I tend to look at older games with a bit of nostalgia, although there are some that simply make me nauseous at the very thought of them. Waterworks is one of those games; it has brought joy to many – but never to me, and I got rid of the game long ago. When I…
Tag: Tom Vasel
Game Review: Power and Weakness
In my search for Power and Weakness (JKLM Games and FRED, 2007 – Andreas Steding), I noticed that it’s the only game with the word “weakness” in the title. Yes, that’s not an interesting fact, but really – the game gave off this air of incredible boredom that resonated from the medieval artwork to the…
Game Review: Pink Godzilla Dev Kit
I really didn’t know what to think of Pink Godzilla Dev Kit (Pink Godzilla Co, 2006 – Christopher Rama Rao) when I received it in the mail. I did a little research on the internet and discovered the Pink Godzilla is a rather active video game store in the Seattle area – and had produced…
Game Review: Hameln
The Pied Piper is one of those stories that I’ve heard time and time again, in various media and styles – but with essentially the same plot each time. When I heard that the Lamont brothers were designing their yearly game about this story – I was quite interested, considering the surprise success of their…
Review: Dungeon Twister: 3-4 Player Expansion
Dungeon Twister is one of my favorite games – a game that I wasn’t expecting much from when I first heard about it, but a game that has become one of the most strategic yet variety-filled games that I’ve ever played. The reason I don’t play it more often is simple – it is only…
Game Review: Il Principe
I opened up the box of Il Principe (Z-man Games, 2006 – Emanuele Ornella) for the first time and started reading the rules. As soon as I got to the phrase “Each player is the leader of an influential family in Italy during the Renaissance Age” I put the rules back in the box and…
Game Review: Marvel Heroes
Marvel Heroes (Fantasy Flight Games, 2006 – Marco Maggi and Francesco Nepitello) easily topped my “Most anticipated games in 2006” list at the end of 2005. As the year went on, I was a bit concerned that the game would make the same list the following year, but it was fortunately released near the end…
Game Review: Reef Encounters of the Second Kind
The more that I play Reef Encounter the more I’m impressed with what a deep, intriguing game it is. I have to say, though, that I was completely surprised by the fact that an expansion came out for the game. Not that I wasn’t interested – I’m certainly a sucker for expansions – just that…
Game Review: The Downfall of Pompeii
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….
Game Review: Catan Histories: Struggle for Rome
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…
Game Review: Megastar
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…
Game Review: Chopstick Dexterity MegaChallenge 3000
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…