Tom Vasel, prolific game reviewer and podcaster, has agreed to do an interview with me. We talked about games, podcasting and a few others topics, Read on to learn more!I’m talking today with the prolific board game reviewer Tom Vasel. Would you take a moment to introduce yourself Tom?First and foremost, I’m the husband of…
Tag: The Dice Tower
Game Review: Why Did The Chicken?
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,…
Game Review: Apples to Apples
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….
Game Review: Take it to the Limit!
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…
Game Review: Tara, Seat of Kings
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…
Game Review: Khet and Eye of Horus Beam Splitter Expansion
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…
Game Review: Perikles
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,…
Game Review: Yang Tzee
To me, one of the cardinal rules of an abstract strategy game should be that the rules be as simple and clear as possible. Many times I’ve played games that had fairly simple rules but clouded them with obtuse game terms in an attempt to give the game a thematic flavor. This, I fear, is…
Game Review: Figaro
“The king is desperate! The whole court is attending the joust, and no one is working in the castle. The king really needs a helper!” Enter Figaro (Mayfair and daVinci Games, 2006 – Reiner Knizia), the lunatic idiot working for the King. Apparently he is attempting to do all the jobs of court, and making…
Game Review: Desert Bazaar
One time, a reader wrote me and asked if I used my own opinions when writing a review. They went on to ask if I ever reviewed a game that I disliked but thought that many others would enjoy. Well, the fact of the matter is that ALL of my reviews are my own opinion,…
Game Review: Courtyard
Courtyard (Blue Panther LLC, 2006 – Steve Jones) is one of several games by Blue Panther and shares the unique feature which categorizes them – the game has 100% wooden components. Produced with some clever wood-burning methods, the game looks like something you would buy in a gift shop and simply has an air of…
Game Review: Hart an der Grenze
There are a few games that, when I first read about them on the internet, I immediately know that I’m going to like them. When I heard about actual smuggling cards inside small metal suitcases, I knew that Hart an der Grenze (Kosmos, 2006 – Andre Zatz and Sergio Halaban) was a game I would…