Game Nite magazine issue 21

Game Nite

Free

the magazine of tabletop gaming

February 2018

Luke Peterschmidt game designer

v

Issue # 21

Board game photography pt. 2

New Feature:

Abstract Games

In this issue: 30

Interview Luke Peterschmidt Game Designer

mobile Review

game Reviews 20

24

Ancestree

Eric Lang Tile Game.

Exodus Fleet

Planetary Engine Builder.

06

7 Wonders For Android and iOS

36

Tak

10

Axio: Octa

40

Mistborn: House War

46

Expedition: RPG Card Game

Knizia’s Latest Offering

Game Photography 14

An Overview

Index of Past Interviews

Review index 56

RPG + App + Cards.

top 10 04

Interview Gallery 52

Negotiating Houses.

Part Two: The Subject

abstract games 50

A Beautiful Game.

Back Issue Index

My Top 10 Two Player Games

Calendar 63

March 2018

Contributors 55

Game Nite Contributors

Š Game Nite 2018. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced without the written permission of the publisher.

All information contained in this magazine is for educational purposes only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of release. Readers are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers with regard to the price of their products. All material remains the property of its respective creators. Opinions expressed by the writers are their opinions alone and may not reflect the opinions of Game Nite. Disclaimer: Game Nite receives review copies of games, but does not accept payment for reviews.

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Game Nite Issue #21

From across the table

Game Nite ISSUE # 21

S

eemingly lost amongst the hype of the “Cult of the New” and a steady stream of Kickstarter games has been the proliferation of many quality Abstract Games. Specialized publishers such as Nestorgames, as well as more mainstream publishers such as Cheapass Games have been introducing games that are aesthetically pleasing and have deep strategic depth. I consider Abstract Games to be “pure” games - stripped of themes and other “non-essentials,” these games offer a rewarding gaming experience, due only to the brilliance of their design and often attractive components. I am happy to announce that Tom M Franklin will be contributing a monthly column devoted to this segment of the gaming world.

You can look forward to the coverage of many interesting titles, including the Gipf Project. In this issue Tom provides his introductory thoughts on the subject, as well as providing a review of “Tak”.

Cover Photograph by Serge Pierro.

Ancestree © Calliope Games

Editor in Chief/Publisher: Serge Pierro

Editor:

This month I continue my series on Board Game Photography, this time discussing the process of choosing the Subject Matter for a game and determining the “essence” of a game.

My top 10 list for the month is for games dedicated to two players that are not Chess, Go, Shogi, Scrabble or Backgammon.

The March calendar features “Hansa Teutonica” and provides the release date for issue #22.

Eric Devlin Writers:

Photographers:

Tom Franklin Serge Pierro Tom Franklin Jeff Rhind Jeff Rhind

Special thanks to Luke Peterschmidt for taking time from his busy schedule to share his thoughts with our readers.

If you are interested in contributing to Game Nite, feel free to contact us, as we’d love to hear from you!

Follow us on Facebook:

www.facebook.com/GameNiteMagazine Visit us at:

Serge Pierro

www.gamenitemagazine.com Follow us on Instagram:

Editor in Chief/Publisher

@gamenitemagazine

editor@gamenitemagazine.com

Follow us on Twitter:

@GameNiteMag

Game Nite Issue #21

03

Top 10 -

1

Two Player Games

7 Wonders Duel Asmodee

Designer: Antoine Bauza & Bruno Cathala

2

Antike Duellum Rio Grande Games Designer: Mac Gerdts

3

Tzaar Rio Grande Games Designer: Kris Burm

4

Hive Gen42 Games

Designer: John Yianni

5

Lost Cities Rio Grande Games Designer: Reiner Knizia

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Game Nite Issue #21

By Serge Pierro

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Targi Z-Man Games

Designer: Andreas Steiger

7

Hera and Zeus Rio Grande Games Designer: Richard Borg

8

Onitama Arcane Wonders Designer: Shimpei Sato

9

Santorini Roxley Games Designer: Gordon Hamilton

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Schotten Totten Iello Designer: Reiner Knizia Game Nite Issue #21

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Mobile Review

By Serge Pierro

7 Wonders for Android and iOS

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hile a steady stream of top notch games have recently been brought over to mobile app platforms, there has been one game that has been on everyone’s mind for quite some time. Fret no more, Antoine Bauza’s award winning game 7 Wonders has finally been released and is now available for both iOS and Android. Let’s see what the years of development have yielded and if it lives up to everyone’s lofty expectations.

When you first boot up 7 Wonders you are greeted with the beautiful Miguel Coimbra artwork from the board game’s box top, as well as a “computing data” message as it loads. Unfortunately, after this screen loads there is a drop in the quality of the in-game graphics, as the screens that follow are dull. After the initial screen loads there is a screen that offers to either play, take the tutorial or adjust the settings.

The tutorial is taught by “Nefeteri” and does a decent job of explaining the concepts of the game. Again, the graphics are sparse at best, as the word balloon is in the center of the screen and the rest of the screen has a grayed out graphic.

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The settings menu is fairly basic. You have control over the language (German, English or French), Audio (Music and/or Effects on/off) and an In Game setting for Action Validation.

The new game screen offers: Offline vs AI play, Online Play and number of players (3-7). There are also placeholders for the Leaders and Cities expansions.

After selecting the “Play AI” option you are taken to a “Start Game” page that shows each of the players and their starting Wonder.

Game play is simple. You are basically just going to drag you card choice to the center of the screen and it is added to your tableau. One of the nicer design elements on this screen is the use of red, yellow and green outlines around the cards. Red signifies that the card is unplayable. Yellow indicates that you have to pay an opponent “X” money to purchase the resources necessary to play the card, as well as how much needs to be spent and green means that the card is playable using your own resources.

Should you need to buy resources from an opponent, you are given a display of your options with your two opponents and you can choose who will receive your money for their goods.

Play continues until all three rounds are completed and then the final score is shown and each category of scoring is broken down.

While I’ve stated my disappointment in the lackluster When cards are played they are resized/cropped and only graphics, the actual gameplay is excellent, fast and fairly indicate what resources or other pertinent information intuitive. If you’ve ever played the actual board game, is available. The artwork of the card is reduced to a small you are in for treat. Perhaps the most surprising thing thumbnail along the left edge of the cropped image. is just how fast the game plays. Without the inevitable analysis paralysis of someone at the table, the drafting After the round of drafting is over there is a Military goes by extremely quick… so much so that after the first check in which the strength of your Military is game I said, “…huh… it’s over already?” For players compared to the opponents on your left and right and the appropriate amount of points are scored, and the next round of drafting begins.

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Mobile Review

(Cont.)

who enjoy 7 Wonders (and I am one of them), this app is going to provide a ton of entertainment. It is great to be able to play through complete games in “no time at all” and then quickly start another game. If you are looking to better prepare yourself for over the board play, this will provide a suitable partner in which you can try multiple drafting strategies and start to get an idea of the game’s “rhythm” and a better understanding of strategies to pursue based on your initial hand.

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Was the game worth the wait? Absolutely! Unlike other board game apps that require a “large” investment of time to complete the game, 7 Wonders offers a competitive game that can be easily be finished in minutes. This is perfect for situations where you have a yearning to play a game and yet only have a couple of minutes to spare.

This is a very welcome addition to my library of apps on my tablet and I’m looking forward to seeing how the expansions are implemented in the current environment.

For gamers who enjoy fast fillers, drafting games or if you’re just a fan of 7 Wonders, this is an app that you’ll definitely want to add to your device.

Version # Price: Devices:

Developer:

1.1 $4.99 Android and iOS Repos Production

Recommended www.rprod.com

Game Nite Issue #21

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Mobile Review

By Serge Pierro

Reiner Knizia’s Axio Octa

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hile When it comes to being a prolific game designer, Reiner Knizia stands heads and shoulders above all the rest. His classic board games and card games are “must haves” in a serious gamer’s collection. So, it should come as no surprise that the good doctor has ventured into the world of mobile platform apps, this time releasing a new, yet familiar game, Axio Octa. Those who follow the industry closely will know about the recent problems related to the Ingenious trademark and Knizia has decided to “tweak” the “Ingenious” line of games and promote them under the auspices of Axio. Axio Octa is the first release in this new direction and fans of “Ingenious” will certainly want to check it out.

When you load the app you are brought to the menu screen which contains: Play, Online, Help, Tutorial, Achievements and Settings.

The Play screen offers the choice of playing up to four opponents. Each opponent has a gold symbol next to it indicating the AI’s level of difficulty. You are also presented with the option of playing either a Team Game or the Solo Game.

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The Help screen has a manual available for reference and could prove to be valuable for someone who hasn’t played the game before, as this and the tutorial will provide a solid understanding of the game.

The Tutorial does a decent job of presenting how to play the game. For players who are unfamiliar with Ingenious, this would be a good place to start. Veteran Ingenious players won’t need to take the tutorial, but it does serve as a nice refresher, especially considering that this is a “new version” of the game, as it is based on octagons instead of hexagons.

The Achievement screen has various goals to pursue.

For example: “Win against AI” (Win against every AI).

The Online screen is self-explanatory.

The Settings screen offers Right Handed, Show Help, Animations, Music and Sound Effect options.

The main screen features the board, your tiles and boxes that display each player’s running score for each of the color tiles. To place a tile you drag it from your reserve onto the board. You are then presented with three options, represented by icons. The main option is

to rotate the tile to the position you want. Then there is an icon to confirm you placement after you have moved and rotated the tile. The last option is an “X” to cancel your move and return the tile back to its initial area. The one problem with this system is that it is easy to drag the tile onto the board and have it get “lost” amongst the other tile, as there is no collision detection programed into the interface, so it is possible to have the tile initially placed on top of another tile. Another problem is that the “X” cancellation icon is right next to the confirmation icon and can be inadvertently hit, thus forcing you to restart your turn. With all of the real estate available on the screen, I’m not sure how this got by the production team. At times it was problematic to move the small tile to the position you wanted.

Other than the aforementioned UI quirks, the game play is smooth and accessible. The various AI proved to be decent opponents and the highest level AI did a fine job of blocking out potential scoring opportunities towards the end of the game.

When the game ends each player receives a ribbon and this is displayed in an overlay above the main board.

The player areas are still unobstructed and you can see how you did with the various tiles and compare your results with your opponents.

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Mobile Review

(Cont.)

The gameplay is engaging, and like many of Knizia’s designs, deep in strategic possibilities. However, there are some players who might be turned off by the “cute� graphics of the players and opponents. And while the graphics fit well with the overall graphic design, it would have been nicer to have had a wider range of avatars to choose from. Of course this is a minor complaint.

Overall this is a fine addition to the mobile platform and one that will appeal to both gamers and those who enjoy games that make you think. Needless to say that if

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you are a fan of Ingenious then this is a game that you are definitely going to want to add to your device, especially since Ingenious is no longer available. The addition of Achievements will give players something to strive for along the way and the games are quick enough that they can be played while waiting for a cup of tea to steep. Of course the classic Knizia scoring method of the winning score being the player with the highest low score is as always a fun challenge. This is another fine offering from Dr. Knizia and it should prove to be just as succesful as the original Ingenious.

Version # Price: Devices:

Developer:

1.3.0 $3.99 Android and iOS Brettspielwelt

Recommended www.brettspielwelt.de

Game Nite Issue #21

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Photography

By Serge Pierro

Board Game Photography: Pt. 2 Subject

L

ast issue we had an overview of my thoughts on Board Game Photography. With the second part of the series, we will start to break down the finer aspects of the thought process, this time focusing on: The Subject.

What is the essence of a game? If you were to strip a game down to only a couple of components, would you still be able to identify the game? Are there certain components that are immediately recognizable to the point where the rest of the game doesn’t even have to appear? To answer the last question, I think that it’s safe Perhaps the most important part of taking a photograph to say that if we saw a Knight from a Chess set, we would is deciding on what to actually take a photograph of. It is immediately know that the game was Chess. And while fascinating to see the work of a professional photographer that could be considered an oversimplification on the when they work with a common subject matter, such as matter of Subject, it does contain the essential element…

The Eiffel Tower. Over the years millions of people have What makes a specific game… a specific game? taken photos of The Eiffel Tower and yet somehow the professional photographer “saw” it differently than all While the other parts of the series are going to be more of the others. We will be covering this more in depth technical and more photography focused, this article is when we focus on “Composition”, but the fact of the an important one and seems to be often neglected by matter is, the professional often knows what he wants aspiring Board Game Photographers. I see many photos to photograph - before pressing the shutter. They will on Instagram and within many of the groups on Facebook scout a location, reposition themselves for the best where photographers cram every single component into lighting and angle and spend time contemplating their the photo and we are left with a “busy” photo that lacks composition. Too often photographers don’t think a specific “focus” and doesn’t capture the essence of the ahead of time what they are trying to accomplish and game or please the eye. So for this article I’m going to as a result are “happy” to capture a mundane shot that critique some of my previous works so that you can get misses the mark. As a professional guitarist, when I’m an idea of how I approach a chosen game and perhaps improvising I hear the notes and chords in my head inspire you to come up with your own approach! before they are played and then I attempt to play them.

As a photographer you would like to look at a Subject APPROACH TO 1901 and start to consider what is the “essence” of what you are looking at or what would be the best way to Last issue we used New York 1901 as the basis for our compose the shot. How can you make the shot “you”, overview. Let’s revisit that again and explore the thought as compared to just another generic photo. process that went into choosing what was chosen.

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New York 1901 features gorgeous Vincent Dutrait artwork, Worker miniatures, Building miniatures, geometrical Skyscraper tiles, a board, cards and a box.

There are several approaches that can be taken here.

One would be something that highlights the beautiful Vincent Dutrait artwork. This could either be the cards, the board or the box.

Another would be the actual gameplay. There could be an in-game shot of the Skyscraper tiles on the board along with the Workers and/or Building miniatures.

The approach that I used was to emphasis the Workers.

To do this I chose to focus on 1 Worker. There was no need to include more than one, as this would only compete with and distract from the subject at hand.

However, should you choose to have more than one of the same object in a photograph, try to have an odd number of them. Even numbers are less pleasing to the eye. Note that there are 3 Building miniatures in the background… not 2 or 4!

Why the Worker? I felt that the Worker was the most interesting component of the game, with the Building miniatures and Skyscraper tiles coming in second and third. This is an important consideration for when you are choosing your subject matter for the shot. What appeals to you most? What would appeal to your audience most? What do you consider to be the most interesting element of the game?

Having chosen the Worker as the Subject the next thing to consider was what to use to support the subject.

The obvious choice was the board to the game. The less obvious choice was what part of the board to use.

Last issue we showed the differences between a “good” section of the board and a “bad” section of the board.

Along these lines it seemed appropriate, both for the game, and for the composition, to include the Building miniatures.

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Photography (Cont.)

Having said that, let’s take a look at what I didn’t choose to use and why. Although Vincent Dutrait is one of my favorite board game artists, most of his artwork was on the board, the box and the cards. All of these tend to lie flat and thus wouldn’t really work well for what I had in mind. I know that there is a segment of Board Game Photographers who like to include the box in their shots. This can often be effective, but you have to account for what type of lenses you have available and if you can capture enough of the main subject without it getting lost in the shot. However, if I had decided to use the cards and board as the focus, then I would have chosen a composition that used the board and cards with an overhead shot so as to highlight both of these components. A different choice of components will usually indicate a different shooting angle, as well as different approach to the lighting.

Having chosen the components I wanted to use, it was time to move onto the actual composition for the image.

We will dig deeper into that in a later installment. The main thing at this point is that I had my focus (the Worker) and my support (the board and Building minis). I felt that this was enough to capture the essence of the game. If someone was already familiar with the game, they could look at the photo and understand what it represented. If someone was unfamiliar with the game, hopefully the photo would pique their interest or hopefully just enjoy the photo for what it was.

APPROACH TO TRAJAN

mechanic in the game. And while a standard overhead shot would have probably sufficed to show the Mancala and the associated real-estate on the player board, I decided that the “Arch” was a component that could provide an interesting point of focus. So with that in mind it became clear that an overhead shot would not work, as the “Arch” would lose its sense of form.

Sometimes there is a game that has a lot going on. Such is the case with Trajan by Stefan Feld. With its multiple So I decided to have a shot that would show the Arch “mini-games” on the main board and everyone having at an “interesting” angle, as well as show off the grain of their own player board, there are many possibilities to the wood. With this in mind, I went with a closeup shot. choose from.

Next I needed to figure out what I wanted or not wanted to include in the photo. I felt that the inclusion of the For this shot I decided to focus on the player board, Action Markers would add both color and depth to the since the Mancala mechanism is the most innovative composition and I positioned them on the Mancala in a

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way that would allow the reader to still see the majority of the Actions available on the board. It is easy to focus on your subject matter and forget about its relationship to the other elements in the photo. Take time to look at how all of the components are positioned.

Looking at the shot now, I’m sure I would have not used the yellow or orange Action Markers next to each other in the Mancala trays. It works in the front one, as our eyes are drawn to the center of the photo and the Arch, but in the central tray the colors are tonally too close to each. By analyzing our previous work, we are able to learn and improve.

The last component choice was the inclusion of the Forum Tile. I only wanted to feature one of them so that the viewer could see that the tile is placed onto a specific space on the board. I felt that this arrangement of components was sufficient for capturing the essence of Trajan.

APPROACH TO CARD GAMES Although I will cover this more during the installment on Composition, I feel that the hardest Subject to photograph is a card game. The obvious reason being that all you have are cards. And cards are both flat and boring, from the standpoint of choosing a Subject and Composition. However, if you have to shoot a card game, the same principles apply. Let’s take a look at a couple of approaches.

It should come as no surprise that choosing the cards with the best artwork should be a priority. As far as the cards themselves go, you have a front and a back and it is worth considering doing a shot that features both, if both sides of the card are aesthetically pleasing. If the game should include some tokens or other components, it is worth considering adding them to the shot.

ION Matryoshka Pairs Stones of Fate Cuisine a la Card

Having shot many card games displayed at an angle, I experimented with ION by shooting them splayed in a vertical column. The game is based on chemistry and I included one of each of the cards so that the viewer would get an idea of what the game was about. The top card “Gold” was chosen for the fact that it was Gold and that it had a nice illustration.

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Photography (Cont.)

For Matryoshka, I decided to feature the fronts and a back, as this provided all of the artwork within the game and the back was just as interesting as the fronts.

The Pairs shot was built around the concept of it being a “Pub game�, so I included a bowl of pretzels and the tuck box. While the cards are clearly the Subject of the photo, the addition of the box and pretzels help to give the shot more atmosphere and interest. The inclusion of props is another thing to consider when planning a shot.

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Stones of Fate uses one card to be the Subject of the shot and it is supported by the face down cards around it and the glass bead components. Since the game uses a hidden/ memory mechanism, the back of the cards are just as important as the front, as players will be seeing the backs more often than the fronts. The glass beads help to convey the idea that there is more to it than being just a basic card game.

Since Cuisine ala Card is not a very well known game, it was important to choose the Subjects that would best define the game at a quick glance. In this case the Subjects are the multiple food cards and then the deck of cards to display the name of the game. A deck was used instead of a single card, as it provides some sense of dimension to the shot.

While I wouldn’t consider any of the above to be the “definitive” approach to the subject, they do offer some perspective on my thought process when choosing what to photograph and why. I’m sure that many of you have your own approaches. For those of you who haven’t previously thought along these lines, hopefully these approaches will inspire you to think more about what you want your photograph to look like, before you actually take the shot. Try to picture it in your mind’s eye and then work on the composition, lighting, etc. to make it all come together.

Next month we will look at: Composition

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Ancestree

By Serge Pierro

Tile Laying Lineages

S

ome of the most exciting moments in the history of comic books are the results of two creators - an artist and a writer. It should come as no surprise that the same excitement can also be generated in the world of board games. Calliope Games has released “Ancestree” which features the dynamic lineup of designer Eric Lang and artist Larry Elmore.

However, what makes this team-up unusual is that Lang has designed a light filler game that has no miniatures and Elmore is rendering in pen and ink instead of painting. Let’s take a look at how this all turns out.

Ancestree comes in a 9 1/2” x 9 1/2” x 2” box that contains a custom, cardboard insert that has two long troughs for storing the game’s components, as well as three shelves to support the player boards and rulebook.

The 16 page rulebook is the size of the box and is printed on a glossy, heavy paper stock. While 16 pages seems like a lot for a game this light, the page count includes some blank pages. The rules are concise and include several examples that will have you up and running in no time.

The six Scoreboards are made of a very sturdy and thick cardboard stock and feature a gloss surface on the front and back.

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The Ancestor tiles come pre-punched and are made of a decent cardboard stock, though not as thick as the player boards. I found the backs of the Scoreboards and tiles to be a bland, though this has no effect on game play, but aesthetically it falls short.

The other cardboard components (tokens and coins) are made of the same cardboard stock as the Ancestor tiles and also come pre-punched.

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Ancestree (Cont.)

To begin the game each player will receive a Scoreboard.

The Ancestor tiles are “shuffled� and placed in a pile.

Although the rulebook suggests using the box top to contain the pile of tiles, we found it easier to just make various stacks of tiles and let the players use these instead.

Board. When Leaves are connected it is considered to be a Parent/Child relationship.

Players will continue drafting until they have played five tiles and then they will discard the last tile. This signifies the end of the round and the beginning of a Scoring round.

The game consists of three rounds. At the start of each round, each player will draw six Ancestor tiles from the Each player’s Scored Card contains the five Heritages of pool. We found it less chaotic to just have one player the game. These are signified by both color and symbol: deal out six tiles to each player as if it was a card game. Red Dragon, Gold Eagle, Grey Lion, Purple Elephant The round begins once all the players have six tiles. and Blue Camel. Players will compare their Dynasties in order to score points. A Dynasty is measured by how The round consists of three steps: long they connect vertically. Example: Two Red Dragons connected on the same level via Marriage count as a 1. Choose an Ancestor tile. single generation. A Red Dragon that is connected via 2. Pass the remaining tiles. a Leaf to another Red Dragon would be considered two 3. Build your Family Tree. generations. Players compare each of their Dynasties to the players on their immediate left and right. A Like other drafting games, each player will choose a tile player gains one Dynasty token for each Dynasty that from their hand and place it face down in front of them. is greater than their neighbors. Nothing is gained for When everyone has chosen their tiles, they will pass the a tie. For the first round players will use the first level remaining tiles to either their left (rounds 1 and 3) or on the Scoring Track and use the first level tokens, with their right (round 2). Everyone will reveal their tile and each round increasing on both the track and the level build their Family Tree. number of the tokens. These tokens are each worth face value at the end of the game, so dominating a specific To build a Family Tree there are certain restrictions that Heritage early, and continuing to maintain it, will allow must be taken into account. Each Ancestor tile can only you to score 6 points. connect to another tile by either a light/dark Leaf or the completion of a Heart. Only one of these conditions The second part of each scoring round is the collection needs to be met. When two Hearts are connected it of Coins. Each player gains the amount of Coins is considered to be a Marriage. Marriages earn extra indicated on the tiles in their Family Tree. Coins are points at the end of the game as indicated on the Score cumulative and will continue to score in the following rounds.

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Play continues for a total of three rounds and then there is the End of Game scoring. Players will receive points for the face value of each of the Dynasty tokens, 1 pt. for each of their Coins and Marriage points based on the chart on the Score Board. The player with the most points wins.

“Ancestree” is an unusual game due to the fact that it involves two top level artists within their respective fields and yet the result is a simple filler game. Not that this is a bad game, but it is not of the pedigree that I would have expected from creators of this stature. Having said that, “Ancestree” is a quick filler that is fine for playing between longer games or at the end of a game night in order to “wind down”.

The building of a family tree is captured nicely within the game’s mechanics/layout, however, there are some questionable thematic situations, such as two males or two females getting married and having offspring for the next generation… really? For me that ruined the thematic aspects of the game and even signaled a bit of laziness on the design team to not work this out.

An easy solution would have been to have the female characters have the left heart and the male characters have the right heart. So in the end we basically have a “pasted on theme”, which is a shame because the rest of the game play is thematic.

I did enjoy the decisions that involved whether to build “up and down” via the parent/child relationship or to strive for the endgame Marriage bonuses and thus working on a more horizontal plane. And speaking of

“real estate”, you will need to have some space available to build your family trees. That being said, it doesn’t take up a lot of room, but you’ll have to devote some extra space to your area, as you don’t know what directions the tree is going to grow in.

The collecting of Coins was a nice touch as it provided players with yet another option for scoring. The tiles that featured the Coins tended to be drafted early in each round.

Since there is an element of the luck of the draw/draft you have to adapt fairly early with your strategic goals and try to change on the fly as you never know what tiles are going to be available in the later rounds.

I’ve always enjoyed tile laying games and “Ancestree” is yet another one that can be brought to the table. With a player count of 2-6 players it will be finding its way to the table often when a light filler is needed for a group of 5 or 6 players and is also easy enough to teach and play at family gatherings.

Designer: Publisher: Players: Mechanic: Ages: Length:

Eric M. Lang Calliope Games 2-6 Drafting, Tile Laying 8+ 20+ Mins.

Recommended www.calliopegames.com

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Exodus Fleet

By Serge Pierro

Planetary Engine Builder

W

hile Space Exploration and Science Fiction have both been popular themes throughout the years, the recent Mars “craze” has helped elevate it to the forefront once again.

“Exodus Fleet” uses the “escape from one planet to settle elsewhere” concept to put forth an interesting engine building game. Tasty Minstrel Games has a history of releasing quality games, so let’s take a look and see if this lives up to the other games in their catalog.

“Exodus Fleet” comes in a 8 3/4” x 11 3/4” x 2 1/2” box which contains a cardboard insert that is divided into two wells, with one being twice as large as the other and three shelves that support the game board and player boards.

The 24 page rulebook is slightly smaller than the box and includes many examples. There is also a section in the back for the clarifications of the various ships. While the rules were comprehensive, the thin sans serif type face was a poor choice for reading against the textured background.

The game’s small two panel board is made of a sturdy cardboard stock.

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The 10 player boards are printed on card stock and are double sided. However, there are really only 5 boards, as each faction has two double sided player boards, one that features a two/three player count and the other a four/five player count.

All of the cards are linen finished and are of a decent card stock. The Ship cards measure 2 1/2” x 3 1/2” and Money/Explore/Planet cards measure 1 3/4” x 2 3/4”.

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Exodus Fleet (Cont.)

The majority of the resource components are wooden cubes, however, there are custom, wooden meeples for the Tribes and translucent, blue plastic cubes for the water resource.

Also included is a score-pad.

At the start of the game players will receive a player board and the two corresponding Command Ship cards indicated on the board. Players will choose one of the cards and return the other to the box.

Each player will then receive the Starting Explorer card that matches the Command Ship chosen, as well as the amount of Xu (money) indicated on their Command Ship and the starting assortment of resources.

One player is chosen to be the first player and receives the “Admiral of the Fleet” card. They will choose one of the five available Phases and players will then bid on the chosen action to determine what they will receive. Then the “Admiral of the Fleet” card is passed and play continues in a like manner. When the last player has taken their turn choosing a Phase, the round ends and the round marker is advance to the next space.

After a Phase is chosen, bidding begins with the player on the Admiral’s left and continues around the table with the Admiral placing the last bid.

All bids must be different and the minimum bid

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is 3 Xu. A player who finishes last in the bidding, or chooses not to participate, receives 4 Xu and 1 resource of their choice and does not pay their bid to the supply.

The five Phases are: Income, Mining, Transporting, Building and Exploring.

The Income Phase is the only Phase that doesn’t require bidding. The “Admiral” just chooses this phase and gets a choice of either receiving an extra 3 Xu and 2 resources or draw an Explorer card, in addition to collecting the amount of Xu indicated on the Ships that they own. All other players just receive the Xu indicated on their Ships.

The Mining Phase is the main means of gaining Resources. Players will place bids with the highest bid taking the top row of Resources on the Planet card. The other bidders will take the appropriate Resources as per their position in the bidding results. In addition to winning the bid, each player has to pay one Fuel (orange cube) in order to Mine the planet.

The Transporting Phase allows you to place Tribes on their reserved areas on the Ships. The winning bid can place up to two Tribes on their Ships, while the other bids may only place one. The cost of doing so is 2 Water and 2 Biomass per Tribe, plus 1 Fuel for the entire transaction.

The Building Phase is where players will purchase Ships. There are two different ships available; Faction Ships and Neutral Ships. Here players are bidding for the order in which the Ships are chosen, with the winning bid picking first.

“Scoring B” is the same as “Scoring A” with the exception that there are minor scoring points awarded to unused cards. Whoever has the most XU scores 1 pt, the most Resources left scores 1 pt and the most unplanned Explorer cards receives 1 pt. If there is a tie, each player receives a point.

The Exploring Phase allows players to obtain the useful “Explorer” cards. The winning bid has the The player with the most points wins. option of paying 3 Fuel to draw 3 cards and keep 2, otherwise they will join the other bids and spend 1 I found “Exodus Prime” to be an interesting Fuel to draw 2 and keep 1. engine building game. I liked the fact that you are given the choice from two starting ships, each Explorer cards can be considered to be action with different abilities, as this not only enhances cards that can be played at any time outside of the the replayability of the game, but it provides players Bidding segment. The cards are multifaceted, as with multiple strategic paths. The complimentary they may be discarded to receive any one Resource Starting Explorer card also helps reinforce the or they can be used for their printed effect. strategy.

There are two scoring rounds during the game.

They are both printed on the game board and occur at certain spaces along the path depending on how many players there are. The two rounds are called “Scoring A” and “Scoring B”.

Players enjoyed the “Bidding meets “Puerto Rico”” aspect of the game. Everyone was engaged during each phase and even when passing or losing a bid you were still able to advance your strategy via the compensation of Xu and a Resource.

During the 1st scoring round, “Scoring A”, players receive 2 pts. for each of their Tribes on a ship, the number of points indicated on their Neutral Ships and a Faction score based on the amount of each Faction’s Ships you control. Example: 1 Cedarim Ship is worth 1 pt., yet 3 Cedarim Ships are worth 5 pts.

Like most Engine Builders, the game starts out a bit slow as you start to put together you fleet of Ships and gain more storage spaces for Resources.

Towards the end of the game everyone’s engines were usually working efficiently and it was enjoyable to see the fruits of your labor paying dividends.

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Exodus Fleet (Cont.)

Both the Faction and Neutral decks contained a nice variety of Ships to choose from. The Neutral Ships were clearly more interesting, as they not only provided points, but their abilities helped create more complex, strategic engines. Of course they were harder to obtain, but they were often more than worth the trouble, especially as points can be tight in this game.

And speaking of points being tight, while it would seem to be that the 3 pts. distributed at the end of the game might be inconsequential, in an evenly matched group they can actually help determine the winner. The difference in a game can sometimes come down to someone buying a Neutral Ship or scoring the 2 or 3 points for the unused components at the end of the game.

The one aspect of the game that I hated was the text/font used throughout the production. As previously stated, the rulebook was harder to read than necessary as the weight of the font made it hard to read against the textured background. But the real problem was with the cards themselves. It was impossible to see what an opponent’s Ship did from across the table. It was even hard to read the text on your ships that were right in front of you.

And while I’m a big fan of linen finished cards, here they actually exasperated the process of reading the text. Including the icons for the phases on the cards was a nice touch, but they were too small to be easily identified.

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Players who enjoy Engine Builders, Bidding and “Puerto Rico-like” action rewards are going to really enjoy this game, as it touches on each of those elements nicely and does so in a way that makes for an enjoyable social gaming experience. There is plenty of replayability available due to the different Command Ships and Starting Explorer cards. The abilities on the Ships are what made the game fascinating, as you are able to assemble interesting strategic engines that were different from the other players. I’d love to see an expansion with more Ships and Explorer cards. All in all, this is a game that I am looking forward to playing again in the future.

Designer: Publisher: Players: Mechanic: Ages: Length:

Gabriel J. Cohn Tasty Minstrel Games 2-5 Engine Builder 14+ 90 Mins.

Recommended www.playtmg.com

Interview

By Serge Pierro

• Bakugan • Castle Dice • Guardians

• Warhammer 40k CCG Luke Peterschmidt Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with our readers, can you tell us a little something about yourself?

I’ve been in the tabletop industry for almost 25 years.

During those years I’ve had a bunch of different jobs; everything from Brand Manager to CEO. I’ve worked at small companies, big companies, and my own company. But during all of those years, I’ve also been an active game designer. Most of my designs are in the hobby game space, but I have also designed games for toy companies along the way – including Bakugan.

Did you start designing games at an early age? If so, do you remember what your first game design was like?

I remember the exact moment when I started designing games. I was a freshman in highschool playing in a D&D campaign. A rules question came up, and the DM said “I don’t use that rule, I use one I made up instead.”

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This simple sentence blew my mind. WHAT?!?! You can make up your own rules?!?!? I went home that night and started designing my own RPG rule set. I’m sure it was terrible, but in my mind, it was amazing. That rush of making up my own rules has never left me.

What games over the years have you enjoyed most, from both the point of personal enjoyment, as well as those that influenced your growth as a designer?

The game that has brought me the most personal enjoyment is probably cribbage. It’s a game that is played often in my family and it brings back so many wonderful memories. Professionally it has to be Magic the Gathering and not just because it’s a good game.

Before MtG, if you wanted a career in hobby gaming, there were very few avenues. When MtG came out, the doors swung wide-open and hundreds if not thousands of people got a shot at a career in gaming. I was one of those people. I owe Peter, Richard, and the rest of Wizards of the Coast a lot.

When the opportunity presents itself, what games have you currently been playing?

I play a ton of games…once… to keep an eye on the industry. At the last meet-up I went to, I played 5 new games and one old one. One of the new ones that really impressed me was Lords of Waterdeep. The gameplay was fun, but what really impressed me was the subtle graphic design choices. Every game designer and publisher should study that game IMO. But the game I’m playing the most for enjoyment recently is Epic PvP: Magic. That game gives me the same CCG buzz MtG did, but without the need to dedicate hours to deckbuilding and collecting. It’s an easy game to slot in at a meet-up while waiting for another game to finish.

Who are your favorite game designers?

Top 3 – Matt Forbec, Richard Garfield, and Charlie Hopper. Matt for his outrageously-high quantity of great work. Richard because he mixes academic-style research with fresh designs (I love King of Tokyo). Charlie is a part-time designer I’ve met at some designer meet-ups.

If you’re a new game designer, spend time with Charlie and do what he does. He takes feedback well and his games are getting better by leaps and bounds. I played one of his prototypes awhile back and it was the only time I ever thought “this could win the Spiel De Jahres” when shown a prototype. If you see his name on a game in the future, buy it.

One other things about all three of these people is that they are kind and are happy to help others. That goes a long way with me.

Is there a particular designer that you would be interested in collaborating with? If so, what type of game would you be interested in making?

James Portnow (of Extra Credits). This guy gets games like few people do. He tends to work on AAA computer game titles, but I’d love to work on a tabletop game with him.

When starting a new design, do you start with a theme or a mechanic?

For the first 20 years of designing, it was theme first for me. Theme limits you and limitations are creative lubricant. Now it’s 50/50. Sometimes I like to explore an odd mechanic and see what comes up, then find the theme that fits. When I work for a client though, it’s always theme first.

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Interview

(Cont.)

What is your daily design/playtest schedule like?

Do you work on games everyday?

My day is split between my consulting clients (large toy companies usually), Fun to 11 (my hobby game company), and what I call “being involved” (teaching, helping young designers, making Tabletop University videos, etc…). I find I can only design about 2 hours a day before that part of my brain tires out. Then I listen to music/podcasts and work on things like playtest materials, etc… Playtests are usually once a week session.

What do you think defines your “style” as a game designer, is there a specific mechanic or rule set or…

I’m mostly knows as a collectable game designer. For Fun to 11 though, I think my style is variety. I have no interest in making a game that is 15% different from my previous game. I have no problem with people who do this, it’s just not for me. I like to design outside my comfort zone. For instance, I designed Castle Dice because I had never made a Eurogame before – I wasn’t really even a fan of the genre when I started. I sure am now!

Which one of your games do you consider your best design, and why?

Got to be either Castle Dice or Bakugan. Castle Dice because it appeals exactly to the people I was aiming for

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(fans of Eurogames) with mechanics they had not seen before. Bakugan because that was outrageously difficult to work on – no one had made a collectable toy game like that before and picking the right level of complexity was tough. I’m really proud of that one.

You have worked on both sides of the aisle, both as a designer and as a businessman. How does the business side influence your game designs and how do your gaming background influence your business decisions?

I make sure that every game I work on can be summarized honestly in just a sentence or two. If that sentence or two appeals to a player, that player will like the game.

That comes directly from my brand management experience. My game design experience doesn’t really effect my business decisions – but my game playing certainly does…

Can you tell us about the classes that you teach?

I teach one class at Harrisburg University (a STEM school in PA). The class is called Critical Game Analysis.

I teach the students how to break apart a game into pieces and analyze each independently. A lot of the class involves teaching and defining terms of the trade.

Oddly, game designers don’t really have a good common language when talking about games. This class aims to help that. You can think of it as a class that teaches how to review a game.

How did you get involved in designing the Bakugan Card Game?

Bakugan had come out already in Asia and had a small launch in Canada. Neither went very well. Spinmaster brought me in to analyze the game to see if there were ways to make it better. They liked my feedback enough that they hired me to design a new version of the game.

My game had to match the basic gameplay on the show, and end up being aspirational. That version of the game went on to win multiple Toy of the Year awards.

With Sabertooth Games you were involved with some major IPs including the Lord of the Rings Combat Hex game and the Warhammer 40k card game. How is it different designing and developing a game for an IP that already has such a strong and dedicated following and how do you approach it differently from your normal design routine?

Designing for existing IPs, especially ones that are good as 40K and Lord of the Rings, is much easier than designing from a blank slate for me. You know exactly who you are making the game for when you work on a license. If you make a “great ruleset” for a game, but 40K fans don’t like it, you haven’t made a great 40K game. The exception to this “licenses are easier” is if the property doesn’t have some conflict at its core. Making a game based on Led Zeppelin for instance would be much harder.

You were one of the early CCG designers, having designed Guardians. How did you get involved in designing for the then new genre (CCGs) and what was it like working with so many brilliant artists (Brom, Keitth Parkinson, Larry Elmore and others) on such a project?

I stumbled into Guardians. A friend asked if I wanted to go to a playtest for a local game designer because one of the regulars couldn’t make it. That happened to be Kieth Parkinson – who I had never heard of. The next day I wrote up a few pages of notes, and called Keith to go over them. By that point though, I found out what a big deal he was! I was so nervous on that call. After we talked Keith just said “why don’t you take over the design and I’ll just focus on art.” The next few years I

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Interview

(Cont.)

changed exactly one card since those 3 days at the printer.

This was a back-pocket game that I carried with me to tradeshows and such, with no real thought of it ever getting published as there really was no business model in which it made sense. But I kept playing the game at meet-ups, with family and friends, and at conventions.

Kickstarter made it possible for me to finally make the game in 2017, so I contacted Don Maitz and Donna Parkinson and got the rights to use some of that original Guardians artwork. Schneeble has literally been 22 years in the making!

You have worked primarily with designing card based games. Have you any plans of designing a “big box” board game?

Working on one now! My current project is The JRPG Tabletop Adventure Game. It’s everything great about spend at a small desk in Keith’s art studio working on JRPGs in a co-op tabletop game. This is, without a doubt, the game while he made paintings and art directed. I the most challenging game design I’ve ever attempted. got a grade-A art education, and was lucky enough to It’s a big/huge box game that has no rulebook (you don’t spend time with Keith and later Brom – both of whom read a rulebook before playing Final Fantasy afterall…).

This should be on Kickstarter this year after almost 3 are amazing people. years of design and development.

Can you tell us how you came about designing/ Do you have any updates about the status of “The developing your latest design, “Schneeble”?

War of the Cross”?

I was at a printer for 3 days doing press checks for Guardians in 1995. While I was there, I learned that poker decks are printed on 56 card press sheets. I figured if I was stuck here for 3 days, mostly waiting, I would design a game that was super easy to produce – a 56 card game. At the end of the 3 days I had Schneeble. I

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Sadly no. I was an outside designer on that one and I haven’t heard much from John about his plans. I know it’s on their schedule, but my work on it is mostly done.

The game is really fun and I hope it sees the light of day soon.

Are there any plans to bring any of your games to the mobile platform for iOS or Android?

I have a couple of games I’d love to bring to a mobile platform – Castle Dice in particular. But Fun to 11 is such a small company that we really don’t have time to work on it. If someone out there wants to take this project on, call me!

Are there any other upcoming projects that you are at liberty to discuss or announce?

The JRPG Tabletop Adventure Game is really what we are focused on all day now. We’ve recently formed a player advisory board for the game, which has been great. This game won’t be for everyone, no games are, but if you like co-op games and have experience with JRPGs, this game is going to make for some very memorable and fun gaming sessions.

What advice would you have for aspiring game designers?

Finish something. The first 95% of game design is really fun, the second 95% sucks. Designers need lots of beginning-middle-end cycles. Scope a small game and take it completion – written rules, finished graphics, etc… Don’t worry if your visuals are bad, but your layout (where elements appear) should be great. Sweat the small stuff. Have someone try to play your game from just the rulebook.

This experience will pay huge dividends. It will make you a better game designer for sure.

Then, find people to talk game design with. There are lots of on-line design columns, but see if you can find local designers to talk face-to-face with. Try to learn something from every game you play, particularly games you don’t like that are very popular. And always know who you are designing for – not all players want the same things from games.

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Tak

By Tom M Franklin

A Beautiful Game

I

n Pat Rothfuss’ fantasy novel “The Wise Man’s Fear”, two characters play a game called Tak. The book gives no clues as to how the game is played, only suggesting that it was simple yet complex, and offered multiple ways of winning.

It was from this cursory description that designer James Ernest developed Tak: A Beautiful Game. In 2016 Tak was launched on Kickstarter by Cheapass Games with a goal of $50,000. By the end of the Kickstarter run over 12,000 people had pledged $1.3 million to back the project.

Tak is, at its heart, a connection game, one where you are trying to link one side of the board to another, usually the opposite side, while preventing your opponent from doing the same. This type of game is straight-forward and, while they can be enjoyable, modern designers have recognized that the genre benefits from additional ideas.

The additions it brings adds layers of complexity to this simple notion.

To begin with, there are two very different winning conditions: create an orthogonally-connected road from one side of the board to the other or, after all of the pieces have been placed on the board, have the most pieces whose faces are visible.

On a player’s turn they may do one of two things: Place a new piece of their color on the board or Move a piece of their color already on the board.

There are three types of pieces: A Flat Stone is a piece that, when laid face up, contributes to a road. When it is laid on its side instead it becomes a Standing Stone, or a Wall, that prevents any road to pass through the square it resides on. The third piece is a Capstone and is the most powerful piece in your arsenal.

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Standing Stones cannot be ‘toppled over’, that is, laid back down to Flat Stones by any piece other than a Capstone. More importantly, no other piece can go on top of a Capstone.

Photo : Tom M Franklin

Moving a piece consists of relocating one of your pieces on the board to any orthogonally-connected square next to the square it is on. To clarify: if the square is open, you can move into it; if the square contains one of your Flat Stones or an opponent’s Flat Stones, you move on top of that stone; if the square contains a stack of Flat Stones, you can move your piece atop the entire stack.

Whoever has their piece on the top of the stack controls the entire stack -- and stacks can grow very tall. When you choose to move a stack, you must follow the Stack Limit, meaning you can only move the number of pieces at the top of the stack equal to the width of the board.

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Tak

(Cont.)

(On a 5x5 board, the Stack Limit is five; on a 6x6 board, the Stack Limit is six, etc.) When you move a stack, you can either move the stack a single square or drop selected pieces, in order, on available squares connected to the starting square in a straight line. This means if a stack has multiple pieces of your color in the top series of pieces, you can quickly create a substantial threat by controlling multiple squares with a single move.

of wooden tiles. The 3x3/4x4/5x5/6x6 side has a more pleasing design for the center squares, but the outer edge is a gaudy, flower-and-vine design that is so distracting we’ve never attempted to use it.

Admittedly, I don’t do either all that well. But I feel like I should be able to, which is one of the great draws of Tak.

Is Tak really “A Beautiful Game”? Aesthetically, not in the edition sold to consumers. The more important question is, ‘Is Tak worth playing?’ If you’re a fan of abstract strategy games, the answer is a resounding Yes.

The wooden pieces come in two different designs (white trapezoids and dark 2/3 circles). These are of good quality, but far too plain for the price. The Capstones look like small drawer pulls. All pieces come in simple plastic bags Tak has everything I love in an Abstract Strategy game: that are not resealable. it’s easy to learn and teach, yet it quickly shows itself to be more complicated and intricate than it seems. My The rules for Tak, as well as printable boards of differing first few games were about getting a feel for the stacking sizes, are available at the publisher’s web site. (http:// aspects of the game and gaining an appreciation for how cheapass.com/free-games/tak/) Consulting your favorite the different pieces worked together. Later games were online search engine will provide you with examples of about trying to find patterns and a winning strategy how to make your own boards and pieces. If Tak appeals while having to react/predict my opponent’s moves. to you, consider making your own set. You won’t regret it.

The game has several active online communities that support it and encourage play and discussion. The Tak subreddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/Tak/) has both respectful and intelligent conversations, as well as Tak Puzzles for you to play and solve. The PlayTak web site (https://www.playtak.com/) allows you to play online against humans or various levels of Bots and, even better, review the games of other players.

While I whole-heartedly recommend Tak the game, I have issues with what comes in the box for a boardgame at this price-point. First, the game board is basic cardboard with printed illustrations on both sides.

The 5x5/6x6 side is a dull, cartoony-looking series

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Designer: Publisher: Players: Mechanic: Ages: Length:

James Ernest & Patrick Rothfuss Cheapass Games 2 Abstract 12+ 20-60 Mins.

Highly Recommended www.cheapass.com

Mistborn: House War

By Serge Pierro

Negotiating Houses

O

ur I remember that as soon as I had finished reading the first book of the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson I thought, “This would make an excellent game!” So, not surprisingly someone else thought the same thing. That someone is Crafty Games who has developed an RPG system for Mistborn and now has ventured into the board game market with Mistborn: House War designed by Kevin Wilson. However, they have chosen the somewhat strange approach of having the players take on the role of the various Houses in the book and not the main characters. Does this novel approach work? Let’s find out.

We will be taking a look at the Prestige Edition of Mistborn: House War. It is #1197/2500. The box comes with a cardstock outer sleeve which features some moody artwork of the Mistborn world, but no text. Once removed you are greeted with an 11 1/2” x 11 1/2” x 2 3/4” linen finished box that features spot varnishing on selected areas. There is a custom, black plastic insert that has several areas designated for cards, miniatures and the cardboard components. It also provides an outer lip for the board to sit upon.

As soon as you open the box you are greeted with a “Read This First” sheet. This double sided sheet is the size of the box and takes players by the hand and introduces them to the basics of the game before the manual is ever opened. This is a welcome addition and one that I’d love to see other manufacturers start including in their own games.

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The 24 page rulebook is the size of the box and is The three panel board is linen finished, and each panel profusely illustrated, with both the actual components is slightly smaller than the box. The back of the board and additional artwork. It covers all the pertinent has a “heavy” texture to it that is ideal for a cloth surface information, with several pages devoted to the “art of to prevent excessive movement. the deal” aspect of the game, as negotiating is one of the game’s features.

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Mistborn: House War (Cont.)

Since this is the “Prestige Edition”, it should come as no surprise that all the components are of a high quality.

The first thing that impressed me was the inclusion of custom sleeves for the cards. There are two separate packages of sleeves, each one featuring different artwork on their backs.

and placed in the appropriate area of the board. Each of the Problems has an Urgency number, and the board has these numbers across the top of the track to indicate where to place the Problem. The starting player is determined by a list of the Houses in the Rulebook.

On a player’s turn they will do the following: The game includes plastic miniatures of Kelsier and Collect Resources/Cards, Problems Worsen, Add New an Inquisitor. Each figure is molded in grey plastic and Problems, Pass or Deal and End Turn. measured approximately 1 3/4” tall. The sculpts are nice, however, their use in the game is that of a marker Collect Resources: At the start of their turn a player will to either track the “Unrest Level” or choose what receive the Resources and amount of cards indicated on “Problem” you will attempt to solve. The game includes their House Sheet. round, cardboard tokens to use in their place, should you decide to not want to use the minis.

Problems Worsen: During this step all the previous Problem cards are moved one space to the right. Should Speaking of the cardboard components, all of them are an Urgency column be already filled, then the card is punched from the same series of punchboards and are moved to the next free column to the right. When made of a sturdy stock and are linen finished. a Problem moves off the 4th column, it moves into the “Problem Erupt” space and the card triggers the Surprisingly the cards are not linen lined, perhaps this Eruption effect on the card. is because sleeves are included and Crafty Games expects players to use the cards with the sleeves. Also, included After the “Problems Worsen” phase has taken place, are a small set of foil cards that replace the same cards the “Add New Problems” phase occurs and a new card is in the Problem deck. Other than the “bling factor” the revealed and placed in the appropriate Urgency column. cards are identical and are switched out “one for one.”

As mentioned above, if the column is full, the card is then placed in the next available one. It is possible to The House Sheets are oversized (3 1/2” x 5”) and have a Problem “Erupt” the turn it is revealed due to printed on card stock. columns that are full.

To start the game each player will receive a House During the “Pass or Deal” phase if a player chooses Sheet and the Resources and cards printed on them. to “Pass,” they will receive either one Resource of their For each player in the game one Problem card is drawn choice or one card. If they choose to “Deal” they then

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place the Inquisitor on any of the Problems in which they want to solve. This is the main action of the game.

The player whose turn it is can open negotiations with the other players to see whether they would be willing to contribute some of their resources to solve the Problem. This is often negotiated with a trade of Resources for a part of the Favor (the reward printed on the card) of solving the Problem. There are six pages of the rulebook devoted to the negotiation aspects of the game and includes a sample negotiation. There are cards that also can influence this phase. Of course, a player can choose to not involve other players and just solve

the Problem themselves, but the Problems often times need Resources that your House doesn’t have access to and your only way of getting them is via a “Pass” action, card effects or negotiating with others.

Not surprisingly, the End Turn phase ends a player’s turn and play continues to the next player.

Play continues in this fashion until one of the end of game conditions are met, and a winner is determined: The game immediately ends when the “Vin” Problem is solved. And the player with the highest score wins.

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Mistborn: House War (Cont.)

Should the “Vin” Problem Erupt and Unrest is seven or lower, the player with the highest score wins.

If Unrest is eight or higher, the player with the lowest score wins.

Mistborn: House War is a game that will appeal to players who enjoy negotiating. The social aspect of the game’s mechanics ensures that everyone will be involved, and there are opportunities to role-play the different Houses.

One of the things that I really liked about the game was the Eruption mechanism on the cards and board. You had open information of what effects were available, as well as when they could be expected to trigger. Players were sometimes forced to change their plans to come together to remove a troublesome Problem. This was especially true with the “Kelsier” Problem.

The high/low score fulcrum proved to be interesting as it forced players to try to keep everything fairly close. I found it easier to try to stay towards the lower end of the scoring and then tank the game as quickly as possible to win with the low score.

Even with its interesting game play there will be players who are disappointed in the use of the Houses over the main characters of the series. One of the things that

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made Mistborn suitable for a game was the detailed magic system that Brandon Sanderson integrated into the world. All the different types of metals made for a base system to draw upon. Surprisingly the most interesting aspect of the novels is not used here at all. I wanted to play as Vin or Kelsier or any of the other characters… not as some House. It’s hard to get excited about the approach taken, as it doesn’t live up to my expectations of what made Mistborn such a great series and the game seemingly misses that mark. Yet, having said that, the game itself is quite enjoyable and has several interesting aspects to it. From the viewpoint of a game, it is one that can certainly be recommended, however, if you are interested in playing the characters from the book, well then you might be a bit disappointed, not in the actual game play, but in the theme itself.

Designers: Publisher: Players: Mechanic: Ages: Length:

Kevin Wilson Crafty Games 3-5 Negotiating, Resource Managment

14+ 60-90 Mins.

Recommended www.crafty-games.com

Expedition: The Roleplaying Card Game

By Tom M Franklin

Roleplaying + Cards + Mobile app

E

xpedition: The Roleplaying Card Game introduces itself as “roleplaying distilled to its essence: adventuring and storytelling with friends, without 400 pages of rules.” As a Dungeon Master with little patience for searching through the indexes of various Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) rule books to find the correct damage a two-handed weapon attack does at close range, I’m all for ditching volumes of rule books.

But, can a card game really replicate the full roleplaying experience that D&D offers?

Expedition adventure. Other cards detail the different abilities of the Adventurers and the different levels of Loot you might find along the way. And, of course, there are cards for the various Monsters you will encounter.

Adventures are conducted through the Expedition app.

The app suggests four introductory adventures to help you learn the game. These range from a simple series of fights with magical creatures to more complicated story lines. The “More Quests” option gives you free access to a constantly growing list of fan-created adventures for Inside Expedition’s small box you’ll find over 100 Expedition. cards, a plastic bag with colored plastic V-shaped paper clips, and a twenty-sided die (D20). The instruction You’ll begin by choosing an Adventurer and then drafting flier is decidedly brief, describing only how to read the cards that match his/her abilities. Abilities can be attacks, aspects of the different cards (abilities, health, attack healing, intensifying the attacks of others, allowing you success/failures, etc.) and the recommended layout of to use another card in your hand, etc. the cards on the gaming table before starting a game.

During your Adventure you’ll encounter Monsters to Everything else is covered in the free app, available for iOS and Android. battle. Draw the indicated Monster card from the proper deck and then place a plastic paper clip on the card at There are cards that represent the different types/ its maximum hit point indicator. (You’ll also have one classes of Adventures you can become within your on your Adventurer’s card for his or her maximum hit

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Game Nite Issue #21

Photo : Tom M Franklin

points.) Then shuffle your ability cards and choose three cards, face down, at random. When everyone is ready someone clicks the “Start Timer” button on the app. You then have 10 seconds to review your cards and choose the card you wish to play this round. If your group takes more than 10 seconds, everyone immediately takes extra damage.

Once your party has dished out damage, the app will tell you how much damage the Monster has inflicted, typically between 0 and 3 hit points for each player.

Occasionally you’ll encounter an Enemy Surge. Each Monster card has an extra ability associated with this Surge. Some will involve dealing out additional hit points or healing the Monster’s own hit points, while After stopping the timer your party reviews your choices others might pull in more Monsters for you to deal and determines the order of play. All ability cards have with. None of the Enemy Surge options are good for an indication of how many people the ability affects and your party. what you need to roll on the D20 to successfully carry out the powers of the card.

Continued on next page>

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Expedition: The Roleplaying Card Game (Cont.)

As well, Surge effects take place before any of your The Alcoholic Diplomat or The Befuddled Mage or The party’s abilities come into play. This means if your hit Dutiful Soldier, the only difference is what pile(s) you points are low enough you might get knocked out of draw your ability cards from. play before the round even starts.

Some of the fan-written Adventures seek to improve Play continues until either all of the Monsters or all upon the relative blandness of the by emphasizing the your party are reduced to zero hit points.

Role-Playing aspects. Articles within the Quest Crafter series outline offer ways to play Expedition with a Game Defeating the Monsters may be rewarded by gaining Master who can interject random character interactions Loot and Leveling Up. Leveling Up means your and event elements. Both are welcome additions, but character can gain a new ability card to add to your I wish these had been better integrated into the base hand. game.

There are many things about Expedition that I admire.

The app is nicely designed and has some wonderfully thematic music to accompany the fight scenes. The designers actively encourage their fan-base to submit good Adventures to further build the game -- last November they offered a $500 prize for the best new Adventure – and have an ongoing Quest Crafting series to help interested fans write compelling Adventures.

They’ve recently released the first expansion, a Horror deck that draws heavily on Lovecraft’s Cthulhu.

And yet, there are many things that frustrate me about the game. The drafting of abilities can result in an imbalanced hand. I find the 10 second timer mechanism to be artificially forced. Surges tend to happen every third round regardless of what you do during the Adventure.

Most frustrating of all is the claim that this is a Roleplaying Card Game. While it’s certainly a card game, there is very little roleplaying. Your Adventurer’s card gives you a sentence of flavor text, but otherwise there’s no persona behind your Adventurer to work with or have any influence over the game. Whether you’re

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Expedition is a game that I really hope succeeds.

The designers are putting a lot of time and resources into promoting and improving the game as well as connecting with fans. This has definitely earned my respect as a player.

My weekly gaming group passed on it after two games.

I, however, have continued to play solo adventures using multiple characters and will likely do so as new Adventures keep coming out.

Designers: Publisher: Players: Mechanic: Ages: Length:

Scott Martin III & Todd Medema Fabricate.IO 1-6 Roleplaying 8+ 15-90 Mins.

Worth Trying www.expeditiongame.com

Photo : Tom M Franklin

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Abstract Games

By Tom M Franklin

Abstract Strategy Games: An Overview

S

ome of my favorite games have always been those that involved only two players, had simple rules, but required a thoughtful strategy. Even as a kid I was drawn to games that made me study the board, forced me to balance offense and defense while looking for a way to better my position on the board.

No Hidden Information

I thought of them as Games. According to modern classifications, they’re known as Abstract Strategy games.

Abstracts are sometimes referred to as Perfect Information games, where each player knows all of the pieces in play and what each piece can do.

In broad terms, Abstract Strategy Games can be defined by some common game design concepts.

No Theme Consider Checkers, Tic-Tac-Toe, and Go. These games all use plain pieces where only difference between them are colors or shapes – something basic to differentiate one players pieces from another. There is no gamespecific setting that the game is played in -- no planet surface to terraform, no farm to build or crops to harvest, no monsters to hunt down and kill off.

Chess may be considered a war between two armies, but I have never considered any chess piece as a soldier.

I think of each differently-shaped piece in terms of its movement and capturing abilities across the board.

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Game Nite Issue #21

Poker is a game of hidden information, as is the bluffing game Sherriff of Nottingham and any game that involves hidden goals. You and/or your opponents know something everyone else does not.

I believe there is some wiggle-room here. Through the Desert may have a desert setting and buttermint-colored camels (if you’ve played it I know you’ve thought it, too), but you could just as easily strip away the thin theme veneered over it and play it as an Abstract. In a common twist from designer Reiner Knizia, there are hidden scoring elements to the game in the form of the waterhole tokens that are randomly placed around the board, point-side down. However, I as they are commonly scored points (ranging from 1 to 3, making an average of 2) I’m okay with overlooking this. In The Duke, players randomly draw similar extra tiles from a bag to put into play. To me, this doesn’t go against the spirit of an Abstract, it simply adds variety. (YMMV, of course.)

Photo: Tom M Franklin

No Luck I tend to distrust any game that involves dice. If dice or cards or a spinner or a Pop-O-Matic exerts a major influence over the outcome of a game, I immediately lower my expectations. I’m not so much playing a game as I am responding to what randomly occurs. Snakes and Ladders is a roll-and-move game: roll the die, move as many spaces as the die shows. End of turn. There is no planning or strategy. Roll for the Galaxy, for me, has a meager push-your-luck/risk assessment aspect that is quite different from strategy.

I make an exception for Dungeons & Dragons because D&D involves imperfect creatures set in an imperfect world attempting risky actions. Besides, I’m the DM and my players know I roll for crap.

J. Mark Thompson wrote about another set of characteristics Abstract Strategy games share in an article in 2000 entitled, “Defining the Abstract” for TheGamesJournal.com. While I can easily think of non-Abstract games that fit each of the four concepts Thompson attributes to Abstract Strategy games, I believe they are an essential part of what makes for a compelling Abstract Strategy. If No Theme, No Hidden Information, and No Luck are the foundations of what makes an Abstract Strategy game abstract, these are the concepts that keep you playing over and over again.

Depth means there are multiple layers of strategy to playing the game, and an engaged player is always discovering new ways to play. These ways may earn initial wins, but can also be frustrated by an equallyattentive opponent. Strategies develop and evolve over time, keeping the game fresh and challenging.

Clarity is the notion that even a non-expert should be able to look at the board and locate a reasonable, logical move. A novice should be able to see the difference between obvious good and bad moves. Clarity describes

both a simplicity in the rules as well as the gameplay itself.

Drama is the ability to maintain tension throughout a game. A player should never feel completely defeated until the very end. A single bad move at any point during the game should be seen as a setback, not a defeat.

The conclusion to Drama is Decisiveness: the ability of one player, at the end of the game game, to defeat the other player. Decisiveness leads to wins, not draws; it allows for a superior strategy to overtake a lesser one.

When Reversi was re-imagined by Gabriel Industries as Othello in the mid-seventies it was advertised with the brilliant tagline, “A minute to learn, a lifetime to master.” This defined how I look at Abstracts: simple yet complex, easy to learn and understand, but intellectually and tactically demanding.

While I am certainly a fan of other games (Terra Mystica, anyone?) my goal through this monthly series of articles is to spotlight two-player Abstracts and share my love for the genre. For those of us who enjoy going one-on-one with an opponent and creating something of a puzzle on the game board that challenges the other player to find the best move and then passes the new, evolving puzzle back to you, I hope this column will introduce you to some new or possibly overlooked games to consider.

References: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abstract_strategy_game h t t p : / / w w w. t h e g a m e s j o u r n a l . c o m / a r t i c l e s / DefiningtheAbstract.shtml

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Interview Gallery

Steve Jackson #1

Dan Verssen #1

Paul Herbert #1

Reiner Knizia #2

Franz Vohwinkel #2

James Ernest #2

Mark Copplestone #2

Reiner Knizia #3

Peter Adkison #3

Brom #3

Chenier La Salle #4

Ryan Dancey #4

Brian Snoddy #4

Beth Sobel #5

Bruno Faidutti #5

Tom Jolly #6

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Antoine Bauza #7

Dennis Lohausen #7

Ryan Laukat #8

Chad Hoverter #9

Matt Leacock #9

Greg Isabelli #9

Ignacy Trzewiczek #10

Jacqui Davis #10

Johan Koitka #10

Jamey Stegmaier #11

Michael Menzel #11

Kay Wilke #11

Vincent Dutrait #12

Mike Fitzgerald #12

Sandy Petersen #13

Mihajlo Dimitrievski #13

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Interview Gallery

Bruno Cathala #14

John Ariosa #14

Friedemann Friese #15

Joshua Cappel #15

Eric Vogel #15

Mac Gerdts #16

Keldon Jones #16

Steve Finn #17

J. Alex Kevern #18

Richard Ham #18

Ludovic Roudy #19

Bruno Sautter #19

Phil Walker-Harding #20

Luke Peterschmidt #21

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Contributors Serge Pierro Serge has playtested numerous games for several companies, including

Wizards of the Coast and AEG. He has also written for Duelist, Inquest and Gamer print magazines. His award winning photography has appeared in both newspapers and magazines. He has self published a game, and has several other designs ready... but, currently finds his free time devoted to doing Game Nite.

Eric Devlin Eric has been the North East Regional Representative for Wizards

of the Coast, the brand manager of Legends of the Five Rings, as well as working with Sabretooth and Third World Games. He has an extensive background in playtesting for top companies. He has also written for Games Quarterly, Duelist, Inquest and others.

Jeff Rhind Jeff is a single father raising a 19 year-old son and a 8 year-old daughter, and slowly coaxing them into the world of tabletop gaming. He has been gaming for many years and shares his love and appreciation for the hobby by reviewing and talking about games on his web site: completelyboard. com as well as his You Tube channel at youtube.com/completelyboard.

You can also follow him on twitter @jeffrhind

Tom M Franklin Tom lives in North Carolina where he and his wife are staff to their five cats.

His writing has appeared in his agent’s Inbox and the occasional hand-written letter to friends. He grew up playing Abstract Strategy Games (back when they were simply called games) and still regards dice of all kinds with suspicion. His Board Gaming Claim to Fame is having taught over 300 kids how to play Chess. Considering he’s been playing board games for over 50 years he really should be much better at them than he is.

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Game Review Index

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• • • • • •

This Town Ain’t Big Enough for the 2-4 of Us Small World Stella Nova Shoot-Out Postcard Cthulhu Postcard Empire

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Tile Chess Cards of Cthulhu Samurai Spirit Golem Arcana Pairs Sutakku Timeline

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Baseball Highlights 2045 Samurai Sword Paperback For the Crown Trench Firefly Cutthroat Caverns Rise of the Zombies Shadow Throne

• • • • • • • • •

Rhino Hero Attila Spurs and Sprockets Chaosmos March of the Ants AquaSphere Fidelitas Rise of Cthulhu Maha Yodah

• • • • • • • • • •

Animal Upon Animal Sushi Draft Stones of Fate WWII: Stalingrad Stockpile The Magnates Sentinel Tactics Flip City Space Movers 2201 Dark Tales

• • • • • • • • •

Nevermore Gold West Arcadia Quest

Dragon Flame

New York 1901

Lift Off! Tesla vs. Edison

Yashima Targi

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Outer Earth 1944: Race to the Rhine Runecast Cycling Tour Witkacy Firefly: Fistful of Credits Dozen Doubloons King Down

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Game Review Index

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• • • • • • • • • • • •

Steam Works Web of Spies Cartography Xia: Legends of a Drift System Orleans Raiders of the North Sea Hoyuk Wizards of the Wild Myths at War Ring It! Hogg Wild for Wealth The Martian Investigations

• • • • • • • • • • •

Cosmic Run Imperial Harvest Under the Pyramids (Eldritch Horror Expansion) Bomb Squad Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization Luna Biblios Dice Trekking the National Parks Fuse Skulldug!

Horrible Hex

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Cuisine a la Cart Foragers The Shadow Over Westminster Scoville Valeria: Card Kingdom Onitama Knit Wit Worlds Fair: 1893 Flip City: Reuse Gruff The Walled City Empires at Sea

• • • • • • • • • • • •

JurassAttack!

Oh My Gods!

Looting Atlantis 13 Days Apotheca Tiny Epic Galaxies Automobiles Daxu Slaughterville Kheops Scoville: Labs Ancient Conflict Treasure Chest

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Dr. Eureka Stockpile: Continuing Corruption Sugar Gliders Dawn of the Zeds: Third Edition Vast: The Crystal Caverns The Networks Grifters Trajan Conspiracy!

Secrets of the Last Tomb Best Treehouse Ever Matryoshka

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

Imhotep In the Name of Odin Centauri Saga Draconis Invasion Dastardly Dirigibles Flamme Rouge Haspelknecht Hansa Teutonica Star Trek Panic Theomachy Commissioned San Ni Ichi Small City Game Nite Issue #21

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Game Review Index

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• • • • • • • • • • • • •

Kanagawa Lunarchitects Hero Realms Santorini Vinhos: Deluxe Colony Sun Tzu Bermuda Crisis Tavarua Explorers of the North Sea America San Allies Crisis

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Hanamikoji Element Villages of Valeria Mansions of Madness 2nd Edition 7 Wonders Duel Oceanos Herbaceous A Feast For Odin Schotten Totten This Belongs in a Museum

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Ninja Taisen Space Invaders Dice!

The Dresden Files Card Game Pyramids Quests of Valeria Amun-Re Cultists of Cthulhu Magic Maze Knot Dice The Cohort Crazier Eights Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu

• • • • • • • • • • • •

7&7 March of the Ants: Minions of the Meadow Honshu Web of Spies Saga of the Northmen Tournament at Camelot Haspelknecht: The Ruhr Valley Plague Inc. Zephyr Terrible Monster 5ive Duress

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Fantasy Realms Space Race Isle of Skye Unearth ION Escape from 100 Million BC Battle for Souls COG Near and Far Terraforming Mars Caverna: Cave vs. Cave Pocket Mars Terra Mystica Hafid’s Grand Bazaar

• • • • • • • •

The Climbers Whistle Stop The 7th Continent Witches of the Revolution Viral Sentient Road Hog PeltaPeeps

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Game Review Index

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• • • • • • •

Mini Rails Nightmare Forest: Alien Invasion The Ruhr Summit Seikatsu Tulip Bubble Covalence

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Joraku Michael Strogoff Minute Realms Castle Dukes Rajas of the Ganges Cytosis

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