched your mind, and there are times when you’re not sure what you are seeing is real anymore.

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Tower of Madness, by Curt Covert is a semi-cooperative game based on the Cthulhu mythos. As with other games designed by Curt Covert, there is the possibility of one of the players being or becoming a traitor who works for the demise of the rest of the group, and in this case the rest of the sane world.

I had the opportunity of playing a four person game of Tower of Madness at SaltCon End of Summer Event (website and Facebookpage) 2018.

Setting

Arkham is the easiest way to describe the setting you’re in. This is based on H.P. Lovecraft’s creations of Cthulhu and the rest of the Elder Gods. The look is for the early 1900s. This provides the theme of the game, but you don’t have to worry about getting into the actual horror aspects presented by Lovecraft’s works.

Mechanics

Tower of Madness has several levels of play that players work through.

Investigators search through a series of settings attempting to solve the mystery associated with it. This is done by a random series for the game, and a game doesn’t include all of them. To solve the investigation a variation of the dice game Ship, captain, crew (Wikipedia explanation) is used. If the investigation is successful, then play passes. If more than one investigator is successful, then the high score collects the location for points. If an investor fails, that player pulls a horror.

When a player is unsuccessful in solving the investigation, they pull a horror from the tower. The tower is hollow and the horrors are long “pins” pushed through the tower holding up marbles. This is where the game received a quick nickname of Cthulhu Ker Plunk (here’s a link about Ker Plunk). Unlike Ker Plunk you can’t see the marbles inside the tower. The marbles are different colors representing different affects for the player.

There are four different colors of marbles. One is worth victory points, another grants spell cards to be drawn, the third drives the player’s character insane, and the final one works as a countdown for the unleashing of Cthulhu. The players win if all of the locations are investigated and the three green countdown marbles haven’t all been released. Scores are tallied for the highest score.

However, this is a game from Smirk and Dagger. And, Covert likes to add a traitor aspect.

In Tower of Horror, a traitor is a player whose character goes insane. They are now working to release the Elder God and bring insanity to the world. If they can get the green marbles to drop, they win. If the locations are completely investigated, they automatically lose.

Art

Multiple artists are given credit on Tower of Madness. All of it works together to maintain the Eldritch them. It is age appropriate.

Overall

Tower of Madness is designed to be a lighthearted game based in a horror setting without the horror.

I played a five person game. It was light and we had fun. This doesn’t require developing strategy. You roll the dice, determine the outcome, then, if you have to, you pull a horror. In our case we were moving right along and nearing the end of investigations, one of us went mad. He used his spell cards as soon as another person had to pull a horror and won the game.

The spell cards had their own twist. Each card had two spells, one for when the character is sane, and the other for when the character is insane.

For the fans of the style of play of earlier games from Smirk and Dagger, Tower of Madness will fit right into your game shelf.

Tower of Madness is designed by Curt Covert and distributed by Smirk and Dagger (web page). It is designed for 3–5 players of ages 10+ for 40–60 minutes.

Tower of Madness is available from Amazon (link).

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You follow behind the Reginald as he makes his way through the darkness. His flashlight shows a narrow path down the hall when you hear a giggle coming from in front of you. You don’t see anything unusual until Reginald turns to face the group.

His giggling continues and his shoulders shake. You reach out to shake him back to reality when he smiles and his right eye rolls in his socket while his left one focuses on you.

“Reginald what have you done?”

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Downforce, Game Review

Sitting in your suite above the track, the crowd at the race looks and feels different. The binoculars allow you a close up view of your car’s driver. A relative newbie in the Grand Prix circuit, he does well. But, he didn’t earn one of the better starting positions. While sipping on your champagne, you’re approached by one of the track’s private stewards, “Would you like to place a bet before the race begins?”

You hold up your index finger to stall as you scan the cars below again. “I’m going to wait. Please, come back in a bit.”

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Downforce by Wolfgang Kramer presents a Grand Prix race where winning the race doesn’t mean you’ll win the game. To win Downforceyou need to earn the most money. Money comes from having your car win and from the bets you place.

I played a couple of games of Downforce while at the St George Gaming Convention (STGCON) 2018 (website and Facebook). Both times was with a full group of 6 people.

Downforce has a dual strategy for playing and winning.

Game play is done by playing cards that control the length of movement every car takes. Each player owns one of the cars and you make more money if your car wins the race. But, you’re only moving the cars once every round as players take turns laying down cards.

Each card lists the cars and the amount of movement they can take. Not every car is represented on every card. Some might also only list one car. When it is your turn to lay down a card, you have to decide which will be the best to play. And, the one that moves your car the farthest might not be best one.

Cars get jammed up in the corners and are not able to move any farther. This strategy can be used to block other players. If you end up in the pack, you have to get the cars in front of yours to move first to open up space.

Winning the race pays the car’s owner. Placing is only part of the way to earn cash. There are three additional times players make private bets on which car will win, place, and show. Each bet pays off at the end of the race. You can bet for any car, not just your own. It might even be advantageous to bet on another car you can move into a winning position in front of your car. In one of my games a player did just that as the two of them neared the finish line.

Where winning the race can provide a bounty for the owner, winning the bets can add up even better. At the end of the race the cash winnings are tallied and the player who won the most money wins the game.

Overall

The additional level of betting included in Downforce gives the game a different feel than games focused on winning the race. Even if you are trapped at the back of the pack and it is clear your car isn’t going to win, you still have a chance to win the game. This keeps everyone in the game until the numbers are tallied.

The mechanics of the movement requires some thinking and planning. Attempting to move your car the farthest, based on the cards you hold might not be the best strategy. I tried doing that at the start of the first game I played when I had the pole position. I jumped out to a great lead, then the other five players took their turns. I ended up jammed up and then blocked by other cars who overtook me in the corner.

The only luck is how the cards are dealt at the beginning of the game. The rest is bidding, betting, and deciding which card to play from your hand.

I was invited back later in the day for another game. I did better. Both times where fun as everyone around the table watched how other players maneuvered through their visible strategy and focused on their private bets.

Downforce is one of a number of games from Wolfgang Kramer (wikipedia page) who has been an award winning game designer for over three decades.

Downforce is from Restoration Games and is designed for 2–6 players aged 14+ and expected to last 30–45 minutes.

Downforce is available on Amazon (link).

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The checkered flag drops for the winner. You look through your betting stubs and consider your winnings as you watch your driver make the last turn before the finish line. No, he didn’t win the race. But you still may have won the day.

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Frog Chess by Brian Grigsby, Game Review

The pond is a good place to live. It gets crowded. There seems to never be enough room for all the frogs who live there. But, being a frog is about having fun. And, as frogs we like to jump. The frogs of the pond choose teams and everyone crowds into the pond. Let the jumping begin.

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I had the opportunity of playing Frog Chess by Brian Grigsby at Salt Lake Gaming Convention 2018 (website). This is the third game I’ve reviewed from Binary Cocoa.

Frog Chess is a strategy game for of 2 or 3 players (I played a 2 person game) with a field of frogs. Frog Chess is a deceptive game in that we are so used to playing survival based games that when something different comes along it throws us. I fell into the trap.

Game Play

Each player has a team of frogs and they take turns placing them on a grid based board. The only limitation is no frogs can be placed in the outside edge of the board. Frogs aren’t able to survive in that outside ring for longer than jumping through it—which comes later. The setup becomes important because frogs like to jump, they want to jump, and they need to jump.

Frogs jump. And, they can jump in any direction, if they can. Frogs need something to jump over. If there isn’t another frog sitting in one of the squares next to them they have nothing to jump over. Frogs also need a place to land after they jump. Simply put, there needs to be an empty square on the other side of the frog they are jumping. This is like checkers, but they move horizontally and diagonally. There are no front or back movements, just jumping in any direction.

Every frog jumped over is removed from the board. You can jump over the other players’ frogs or one of your own. But, no matter what frog you jump over, the frog is removed from the board.

Frogs can keep jumping. Once a frog starts jumping it can keep jumping as long as it can, but it can also stop along the way. Just watch out where you stop. If a frog stops jumping in the outer ring of the board, it gets removed. A simple reminder is that at the end of every turn the outer ring has no frogs in it.

A two player game getting underway. 

Now you see how the game is played, let me introduce the twist. This is not a game about survival, it is about jumping. It doesn’t matter how many frogs are left on the board at the end of the game, it is about who made the last jump. The last one to make a jump wins. You can eliminate your opponent, or leave their frogs in a position where they are unable to jump.

I started the game thinking I knew what I was doing. The early moves were designed to remove a number of my opponent’s frogs with little loss on my side. I’ll admit I even started keeping track of the number of frogs we each had left on the board.

The game continued and I realized my mistake. I left a frog stranded out by itself. It’s only hope was to have a frog get closer that it could jump over. Another frog soon had no place it could land. My frogs were stranded and blocked. They were unable to jump.

Overall

Frog Chess plays up the strategy of how to move, not on the number of frogs left.

I enjoyed the twist. Even though I lost the match, I found the change of thought process refreshing. I found myself for some time afterwards coming back and watching other people play Frog Chess because the change intrigued me.

Frog Chess would work as a cabin game. It would work better in a trailer or motorhome. It could be put in a pack or suitcase because the shape of the box, but it is larger than what I usually classify as a cabin game. I saw younger players having fun with the bright colored frogs. It looked like they were having fun with the jumping without concern of the final outcome—they liked jumping the frogs.

Frog Chess is a good filler game. The game is designed to run less than 15 minutes. Even with learning the game, mine was about 15. The setup is part of the game and included in the time.

Frog Chess by Brian Grigsby is produced by Binary Cocoa (website, Facebook). It is designed for 2–3 players ages 7+, and to last 10–15 minutes.

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The frogs jump. Our team. Their team. Back and forth we jump. The crowd at the edge grows go as more frogs are jumped. I take your place on the spectators’ log when I got jumped. The competition continues. Then the jumping stops. Our team made the last jump and are croaked the winners. Those sitting next to me from the other team ribbit their congratulations and challenges for the next game.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Drop It, Game Review

There are times when you want a game everyone in the family can play. It can be tough to find a game that provides enough entertainment for the youngest players and still enough of a challenge for older ones. Here is one that fits the category.

I played and couple of games of Drop It, designed by Bernard Lach and Uwe Rapp, at Salt Lake Gaming Convention 2018 (website) with one of the game ambassadors of Envoy/Double Exposure (website).

Drop It is a basic game that requires you to drop different shapes of flat blocks between two plastic panels. Players start with a set of pieces and take turns dropping them into the holder. The look is a little like connect four, but the strategy is different.

One player I was playing with called Drop It a “geometric Tetris.” This gives an idea of how it looks, but again you are not trying to complete levels or create shapes. You drop the block into the holder and calculate any score you might have made. There are two variations of limitations to play for scoring. For older players the strategy of keeping colors separated and placed at the right levels gets them thinking.

Drop It is also different because it is for 2–4 players. I played a 4 person game on one variation and a 3 person game with the other. Both variations were easy to learn and understand the scoring principles. After I played I watched some younger players. I figure one was below the recommended age (8+), and with a little help from a parent were able to join in and was having fun dropping in the pieces. He didn’t even need to score, and it appeared he really didn’t care about the scoring taking place by the other players.

Picture from PHD  Games

Drop It is designed to run about 30 minutes. Of the half dozen games I played or watched none went over 15 minutes. This can easily be used as a filler game when waiting for more people to arrive on game night. It is also a game younger players can learn and play on their own. It could be used as a cabin game, but would be on the larger side that would work better in a camper or motor home instead of something being packed in or carried in a suitcase.

Drop It is designed by Bernard Lach and Uwe Rapp have other games known to be family friendly/favorite games. These include Fat Fish and Qwinto.

Drop it is produced by Thames and Kosmos games (website) and is designed for 2–4 players of ages 8+, and to be played within 30 minutes.

Drop It is available on Amazon (link).

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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St. George Board Game Convention

As the dog days of summer draw to a close, many of us are looking for something to do, especially if we have children who are becoming restless. It is hot the first part of August and may not seem like a good time to be in Southern Utah. But, the St. George Gaming Convention (STGCON) has created a fun get away for visitors and locals alike.

This year was the first time I was able to get to STGCON. The convention hosted its fourth annual event this year and I’m glad I got to be part of it. STGCON is a wonderful mix of board games that has a family friendly atmosphere.

Four Years Old

I sat with Alex, one of the founders, and talked with him about the history of STGCON. Five years ago there weren’t any gaming conventions in the area. The closest one to St. George was held in Salt Lake City. So, he and his wife thought they might do something about that by using their personal game library and start a convention.

They considered the first year successful with about 150 board gamers getting together. The next year they had around 200 people at the convention. This year they had 250. Not fast growth according to some. But, fast growth isn’t what Alex and his wife Shaea are looking for. They are happy with what it has done and the path it is on.

Part of the Gaming Room

The focus for STGCON has been to provide a quality family experience. This was visible at the convention, with the number of families and the age range of people. Families were enjoying games together and bringing in additional players. Alex told me that because of the size and the way it has grown, he knows just about everyone’s name attending.

What I Saw This Year

STGCON has a game library of over 1,300 different titles. These are not just old standards, Alex has actively grown the library; there were many newer games that could be experienced along with classics. I saw people playing games from the library which gave a family a chance to play something together, then as the children played one game, the parents might play something else.

Kids were running games for other kids. It was fun to see one young man running a tournament of 5-Minute Dungeon for 12 and under players. It looked like he was going to have to run more than one game to accommodate all those who gathered around his table.

1 of 3 Tables Getting Ready for a Tournament

His wasn’t the only tournament. There were enough events (tournaments, play to wins, and drawings) that there were probably enough prizes for just about everyone in attendance to take something extra home when everything was done.

Along with the mix in ages, there were people from around the region. According to pre-registration about 15% of the people were from St. George. I reacquainted myself with people I’ve met at other conventions along with making new friends.

Connecting with others is what STGCON is based on. I was invited to sit in on games by people who didn’t know me because there was an open seat. Kids joined together in games at one table as their parents joined in another game nearby. It was fun to see one pre-teen introduce her new friend to her mother and ask if they could go play a game at another table further off in the room.

The Future

A Heated Race of Pitch Car

STGCON is about the atmosphere and friendship. It is a place a family can go. Alex and Shaea want to keep it that way. They are not looking to force the convention into becoming larger, but are allowing it to grow at its own pace. They want a convention people want to come back to, which is what they have.

They are going to keep expanding their game library and continue working on making sure they have prizes to give away.

They want to keep the convention like St. George, accessible, friendly, and fun.

Alex did tell me that he would like to use the game library more often and one of the ideas they are looking at is making it available for the number of family gatherings that take place in St. George throughout the year. I suggest to anyone who may be having a gathering in or around St. George to contact them (STGCON website Facebook).

Summary

I enjoyed the day I was able to attend STGCON.

Check it out.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Spellcaster by Aaron Weissblum and Norman Woods, Game Review

The landscape goes hazy as you are suddenly surrounded by a mist that turns into a fog. This day was coming. You know you are being summoned to the dueling arena, for the life of the Grandmaster Wizard is coming close to its end. Now is your turn to prove your mettle against another. Time to see how you compare against the other wizards of the realms and find out who will be the next Grandmaster.

The fog gets lighter. You look around until you see another materializing. He is unfamiliar. You quickly go through what spells you know to determine how best to manipulate the four elements when a force hits you causing you to step back and gain your balance. He’s quick.

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Spellcaster by Aaron Weissblum and Norman Woods is a card game of attack and defense. I had the opportunity to play Spellcasterat Salt Lake Gaming Convention 2018 (website) with an ambassador from Envoy/Double Exposure (website).

Concept

Spellcaster pits wizards against each other in a duel. Although Spellcaster is listed for 2–4 players, it works best with just 2, you are in a duel and those usually work better when you are one-on-one. This is a light version of a duel with limited actions and is more family friendly in its presentation.

Mechanic

Each player has a hand of cards which are used. At the start of a turn you draw one and then take two actions. Actions allow you to draw, play, or activate a card.

Playing a card is only done on the one of the four elements it matches. Only one player can control an element at a time. And, the card must be in play before it can be activated.

The rules are simple enough. Making the decisions for how you play your strategy based on the cards you have is the crux of the game as you work to remove all of your opponent’s energy or gain enough Sorcery Sapphires to win the game.

Art

Spell Caster has artwork from Kerem Beyit (website), who did the cover, and Suleyman Temiz (website), for the cards. When I was playing Spellcaster I thought the art was done by the same person. It was only upon closer inspection when I could see differences. The artists’ styles complement each other well.

All of the work fits with the theme of the game. I saw some younger players who were enjoying the art and sharing it while they were playing.

Overall

Spellcaster is an easy to learn game that would work well as a filler or cabin game. The age listed on the box is 14+. Younger players could easily play Spellcaster even though they might not understand the full aspects of strategy, such as when to block an opponent’s card before it is activated.

Spellcaster is listed to play in 20–30 minutes. For the games I played this time was generous. We played several 2 player games and each finished in under 10 minutes. Learning the game took only a few minutes.

If you would like a game to introduce more complex deck building games based on dueling, Spellcaster may be what you are looking for.

Spellcaster by Aaron Weissblum and Norman Woods is published by R&R Games (website). It is designed for 2–4 players of ages 14+ and intended to last 20–30 minutes.

Spellcaster is available on Amazon (link).

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You launch a complex spell, manipulating the field between you and your adversary. You feel a sensation of warmth run through you and you see a pained look on the man standing across the arena. You did it. He may have been faster in his castings, but you had a greater mastery of the complexity of the elements. And, gaining that mastery has now been rewarded.

As the mist settles you know you won this encounter. There are many more wizards in the realms who you will be tested against before a final spell caster emerges victorious.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Cantankerous Cats, Game Review

Humans are interesting creatures to keep as pets. They are fickle. Their depth of understanding is as shallow as one of those wading pools they put their children in on hot, summer days. Because their traits are such, Simone, the Siamese a couple of houses over, and I, Popov, a fine Russian Blue, came up with a game we have introduced to other cats in the neighborhood. It a wonderful experience watching our humans traverse the emotional spectra. And, to see who really is the best feline.

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Cantankerous Catsby Al Gonzalez is a card game of cats having fun, in pure cat fashion. I was introduced to Cantankerous Cats at Salt Lake Gaming Convention 2018 (website). I was also able to visit with a person who has Cantankerous Cats in their game library.

Concept

Cantankerous Cats has each person playing a cat who is balancing the gaining of affection against causing mischief. The statement on the box sums up the concept very well, "A ferocious feline card game of cunning, mischief, and schadenfreude." (I had to look up schadenfreude to make sure its meaning—pleasure derived by someone from another person's misfortune.)

Mechanics

Cantankerous Catsis scalable to allow for easier play and additional elements to create more strategy. Players start with a hand and draw cards to add to it. Cards represent different actions the cat takes.

Basic play is to draw three and play two. This method of play has each player taking actions to affect events in their own household. They must build up affection with their humans to a level that they can create mischief. If there isn’t enough affection available, then they cannot do crafty little feline tricks. Mischief improves your score until a player wins.

 

Advanced play introduced paws. Paws are used for attacking and defending. You can shift the blame to another cat. If they don’t have a paw to protect themselves they lose affection with their humans. You can even force another cat to be cast out and become feral if they don’t have enough affection built up with their people.

Feral cats are still in the game. When a cat becomes feral they must earn affection from new humans who will take them home. Until then, the cat is unable to score points while the rest of the cats on the block are taking actions.

Don’t let the write-up of the rules get in the way of the basic concept of the game. Also, the developer told me they are working on redesigning the rules to make them easier to understand. If you are familiar with a variety of games, I don’t think you’ll have problems.

Art

Cantankerous Catshas wonderful art that builds on the style and feel of the game. Everything is done in a tea room motif reminiscent of the Victorian age. In talking with Al at the convention I was informed every portrait they use on the cards has been done as a full size watercolor and that level of detail shows through. The back of the deck cards carry the motif and the cards for the cats have a domesticated and a feral side.

The cats introduced in the game are from the homes of the developer and friends. The art shows the caring relationship with the cats.

The artwork was done by Jose Pimienta (web page), Heather Gross (web page), and Elise Spacek (web page).

Overall

Cantankerous Cats will appeal to those who share their home with a cat or two. The write-ups on the cards telling the actions are recognizable and people were having a good time just reading the cards as they enjoyed the art.

Cantankerous Cats by Al Gonzalez is from Mentha Designs (Facebook). It is for 2–6 players of ages 8–10+ (based on the rules used) and is designed to last 25–60 minutes.

Cantankerous Cats is available on Amazon (link).

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Unbelievable! Simone and I were doing well in our little competition until the little runt of a litter, Hobbit, got all cutesy. Playing off being a puff ball, Hobbit was able to get away with gambits short of killing one of her humans. And she even got the dog put in obedience school.

Well, I’m not going to let Hobbit triumph again. We’ve already recruiting a pair on the next street, a Tortoiseshell and a Maine Coon and we are doing this again.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Kofre’s Curse, Game Review

Another tomb along the Nile been discovered. It is full of rewards for the hearty adventurer who is willing to take the risk. You and your comrades are just the ones who are willing. However, the risk of Kofre’s, said to have been a sorcerer, tomb holds a greater risk because he was possessed by the gods when he was entombed. Every tomb is said to have a curse. Stories told to keep the ancient tomb raiders away.

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Kofre’s Curse by Stephen Gygi is a tile based game designed to introduce role-playing to young players. I had the opportunity of playing Kofre’s Curse at Salt Lake Gaming Convention 2018 (website) with Stephen and Kyrie Gygi (who also did the art with Stephen).

Premise

Kofre’s Curse is a tomb full of treasure and curses. The party of explorers delve into the 5 x 5 dungeon complex. They are exploring individually, but also with an element of cooperative play. For when Kofre is finally confronted, they must defeat the sorcerer before he can escape his tomb and bring destruction upon the world.

Mechanics

Each player takes on one of the pre-generated characters. There are four basic statistics and the characters have different favored abilities that help them during the game, both while exploring and in the final confrontation.

Exploring the tomb is accomplished by turning over a tile and placing it. The tiles have challenges and rewards for the characters. Challenges are resolved by a single die roll. The roll and associated character ability are combined to determine if the result is high enough to achieve the favorable outcome and earn the reward. Too low of a result leads to an unfavorable outcome including damage to the character.

Characters run the risk of dying. In our three person game we did not roll the dice well. By the time we finished exploring the crypt there was only one character left to confront the evil sorcerer.

The final combat against Kofre is a scalable event with a level of random determination at the beginning. Kofre is possessed by four ancient gods (matching character abilities) and a random determination is done to see which ability is his main power. This allows for different characters to take the lead in the final showdown—one character isn’t always going to be the hero who can do the most against Kofre. There are also rules for scaling the combat. Instead of just toe-to-toe damage, there could be tasks needing to be done by both sides.

Artwork

Kofre’s Curse is illustrated by Stephen and Kyrie Gygi. The art is appropriate for the ages the game is designed for and provides individualized scenes to provide recognition in later games.

Overall

For older players (especially parents) who have younger gamers in their home wanting to join in, Kofre’s Curse is a good introduction to RPG style playing. The concepts are simple to understand and only basic math skills are needed. Young players will need help in reading the concepts on the tiles and characters, but they also have unique artwork allowing ease of reference for later play.

Kofre’s Curse is designed to last 15–20 minutes. The speed of the game should keep the attention of younger players. The tiles being placed as they are drawn also present a random aspect to keep attention.

The scalability of Kofre’s Curse allows young players to advance their play with the game over a period of time. I know a number of gamers (older ones) who become bored with a game after they play it a few times because of repetitiveness. There are enough multiple outcomes to allow for continued play.

Kofre’s Curse is scheduled to be on Kickstarter any time now (late July 2018).

Kofre’s Curse is produced by Binary Cocoa (website) and is designed for 2–6 players ages 6+, and to last 15–20 minutes.

 

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The remains of Kofre lie in the dust at the base of the stairs leading out of the tomb. You feel weak from the loss of blood and you see that in the running battle two of your four comrades didn’t make it. They will be honored. You’ll make sure they are remembered. If it wasn’t for their courage to fight against the undead sorcerer, stopping him, who knows what would have happened to the rest of the world.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Rival Realms, Game Review

The fog lifts and you gaze out over a field in the lands of Fantastiqa. The other magician you were working with is nowhere in sight. You know they are here and a race has begun. There is much to see and great treasures to find, but your time is short and the land is tricky. You lower your sights to what is closer around you and see a flash of brilliant green when the sunlight glints off an emerald. You pick it up, knowing it will be handy later. Again, you scan the land as it seems to materialize around you. Yes, your time here is short and you need to plan how you’re going to explore this land before it runs out.

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Rival Realms is a wonderful puzzle game for two people set in the world of Fantastiqa, created by Alf Seegert. I was given a copy of Rival Realms by the publisher, Eagle Gryphon Games (website) at SaltCon 2018 (website) for review purposes.

Fans of Fantastiqa, also created by Alf Seegert, will enjoy Rival Realms. But, Fantastiqa is not required for playing Rival Realms. This is not an expansion, even though it has a similar look, setting, and style.

This is a standalone game designed for one or two people. I think it works better with two (I prefer playing games with others instead of by myself). Even though you are playing against the other player, your play is focused on what you’re doing, not on how to block or disrupt your opponent’s play.

Game Design

Rival Realms pits two players against each other to create and solve a puzzle. The players start out with a mirror reflection of the mountains and valleys separating three kingdoms. Players then place region cards to create a puzzle map they solve by exploring through the areas on their side of the table.

This two level puzzle, creating and solving, makes for a great thinking game. The placement of regions has a strategic level because you have to have the right cards to explore them. As you build a path for yourself to explore the realm, there are limitations of what you can do, and items that can help you explore more. A balance is needed to be effective between the placing of the region cards and exploring them.

Rival Realms is easy to set up and play. We quickly understood how the game played. The first game lasted the 20–30 minutes it is designed for.

Rival Realms is a light-hearted competition as there are only limited ways you can disrupt the other player. The limited level of conflict makes Rival Realms a good game for many siblings.

Rival Realms is a good game to have on hand as a cabin game and a possible filler game. The box is just a little larger than the size of two packs of standard playing cards, making it easily transportable. The only problem as a filler game is when you have more than two people waiting.

Overall

I, and the others who played, enjoyed Rival Realms. The creation and exploring of the map was a nice application of the mechanic without having direct competition with the other player (you create a puzzle for your opponent to solve).

The artwork is some wonderful work from the Bridgeman Art Library which adds to the feel of the story being created.

Rival Realms, by Alf Seegert and published by Eagle Gryphon Games, is designed for 1 or 2 players ages 10+, and to last 20–30 minutes.

Rival Realms is available on Amazon (link).

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You’ve explored a lot of the land. The experience lifted your soul and you know this enchanted land holds many more secrets. As you step out on the edge of a high plateau to look at the path you want to take to continue your adventure, a fog rises around you. It was the fog that transported you to Fantastiqa. Time is up. You know your rival has completed their adventuring and you are going home. But now you know the card trick that brought the two of you here and you will be back.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Viking Games, and Pick Your Battle Game Group, Game (Group) Review

Looking for several games your family would be able to play, without learning a bunch of different rules for each one? Toresh Games (website and Facebook) has put together six family-friendly card games that are part of their Pick Your Battle game group.

I played Viking Gamesat SaltCon (website and Facebook page) 2018, which is one of the games in the group. There were four of us playing, one of which was Thomas Shepard, the developer of Viking Games and the rest of the games in Pick Your Battle.

Viking Games is designed for 2–7 players to last for 15–30 minutes. The concept is each player is a Viking throwing axes, up to three depending on the card, at other Vikings. You defend yourself with shields and once you take ten wounds you’re out.

The mechanic used for Viking Games, and the rest of the group, is a draw and play. The mechanic allows younger players to catch on easily and soon they can play their hand by themselves with little or no help from others. The game is listed for ages 8+, however, the age limit is more about the theme of throwing axes than in the complexity of how the game plays.

Each of the games use the same mechanic, but each provides something a little different in the strategy of the game. What makes Viking Games different than the other games in the Pick Your Battle group is you can obtain an armory which allows you to draw two cards instead of one.

 

The Pick Your Battle Game Group

Dodge Ball plays as teams.

Wizards and Witcheshas different types of protection to use.

Snowball Fight has double attacks after you get a pile of snowballs.

Food Fight has 10 different food items. These can be set up that players have to be hit by certain, or all, of the foods.

Water Fight has 2 different attacks and two different defenses.

The series of games can be used to introduce an additional level in game play to younger players. This gives them the chance to learn a new game without having to learn new mechanics to play. It also allows a variety of games to be played, which might help with older players, and parents, with game fatigue.

Art

The artwork and graphics are done by Christopher England for the Pick Your Fight series of games. His work is age appropriate with a splash of fun. Each card is soon recognizable for what it does or allows during the game. This makes the game easier to learn and play.

These Are Good Cabin Games

 

Each game is a deck of cards equal in size to two standard decks. This makes them easy to store in luggage, a box, backpack, camper, etc., for when conditions are more appropriate for being inside instead of outside. They only need a little flat surface, so they could be played on a small table or even the floor.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Wizardz Bluff, Game Review

Times may be dark as the Great Lord of Wizards ages. Younger wizards gathering at his call enter the grounds to find out who is worthy of learning his secrets. A wizards’ duel is about to begin. A match of skill and daring to determine which one stands out from the rest. This duel is a clever task of decide which creature to transform into from the limited set you have—it is the same set as your opponents.

Wizardz Bluff from Crooker Tower Games (Facebook) is a family friendly game of planning how to play your hand during a series of matches and includes an element of betting on what card wins. Two friends and I had the opportunity of playing Wizardz Bluff at SaltCon (website and Facebook page) 2018. The game is in the final stages of preparation for launching on a Kickstarter campaign near the time this article is published.

Gameplay

Each player of Wizardz Bluff has the same cards to start their hand. Along with the cards, everyone randomly draws gems to use for betting on the cards played. A game last for three rounds consisting of twelve matches, or less.

A match starts with everyone choosing one of their cards to play face down in front of them. A bet with one of your gems accompanies your selection. This is where the bluffing comes in. Everyone starts with the same set of twelve cards to choose from, the Alchemist and numbered cards ranging from 2–12. There are four cards related to the elements corresponding to the color of the gems used for betting. The choice of your card is the strategy for the match, and once it is used it goes into your discard pile and cannot be used again this round. You can change your card and gem until everyone has one down. Then the headmaster calls to turn over the cards.

Wizardz Bluff at SaltCon

High card wins the match. Your strategy for the round is to decide when to play your high cards versus your lower cards. Do you start out strong in the round, or wait until later? If there is a tie in the match, those players decide to either split the pot or continue dueling. This can lead to a player not lasting until the end of the round if they run out of cards early.

Once it is determined which card won the match, you check to see if that was one of the cards associated with an element. When your bet matches the element winning the match you collect an element card used for scoring later. The winner of the hand collects the gems bet (or they are split). Running out of gems is also a concern when deciding your playing strategy.

You can also choose to play your Alchemist. This takes you out of competing to win the hand (your bet is still out there) and allows you to go shopping at the Alchemist’s Shop. These are cards to use later in the game to alter the outcome of matches.

After each round scoring takes place. Everyone picks up their cards for the next round (if you still have an item from the Alchemist’s Shop, it’s still an option to be used). And, a new set of gem stones are randomly drawn. After round three, high score is the new head wizard.

During our game of Wizardz Bluff table talking was encouraged. You can tell other players which card you have in front of you, or bluff. Another strategy I saw being used was bluffing with/on the bet. One color would be placed out until right before it was determined everyone was ready, then a player would change their bet to a different color.

We enjoyed our game. For me this would be for those times when we had younger players at the table.

Artwork

Player scoring card

The art of Wizardz Bluff was done by Travis Hanson and Ron Smith. It is not dark in its appearance and appropriate for the age (8+) the game is designed for.

Overall

During SaltCon there were younger players returning to play Wizardz Bluff again. The game is easy to learn. And, once learned, it is a game younger players could play without the help of adults.

Wizardz Bluff is designed by Jayson Smith and Ron Smith and is being produced by Crooked Tower Games for 2–5 players of ages 8+, and to last for 45–60 minutes.

I wrote down both Jayson and Ron’s names and I don’t remember which one we gamed with, but he mentioned it can also easily be adapted for players younger than 8.

Powers are drained as the contestants finish their last casting. It was a challenge of planning your own transformations and determining what you would be facing from the others in the arena. The sly use of the potion and the connections to the elements paid off. You take off your hat and stride with confidence up to the Great Lord to collect your honors.

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Wet Blanket, Game Review

The party down the hall is going full blast. And, everyone you invited is there. The night is turning into a social catastrophe. Wait a minute. You can hear jazz music from further down the hall. Dominic loves jazz and he’s leaving the party and knocking on Sarah’s door. She’s having a party, too? Now it’s time to make a move to get people to your party as you lift the nacho cheese close to the air vent.

Wet Blanket by Binary Cocoa is a social/anti-social card game of trying to get partygoers away from the main party being thrown in the middle of the table to your party. I had the opportunity of playing Wet Blanket (with the Soggy Biscuitexpansion) at SaltCon (website and Facebook page) 2018 with three other people, including one of the game’s developers.

Game Play

Wet Blanket starts by determining how many partygoers are already at the central party. The more partiers you start out with the longer the game goes. We started with eight and our game lasted between 10 and 15 minutes. The goal is to get as many partiers at your own party, which is represented by cards that move in front of you.

Moving the partygoers is done by players using cards from their own hand using a draw and play mechanic. Playing a card can affect the central party, and the parties hosted by the players. Every partygoer has a likes, dislikes, profession, and allergies. Most cards are designed with a socially awkward situation that partygoers react to. This can push people away from the central party, or draw them back.

Other cards include safety cards to prevent some actions from occurring. And, there are also more partygoers who can show up at the central party.

Wet Blanketcontinues until there are no more partygoers at the party in the middle of the table. Whoever has the most partygoers at their own party is recognized as the leading socialite.

The Game

Wet Blanket is a deck of cards the size to two standard playing decks. We also played with the Soggy Biscuit expansion. It is the size of a standard deck. The main deck of cards focuses on music and food, while Soggy Biscuit is about the partygoers’ professions and allergies.

Wet Blanket is designed for 2 to 8 players. We had 4 in our game and it was enjoyable. Later, I was able to see a game being played with 6, and it was more boisterous than ours, as people were commenting back-and-forth about losing people from their own party.

Wet Blanket is a good family game. There is some reading, but most of the cards are designed with graphics younger players can understand. Younger players were also making a lot of extra commentary about the social situations stated on the cards.

Artwork

Wet Blanket is themed on social awkwardness and the art fits the theme. It might look basic when glancing at it, but it is well constructed to provide a visual representation of what is happening at a level all players can understand.

Overall

Wet Blanket, with Soggy Biscuit, is a good family game that can also be used as a filler and cabin game. There are three decks of cards with a quick layout and the timeframe is easily adjusted to fit your needs. Wet Blanket would work better for younger players and family settings. The strategy is minimal and allows for socializing and commentary during game play. An interruption of game play would not impact the game much.

Binary Cocoa’s (websiteand Facebook) Joseph Browers and Stephen Gygi foray into tabletop gaming with Wet Blanket falls in line with their electronic games and other products. If you are familiar with their other games, I think you will find Wet Blanket is a good addition to your family gaming library.

It’s getting late. You’ve been so busy entertaining and socializing you didn’t realize how the time got by you. Everyone at your party is happy and they are having a good time. The nachos were the right move to get the party started.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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