Board Game of The Week- Hanabi

Posted on February 6, 2016 by godirectlytogaming

Game Title: Hanabi
Release Date: 2010
Number of Players: 2-5
Average Game Time: 25 minutes
Game Publisher: Cocktail Games
Website: http://cocktailgames.com/en/cocktailgames/produit/hanabi
Game Designer: Antoine Bauza
Expansions/Alternates: Yes
Available in Stores: Uncommon but Yes

Cooperative board/card games have been becoming more popular over the past few years, with games such as Pandemic becoming more common for mass consumption. Cooperative games can have varying types and nuances to how they’re played, but the major theme is that rather than playing against each other, you play together against the game as a common enemy. Usually this involves completing some type of objective in order to win, while not meeting the objective will cause you to lose. Hanabi is a cooperative card game that actually goes by a different objective- work together to earn as many points as possible, with a point scale giving your group a grade at the end of the game. There aren’t any official winners or losers, but the competitive nature of the game is still tough to beat as you attempt to get a perfect score.

The games’ theme is preparing for a fireworks performance- in order to create the best fireworks display possible, the players are trying to play cards in order based on color. There are five colors of fireworks, all with numbered cards of 1-5, and the objective is to play all five of each color before the time runs out. The big catch in this game is that instead of players looking at their own cards, they face the cards outwards so that all players can see the cards except for the person holding them. Rather than simply telling a player which card to play, the other players have to provide hints about how many of a certain color or number is in the player’s hand. A player can also choose to play one of the cards in his/her hand; if they chose a card that chronologically matches what’s already been played, the card is added to the stack of the card’s color. Otherwise, the card is discarded. You also have a certain number of clues that you can give, which can be increased by a player intentionally discarding a card. The game ends when there are no more cards to use, and then points are tallied based on what cards were played by the end of the game.

Hanabi has a surprising amount of strategy involved considering how few pieces it includes and how the game is structured. Each player has to use his/her turn wisely in order for the team to succeed, and the way clues are used will drastically effect a player’s choice to play or discard cards. Memorization is also a key factor in the game, because you need to remember where each card is based on the clues you are given. The game is a lot of fun right off the bat as you are gathering information about your hand, and as more cards are played it is more difficult to play the cards in the correct order. There are also fewer of the higher value cards in the deck, so if you accidentally discard a 5 you can’t get a perfect score because there is only 5 card for each color available. All of this combines strategy combines into a game of subtle hints, careful decision making, and surprising amounts of tension whenever a card is played.

The biggest advantage of the game to me was that it wasn’t just a cooperative game, but individual play also was a heavy factor in success. In games like Pandemic, the most experienced player will sometimes take control of the game and tell others what to do in order to have a cohesive strategy throughout the game. The downside to this type of play is that players who are newer and aren’t a part of the strategy will be excluded and will most likely not have any fun. Hanabi doesn’t have this issue, because no matter what clues are given in the game ultimately the player who holds the cards is responsible for how they are played. A perfect combination of teamwork and individual merit, Hanabi allows for both working with others and making individual decisions in the same atmosphere. The game also has a great aesthetic appeal, as well a simple yet elegant design that is easy to travel with and use in most settings.

I didn’t find many downsides to this game, but one thing I did see a lot of was players trying to influence the game with facial expressions. A lot of the time when giving a clue, a player would talk really slowly or give a particular look in order to try and influence the other player’s actions.

YOU HAVE ONE THREE! I REPEAT: ONE. THREE!!!

I found myself doing this a lot myself, mostly because it is easy to misconstrue someone’s intent when they are giving a clue and sometimes a player will accidentally discard a card he/she should have played, or vice versa. I felt like using this advantage, while entertaining in a way, took away some of the challenge. I think that in order to get the full experience, clues should be given in a straightforward manner and the player getting the clue should interpret its meaning without outside help.

If you like card games that involve a lot of strategy, I recommend this game as a good one to add to your collection. I also think it is a good option for younger audiences as a way of building memorization and teamwork skills.

Jack’s Rating: 4/5 Stars

Board Game of the Week- Sheriff of Nottingham

Posted on January 24, 2016 by godirectlytogaming

Game Title: Sheriff of Nottingham
Release Date: 2014
Number of Players: 3-5
Average Game Time: 45-60 minutes
Game Publisher: Arcane Wonders
Website: http://www.arcanewonders.com/sheriff-of-nottingham
Game Designer: Sergio Halaban
Expansions/Alternates: Yes
Available in Stores: Yes

I am not a good bluffer. I like to think I am, but looking at it objectively I really don’t have the best poker face. So when I opened up Sheriff of Nottingham and realized the game is based around bluffing and misdirection, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to pick it up well. Luckily enough, the game is based on so much more than bluffing and there are many different types of strategy while playing, so I was able to find a strategy that works for me without too much struggle.

Sheriff of Nottingham focuses on merchants trying to bring their goods into the city to sell. The basic mechanic involves drawing cards and choosing what types you want to load into your bag. Everyone then declares what foods he/she put in his/her bag (4 apples, 3 bread, etc.) either truthfully or untruthfully if they have extra foods or “contraband”. The added twist to this is that every round someone acts as “sheriff” who then can choose to inspect each person’s bag. If you were truthful about your goods then the Sheriff has to pay you, but if not the extra goods get confiscated and you have to pay the Sheriff. This means that you can try and smuggle contraband in for big point totals, or you can tell the truth and hope that the Sheriff tries to catch you. A number of other nuances in how you draw cards and what goods you choose to play add up to a very inventive and interesting game.

I found that this game can be a lot of fun, but how much fun depends on the company you are in. My friends and family are all very outgoing, energetic, and goofy, so when we started playing we immediately turned it into an improv show where everyone put on different accents and asked silly questions to try and get a reaction from the group. This caused everyone to be more engaged in the game and the enthusiasm built up as we went. I feel like if you were in a group of more straight-laced people that wanted to play it normally it could be less exciting, though the strategy and gameplay still appeal to the average player. The game tends to drag at times if the Sheriff takes a long time to ask questions, so 5 players can take a while. Playing with 3 players, on the other hand, adds an extra round to the game so it doesn’t exactly shorten things. I recommend the game with 4 players if possible as the best middle ground option.

Jack’s Rating: 3.5/5 stars

The Appeal of Two Player Board Games

Posted on January 20, 2016 by godirectlytogaming

I’ve written before that board games are a very social experience for me, as they are for most people. Because of this, I usually associate board games with large groups of people, and 7-wonders-duel the board game industry looks to be agreeing with me. Games of 3-5 or 4-6 players are becoming the norm in most cases, with plenty of games even exceeding those numbers. So when I was given my blast from the past board game set from my Grandpa it reminded me that a number of older games were actually meant only for two players. Games like Battleship, Guess Who, Stratego and even Chess and Checkers all focus on the one-on-one matchup. There are a few newer games, such as 7 Wonders: Duel, which still use a two-player format, but it feels like this type of game isn’t as common anymore. If anything there are more games now that can be played by two players, but can also include 3+ players, such as Castles of Mad King Ludwig.

After recently playing board games of all types over the holidays, I was reminded of some of the benefits of two player board games. While they might not be the best fit for all situations, they can be a lot of fun and have certain benefits that board games for larger groups just don’t have. Here are my top five reasons why you should play two player board games:

1) Easier to get the number of players you need– This advantage seems pretty obvious, but it’s more a testament to how difficult finding groups to play board games with can be at times. I’m lucky enough to have groups of friends who like playing tabletop games, and even I have difficulty finding enough people on a random Tuesday night a
t times. Finding one other person to play a game with you? That tends to be easier. Whether it’s a roommate, a sibling/parent, or a significant other, there are usually people around willing to try a game out with you or open up an old classic.

2) More direct competition– This does not mean to say that games with more than two players don’t have competition. I couldn’t imagine playing a game of Monopoly or Settlers of Catan without forming a grudge match against someone, and even if I don’t there’s enough competition to beat ou battleship-board-game t all players and take the #1 spot. Board games are all about trying to win, so there’s going to be a high level of competition in any type of board game you play. Still, there’s something different about the competitive feel of a two person board game. You are essentially using your skills, wits, and strategy to defeat a single opponent; assuming the player is around the same skill level as you the intensity of that matchup can almost feel palpable.

3) More streamlined game mechanics– This is not always the case, but it seems like rules and procedures for two player games are generally simpler and more streamlined than ones with 3+ players. Adding in more players creates a layer of complexity to a game, because a game designer has to take more factors into account. Sometimes additional rules are created specifically for a larger number of Stratego players, to ensure that the game stays fair to all parties playing. In addition, most games with larger groups of players are meant to allow for different scenarios for each party interacting with each other, so the complexity only increases. A two player game is streamlined because a designer can create the game without worrying about the 3+ player effect and can focus solely on the game mechanics of two people going head to head against each other.

4) Great way to catch up with someone– Whenever I visit my Grandpa in PA we always make a point to play a game of Djinn before the trip is over. This has become a tradition between the two of us, and we use it as a time to have some fun and catch up with each other. I tell him about my work, my girlfriend, my plans for the future, and more as he mercilessly beats me in our favorite card game. The same benefit can be found in a two player board game. Sitting down and interacting with another person and learning more about his/her life is great, and a board game can be a great way to facilitate that.

5) Faster playing time– In today’s fast-paced society, an important criteria for a board game is how long it takes to play. Faster does not always mean better of course, but if you’re looking for a game to play that won’t take up your entire evening then odds are high that a two player game will meet that criteria. This is not always true, as there are some two player games that last a long time and there are plenty of larger scale board games that are meant to be finished quickly. Still, with less people in a game to eliminate and/or less people working to achieve a goal, the average playing time for a two player tabletop game is usually less than a larger scale game.

BONUS: Good for date night– This only really works if you have a significant other who likes board games, but a good date night for any couple can be found at the board game table. Board games create interaction and discussion that you don’t get in a movie theater. They are also a cheap alternative to most standard date nights, and are a fun way to make use of your time if you’re staying home rather than going out. It’s not exactly first date material, but it’s a great idea for a nice, relaxing evening with someone you care about. I am lucky enough to have a girlfriend that also likes board games (she’s a fellow blogger, check out http://moviesandmanicures.com/ when you get a chance!) and we played three rounds of Castles of Mad King Ludwig over Christmas. We had a lot of fun and it was a great way to spend time together, so I recommend it for any lovebirds out there as well.

Board Game of the Week- Battleship (Salvo Rules)

Posted on January 12, 2016 by godirectlytogaming

Game Title: Battleship
Release Date: 1931
Number of Players: 2
Average Game Time: 30 minutes
Game Publisher: Milton Bradley
Website: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2425/battleship
Game Designer: Antoine Bauza
Expansions/Alternates: Yes
Available in Stores: Yes (newer versions only)

It’s not that often that I choose to delve into games from the 30’s for a Board Game of the Week, mostly because the assumption is that if a game has been around for over 80 years, it’s not exactly new and so it’s harder to write interesting stories. Battleship would seem to be one of those types of games; pretty much anybody from my childhood, my parents’ childhood, and even my grandparents’ childhood has played the game or at least knows of its existence. One of the games that has withstood the test of time, multiple different versions and reiterations of Battleship have been created to keep the game popular through the decades. I had an anniversary Battleship as well as a Star Wars Battleship when I was a kid, so I’ve known the basic rules for a long time and remember them to this day.

For a while I have felt that Battleship is one of those games that is fun, but there isn’t too much variety to it. Luckily for me, when I pulled out my classic Battleship game and played a few rounds with my sister’s fiancé I was introduced to a whole new way of playing Battleship; the Salvo rules variation.

Salvo is a great example of a rules variation helping make a good game great. Salvo is actually listed as a recommended game type in the Battleship rulebook for advanced players, but the rules are fairly simple so you don’t have to be a master to play. The salvo rules are the same as regular Battleship rules, except that instead of one shot per round a
player gets one shot for every ship they have. This means that at the start of the game you have five shots, and as time goes by and you lose ships you get less and less until you lose all of your ships. If on any of your shots you hit a ship, your opponent must tell you where you hit and what ship it was. This speeds up the game significantly and also provides an added layer of strategy for when you’ve hit someone. Ultimately it’s a simple change, but it provides better results in my opinion compared to the traditional version. There is an element of luck to it because if you lose a ship early and have less shots to work with you are at a big disadvantage, but from the times I have played salvo I found that it stayed pretty even no matter how the first few games started solely due to the volume of opportunities to get a hit on your opponent.
Another version of the Battleship game with an added layer of complexity is the advanced salvo variation, which includes the same rules as salvo except when a player gets a hit the opponent doesn’t say which shot hit or what ship they hit, and only says the number of times they hit in that round. This is a significantly harder style of play and requires paper and a pencil available because you will need to write down as much information as possible each turn to help figure out which of your shots was a hit. For example, if on your first turn you choose A2, B7, H5, G9, and A10 as your five shots and your opponent tells you that you hit twice, that’s not a lot of information to go on. If you don’t keep a record of the hits and do some experimenting to figure out where those hits came from, it will be impossible for you to keep track of everything as the game progresses. This type of game can be a lot of fun if you play it right, but can also be very frustrating if you don’t keep organized and use your shots wisely.

Ultimately Battleship was a fun game by itself, but playing the Salvo or Advanced Salvo version is a good way to try something new with an older game. For those of you who haven’t played the salvo rules, I recommend picking up your old copy or buying a new one and giving it a shot (no pun intended).

Jack’s Rating (salvo): 4/5 stars

Jack’s Rating (advanced salvo): 4.5/5 stars

Tabletop Monthly, Family Subscription

Posted on January 6, 2016 by godirectlytogaming

With the holidays coming and going, I finally had some time to take a look at the second box I received from Tabletop Monthly. This is actually perfect timing, because it looks like Tabletop Monthly has officially begun their services as of January 1^st! A quick recap for those of you who forgot, Tabletop Monthly is an up and coming company that sells subscriptions for monthly mystery boxes of games and accessories. They have two different types of subscriptions, one for more hardcore strategy games and one for lighter, family games. I’ve already reviewed my copy of the hardcore subscription, so this time I’ve taken a look at the Family subscription. Let’s get to it!

Board Game, Eat Me If You Can– A smaller game with cards and tokens, this Iello game focuses on rotating rounds where players play as either the wolf, Little Red Riding Hood, the three little pigs, or the sevin young kids. When you’re the wolf you try to surprise the other players and avoid traps set by everyone else. A cute adaptation/combination of multiple children’s stories including an evil wolf, the game looks slightly more complicated than I initially anticipated, but it seems like it’s easy enough to pick up. I had heard of this game before and was interested in playing, so it’s a great addition to my collection.

Card Game, Timeline: Historical Events– A card game based on historical events, timeline focuses on playing historical cards in order from your hand until you use up all of your cards. If you play a card in the wrong order, you have to draw another one from the pile. Getting the correct timeline becomes more difficult as cards are played out. I’m not much of a history buff, but I’ll admit I’m intrigued with this game. I feel like depending on the cards in your hand it could be really easy or really difficult. For example, one of the cards is “Fall of the Berlin Wall” and another card is “The invention of Chinese Calligraphy”. I plan on trying this game out with some of my history buff friends soon.

Mini Game, Bus: Transit Demands It– Now this game is the most intriguing to me- the size of the game is smaller than a stack of gum, but inside there are 30 road cards that create a fairly engaging game when spread out. Created by a company called Perplext, Bus focused on players navigating b
us routes based on randomly laid out roads. After the road is created, each player then chooses what they think is the most efficient route to pick up passengers without driving too far to earn points. The fact that I can fit the game in my pocket is certainly appealing. I plan on taking this game on road trips in the future.

Overall I have enjoyed both boxes that I received from Tabletop Monthly. I like the games from the Family box more, but the expansions and accessories from the Hardcore box are cool value-adds to the box. I think that you can enjoy subscribing to both depending on your preferences with games. Ultimately it’s a fun way to increase your game collection without breaking the bank, as well as potentially being a good gift idea for board game enthusiast friends.

Board Game of the Week- Castles of Mad King Ludwig

Posted on January 4, 2016 by godirectlytogaming

Before I start my first post of 2016, a quick note to all of my followers and readers out there- thanks so much for all of your support as I’ve started my blogging adventures in 2015. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, and I hope you all have too. 2016 has a lot of great stuff in store and I will continue to write and learn, so I hope even better things await in the upcoming months. For everyone reading this, I hope you have an amazing year and the future is bright for you. Now let’s get to it!

Game Title: Castles of Mad King Ludwig

Release Date: 2014
Number of Players: 1-4
Average Game Time: 45-90 minutes (my games all lasted about 45 minutes)
Game Publisher: Bezier Games
Website: http://beziergames.com/collections/all-games/products/castles
Game Designer: Ted Alspach
Expansions/Alternates: Yes
Available in Stores: No (available online)

I was lucky enough to receive a number of board games over the holidays, so I have a lot of great material to write about over the next few weeks. One of the gems of my new board game collection is the Bezier Games castle-building game Castles of Mad King Ludwig. For those of you who enjoy random historical tidbits, King Ludwig was actually a real king of Bavaria in the 1800’s who was known for spending ridiculous amounts of money on extravagant castles and construction projects. His penchant for spending money ultimately was used as justification for declaring him insane by his cabinet in an effort to depose him. In Castles of Mad King Ludwig, you channel your inner architect and try to appease the Mad King by building the most impressive castle possible.

Looks pretty mad to me…

The object of the game is to score as many points as possible based on the rooms you play, along with special bonus points from completing certain tasks and gaining the King’s favor. The game setup is that every round, cards from the Room Deck are drawn to determine what size rooms will be played for the round. These room tiles, with varying points and effects for each, are placed in a “bidding” area with different cash values associated with them. One player in the round is the “Master Builder”, who chooses where each room goes in the bidding area which determines how much it will cost for that round. Next, the player to the Master Builder’s left buys any of the rooms he/she wants and pays the Master Builder for the cost, then plays the rooms in his/her castle area. Each room has a different effect after it is played, which can get you more money, points, or bonus cards that have different effects. Play continues to the next player on the left, until it is the Master Builder’s turn. The Master Builder then can buy whatever rooms are left (if there are any) by paying the bank. Once the Master Builder finishes his/her turn, the person to the left becomes Master Builder for the next round. Once all of the Room Deck cards have been used up, the game is over and points are calculated.

I must admit that when I first opened the box to this game, I was fairly overwhelmed at the sheer amount of pieces involved. In addition to all of the different rooms that are available, there are two sets of cards, 24 favor tiles, a Master Builder token, player aids and markers, 4 separate pieces to form the board, and 4 foyers which act as the starting point to your rooms. The first time you play the game, expect to take a very long time organizing and setting everything up (once you’ve played the game a few times it gets a lot faster). Because of how many pieces are involved, make sure that you have a lot of space available to play, especially if you have four players.

The rules of the game are fairly straightforward, though it does take a few rounds to understand the strategy of playing certain rooms in certain areas. Ultimately you can play any room pretty much anywhere you want as long as there is an entrance from another room and no rooms overlap, but you get added bonuses for having certain types of rooms adjacent to other types (bedrooms next to a hallway, living rooms next to food rooms, etc.). I once had a castle which had a Sauna attached to the Master Bedroom, while my girlfriend’s castle didn’t have a single place to sleep by the end of the game. Ultimately the structure of the castle doesn’t really have to make sense, though the more you follow a straightforward placement of rooms the easier it is to add on to your castle in the later rounds.

I thoroughly enjoyed playing this game- the style feels like a mesh of games like Ticket to Ride, Settlers of Catan, and 7 Wonders, while also adding in new elements to it. I’ve played the game three times with two players and once with three, and there were major differences between those two game types and the strategy you need to use to win. I would like to try it with four players soon, as I’ve heard that it is the recommended way to play. Every game you play will end up differently, since there are more room tiles than room cards so you will have a different set of rooms available to you at different times each game. The types of rooms available are fun to look at, and seeing what you’ve built when the game is over is a lot of fun (my sister and her fiancé actually recommended we use it as a D&D Dungeon randomizer). The complexity of the setup and initial mastery of the rules does take some time, but once you get the hang of it games go by quickly and are great to play. I would recommend the game to more advanced board game enthusiasts as opposed to the casual player, but all types of people will enjoy the thrill of the game’s mechanics and theme.

Jack’s Rating: 4/5 stars

A Blast from the Past

Posted on December 24, 2015 by godirectlytogaming

This Christmas vacation, like the ones before it, has had a lot of fun surprises in store for me once I drove up to see my family. I’ve been to a cool Pittsburgh museum, had lunch at a church converted into a restaurant, saw a University of Pitt basketball game, and have gotten some much needed R&R in the process. One of the coolest surprises, however, came in the form of a large box my Grandfather handed to me my first day in PA. This box contained a large number of games for me to add to my collection.

For some background on this: my Grandpa recently sold his condo in Florida and was working hard packing everything up to take to his house in PA for Christmas. A lot of unneeded items were donated, and unusable ones were discarded, but he was always keeping an eye out for useful things he could give his relatives. He also was aware that I write this blog, so one day in November he called me up and asked if I had any use for his old board games. As I’ve discussed before in my post about old school vs. new school games, I have always enjoyed older games and like the idea of owning originals of some of the more popular ones. Remembering that I used to play original versions of Monopoly and the Game of Life at his condo when I was young, I told him that I would be happy to take those games off of his hands.

Fast forward to the present, and the box I was given was much larger and heavier than I originally expected. I open it up and to my surprise, it’s a large stack of older and newer games in all shapes and sizes! Grandpa gave me over a dozen different games, including some staples of the gaming industry as well as some games from my childhood. I’ve been delving into the games periodically throughout the trip and have found some gems, including but not limited to:

An original copy of Monopoly
An original copy of The Game of Life
An original copy of Battleship
An original copy of Parcheesi
Block-building games such as Blockhead!, Ta-Ka-Radi tiles, and Lincoln Logs
Slightly newer games like Hoopla and Tiddley Winks
Games I don’t remember and haven’t seen before, but am looking forward to trying out!

I’ve already gotten a chance to play a few rounds of Battleship with my sister’s fiancée, and plan on trying out some more along with newer additions to my collection the rest of the week. Needless to say, I’m extremely thankful to have such a kind-hearted Grandpa, and I can’t wait to put these games to good use!

Top 10 Board Games as Last Minute Christmas Gifts

Posted on December 22, 2015 by godirectlytogaming

We’ve all been there at some point in our lives; it’s the week of Christmas, the holidays are in the air, and you’re trying not to panic because you still don’t have all of your Christmas gifts figured out. Whether it’s a Secret Santa gift you’re not sure about, or a close friend or family member who is particularly difficult to give gifts to, you’ll sometimes find yourself scrambling for something to wrap up and give out on the 25^th. As someone who has a tendency to pick up gifts last-minute, I’ve gotten used to going to a store with a vague idea about what to buy som Christmas Shopping its over its done eone but not knowing for sure until I actually see it. This year was the first year in a long time when most of my Christmas shopping was done well
beforehand, so I am on the outside looking in to the hectic last-minute rush, but I can honestly say I’ve felt your pain. So, in order to help with your struggles, I’ve compiled a list of some fun and simple board game gifts that you can find easily in stores this week!

Now obviously, board games are not the perfect gift for everybody. There are plenty of people out there who, for some reason, don’t enjoy board games as much as me. But for nieces and nephews who enjoy playing kids games or for older friends who like to host an occasional game night, there are some great options out there for you to find. Below I’ve listed my top ten Christmas gift games you can find in stores this week:

Apples to Apples– Apples to Apples is a great family and/or party game, and luckily enough it’s still around in stores pretty much everywhere you look. The game focuses around choosing the noun card that best fits a card picked by the judge. Fun and easy to play, it’s relatively cheap and popular among friends.
Clue– The mystery-based board game has gone through some changes since it was first created, but at its core it’s still the same game we all played as a kid. A popular game for youn
ger audiences, I’ve used it for the occasional game night too so it’s not completely outdated for older groups. Make sure that the person you get this for doesn’t already have the game before you buy it for them!
Headbanz– The new version of an old game, Headbanz takes “Who Am I” and simplifies it for younger audiences. This game is fairly popular now and can be found in stores like Walmart, Target, and Toys R Us.
King of Tokyo– I found this game at Target when I bought it, and its popularity hasn’t waned since so it is definitely available in a number of different places. A topic of my most recent blog post, King of Tokyo is a dice rolling game that is perfect for all kinds of gamers.
Pandemic– Pandemic is a very popular cooperative game currently on the market, so it can be found pretty much anywhere you look. It is slightly more complicated than the average game, but is a good purchase for people who like to have friends over on a regular basis and would be interested in trying something new.
Quiddler– A less known game created by the designer of the card game Set, Quiddler is not the most common of games but I’ve seen it in department stores and most frequently in Toys R Us. The game revolves around spelling out words with letter cards and trying to use up as many
cards in your hand as possible. Good for kids as it helps with critical thinking and mental acuity.
Qwirkle– The colorful mix and match game, Qwirkle focuses on matching shapes and colors to form groups and earn points. A good game for younger audiences, but also has appeal to older groups. The game is a bit older than some of the others so it might not be in every store, but it’s considered a staple of the board game industry and shouldn’t be too hard to find.
Settlers of Catan– It’s fairly self-explanatory as to why this game is on the list. Settlers is considered one of the most important board games in the industry’s growth and is a heck of a lot of fun to play. If you know someone that doesn’t have a copy of this game, go to any store and you’ll be able to buy it for them (along with many of its expansions).
Sorry!– A game that brings back memories for me, Sorry has been a popular game for a while. Based on moving four pieces around the board, the trick is to avoid getting your pieces knocked off by other players as you race towards the finish. While the original is probably hard to track down, the newer version of the game is available in most stores.
Ticket to Ride– The ever-popular railroad expansion game is pretty pricey in comparison to others on this list, but is worth it if your friend or family member hasn’t played the game or doesn’t have a copy. The game focuses around building rail tracks from city to city, and can be found in all of the major stores without any difficulty.

This list isn’t all-exhaustive, and is more meant to prove the over-arching point that board games can be a good last minute gift for anyone on your list this year. Walking around a game section of a department store is a good way to find something that fits a person’s personality and offers a fun and interesting gift idea for a number of different audiences. To those of you who still have gifts to buy, good luck, and enjoy your holiday rush!

Board Game of the Week- King of Tokyo

Posted on December 18, 2015 by godirectlytogaming

Game Title: King of Tokyo
Release Date: 2011
Number of Players: 2-6
Average Game Time: 30 minutes
Game Publisher: Iello
Website: iellogames.com/KingOfTokyo.html
Game Designer: Richard Garfield
Expansions/Alternates: Yes
Available in Stores: Yes

I once read an article that discussed the idea that a number of successful games are usually centered on themes that aren’t particularly interesting in real life. There is some truth to that: games like Settlers of Catan, Monopoly, etc. all have fairly straightforward concepts based around tasks or stories that are mundane and unimpressive outside of the board game realm. King of Tokyo takes this idea, smashes it into the ground, and sets it on fire while laughing gleefully.
The theme of King of Tokyo is this: you are a giant monster trying your best to infiltrate and destroy Tokyo all while undermining the other monsters trying to do the same thing, ultimately powering your way to the top and earning the title of the King of Tokyo. Sounds simple enough right? In reality, the game is a predominately dice-rolling game with intense amounts of strategy and some power-up cards sprinkled in for extra fun. The game starts off with everyone at 0 victory points and 10 health. The object of the game is to gain 20 victory points all while keeping your health from dropping to 0. You can victory points by rolling the dice, paying for victory point cards, and surviving inside Tokyo where you’re more likely to be attacked.

The dice rolling mechanic is very similar to Yahtzee- you have 6 custom dice which you roll all at one time, then get two additional dice rolls where you can choose to pick up and roll any of the dice you had thrown previously. After you’re done with your three rolls, you immediately “resolve the dice” by taking any necessary actions that come about from the dice you’v
e rolled. Each die has 6 numbers/markings on it, and the goal of your dice rolls is to either match up the same number together to earn victory points, stockpile health/energy, or attack your opponents. After the dice have been resolved, you can buy any of the face-up cards to power up your monster and then use any effects from cards you want, and then your turn ends.

Ultimately this game is a lot of fun- there is a lot of strategy revolving around spending your time in or outside of Tokyo. Staying in Tokyo gets you victory points, but also means you are a target for opponents to attack you. You can only stay in Tokyo when you have 5 health, so stockpiling health and energy is important. The cards bring an additional layer to it, and while the game can take some time getting the hang of it’s a lot less complicated than it originally looks. I particularly like the strategy of the dice roll, where you have to decide what to focus on during a particular turn. Choosing between victory points, health, energy, and hurting your opponents can be the difference between progress and defeat. Artistically the game is also very appealing, with six individual monsters that all look really cool (they somehow find a way to make mecha-bunny particularly impressive) and the cards each have a unique cartoon picture that makes the game engaging to the eye. I would have liked to see each monster have their own special ability to make your choice of character more important to the overall strategy, but even without that there are plenty of different paths you can take to claim the title of King.

This game is suited for people of all ages and groups of all sizes- Iello really knocked it out of the park on this one. Plus, giant fictional monsters fighting each other in a large populated city should always be enjoyed no matter what the context.

Jack’s Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Tabletop Monthly, Hardcore Subscription

Posted on December 16, 2015 by godirectlytogaming

As mentioned in a previous post, I recently received two subscriptions from the company Tabletop Monthly with some cool board game goodies and nerdy accessories. I’ve been looking forward to diving into them for some time, and this week I’ve finally had some time to check them out in more detail. I focused on the “Hardcore” box set, with the more competitive and complex games as opposed to the “Family” subscription. Here are the items I received in this month’s box:

Board Game, Car Wars- A Steve Jackson Games creation based on gladiator style automobile combat, Car Wars is highly focused on dice rolling and maneuvering vehicles around a track. The game is highly customizable and complex, with a comprehensive rulebook and a number of different types of vehicles and weapons. Games can be played either in a single duel format or a multi-session campaign style, depending on preference. Average price is around $16, so it is a majority of the value in this box set.

Expansion Pack, Star Wars E-Wing– One of the more popular competitive games on the market, the Star Wars Miniatures game is a war game with a number of expansions available. I currently don’t own the core game for this expansion, but it is on my wish list so this is a good opportunity to start my collection of miniatures. The E-Wing miniature is worth about $10 and is helpful add-on to what looks like a cool game.

Heroes of the Storm mystery mini- This was the one extra in the box I didn’t have any information on, but it looks like Heroes of the Storm is a miniatures set created by Blizzard Gear which has a number of different cute minis for collection. I got the Clear Variant mini character Nova, from the StarCraft set. A cute little addition as part of another “collect them all” series, I personally won’t have a strong urge to collect more but still think it’s pretty cool. Each miniature is part of a random draw, and cost about $10 per mini.

So now that I’ve given a rundown of the items in the box, here are some of my thoughts on the box and its contents:

The contents of the box are worth close to what you’d pay for them normally, with a slight discount overall (shipping is not included in this pricing breakdown). Ultimately you’re not saving an insane amount of money with this subscription, but they do provide you with a fairly good deal. I’m sure the totals will vary slightly from month to month, but it looks like the boxes will be worth the $30 subscription for the items you receive monthly.
The mystery of the box is part of the charm of the subscription, but you might have to be prepared for getting one or two items here and there that you simply won’t use. Still, of the 3 items I received I plan on using two of them quite regularly, so there’s definite value there. There is also a chance for receiving something that you already have of course- this is more likely to occur with people who have large gaming collections, but it could happen to the casual gamer as well depending on the situation.
I would definitely recommend finding the right box for you early, because not everyone would want to play the hardcore games and not everyone would want to play the family games. There will be some people who would like the idea of getting both boxes, and that is certainly an option. However, you would be paying $60 a month so depending on how much you budget out for board games a month you may have to pick your preference.

Overall I was quite happy with the mystery box I received for “Hardcore” games- I will be reviewing the “Family” subscription later this week, and am hoping to have the same results!

The Boardwalk Games

It's not just Monopoly anymore.

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