In this review Matt goes over Merry Men from Arcane Wonders and shares his thoughts along the way. This is a great expansion for one the one of the wildest social interaction games out there!
This is my first attempt at a review like this. I am open to suggestions. I already have a few of my own.
In this Play Through Review Matt demonstrates the good and bad about Bomb Squad.
This is the first gam I have ever played with a revealed hand mechanic and I like the way Tasty Minstrel Games worked it in.
Matt’s Sheriff of Nottingham review and thoughts. Stop on in and see why Sheriff is one of my favorite bluffing games.
I love Sherrif of Nottingham because the bluffs can be wild and crazy!
In this review of Dragon’s Gold Matt plays through a turn and shares his final thoughts with you. Dragons Gold is a game of some simple strategies that set up a haggling war. Dragon’s Gold, from IDW , can dbe a fully cooperative game or one where no one walks away a friend. It’s really and amazing game.
Come back soon for the written review.
The Amega Weapon
Published by The Amega Weapon
Designed by Scott Gower
In The Amega Weapon, players race to build the ultimate weapon. This is done by flying through space and collecting parts from various space stations. There are several hazards in the game like navigating asteroid fields, novae tiles, your opponents, and the dreaded Black Star.
You might find this appealing if you like semi-cooperative games, space themes, and if you don’t mind sitting around the table with friends anywhere from thirty minutes to four hours. Since the game’s release at Gen Con 2014, the designer has added a set of tournament rules based off the feedback of people who have played the game.
I was introduced to The Amega Weapon at Gen Con last year and I had fun playing the game. Since then I have played it about fourteen times. I have discovered that it can be repetitive, it’s always fun, and Scott truly cares about this game. We’ll cover all of those in more detail as we move through this review.
Student Bodies is a cut throat zombie game designed by Michael Grenier and Matthew Regney. Published by Smirk and Dagger Games, it’s recommended for two to five players ages ten and up. I would say that the cut throat style of play in this game leads to a slap in the face kind of motif.
In Student Bodies you and your peers are faced with the dilemma of escaping the highschool during a zombie apocalypse. The problem is that there are so many zombies you first need to get to the chem lab and create an antidote or in game terms find it. Then you have to make a dash across the campus to escape out the front door after dodging a shambling mound of zombies without getting bitten. Don’t worry too much about being bit, if you’re turned into a smart zombie and can still win by eating other players, which I find to be a rather fun and redeeming factor when there are more than two players.
In this video Matt and David play through their idea of a Yashima Demo game. Then they share their thoughts on what is good or bad.
If you visit Tony Gullotti’s Facebook page you can get a look at some of the newer things they have planned.
Dungeon Heroes is a dungeon crawl that can be taught to a new player in five minutes. It really is that simple to learn. It can also be just as easily won or lost in that same amount of time if the players are not careful. Unlike many dungeon crawlers you roll no dice, which I unexpectedly found to be a good spin.
The rules support a 2-player and a single player mode. The two player version pits the players against each other. One player is the Dungeon and the other plays the heroes, cleric, fighter, wizard, rogue. I should rephrase that. He plays a party of heroes that have very specific roles. That is actually where a lot of the strategy enters the game.
In the resource management game Compounded players use elements one would find in an ordinary high school chemistry lab to create compounds to earn points. It sounds simple, but there are more mechanics involved that can change the game every time you play. One of these allows the players to barter among themselves. To further the degree of strategy involved there is a random factor to the game providing twists and turns in the critical thinking process of the players planning.
This is long over due, but I wanted to make sure that I gave this game a proper play test. Mage Wars is a mutation of the board and card game genres that borrows a miniature game feel. That is, it combines elements from card and board games to create a unique play experience. In this article we will focus on mechanics, “deck construction”, combat and more.
But before going crazy on the game let’s talk about their history. The crew at Arcane Wonders started developing Mage Wars five years ago. In that time they have run several play tests and visited several convention; experiences that they used to further develop the game.
The basic idea behind Mage Wars is that you control a mage in the battle arena. Each mage casts spells to defeat the other in tactical combat of magic. When one mage has lost all their life the game ends. The basic game comes with everything for two mages four mage options.
At first Mage Wars is a little bit overwhelming to learn. But the support offered by Arcane Wonders makes the curve an easy burden. They have how to videos and a packaging disclaimer. They are doing a great job keeping in touch with the players, which is a great asset to the game.
Where do you start talking about a new game type. I think it would be easiest to start with the board. It is pretty basic. It establishes the arena where you will perform combat. The board also features the mana counters, quick reference chart and a life chart. Further the board is gridded into 12 zones for easy movement and combat. At the start of a game each mage is in an opposing corner diagonally. Since there is no diagonal movement in the game this pretty much safeguards the players from a cheap victory.
One of the most unique and fundamental aspects of Mage Wars is the “deck construction”, which isn’t deck construction at all. In Mage Wars there is no drawing. When you sit down to play Mage Wars you start by choosing a mage. The basic game comes with four mages. Once you have selected one you will build your spell book out of the cards you own. I should note that your choice in a mage will affect what spells you can choose. Each mage has schools of magic it can use. While playing you get to select your spells from the spellbook. You start the game with zero spells. During the planning phase each player selects 2 spells. As a big CCG player I find this to be the coolest element. There is no top deck, or bad luck. You are responsible for your choice, which means it is tactics and not luck of the draw. There is still some luck involved in combat, but for precombat mistakes only you are to blame.
Each round is broken into two stages, ready and action. In the ready stage you prepare by adding mana, picking spells, and applying upkeep effects. During the action stage mages take turns casting spells, summoning, placing enchantments, and attacking. The exchange of turns is based on initiative that is rolled at the start of the game. Action markers are used to designate what in play cards can and can’t be used.
Combat is where the awesome stuff happens. It is a pretty simple system. Mage Wars uses special d6’s for combat.
Rather than listen to me stumble through combat with words you should watch these videos. They walk you through a few turns of the game.
Mage Wars is a unique gaming experience. It sets up an arena where mages collide. You can easily have a lot to command once the game gets rolling. The mechanic that puts Mage Wars over the top is the spellbook. By removing luck of the draw from the game it opens up so many doors to strategy. While it may look like other board games it is not. This is a game that you absolutely must try in order to judge it.
You can learn more about Mage Wars here.
