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Canopy WBG Score: 8 Player Count:1-4 You’ll like this if you like: Flourish , Village Green , Santa Monica Published by: Weird City Games Designed by: Tim Eisner Canopy was a huge Kickstarter success back in January 2022. It hit the crowdfunding sweet spot with gorgeous looks, accessible but interesting gameplay, and was sold at a fair price. Over 5,000 backers later, the game is now on its second retail print run, has received all sorts of positive reviews, and has gained thousands of admirers from around the world. But what makes this little box card game so special? Let's get it to the table and find out. Set Up Getting this delightful game to the table is very simple. Place the season cards down in the layout below to form the 'board.' Take the full deck of cards, shuffle them, remove 10 cards at random, then separate them into three piles of roughly the same size and place them into the locations for the three seasons. Draw six cards from the deck for the first season and place one card face down under the space for growth pile one. Do the same with two cards in growth pile two and with three cards in growth pile three. Place the seed deck next to this and give each player a reference sheet and starting tree card. Place the points and animal tokens into a central area, and you are now ready to play. So far, so green. But wait... How To Play Starting with the last player to water a plant (but not overwatered just to go first, that's just as bad as letting them dry out!) each player will now take cards from the central reserve, adding them to their canopy tableau in front of them. This is done in a very interesting way. First, you will look at the card(s) in growth pile one. If you like them, simply take them and add the cards to your collection. If you don't, you can put them back, face down, adding one extra card from the deck to it, making that pile a little bit more juicy for the next player. Then take a look at the card(s) in growth pile two. Again, if these are not for you, add an extra card to this pile and check out growth pile three. If this final one still does not tickle your fancy, you will have to take a single card blind from the top of the deck. If you take any card(s) from either growth pile, replace the now empty slot with one card from the deck. So, either way, you will be taking at least one card and adding it to your array, and reducing the deck by at least one card. The game will go on like this until the deck runs out, which signifies the end of season one. Some cards will be scored, removed, and actioned; more on that shortly (like, the next paragraph, okay? Just chill). Then season two will begin with the same process and end-of-season scoring. The game lasts three seasons before the game ends and final scoring is done. The cards come in six main types: Wildlife, Seeds, Threats, Trees, Plants, and Weather. Each has its own way of contributing towards your scoring options, either at the end of the season or, as is the case with the wildlife cards, at the end of the game. Plants mainly work in a classic set collection way. Collect a certain amount of the same card and get a certain amount of points. Get one more/less and get more/less points. The clever and interesting thing here is how the game gives you extra ways to get more or fewer cards to assist with these scoring opportunities. The Seeds cards allow you to draw one of three cards from the seeds deck at the end of the season for each seed card you have. The fire cards, if you have at least two, allow you to get rid of one card. This is a clever way for you to manipulate your scoring opportunities within each card's parameters. All plant cards are discarded at the end of a season, so you need to get to the sweet scoring spot before then. The wildlife works in one of two ways. Each animal comes in a pair. One card will score you points, the other will give you a power. But collect both, and you have a mating pair, and your points will grow exponentially. These are harder to collect a set for, as there are only two cards of each in the deck. But don't fear, you won't have to discard your wildlife cards at the end of each season. These cards stay in your array alongside the tree cards, giving you more time to find the other card. And remember the whole deck will be seen, other than the ten cards you removed at the start of the game. So, your chances are high. It just may take some time. Threats work by removing either animal cards, in the case of disease, or plant cards, in the case of fire. The more you have, the more cards are lost. Sometimes this is a good thing, getting you down to the most efficient and high-scoring set. Other times, this makes you lose points in a frustrating way. If you get three or more fire cards, the fire spreads and the other players at the table will start losing cards too. So, you could start collecting more to attack other people's tableau. Although, I have never seen this myself. Weather works quite simply, in a little set of its own. Rain is useless on its own. The sun working solo won't help you at all. But get both, and harmony is restored. Points are awarded. The tree cards come in two types: either as a trunk card or a canopy card. When you take a canopy card, if you have an open trunk, you must place the canopy over it, thus completing that tree. But if you draw more trunk cards, you can build up your tree, increasing its height and the chance of it winning the tallest tree that season, and also the points it will generate. Is it Fun? Playing Canopy is a real joy. In a strange way, it reminds me of Furnace . The games are completely different, but in the way that Furnace distils the engine-building mechanic and builds a game around this one core idea in a simple but brilliant way. Canopy does the same for set collection. As such, if you have ever enjoyed set collection in other games, then I would wager you will love this. Canopy looks gorgeous. The art is stunning and really brings the theme alive. Just look at the art of the tree cards below. Building them up to grow the tallest trees, gaining more points, but also creating something of real beauty. It just feels good to do this. As the game progresses and more cards hit the table, it will become hard not to stop and admire what you are creating. Everything just looks so pretty! I mention this not just because the art is nice, and this is a review of a card game, but because with a set collection game, I think having good art that really appeals helps so much with the overall game experience. You want to get a certain card not just because it gets you more points or finishes that set you have been collecting all game, but also because it looks stunning! This may be a small point, but one that I think goes some way to explaining why this game has been so successful. Make this an abstract game collecting shapes or numbers, and it will not sell one-tenth of this amount. Replace the art with photos, and I don't see this doing half as well. The art adds to the visual appeal of not just the game but the set collection process itself. When you complete a tree, you will score it at the end of the season. You will then place one of the animal tokens below into it to mark it as complete, so that you don't forget and accidentally score it again the next season. This is a nice touch, but again, it is more about making the experience more fulfilling and visually attractive, making the table presence more exciting and colorful. You could simply collect the cards in the tree and flip them over, but no. This game wants you to proudly keep all your trees out all game, looking stunning, and contributing to your overall tableau. Now, of course, there are the points available for the tallest tree each round, and then the most trees finished at the end of the game. So, there is a mechanical reason to keep them all out as well. But I think the visual benefit is the dominant force here. And I am all for that! Like everything in the game, the art, components, and simple ruleset draw me into this world. I am instantly immersed in the game. I find that when I play Canopy, I am lost in the game almost immediately, right until the last card is drawn and final scoring begins. It is a wonderful world to visit and get absorbed in, and I am drawn back to its charm, simplicity, and addictive gameplay. There is a three and four-player variant, but I think this game shines with two players. There are also the shifting season cards below, which add a variable to make each game feel different. But I don't think they are overly necessary. Perhaps after 20 games, you will gravitate towards them. I am 10 games in now and still very happy with the basic game. There is something about a game as pure as this. When a designer has distilled a mechanic in such a simple but effective rule set, I can see the temptation to then add shiny extras, especially via Kickstarter add-ons. But they don't always make the game better and often distract from what made the game so enjoyable to start with. However, they are nice to have and are there in the background when required. I would recommend this game to anyone who has ever enjoyed set collection as a process in any other game and is looking for a relaxed but rewarding two-player experience. Canopy delivers in spades for this, and I see this becoming a highly played game in my household. It is just so accessible, simple, and enjoyable. The ratio of fun to simplicity is always important for me as I play so often with my children. But I can see this being a regularly chosen filler game with adults on game night too. It is over a little too quickly for my liking, but I don't think a longer game would be better. That would require more cards, which would make collecting sets harder, and the balance right now is perfect. It's just that when it finishes, I always am left wanting more. But that's fine, just rack 'em up and go again!

Mind MGMT WBG Score: 8.5 Player Count: 1-5 You’ll like this if you like: Beast , Scotland Yard , Fury of Dracula . Published by: Off the Page Games Designed by: Jay Cormie r , Sen-Foong Lim Mind MGMT is an American comic that ran from May 2012 to August 2015. It only had 36 issues, so it is very easy to get into, enjoy, and finish. In 2021, the design team behind games such as Junk Art and Akrotiri came together again to turn this masterpiece of a comic into a game. Working with the same artist and writer as the original production, Matt Kindt, the game has the same feel as the comic, but does it play as well as it looks? Set Up First, decide who will play as the rogue agents and which single player will play as Mind MGMT. You can have between one and four players working together as the rogue agents, but only one on the other side. Position yourselves around the board accordingly in teams, next to your area. Give the player working as Mind MGMT their screen, recruit pieces, stack of footprint tokens, one mind slip token, a dry wipe pen, and the two recruiter cards for them to choose one in secret. Then give the players working as the rogue agents their player pieces, mental note tokens, character cards, and pens. Place the time piece on the 01:00 - 05:00 space in the time track. There is a training mission to learn the game, and then the full game. If you are playing the training mission, you are pretty much done with the setup. Just block off the last two spaces on the time track to make a shorter game. You are now ready to go. In the full game, there are a few more steps. You will now give five mayhem pieces to place on the board. These pieces block movement between squares and can be placed anywhere on the board, just not next to each other. The player playing as the recruiter will now write a 'one' on their starting location on their mini board. In the training mission, they will mark this on the main board as well to show the rogue agents where they are starting. But usually, you would not do this. Your location is kept secret at all times. It's sort of the point of the entire game! They will then draw three feature cards at random, mark off each of their selected features on their mini board so they can easily move to them, and then mark a two, three, four, and five in orthogonally adjacent spaces. This shows their movement over the subsequent four hours. The recruiter will add on the four Immortal figures onto the board, on any separate space other than the outside edges. Whilst this is being done, the rogue agents will need to place their characters onto the board. In the training game, they have no additional powers. In the full game, each agent has its own unique power, so be sure to have your rogue card the right way up so you can easily see this. They will then place their agents onto any space on the outside edge of the board. The agents will now place a second mind slip token anywhere they like on the board as long as it is next to one of the two temples spaces. They will then draw two additional feature cards and place them face up under the immortal recruiting label. You are now ready to play. How to Win Players will now take turns to complete their mission. For the player playing at Mind MGMT, they need to move onto spaces that match their feature cards to recruit nine or twelve agents, depending on whether this is the training or full game. Each location they move onto that has a matching feature will add one to their goal. They can move one space each turn, and every other turn, when they move the timepiece onto a red time spot, you must declare how many recruits you have made in your last two turns. If you ever reach your goal, the game immediately ends, and you win. The rogue agents are simply trying to find you. If they ever play a 'reveal' card on a space where the player playing as Mind MGMT is at the same time, the game immediately ends, and the rogue agents collectively win. If the rogue agents fail to find the player acting as Mind MGMT, and the Mind MGMT player fails to reach their recruiting goal, but the time runs out, Mind MGMT wins. How to Play The player acting as Mind MGMT is looking to move around, avoiding the capture of the rogue agents. They need to make a beeline for their target recruits, but also avoid the gaze of the agents. Initially, this will seem simple, and the advantage will appear to side with them. But as the rogue agents reveal their powers, you will quickly see how clever this game is. On the rogue agents' turn, they can activate any two of their characters. They can all move one or two spaces and then carry out one action. This could be to move to a location, pick one of the two features there, and then ask the Mind MGMT player if they have at any point been on any location with this specific feature. If this has happened, the Mind MGMT player now needs to place one footprint token on any one of these locations they had been on. If they had visited more than one location with this feature during their previous movement, they can put the footprint token on either one. It does not have to be the most recent. But this will start to build a path for the rogue agents to follow. Each space has two features, so sometimes Mind MGMT visits features they don't want or need to in their desire to reach other features. Or perhaps it was just on their way. Or maybe it's one of the three features they are chasing? The rogue agents can, on a later turn, move to any location with a footprint and ask the Mind MGMT player to declare at what exact time they were there. Very handy if it was recent! The agents also have their own unique powers to help build up the picture of where the Mind MGMT has been. One character can ask if the Mind MGMT is in any two orthogonally adjacent spaces at that point. The rogue agents can also use their mental note tokens to keep track of the information they gather. It's starting to sound like the game favours them now, isn't it? Well, never fear. The player playing as the Mind MGMT still has a few tricks up their sleeve. They can move onto one of the two temple locations and move diagonally in either direction, or use their mind slip token to jump two spaces either orthogonally or diagonally, depending on which character they chose during setup. This is not known by the rogue agent. However, they will know when you use it. The Mind MGMT player must discard their mind slip token when it is used to show the power has been activated. But all this will tell the rogue agents is that the Mind MGMT character is now two spaces away from their last location in either direction. And remember, their last location may not be known. Although the Mind Slip is often used when the rogue agents are about to pounce! It's starting to slip back in favour of the Mind MGMT player now! Well, this is exactly how this game works. You will play games that sometimes seem to favour the agents, and other times the Mind MGMT. Perhaps this is down to luck. Sometimes this is skill. Perhaps this is the player's strategy. Either way, the best bit of this game is about to come. Prepare yourself. Are you prepared? OK, read on. After each game, the losing team can open a secret wallet filled with goodies. There are 14 of these packages, seven designed for each team. You can open one per loss, in order. Each time, you will be presented with a mini comic and some cool new rules and components that will help the team that previously lost in their next game. In subsequent games, when they are all open, you can add these in as you see fit to try and create the perfect game for you, balanced based on who is playing. You can set the rules and components as best for you and how you enjoy playing. But as you open them game by game, it is a thing of pure joy! I don't want to spoil this, so I won't say or show much more, but it brings you back for game after game. A large part of the fun in this game is exploring these for yourself as you play. This is a campaign game that creates new and exciting rules and additions each game. But always in the favor of the team that lost the last game to even things out as you play. It creates a swing effect between victories. This is called the SHIFT system, and it is utter genius. I absolutely adore it. Is it Fun? Oh my goodness, is this fun! The basic game alone is very good. If you like hidden movement games, then you will enjoy this. It feels very much like other games in its genre. But the shift system completely rips up the rule book and makes Mind MGMT stand apart. This now has to be seen as the benchmark in hidden movement games. It takes the mechanic to a new level, time and time again as you play through the campaign, and I cannot think of how anyone would not enjoy that process, even if the game itself isn't for them. But as a semi-cooperative game, this has something for everyone. Either play as a team trying to find the Mind MGMT, or work alone and try to trick your friends. The powers you have from game one (well, game two in truth) are brilliant fun to use, and they only get better and better. You will want to play Mind MGMT just so you can open another Shift box and play again. It is incredibly addictive in all the good ways. It is fun to switch between the roles of rogue agent and Mind MGMT as well, although like other campaign games such as Undaunted , you may find yourself emotionally connecting with one team and wanting to play as them each time, especially as you get to try new powers each time you lose. This also creates a very interesting feeling when winning and losing in this game. Obviously, you want to win, but losing rewards you with a very exciting and juicy prize! So, it's a win-win situation, really. And what game can legitimately say that? As you would expect from a game inspired by a comic book, the art is stunning. The world in this game looks just like the one from the comic books, and fans of the series will be transported straight into this mysterious clandestine story. If you have not read the comics, you won't be confused or miss out on anything. The game explains it all. But I would suggest that, like games such as Batman , this game is made a little bit more special when you fully immerse yourself in the comic as well. I would recommend this game to anyone who has played games like Scotland Yard and enjoyed it but felt it was lacking a little something. Mind MGMT adds in that little something. And then some more. And then some more, and then even more. Until you feel there can be no more. And then some more on top. As such, I would say that Mind MGMT is a masterpiece and a genre-defining moment in the board game hobby.

Stamp Swap WBG Score: 8.5/10 Player Count: 1-5 You’ll like this if you like: Castles of Mad King Ludwig , 7 Wonders , Stamp collecting! Published by: Stonemaier Games Designed by: Paul Salomon This is a free review copy. See our review policy here . There is always a bit of a fanfare with any Stonemaier release. Their marketing is generally excellent, the games sell well, though not always popular; and with the big hitters such as Wingspan and Scythe , they have played a huge part in redefining what the modern era of board games is all about. No question. The reaction to Stamp Swap was a little different. I can only think it was because the theme underwhelmed some people. Not everyone is into stamps, I suppose. But neither am I, and I was still buzzing for this. The reason? The fusion of Open Drafting and I Cut You Choose intrigued me. Drafting things that you then must split into two piles, only one of which you get to keep, sounded like a fascinating mechanical fusion. But does it work? Let's get it to the table and see how it plays. How To Set Up Stamp Swap Each player takes a player board and places in front of them. Note the Exhibitor ticket built into the board for each player. This adds a small amount of asymmetry and early game focus as each player will gain points from different types of stamps according to their own board. Everyone now chooses their player colour and takes a reference card, three Show Tickets, and two score markers in their chosen colour. Next, place the main board down into a central playing area, and each player will add one of their two scoring cubes into the zero starting space on the outer score tracker. Keep the other back for when you circle the board for the first time. Which will happen! Now, place the Phase token onto the first space at the beginning of Friday. The game will run over three rounds, which will track the phases and rounds. On the main board, you will notice spaces for five different coloured cards. Take the Contest decks and shuffle them independently, and draw one card from each colour, placing it face up onto each space. Alternatively, you can shuffle them all together and draw cards until you have one of each colour. There are five spaces, one being the Finale. Place the unused cards back into the box; you will only use one of each for every game. Finally, shuffle the Attendee cards, which include both the specialist and exhibitor cards, and place them into a face-down pile; along with the Event cards, which should also be shuffled separately into their own face-down pile. Assign the first player token to the last person to mail something. You are now ready to begin. How To Play Stamp Swap At the start of each round, one player will draw one Event card equal to the number of players. Place these on top of each other, so you can only see the text on the very top card. Then use the symbols shown on each card to draw the stamps and cards that will be drafted in this round in what is known as the daily collection. Note the imagery used for face-up or face-down stamps, and also the cards. It will be a mix of stamps and Attendee cards being drafted. Then read the text on the top card so all are aware of the new rule active this round. This could be a mix of being able to swap items from your collection with those in the daily collection, being able to add items from the supply to the daily collection, being able to reserve extra items, and different ways to score that round. At the start of the next round, remove the top card, add another to the bottom, create the new daily collection, and read the new rule from the now uncovered top card. This way, you have some information about upcoming rounds, in that you can see some of what may be coming in the next drafting phase. Once this is done, the game begins, starting with the drafting phase. This phase is called "Collect" in the game, but follows a traditional drafting mechanic. Players will take turns to draft one of the items from the daily collection, adding it to their player mat. There is space for six items there, just to remind you how many you take each round. However, as shown above, some Event cards can change the amount you can take. The first player will go first, adding the first player token to the daily collection as they do this. Players then take turns to take one stamp, card, or the first player token until all players have drafted the allowed amount of items for that round. The cards will either be Specialist cards adding in-game powers and two points to the final scoring, or Exhibitor cards that add end-of-round scoring for all remaining rounds in the game. Note, the gold-coloured stamps are rare stamps. They score well on their own at the end of the game, but do not contribute towards any colour, size, or theme in the end-of-round scoring. the other stamps come in one of five themes, colours, and sizes. Also, be aware of the single space forever stamps. Again, they cannot help you in the end game scoring, but will help fill holes to create what you need for the Finale. If the First player token is still present when the final player drafts the final item, they can take the first player item along with whatever else they took that round. Players then move to the second phase, moving the round tracker marker accordingly on the main board. This is the first part of the "Swap" phase and is carried out simultaneously. First, all players will choose one item from those recently drafted to put into their Reserve area. Each round, one of the items is guaranteed to be yours. But no more! This is no ordinary drafting game. Now comes the twist. Players will now need to cut the remaining items into two piles. Usually five items, usually one pile of two and one pile of three items. But it is up to you how you do this. Each pile must have at least one item in, but you could do a pile of one and another of four. Your choice. Any items you drafted face down must remain face down. You can look at your own face-down items, but do not reveal them to the other players yet. Perhaps the mystery here will make them more alluring? Maybe it adds too much risk and randomness to a pile? Either way, forge your piles carefully as you will only keep one of them. Look at what other players may want or need and try to tempt them with something juicy that you do not want to keep! Players will then take turns, starting with the new first player in the "Swap" phase. They can take any one single pile from any player, other than themselves. Take all items in one pile and move it to your play area. When one player has one of their piles taken, they can then move the other pile they created into their area. Players cannot take both piles from one player. One always remains as their own. Each player will choose one pile like this until all have now taken one pile from another player, and kept one of their own piles for themselves. If, in a three-player game, player A takes from player B, and player B takes from player A, player C is then left with both of their original piles for themselves. This is the only way you will keep all the tiles you drafted in the "Collect" phase. Finally, the "Show" phase begins, where, simultaneously, players will place their newly acquired items into the relevant areas. Specialist and Exhibitor cards are placed on the space designated for them on the players' boards, and Stamps are placed onto the player mats. You can place stamps wherever you like, as long as they don't overlap, hang off the edge, or move any existing stamps previously placed in an earlier round. All stamps must be placed upright with the value or cancellation mark in the top right. Placement matters based on this game's Contest cards, especially the finale. Once all players have done this, each player will score their current collection. In later rounds, you can do this simultaneously, but it makes sense to do this one at a time with new players, especially in the first round, or if you just want a bit more interaction between players. It does not slow things down too much and makes it more interactive. However, for a faster game, all players can simply do this on their own, when ready. Players will score for three things. Two points go to the player with the first player token. Players then score for their Exhibitor cards, of which all players have at least one - the one on their player board. This typically will be points awarded for specific types of stamps. These will score each round. So, the earlier you get them, the more valuable they will be to you. Finally, all players will now pick one of the four Contest cards. There are five, but you cannot pick the Finale card at this point. There are three rounds, and four cards available, so note one of these four will be irrelevant to each player in each game. You just need to focus on three of them. And the Finale, of course. Players choose which one they want to score this round, place their show ticket of their colour underneath it, and take the points for this card. The cards offer points based on colour, theme, size, or if they are cancelled stamps. Note your collection will only get bigger, and you can only pick each card once per game, so make a plan for what you will aim for in rounds two and three when making this choice. Also note that some cards offer points on a multiple of two or three. Maybe choose the two points in the early rounds when you have fewer stamps to hold back the three point cards for later rounds when your collection will have grown and the multiples will be higher. If this is the first or second round, set up for the next round. If this is the third round, score for the finale. This will be a space-related bonus; all players now score. Perhaps you have been tasked with creating 1x2 holes in your stamp collection, or empty regions (of any size), or perfect edges (all spaces of the edge of the board are filled with stamps). Players then score based on whoever has the most Forever stamps. These are the one-by-one-sized stamps. The player with the most gets ten points. Six points go to the player with the second most, three to the person in third. In a two-player game, add an imaginary player with three Forever stamps for the purposes of this scoring alone. Players now score two points for all Specialist cards they gained during the game, and the face-up value on each stamp in their collection. Note: some stamps have zero value, and some offer a negative score. Total your final score and the player with the most points wins. The tie breaker is set by the player with the highest value of rare stamps. If there is still a tie, well then players share the victory. Is It Fun? Stamp Swap Board Game Review Enjoying this game will come down to three things. First, do you like the theme? If so, I can see this being highly intriguing to you, and a fun game simply due to the nature of there being so few games about stamps! However, I hate this theme, and love the game. So, this is not a requirement to liking this game, I just think it will help you enjoy it more if you do like the theme. Second, the length. This is a fast game. The box suggests 20-60 minutes, which is accurate. I have finished a two-player game in 25 minutes, and a three-player game in 30. It goes fast once players are familiar with the rules and strategy. If you like fast games like this, you may well again find this a big pull for a game of this weight. It delivers a beautifully mid-weight game in a really quick time. Finally, and most importantly, do you like the fusion of mechanics. Let's get into that! A lot of people like drafting games. They are very popular as they offer you a high degree of control. You choose what you get, rather than being dealt it. The luck element is taken out, and people feel like they can strategize towards their own goals. Equally, "I Cut You Choose" is a very popular mechanic too. People like being able to create something to try and entice another player, meaning they get to keep the other thing - the thing they wanted all along. Mixing these two mechanics is quite rare. I cannot think of another game that has done it. And it has split opinions. Some do not like drafting things they do not get to keep. They say it takes away the control I mentioned above. Others, myself included, feel it makes the drafting phase even more interesting. You are not just taking things you want, you are taking things you think the other players want. Equally, if you miss out on something you did want in the draft phase, you may well still get it in the Swap phase. I love the thought of drafting when I am trying to build a group of items I want to keep and another I want to try and entice another player into taking. It adds a huge element of difference to the drafting phase compared to the many other drafting games out there, and for me, makes the draft more strategic. I can see why others simply want to draft and keep what they want. But that just isn't this game. If that is what you want, there are thousands of drafting games out there that do that. This game is different, and I feel this right here is the crux of this game's success or failure. It is a strange thing to criticise in my opinion. As I say, there are many MANY other pure drafting games out there. Do we really need another just because it's about stamps? This game is trying to do something new by fusing these two rarely seen together mechanics, and I feel they do it in a really smart way. It also makes sense to me thematically. You are at a convention. You get new items each day. You then use these to swap with other collectors to try and get what you want. This is how it happens in the real world. Sort of. And I like it. But think yourself if this mechanical marriage will work for you or not. Outside of this, I love the art of the stamps. Some of the themes do cross over a little and cause some confusion as to what exactly they are at first glance. You can easily figure it out, they just do not immediately pop out as theme X, or colour Y. You need to get your eye in, so to speak, and really look at the stamps you have. This is a good thing, as it adds some concentration and focus. Also, the stamp art is beautiful, and I like looking at them. There is no insert, and the game doesn't quite have the same level of polish as some other Stonemaier titles. While nothing is subpar, there isn't a standout component like in many other Stonemaier productions. When packed away, it looks fine, and set-up and pack away is very easy. But an insert would have been nice. Mechanically, the only thing that disappoints me is that when it comes to the placement of the stamps in the game, there is a sense of insignificance. While the finale does manage to salvage some of the relevance of stamps and where they go, the overall impact of this falls short. I find myself wishing for more agency in this particular aspect of the game. Enhancing this element by increasing the significance of where and how the stamps are placed could potentially elevate the gaming experience to a whole new level. You can get a lot of points from the Finale, which is all about where the stamps are, but it's not difficult. The stamps are all an easy shape. You cannot rotate them, and you can place them where you like. So, achieving optimum points for the Finale seems procedural more than a strategic challenge. That said, the game works so well. The pace and length are perfect. The weight is also ideal. I love the look and feel of it all. The point scoring opportunities excite me. Your points ramp up very quickly and you will circle the board a few times in most games. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys stamps, that goes without saying. But also for anyone who enjoys Drafting or I cut, you choose games, and is looking for something a little different in that area. This certainly delivers there. First class! (Sorry).

This is a prototype version of the game and may not represent the final quality or look of the game. You can find more information about the upcoming Kickstarter here Some games just look cool, and Vrahode  is certainly one of them. Thankfully, it plays pretty well too. What first appears to be a simple map-based fighting game, with DnD-style stats and dice rolls, quickly expands into a narrative-based exploration game. After speaking with the designer, they described it as if "Gloomhaven had a baby with HeroQuest in an art gallery, then Shadows of Brimstone raised the kid!" Having played the eight available preview levels, I would certainly agree with that. First up, let's talk about what's not here. In the final Kickstarter version, there will be 24 scenarios. I have just eight here. However, after playing all eight, I feel like I have a good sense of the game and what it can offer. But obviously, there is a LOT more to come. It's also worth mentioning that a lot is changing with this game. The preview copy I received not only had fewer monsters, levels, and components, but the rules are also constantly evolving. I was sent a file with a new rulebook and amendments to the scenarios I had. I've been told there is much more to come as well. OK, with that said, lets gets too it! Getting this game to the table is incredibly simple. Once you've set up your character, just grab the next mission and you're ready to go. Setting up your character is fairly straightforward too. Place all your character trait markers on your character board according to your character card. Anyone familiar with DnD will find this very familiar. Each character also comes with a set of skills, weapons, and armor, all clearly marked on the character cards. Take these from the appropriate deck along with your mini, and you're good to go! Between games, the final version will come with a cover for these awesome character stands, allowing you to easily save and store your progress. Simply place all your cards and items inside, cover the stat counters with the cover, and place it securely back in the box. Very smart! Each mission begins with a brief piece of introductory text, along with some minor setup, including the monsters you'll face in the game. Take the relevant monster card and standee/mini, and you're ready to go. The game operates on a DnD-style initiative structure, with each player and monster taking turns based on their turn order. The main difference is that initiative is drawn from tokens in a bag and assigned after each round. Each player and monster takes a turn, then initiative is redrawn, and the process repeats. This continues until the mission's objectives are complete, which almost always involves "Kill All Monsters!" Once initiative has been drawn, player and monster turns follow a simple pattern. On your turn, you can take two actions, which can include moving, playing a card, or fighting. Skill cards often relate to combat or preparing your character for battle—such as increasing your powers, boosting skills, or prepping certain abilities. For example, one character can double their movement, deal damage, and knock an opponent down, while another can increase their defence for the entire fight. Monster actions generally revolve around moving toward (or away from) their target—you—and fighting. Their behaviour depends on their position relative to yours on the map and whether they prefer close combat (melee) or ranged attacks. Their fighting works much like the heroes'. A 20-sided die is rolled, and unlike most games, the lower the roll, the better. A roll of one is a critical success. Regular successes occur when you roll equal to or below the stat you are testing. For example, characters will test against their Body stat for melee combat. If a character has a Body stat of 12, any roll of 12 or lower is a success, while anything above is a failure. On any successful roll, players then roll a D6 modifier die to determine the outcome of their attack. The attack strength is based on the weapon being used. For instance, a short sword might have a hit ratio of five. The D6 modifies this with a swing of minus 3 to plus 3. Then, check the target's defence score—represented in this game by their Mitigation—and subtract this from your total attack. The remaining balance is applied to the target's health tracker. Repeat this process until their health drops below zero. Various items gathered from your starting character or acquired through loot boxes in the game will affect how you attack or defend. Your character's skills and abilities also play a role. Throughout the game, you can test your character's skills at various points to gain re-rolls against certain failures or large hits from enemies. OK, so far, so DnD! And really, this does feel a lot like a solid role-playing game of Dungeons and Dragons  to me. It doesn’t stray from that formula. Each mission is interconnected and driven by a fascinating narrative. Every mission revolves around one central fight against one or two main enemy monsters. Monsters all have different skill stats and powers that you must work against. Some are more effective from a distance, while others prefer to get up close. You'll need to mitigate these differences. Their special attacks, when allowed to happen, can be catastrophic. And your player skills, leveling up, abilities, and dice-based combat all feel very DnD to me, which is a great thing. And let's face it, the cool character boards holding all your weapons, stats, skills, and health are essentially just fancy DnD player sheets. The maps on which you fight, which I believe will be more like a bound book in the final version, look and feel like terrain maps in DnD to me. They use a similar square distance system, with equally familiar movement rules. There is impassable terrain and tricky terrain. It’s all very DnD, just with fewer skill checks. The story that links these eight adventures feels familiar to my past DnD experiences as well. There are a few small puzzles to work out—though not many, just one. However, there is an intriguing story to follow and be a part of, which unfolds through these eight missions. It certainly develops into something you don’t initially expect and adds a lot of extra tension, excitement, and variety to the game. As you battle your way through different monsters, fight in various situations, and navigate changing terrains, you will also encounter new allies and develop your character’s skills. After each mission, characters will take their items, stats, health - well, everything - to the next level. Sometimes this will slow you down and potentially put you at risk of death. So, again, like DnD, rests are available to heal those crucial health points. This is done in a clever way where the full party can do this if they are under a certain fatigue level, but if not, one has to stay guard. Rest cards are drawn to show the results of the rest and what the resting team can gain after doing so. It keeps even mid-game upkeep thematic. The ever-changing initiative makes for a very exciting battle. Not knowing who will go next and whether you should stick or twist adds a lot of tension to the game. It also means that on occasion, you might have two turns in a row, or conversely, face two attacks in a row before you have a chance to fight back. I like this evolving pace and the back-and-forth of the fight. It keeps things fresh and prevents stale, ritualistic, or patterned victories from becoming commonplace. There is even a skill test you can perform against your Presence to switch initiative order with an enemy if your initiative is numerically adjacent to theirs. And if, by pushing them down this way, they then share a numerically adjacent initiative with another player, that player can also attempt the same skill check. Where once a monster could go before all players, a successful skill check could allow both fighters to act before the monster! Much like DnD, the number and strength of your opponents will depend on your party size, and the game scales perfectly based on this. Nothing else changes in the game other than the difficulty of your enemies, making it work perfectly for one to four players. I would like to see more skills on offer, a levelling-up system that evolves a little faster, and perhaps one or two more ways to engage in combat. I often found myself doing the same things repeatedly. It would also be nice to have more ways to mitigate the luck of the dice. There are a few options currently, but I would like to see more—not to make the game easier, as the balance is perfect as is, but to provide more control. Additionally, increasing the difficulty of the enemies a bit and adding more variety, with cards that make them behave less predictably on occasion, could be beneficial. Speaking to the designers, I understand that some of the upcoming changes are quite significant. Such as once you draw an Ambush card from the rest deck you can discard them and reshuffle for that rest cycle. Increasing your chances of a more restful sleep next time! Also, initiative will only be drawn once until a certain condition changes. When players enter a scenario with a star or battle begins, initiative in drawn. Also, once every hero has made a Presence check if they wish and are wiling to pay two fatigue to change their order, the order remains for the entire battle! No more drawing initiative each round so much faster and less fiddly! This will speed things up a lot. I did not mind doing this, but it did slow the process down a tad. Also, in terms of the components, the small red and white cubes at the bottom of the hero dashboards and on the enemy/ally trackers will be actual pegs so no more fiddling with the tiny cubes! This was fine to do, but they did get knocked a fair bit, so good to hear this is being fixed. Having finished my eight missions, I am eager for more and intrigued to see how this game develops, both with this edition's Kickstarter and future releases. A quick search of Vrahode on BGG suggests there is a lot more to come, and I am all in for it! The plan is for the full game to continue and develop the story I experienced here in these eight missions, introducing new enemies, races, weapons, items, stories, and even rules. Speaking to the designer, they told me that "our goal is to bring an even fuller version of the world using the same game system, one that will allow you to campaign and follow the story or go questing all over the world in an open-world sandbox style." Vrahode comes to Kickstarter very soon, and the plan is to print everything this year. Everything is already completed for the game, and then deliver in summer 2025. Just some very minor amends and editing remain, but if this game excites you like it does me, you could very well be immersed in the world of Vrahode much sooner than you think. For more info - head here.

Are you gearing up for an epic board game night with friends or family? To ensure a memorable and fun-filled gaming experience, I think a well curated menu of games is essential for the perfect evening. When planning your game night, curate a diverse collection of board games to cater to everyone's preferences. I can sometimes get hung up wanting to play one specific game. But what if your guests have played that game before and hated it? It's always good to have options. I suggest you aim to have a simple party game to start the night, a more substantial strategy game to play for the bulk of the evening, and then a light fun, filler card game to end. But, with options for each part of the course! Having a variety ensures there's something for everyone to enjoy. This way, you can switch things up, give people a choice, and keep the excitement alive throughout the night. So, without further ado, here are a few recommendations. The Perfect Dishes - A Three Course Gaming Menu of Perfection. Starter Course: Something to get everyone into the mood. light in rules, high in fun, and quick to play. Just search "Party Games" on WBG and you will find a plethora of choices to look through, but here is my top three recommendations. Block Party - Read more about that game here. Its pictionary, but you don't need to draw! Use blocks to create objects for your friends to guess. No artistic skills needed here, and can be taught in seconds. Just One - Read more about that game here. Party game heaven! So easy to teach and play, generally lands well with everyone I have ever played with, and can be played just chilling around sofas with no need for a table. Monikers - Read more about that game here. The perfect party game? Its basically articulate with random words and phrases, but then with layers. Round one, describe the card. Round two, now with one word. The in round three, with charades! But the things you describe stay the same, so players will remember what was previously said, so it just works. Hilarious fun! Main Course: The main event! High in strategy, a few rules to learn, but people are ready for something of substance. This time, search "Strategy Games" on WBG and you will find a whole heap of games to read about, but here is my TLDR top three recommendations. Circadians: First Light - Read more about that game here. My highest rated non-solo game from 2023 (when including the expansion!) Combo fun! This game will be sure to have your guest's scream with joy as they start to build their powers and enact outrageously powerful turns. Fun guaranteed, win or loose. Tiletum - Read more about that game here. My number one game from 2022 . You may argue with your friends how to pronounce it, but you sure will have fun playing with it! The CRUNCH in this game is delicious! But, it is a little beige. Beware! Blood Rage - Read more about that game here. It's one of my favourite games that isn't two-player only, or a legacy game, so it has to appear here. And thankfully, Steve is written a wonderful review for it! looks a bit "laddy" I admit. This is classic dudes on a map smashing around, right? Wrong. This is intricate card play with some awesome drafting. Dessert: A fun, quick, light, filler game to end the night if people have more tie, more appetite for more fun, but do not want to get into anything serious at this time of night. Now it's time to search "Card Games" on WBG. Years of work from me, condensed into a few seconds of your life, just to find the perfect game. A great trade off! Hanabi - Read more about that game here. If you want some cooperative fun, I cannot recommend anything higher. My favourite card game of all time, this is pure joy for me. Still offers some meaningful decisions to give you a proper game, but rules lights and the perfect way to end the night. And this time, hopefully everyone wins! The Crew - Read more about that game here. My third favourite card game of all time. The Mind is number 2 if you are interested. But this makes the cut due to the familiarity it will have to anyone who has played a simple trick-taker before. But now, they will do so in a co-op experience which could well ease the pain of for anyone who spent the previous two hours loosing your strategy game of choice! Ten - Read more about that game here. Every time I teach someone this game, they go out and buy it for themselves. It is so simple, quick, and easy to learn, but wildly addictive and fun to play. The perfect way to end any game night. Now, put out the snacks and refreshments, make sure you have comfy seats and good lighting, and away you go! Have fun.

Tilt 'N' Shout WBG Score: 8 Player Count: 2 - or two teams of any size. You’ll like this if you like: Anomia , Stay Cool , 20 Second Showdown. Designed by: Gary Pyper Published by: Big Potato Games This is a free review copy. See our review policy here . I love party games, and anything with a bit of table presence like this always grabs me. It adds the toy factor to what is already something that appeals to me, a game! Now bring in the competitive nature of the trivia side, and you really are talking my language! Tilt 'N' Shout brings all this to the table for a joyful bag of fun. So, let's set it up and see how it plays. How To Set Up Tilt 'N' Shout Take out the base and snap the yellow piece into it. It clicks in nicely. For your first game, you will need to add some stickers to the scoring zones and base sides. Then place the base blocks into the two slots closest to the middle of the base. Next, take out a decent wedge of cards and place them face down on the top. Take the top three of these cards and place them separately into a row. Then take one of the two balls and add it to the play area. Finally, split into two even teams and sit facing either side of the base. How To Play Tilt 'N' Shout One player from one side will now compete against one from the other. First, one player will choose one of the three face-down cards. The cards show a symbol on the back indicating what the category may be. Can you guess what the below cards may be about? Capital cities, Dinosaurs, non-team sports, and modes of transportation if you are interested. Flip one that appeals to reveal that round's challenge: sports teams, types of cheese, items of clothing. When ready, drop the ball into the middle hole of the seesaw and say aloud the first thing that fits that round's category. "Edam!" You can then flick the seesaw down in your direction. This will cause the ball in the middle to begin rolling slowly towards you. The idea of the game is to get the ball to roll into your scoring area. But as soon as you flip the seesaw down, the player on the other side can now say their own answer, "Brie!" and flip the seesaw back down towards them to cause the ball to change its direction of travel. This will continue, backwards and forwards, with the seesaw constantly changing sides, and the balls moving closer and closer to the edge, until finally one team runs out of answers. The ball will then fulfil its journey, land into one team's scoring area, and that team wins that round. The winning team will now move their block one step closer to their winning zone, meaning when they tilt the seesaw in their direction in the next round, it will tilt to a lower degree, causing the ball to move slower. This means that the other side now has an advantage. But of course, they will do the same the next round they win. Reset the three available category cards, and then the next team picks another card, flips it, and the game begins again with the next two players. The game continues like this until one team wins a round with their block in the final position. Teams must not help their teammates out when it is not their turn, and any incorrect answers can be challenged by anyone at any point. Simply move the seesaw back to a middle position until the challenge has been resolved. Is It Fun? Tilt 'N' Shout This game truly brings an exciting and lively atmosphere to any gathering. It is designed to keep players on their toes with its time pressure element, injecting a sense of urgency and thrill into the gameplay. The challenge of testing your trivia knowledge adds an intellectual aspect to the fun, allowing players to show off their expertise and learn about their friends knowledge too. Moreover, the element of healthy competition creates a dynamic and engaging environment where players can enjoy friendly rivalry and strive to outsmart each other. This game offers a perfect blend of excitement, mental stimulation, and social interaction, making it an ideal choice for those seeking a thrilling and entertaining party game experience. If you like time pressure that is! If you don't, then this game will simply stress you out. But for those of you that enjoy this sort of experience, Tilt 'N' Shout brings this type of back-and-forth trivia test to the table in a simple, fast, engaging way, with a cool table presence, lots of variety with the huge deck of cards, and in a family-friendly and accessible way. The game looks cool set up on the table, and will draw people in just by the way it looks. Everyone will want to tip the seesaw and watch the ball roll! My only issue with the game is that the tray the ball rolls in is not quite flat inside, and every now and then, especially when the seesaw is wedged to a lower degree, the ball will stop rolling when it should continue its path. I cannot tell if this is deliberate or not; the rules make no mention of this, so I can only assume it is because the manufacturing of the game has left some tiny imperfection inside the plastic causing the ball to get stuck. It takes a simple tap to get it rolling again, but can be annoying in a tightly fought game! I would recommend this game to anyone who enjoys party games that bring people together in a real-time way, challenging people with basic trivia but under time pressure, making the game harder. If you enjoy this sort of experience, Tilt 'N' Shout could well become a firm favourite at your gaming table for many years to come.

Pickleball Blast WBG Score: ? Player Count: 2 You’ll like this if you like: Whack-a-Mole! Published by: Moose This is a free review copy. See our review policy here . You will notice I have not scored this game out of ten. I am unsure how you can! But I will do my best to give you a flavour for this so you can decide if this is for you or not with the below review. I did not score it as I am unsure how you can score a game like this. First, is this even a board game? Or more an activity or 'bit of fun'? Second, as it is so quick, games can be over in seconds, again, I am left unsure how to rate it when the experience can be over so quickly. And third, and most importantly, it really does depend on how I am feeling. Now I am not always in the mood for a four-hour game of Star Wars Rebellion, but I guarantee that even in the worst mood, if I start that, I love it. Here, I really do need to be in the right frame of mind to play. And as such, I am unsure how I can score a game I sometimes think is a 2/10 and other times think is a ten! So, with that said, let's get it to the table and see how it plays. How To Set Up Pickleball Blast Open the box and take out the pieces. The two sides will fit together using the two fasteners that can be attached to either end. The net will then attach to these fasteners and secure the two sides of the board together. It sounds tricky, but it really isn't, and the box has a picture diagram for this process on the inside. You will be ready to play in a few moments. Each player now takes one of the two paddles, stands at the end of board matching their paddle colour, sets their three pickle jars to the lid side up, and ensure their score counter is at zero. You are now ready to begin! How To Play Pickleball Blast The youngest player will begin, and using the button on the paddle, they must flick the pickle that is on a counter-level weight to the other side. They are aiming to hit one of their opponents' three pickle jar lids to flip it over. They spin when hit and have two sides. If you can ever get two of the jars on your opponent's side to show a pickle face, then you have won that round. Score one point on the score tracker and reset the game. The first to score four points this way is the winner. When you hit the pickle, it will move quite fast to the other side and sometimes bounce back. The pickle is weighted and as such, moves in a way you don't first expect. When you hit it, the rules are you must use the button on the paddle to flick the paddle into the pickle to make it fly over to the other side. But you will almost inevitably find that everyone, every time simply hits the pickle like a racket sport. It is against the rules, makes the pickle move way too fast for any type of control, but very hard to police! Aiming the pickle is quite tough, but after a few games you will find that it is possible. However, a direct hit does not mean you flip the pickle jar the right way. It does mean it will spin, but what side it ends on, well, that is just down to chance. And of course, you could easily hit a jar you don't mean to, and flip a jar back to the wrong side. The game is frantic in this way, and without the right mindset, this will just be frustrating. With the right mindset, and you will be in hysterics. When you start the game, the pickle needs to be served to the other side. To do this, you must use the button on the paddle. Remember, it can be hard to do at times, especially for your first few tries. But you will soon get the hang of it. If your serve does not reach the other side, then you lose the point. You can only hit the pickle when it is on your side of the court, and for a more competitive game, try to keep your paddle on the table at all times. Don't go chasing that pickle the moment it passes the halfway point! Is It Fun? Pickleball Blast Party Game Review Okay. Yes! This is fun. But like I say, only if you are in the right mindset. There are honestly sometimes when I have played this and found it to be tedious, lacking in any skill or strategy, and hated it. But other times, when in the right mood with my children, or with a few friends after a few drinks, it has caused a riot! Does this mean I would recommend it? Well, I am very unsure. The box is quite big, and this will take up a fair amount of space. And for that space-to-game-time ratio, it is a tough one. Also, my wife hates it and thinks it looks ugly! So, if I do keep it, I need to find the right space! When offered this game for review, I was unsure if I would say yes. Due to the above concerns, that I all thought may be the case before playing. However, I showed it to my children and asked them if they wanted to try it. They both said yes immediately. It just looks fun! And when it came, they immediately opened it, set it up, and played non-stop for hours. When set up, someone always approaches the game and wants to play. Games do not last long, as people's interest inevitably wanes pretty fast, but they always want to play. Now, the same could not be said for MANY other serious board games. As such, I can see this being a fun game to set up for parties where I leave it placed strategically on a table somewhere for people to just approach and play. I do that a lot and enjoy seeing organic games just start. House games I call them, and I do the same with Drop It , Chicken vs hotdog , and a few other such party games. This game works well for that sort of game night. If you think this is for you, well, I will leave that to your own opinion. It is a hard game to review. But I hope the above information gave you enough details to make up your own mind. Have fun!

This is a prototype version of the game and may not represent the final quality or look of the game. You can find more information about the upcoming Kickstarter here . Camden Games is fast becoming one of my favorite indie design teams. Everything they make is fun. Okay, "everything" may be a big claim. I am sure their tea is lovely, but probably not that much fun. But when it comes to games, well, now you're talking! Their latest offering comes in the nostalgia-inducing sight of a bunch of shiny, see-through plastic shapes in the form of little plastic aliens. Right out of the Space Invader video game archives. Simply as a collectible, I would want these. The fact that they can also be used for a stupidly fun game as well... take my money! The game works incredibly easily. Each player takes a set of alien pieces in their chosen colour. Choose a suitable surface. Anything 'slidey'! I use my large mouse mat table cover or kitchen breakfast bar. The Kickstarter will give you a few options here for some amazing upgrades. But we have also tried on our laminate floor for an epic game along the hallway using the walls as the boundaries, and it worked a treat! Use whatever works for you. Part of the joy of this game is being able to play anywhere and with any size space you want. When both players are ready, begin to set up your pieces. This must begin in unison, as this part is a race! Both players will have four "bases." Pieces in the shape of a kidney stone, with which they can shield their mothership from the imminent attacks. Along with the mothership piece itself, there will also be the attack ships. Six each. In the preview copy I had, there were also some larger attack ships. Players can set up all their pieces however they like within their third of the play area. Whatever that play area is! You will probably want to protect your Mothership with a few bases, and have your attack ships in a good line of sight ready to attack. The first to finish can then take the first shot. No arguments here, please! When you have your turn, you can flick one of your pieces, anyone but the bases, at your opponent. Typically, you will use your attack ships to do this, but it is your choice. When you flick, do so however you want. The idea is to knock your opponent's mothership off the table. But if you do, that is not game over. Each base acts as a life for the Mothership as well as a defensive unit. When your mothership is knocked off the table, you can respawn it back on the table at the expense of any of your bases, in the exact same place as where the now removed base was previously placed. If you run out of bases and your Mothership comes off, that's it. Game over. Games are fast, frantic, and full of laughter! Pieces will fly all over the place, screams will be heard all over the house. But ultimately, a lot of fun will be had. Ricochets, knock-ons, and double attacks will all develop as you get a little better at flicking and understanding the physics at play. It will work for all 'levels' of flicking. But no matter your ability, this is a fun game to play. I have enjoyed this with all ages and abilities, and the one commonality I have found with all games is that within a matter of moments, I also hear laughter! For the Kickstarter, there are all sorts of ways you can buy this. The full version comes with a full tabletop mat, table edges, UV lights to make the pieces pop, and extendable shelves to create barriers on the edge of the table. There is even a phone holder! Alternatively, you can opt for the basic version I have, or even the travel edition shown above. With two sets of playing pieces that can be conveniently taken with you anywhere you go to play on the go, at the pub, or on any surface you can find! Dexterity games can be hit or miss. Sometimes they can be frustrating as they are just too hard. Often, they can involve intricate set-up, only for something to then quickly fall down. With Shape Invaders, you are taking a matter of seconds to go from set-up to playing, and the games themselves are incredibly quick too. If you lose, no matter, rack them up and go again. The pieces themselves really pop. I have seen them under UV lights at a convention and they looked amazing, but even under normal lights, they are bright, vibrant, chunky, well-made, and great to flick. As mentioned, things will fly off the table a lot! Unless you buy the table edges, of course. I have found that a small amount of damage has occurred to my pieces. I have played above a hard kitchen floor, and the pieces really do travel at a rate of knots, so this is to be expected. The damage is not significant, and it certainly does not affect the game. I have lost one piece, though. I have no idea where; my kitchen is tiny, and I looked everywhere! I would recommend this game to anyone. In a duo, in a competition, with children, with adults, at home, down the pub; it really doesn't matter. This game is simply light in strategy, but oh so fun! I really enjoy playing games like this sometimes. I am in the hobby largely for the heavy euros that make me think. But I also want to find the time for games that simply bring joy; and Shape Invaders does that so well. Well worth checking out if you like any type of flicking/dexterity experience.

Mini-Game Party WBG Score: 8.5 Player Count: 2-8 You’ll like this if you like: Chicken V Hotdog , What Next? Published by: Big Potato Games This is a free review copy. See our review policy here . Big Potato not only makes great party games, they also seem to manage to release them at an incredible frequency. Without any duds! The next outing from these fun-loving gamers from East London is Mini-Game Party, an ever-changing team game that pits evolving teams against each other in various small challenges. There are 101 challenges in the game, so plenty to keep you entertained over multiple games, but is it any fun? Let's get it on the table and find out. How To Set-Up Mini-Game Party Take the score pad and write everyone's name on the top. Well, everyone who is playing at least. It may take a while to do literally everyone. Give all players a voting chip and separate the various decks of cards, placing them all face down in separate piles; the Team Maker cards, Mini-game cards, and Mini deck cards. Then split the playing pieces into the two colours and split them into two separate piles. You are now ready to play. How To Play Mini-Game Party Flip over the top card from the Team Maker pile and read out the two choices. This will offer the players the chance to make a simple decision: are they team red or team blue? This will be a choice such as preferring to sneeze confetti or to cry glitter. Do you prefer overripe or under ripe bananas? Are you a Star Wars fan or more of a Lord of The Rings kind of person? Make your choice, and then reveal your voting chip showing your decision, team red or blue. If everyone voted the same, flip over a new Team Maker card and vote again. When you get two teams, you are now ready for the main part of the game. This was just forming teams! One player now takes the top card from the Mini-game deck and reads out loud to all players the rules for this particular card. One side will show the set-up and the other side will show the rules and goal for this card. Each one is completely different, and there are 101 in the game. This could be things like creating words from letters on the cards provided, bouncing a ball increasing times on a table, blowing your voting chip off a table onto a nearby target, or flipping cards from the edge of the table into the box. All sorts of things will be used along with the provided props. But nothing you almost certainly won't have to hand right where you are sat. The cards come in three categories: Elimination, where it is the last team standing who gets the points; Who did it best, where the player who achieved the goal the best wins; or a teamwork category where players win or lose as a team. All players on both teams must take part. The team with more players may have an advantage, but this will be reflected in the scoring. Each player in the winning team will then gain the amount of points equal to the amount of players in the losing team. So, if you just won in a team of two versus a team of three, that's three points each to the two winning players. Note this on the score sheet for that round and then go again. Play six rounds and total the points accumulated by each individual player over those rounds. The player with the most points wins. You play as a team, but as those teams are ever-changing, the game is ultimately won by one player in the end. Unless, of course, it is a tie, or you get distracted by a moth and don't finish. Is It Fun? Mini-Game Party Game Review Mini-Game Party offers a fun, quick, and relatively light experience that caters to players of all ages. Children are likely to be drawn to it because of the straightforward but entertaining nature of the mini-games, while adults seeking a competitive dexterity challenge or those enjoying 'late-night' gatherings will also find it highly enjoyable. Especially when combined with various party game drinks. With a real mixture of 101 challenges, the game ensures that you stay amused game after game. While you may need a few additional items to play, these are common household objects that most people already have, like a table! Everything else you need is in the box. The game does require some level of skill, such as dexterity or linguistic abilities, but nothing overly challenging. Ultimately, it presents a light but fun mix of activities that contribute to a fair and enjoyable experience for all participants from eight and above, I would suggest. Although younger children could certainly enjoy a lot of the cards. And it is easy enough to remove the challenges that don't suit your current group. With minimal editing, this would suit any group. The word challenges in the game are all quite light, and some consist of games where you need to form four-letter words from four random letters. As much as this won't suit younger children, the light nature and group aspect does make it suitable for most players. This design choice ensures that the game remains engaging and fair for a wide range of players. I would recommend this game to anyone looking for a more active party game that keeps the rules light, the fun factor high, and the energy levels soaring. It's a great choice for gatherings where you want to inject some excitement and laughter into the atmosphere. Just set up a few challenges on your table when you have friends around, leave them there for people to inquire about, and I bet within a few moments a fun game will ensue!

This is a prototype version of the game and may not represent the final quality or look of the game. You can find more information about the upcoming Kickstarter here . Goalkeepers Dice Game comes from first time designer Phil Brown. A father of two from New Zealand. He found that when playing games with his two sons, he did not have the right game to play with them. He wanted a game that offered a competitive experience, that worked with all ages so there is was no advantage to his older son, that used dice to create a nice balance between strategy and luck, and that rewarded players rather than punished them. For him, it did not exist, so he went out and made it! Phil had played other dice games that punished players, removing dice as they play. He wanted a game that rewards players and focuses on the positives of winning rounds, and winning games, rather than trying to avoid losing things. He wanted players to focus on winning things. From this, Goalkeepers was born! A dice chucking game that focuses on a number of rounds, that two to five players can play. Goalkeepers offers simple rules, fast an fun gameplay, all with a football/soccer theme. I think it could well be a winner for many. The game works by deciding how many rounds you want to play. Any number between three and seven is recommended. But the choice is yours. How long do you want to play? Then decide the dice setup based on player count: six each for two or three players, five in a four-player game, and four each with six players. Give each player their dice and then place the score markers into a central area. You are now ready to begin. Players will take turns to roll all of their dice. If you roll any TEAM dice (the ones with a football shirt/jersey on), they are placed to the side by your playing area. If you rolled a GOAL dice (the ones with the football on), these are also placed to the side. If you roll a PENALTY dice (the ones with the red card on), you must pass these to other players. You can choose who, and split up however you please. They then get extra dice to roll on their turn. Finally, any dice showing the SHOOT OUT symbol are placed into a group in front of you. When the second player has finished rolling their dice, the shoot out challenge begins. Here the first and second player compare any SHOOT OUT dice they rolled. The player with the most can either take one GOAL dice or two TEAM dice from the loser. Play continues like this until one player uses all their dice, either in the form of GOALS or by losing dice to other players. All players then compare their total number of GOAL dice, and the player with the most takes three points. The player with the second highest gains two, and the player in third takes one. There is also a bonus point of one for the player who ended the round. Play the agreed amount of rounds and see who wins. If there is a tie, play one extra round with all tied players with three dice each. The games are fast and frantic and feel to me exactly how I want a dice-chucking game to feel. I have some control over where I place my red cards, and whether I take the TEAM dice or GOAL when I win a SHOOTOUT. But obviously, there is still a lot of luck involved. It's mainly dice after all. But this, remember was the point. A game that offers a level playing field for all ages, all skill sets. I like the simplicity of this game with just a few dice. It suits me down to the ground. Pop them in a small bag and take them with you anywhere. Simple rules you can teach in a few minutes and games that last as long as you want, but can be over in 5 minutes if you are pushed for time. Perfect. This game is going to head to Kickstarter soon. The game deserves to be made and I hope it can find the support it deserves. It has a lovely origin and a solid design, which has created a fun game I for one will enjoy for many years to come. I sincerely hope many others get to do the same.

Get On Board: Paris and Roma WBG Score: 8 Player Count: 2-5 You’ll like this if you like: Unmatched , Funkoverse , Smash Up Published by: IELLO Designed by: Saashi This is a free review copy. See our review policy here . Back in 2022 Get On Board: London & New York was released to critical acclaim, winning awards and fans all over the board gaming world. Most most notable, gaining a score of 8/10 on WBG! Right!? I know. Well, unconfirmed and most probably made up reports suggest that spurned on by the glowing review we gave, designer Saashi decided to make a sequel, this time moving from the bustling metropolises of London and New York, to the more tranquil cities of Paris and Rome. Is it very different? Is it any better? Let's get it to the table and find out. How To Set Up Get On Board: Paris & Roma Much like the first game, the first thing you need to decide is choose the correct side of the board to play with. If you have 1-3 players, then use the Rome map. For a 4 or 5 player game use the Paris side. This is clearly labelled on the top left of each map. The main difference is that the Rome side (below) has coloured speedy Connection sections. The burgundy and yellow markings seen below. These are used in the one to three player mode as detailed below. Next, give each person a player sheet and pencil. Check that the markings below the tickets on the top of each players sheet are different. The rest of the sheet will be identical but these to be unique for each player. if not, just swap it out for another sheet. Each player will then take their 32 route markers and departure pawn in their chosen colour. The six common objective cards will then be shuffled and two are placed yellow side up on the space on the top of the board. Place three in a solo game. Then shuffle the five personal objective cards and deal one face up to each player. Next, shuffle the 12 metro ticket cards and deal two to each player. Use cards one to six for the Paris map and less players. Each player will then chose to start their game from one of the two locations, placing their departure pawn at their chosen location. These Metro tickets are then gathered back into one deck and shuffled again and placed onto the top section of the board. In a solo game, add the two rush hour cards and place them after the 9th and 11th card. The oldest player takes the Inspector pawn and becomes the first player. You are now ready to play. How to Play Get On Board: Paris & Roma. The first player, the inspector, now reveals the top card from the metro ticket deck, placing it face up on the discard space for all to see. Each player will now cross off the space for the matching ticket value on their player sheet. This shows them what shape they will be making in the next phase, and what shapes are still to come. In a 1-3 player game note the colour of the border of this first metro card. Either burgundy or yellow. Mark the corresponding colour on your player sheet on the bottom left. This will dictate which coloured connection areas will be in affect this game. When this is done, all players move to the next phase, where they will place coloured markers from their personal pool, starting at their departure pawn, in the shape as dictated by the metro ticket crossed off in the previous phase. You cannot double back on your route, there can be no more than one marker per colour on each section, and you must copy the shape as dictated by that rounds metro ticket completely and exactly. If you ever reach the same intersection for the second time, your game is over and you can no longer score any points. You are eliminated. Harsh huh? Have they not heard of the circle line? You can increase or reduce the size of any shape you have to place by one marker if you want to, by marking off one space in the red top right area on your player sheet. You can do this a maximum of five times and each time, you will incur a penalty of minus one, two or three. Each time your route moves through an area where there are other players coloured markers, and in a 1-3 player game, when you move through the chosen coloured routes, you can cross off one space in the connection zone on the bottom left of your player sheet. The further you go on this route, the more points you will get, as shown by the green boxed numbers. This is an adapted feature from the traffic in the previous game. If you pass through any Metro spaces then you must circle one of the corresponding symbols on the top left of your player sheet. Then at the end of that round, you can cross off any of the spaces circled that round to place an extra marker down. Or, if you choose to leave a circled space uncrossed and unused, it will give you an extra two points at the end of the game. This is a new feature not seen in the previous game and essentially replaces the chance to name your map. When you have finished adding your shape and marking off any related areas on your player sheet, the next step is to score any passengers or places that were moved through this turn. The Grannies are the most simple. For each one moved through, cross off one space on the red area on your player sheet. At the end of the game you will score the points shown in the green boxes next to all crossed off spaces. The Students and Cinemas work a little differently. At the end of the game you will multiply the number of students marked off by the number of cinemas across two lines for a maximum of 24 points. This is all quite similar to the last game. When you pass a Flirt, note the colour of the background, there are two types. The face type doesn't matter, just note the background colour. Mark off the corresponding space on your player sheet and then later, if you pass a restaurant note how many flirts are crossed off on either of the three rows and score two points for one crossed off face or six points for a crossed off couple; for a maximum of 12 per row. Any uncrossed faces must be crossed out, they cannot be scored. There are three opportunities to visit restaurants in each game. This is a slight change from the last game. The final person you can pick up are the tourists. They want to go to the Opera or the Theatre. When you pick one up, mark them off, and then later when you go by either one of these two buildings you will score the points underneath the right most crossed off tourist at that point. Any unmarked tourists are crossed off in the row you just scored and can no longer be used. This is all similar to the last game but now with a simplified scoring mechanic. As you move around the board you will need to focus on all the passenger and building scoring options as well as your own personal objective card and the common objectives. Each common objective can be achieved by multiple players but the first to do this will get ten points, and all subsequent players will only get six. After each round, check if anyone has achieved any of the common objectives then move the inspector pawn one space clockwise, Then move to the next round. There are twelve rounds in a game. When done, score your total points, and the player with the most points unsurprisingly wins the game. In the solo game, at certain points when flipping the next metro card, you will reveal one of the rush hour cards. This means you need to flip over an objective card. If you have not completed it yet you can now only score six points for this one. At the end, you can compare your score to a table on the rule sheet. Is this Fun? - Get On Board: Paris & Roma Board Game Review There is not a huge amount different to the original game. I have marked the changes above in bold. The speedy connection areas being the main difference, other than some slight changes to the way each character scores. As such, if you have the London & New York version already then you may not want to add this to your collection. But if you loved it and want to try the different maps then you will not be disappointed. If you do not have the original game I would recommend getting this one instead as I think it is a fraction better. But if you have the first game and were not a fan, then I cannot imagine you have got this far in the review! So, to answer the question about the two editions, there is not a lot different. It is a little better. But for me, it is more of the same but the same is great! I like the idea of this eventually being dozens of maps across multiple cities around the world. It may make more sense to just sell the maps as expansion rather than a new box each time. But the thought of playing one of these cities before I visit them, or better yet, whilst there, is a thing of board game beauty to me. The more maps the better. I want every city! I would recommend this game to anyone who enjoys the flip and write genre and is looking for a new game that works in a short amount of time, plays well in different player counts, but still offers a game experience of substance. If you like this theme of course. There is a lot in this sector. Get On Board is an exciting series of games. I hope they continue with this. Either with new expansion maps or more full box sequels. I think any subsequent full game will need a few more developments and changes to justify its existence. But right now we have two great versions. Both excellent fun. I am delighted to own both. Although, that may be somewhat of an extravagance.

The Kringle Caper WBG Score: 7 Player Count: 1-4 You’ll like this if you like: Exit and Unlock games Published by:  Grand Gamers Guild Designed by: Jonathan Chaffer This is a free review copy. See our review policy here - SPOILER FREE REVIEW The Kringle Capers is the first version of a series of one-off small box escape rooms using just cards. You can find out about the others in the series here . They are all 18-card decks that offer a 60-minute escape room-style adventure, set around a different popular holiday: Halloween, Valentine's, or in this case, Christmas. Let's get it to the table and see how it plays. How To Set Up The Kringle Caper Open the box and take out the 18 cards. I suggest getting a paper and pencil too. Keep the cards face down, in order. On a phone or computer, head to this website and click on The Kringle Caper "Play" button. Once you are prepared, click on Start and proceed to select card number one. The timer will begin! How To Set Up The Kringle Caper Read the text on card number one. You will then see a red magnifying glass and some more red text. For each red magnifying glass icon you see you will need to work out the answer for that number of words (or phrases), and then enter them into the website you previously loaded. all answers can be found on the card you are using that time, or perhaps, on previous cards you had access too. You will never need to use later cards until instructed. The website has handy information and hints if you get stuck. The hints will give you a time penalty, while the information will just give you access to some things that may or may not help you. There is no time penalty for using the information section, but it won't all be crucial. We completed the entire game without using it. However, we did use our phones to look up the lyrics to one particular song, and we could have used the information page instead if we had remembered! The hints work well and offer some guides and clues before giving you, if you really want it, the full answer. You won't ever get stuck. If you enter a wrong answer, it will tell you and ask you to look again. If you enter a correct answer, it will add a small bit of story and then instruct you to take the next card. Make sure to get your spelling correct otherwise it will not work. Some answers are phrases instead of single words. Some cards have more than one answer. You must enter them separately, one at a time. Some cards may require you to write on them. If you want to keep the game to use again or lend to a friend, you can simply write on a separate piece of paper or write in pencil. No cards will be destroyed or affected in any other way. A paper and pencil would help in other areas too, working a few things out. Keep playing through each card as instructed until you complete the final 18th card. You will then be given a brief conclusion to the story and your score. This will be based on the time it took you to solve all the cards, any hints you used, and then a final score out of five. I won't spoil anything by saying anymore, but here is the first card, just to give you a flavour. Is It Fun? The Kringle Caper Escape Room Card Game Review If you enjoy puzzle games and escape room style challenges, you will love this. It is very simple, and a scaled-down version. There are only 18 cards after all. So, don't go into this expecting big props, twists, or surprises. It is a simple card-based puzzle game, with some familiar challenges, and a fun holiday-inspired theme. We played this in the blazing sun, in the middle of summer, and still had a good time with it. I will certainly keep it around for another turn on Christmas Eve this year. I think by then we will have forgotten the answers so we will easily be able to enjoy this again! I am keen to try out the other games in this series and see how they develop the idea. But what we have here, with these 18 cards, is a pure, simple, distilled version of a card game-based escape room that offers a good 60 minutes of family fun. Well worth checking out if you enjoy these types of experiences. This one is certainly very well executed, not too tricky to solve (it's ranked 2/3 on the difficulty scale) and was something my entire family enjoyed doing together (nine and eleven-year-olds).