Dice, the final frontier: Alien Frontiers review

Do you like euro-style worker placement games, but still crave the satisfying feeling of rolling a pile of chunky dice? Enjoy area control on a richly themed planetary battlefield? Keen on a kickstarted boardgame that doesn't totally suck? Alien Frontiers, a novel take on space-themed worked placement might be right up your orbit.

What's in a game: How I look critically at boardgames

As a first non-review post, I'd like to talk a bit about the ways I look critically at games for determining who, if anyone, would like to play them. For anyone who owns or plays a decent number of games, it's good to have useful and consistent ways of analysing a game's qualities. This is especially important if you are often in the position of recommending and leading the adoption of new games in a gaming group. And if you're just an occasional player, it still helps to be able to articulate what you love about your favourite games - the better to assist your friends in helping you find great new games you'll enjoy even more.

Race around the worlds: Race for the Galaxy review

There are any number of space games where you get to explore, conquer planets and trade various alien bits for fun and profit. But how many of them come in the form of a single deck of cards and provide an exciting 4 player game you can finish over a lunch break?  This compact package promises all this, capturing the core feeling of sci-fi strategy gameplay without the weighty complexity, playtime and table footprint of heavier 4X games like Eclipse or the mighty Twilight Imperium. Set a course for Rave Planet as we warp into Race for the Galaxy.

Gladiatorial Go: Tash-Kalar: Arena of Legends Review

Tash-Kalar: Arena of Legends
Designer: Vlaada Chvatil
Publisher: Czech Games Edition / Z-Man games
Players: 2-4

Tash-Kalar is an abstract strategy game from Czech designer Vlaada Chvatil, who's previous works include such varied titles as Space Alert, Mage Knight: The Boardgame, Dungeon Lords and more. And in true Vlaada style, this first foray into the realm of abstract strategy is a unique and hugely enjoyable take on a genre that can often lean towards dry and unengaging.

It's a wonder there's no pun in this title: 7 Wonders review (plus expansions)

The ancients are renowned for their great achievements. Inspired architecture. Mighty armies. Scientific glories. Impressive statuary. 7 Wonders puts you in the sandals of a great ancient society and lets you draft your way to cultural supremacy. Decide how to develop your city, trade and war with your neighbours, and raise giant wonders that definitely aren't overcompensating for something. Make the right choices and become a dominant empire, or be consigned to the footnotes of the history books.

Crowdfunding to buy a vowel: Paperback review (advance print & play version)

After being away on a holiday with more beaches than boardgames, I'm getting back into the swing of things with a preview of a card game due for release in the next few months. The kickstarter for Paperback: A Novel Deckbuilding Game was funded a few months ago and is due to ship in January, and backers were provided with print & play files to get playing right away (a thoughtful addition, especially given Kickstarter projects deserved reputation for delays). Paperback is a word building game like Scrabble, but folded into a deckbuilder format like Dominion. Those two things might sound weirdly incompatible, but despite some hiccups Paperback manages to blend them more smoothly than might be expected. This version is lacking only the colour cards and art, the rules are the same as the forthcoming commercial version.

Ragnarok around the clock: Yggdrasil review (iOS Version)

Yggdrasil
Designer: Cédric Lefebvre / Fabrice Rabellino
Published by: Z-Man Games
Players: 1-6
Yggdrasil for iPad on the App Store


Yggdrasil is a cooperative game where players race against time to fend off monsters of Norse mythology and avert Ragnarok. Taking the role of one of a pantheon of gods, each player takes turns raising armies of vikings, forging magical weapons and battling the evil gods. Loki the trickster leads the charge, with great mythical beasts such as Fenrir the wolf and Jormungandr the world serpent joining the fight to destroy the gods and their works. If you hold the line long enough, you all win collectively. Allow too many enemies to advance too far, and you all lose as the cosmos falls to ruin and darkness. Great job.