Tag: Board Games

To make a game on a recent disaster would be unthinkable – in fact, I’ve refused to review one such game that made light of recent world events. The main reason for that is that these events are fresh in our minds, and to make light of them with a game seems cruel and uncaring….

As I wrapped up the recording of the Dice Tower, episode # 85, I reflected on the topic for the show – the myriad of games based on Klaus Teuber’s fictional universe of Catan, begun by his immensely popular game Settlers of Catan. With over thirty variants, expansions, and versions, Catan has become something of…

I never know what to expect from a Friedemann Friese game, as they often have strange themes, but he usually makes a very interesting game with unique mechanics. Megastar (Mayfair Games, 2006 – Friedemann Friese) is one of his newest card games; and while the theme actually makes perfect sense (players are attempting to play…

I knew from the name of Chopstick Dexterity MegaChallenge 3000 (Pair-of-Dice Games, 2006 – Greg Lam) that I would be extremely bad at the game – and indeed, I’ve never come close to winning. Even though I’ve lived in Asia for many years, utilizing a chopstick effectively is really something that I just can’t seem…

I love party games, as they are versatile and can be used in group settings quite frequently, leading to some of the most fun moments I’ve ever had in gaming. I have quite a few party games, but very few of them are good enough to crack my top three – Time’s Up, Beyond Balderdash,…

I love teaching people to play games; and many times, after a game session, people tell me how much fun they’ve had. One of the biggest compliments is how easy it is to play the games that I teach; and for this reason, I’m always on the lookout for “German” games that have simplistic rules….

As a geometry teacher, I keep several logic puzzles in the classroom for the students to work on when they finish their work. One of the more popular types is the puzzles in which students must get a certain amount of pieces into one area, having none left over. These puzzles, simple-looking, can be rather…

The theme of Tara, Seat of Kings (Surprised Stare Games Ltd., 2006 – Alan Paull) is one in which players use supporters to become Kings in different regions of Ireland. This certainly sounds interesting, but it only takes a few moments of gameplay to realize that the game’s theme is simply a covering for an…

This is a quick update on Khet, the new name for Deflexion. Here is an breakdown of what has changed in the game.In my review of Deflexion, I stated, “Well, there was no need for this caution, because Deflexion is an excellent abstract game; and while lasers are integral to the central game structure, the…

Interestingly enough, when you look at people’s comments for Martin Wallace’s games, you’ll invariably find them compared to his other games – but never to games of another designer. That’s because Mr. Wallace, one of the greatest game designers alive, has managed to find his own niche – a cross between war games and Eurogames,…