Game Nite Magazine Issue 28

Game Nite

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the magazine of tabletop gaming

september 2018

“root�

game of the year?

v

Issue # 28

rui alipio monteiro - trench

game reviews

In this issue: Interview 16

Rui Alipio Monteiro 08

Outpost: Siberia

12

Outpost: Amazon

For Android and iOS

28

Root

Game of the Year Contender.

Top 10

34

Planetarium

Designer/Publisher

mobile Review 06

game Reviews

Ganz Schon Clever

Survival Co-op.

Survival Co-op.

Feeling Gravity’s Pull.

04 Top 10 Deckbuilders

Mobile Review index 46

Index of Reviewed Apps

abstract games 38

Interview Gallery 42

Index of Past Interviews

Review index 48

Back Issue Index

TZAAR by Tom M Franklin

Calendar 58

October 2018

Contributors 57

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 #28

From across the table

Game Nite ISSUE # 28

W

ith an abundance of products hitting the market every month, it is easy for a game to be released and then quickly fade into obscurity. Manufacturers and designers both seem to pumping out games at an extraordinary rate - hoping that one of them becomes a best seller. Seldom do we ever see a designer/ publisher release a game and then focus only on that game, in order to build up the game’s stature and following . In this issue we interview Rui Alipio Monteiro, the creator of “Trench”. Whereas some games eventually wind up in the “bargain bin”, Rui has promoted his game to the point where schools in Portugal use it in the classroom and the World Championship of Trench is held during the prestigious Mind Games competition. It’s exciting to see how the game continues to grow and to note how far it has come since being reviewed in issue #3 of Game Nite. It goes to show how a solid design can garner international attention with some hard work and steadfast promotion.

Cover Photograph by Serge Pierro.

Root © Leder Games

Editor in Chief/Publisher: Serge Pierro

Editor:

The October calendar features “Root” and provides the release date for issue #29.

In this issue: Tom M Franklin’s Abstract Games column takes a look at “TZAAR”.

Tom also reviews “Planetarium”.

Congratulations to Cole Wehrle and Leder Games for winning an “Editor’s Choice Award” for “Root”. A game that I feel is in the running for Game of the Year!

Special thanks to Rui Alipio Monteiro for taking time from his busy schedule to share his thoughts with our readers.

Eric Devlin Writers:

Photographers:

Tom Franklin Serge Pierro Tom Franklin Jeff Rhind Jeff Rhind

Follow us on Facebook:

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

www.facebook.com/GameNiteMagazine

Serge Pierro

www.gamenitemagazine.com

Visit us at:

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Editor in Chief/Publisher

@gamenitemagazine

editor@gamenitemagazine.com

Follow us on Twitter:

@GameNiteMag

Game Nite Issue #28

03

Top 10 - Deck Builders

1

Hero Realms White Wizard Games

2

Star Realms White Wizard Games

3

Paperback Tim Fower Games

4

Baseball Highlights 2045 Eagle Gryphon Games

5

Dominion Rio Grande Games

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Game Nite Issue #28

By Serge Pierro

6

The Veil Self Published

7

Draconis Invasion Keji, Inc.

8

Friday Rio Grande Games

9

Clank!

Renegade Game Studios

10

Ascension StoneBlade Entertainment

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Mobile Review

By Serge Pierro

Ganz Schon Clever

O

ne of the more interesting “new” genres to come out in recent memory is that of “Roll and Write”. These games involve the rolling of dice and writing down specific results on a scoresheet. It has become quite popular with all types of gamers and is well suited for solitaire play.

So it should come as no surprise that there would be an effort to release one of these as a mobile app, and the Kennerspiel nominee Ganz Schon Clever is perhaps the perfect choice for this platform. And for those wondering, Ganz Schon Clever translates to “pretty clever” in English.

The first thing that I look for in a new app is the tutorial. Unfortunately there is no tutorial for the game, however there is a rule section that provides an overview of yow to play and how each of the scoring sections is scored. There was a bit of haziness as to how to play the game at first, as there is no in game help or “tooltips”, so you are left to your memory of the rules as to how everything scores.

This was a glaring defect for the first several games, as there was no way to look up what an icon meant or how to score a specific section. This is something that the developer should consider to address in a future update. Since I had never played the game before, it was a bit frustrating at time until I had a better understanding of the iconography and such.

This is not to say that the game is hard, but for first

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time players you are left on your own as to what to do as there is no in game help, you actually have to leave the game and go back to the rules section to look something up.

The user interface is pretty straightforward, as there is only one screen and it contains all of the information for the game. Once you have figured out all of the icons and such for the game, this screen is more than enough to play the game, though as mentioned above, a help/rules button is definitely needed for newer players. The main actions of the user interface is the tapping of the “roll dice” button and then tapping a die and the “box” in which you want to place your “mark”.

The graphics are fairly pedestrian, as there is not much need for “bells and whistles” for this type of game. The layout and graphics aren’t bad, but they’re just nothing “exciting”.

The gameplay is fairly straightforward once the rules/scoring issues are memorized. You choose a die, place a “mark” on the scoresheet and continue play. The game lights up all of the available plays for you so that it is easier to make your decisions.

This is a nice touch and proved to be both a time saver and a handy assistance.

While at the end of the game you are presented with a final score, along with a breakdown of the scoring of each section, I would have liked to have had an area of the screen devoted to the current score on your turn. This would have allowed me to more accurately strategize my moves for trying to pass my high score. As it stands right now, there is no easy way to know what your score is, other than quickly trying to calculate the numbers that are within each section.

Ganz Schon Clever is an addicting game that should appeal to a wide variety of gamers. At first it would appear that it is based on the luck of the dice, however, as you play more games and learn to set up

combos, the game draws you in and has you wanting to play another game upon completion of the current one. This should prove to be a welcome addition for anyone looking to have a fun “roll and write� available on their mobile platform of choice.

Version # Price: Devices:

1.2.7 $2.99 Android and iOS Developer: brettspielwelt GmbH

Recommended www.brettspielwelt.de/

Game Nite Issue #28

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Outpost: Siberia

By Serge Pierro

Survival Co-Op Card Game

W

hile Co-op games continue to be popular and designers forge ahead looking to further explore the intricacies of the genre. IDW Games has released two Co-Op card games that provide a challenging experience: Outpost Siberia and Outpost: Amazon. This issue we will take a look at the plusses and minuses that each of these titles have to offer.

Outpost: Siberia is the first game in the “Outpost” series and it comes in a 6” x 4 1/2” x 1 3/4” tin box.

The lid features the word “Outpost” in raised letters.

People seem to have a “love/hate” relationship with these types of tins, I personally don’t mind them, though I can understand why some people don’t like them. Inside the box there is a custom, plastic insert that has a reservoir for the counters and a section above it for the cards. There are “thumb holes” that make it easier to remove the cards from the insert.

The 28 page rulebook contains the information in order to play the game and there are numerous examples of play. And while 28 pages might seem to be a lot for a small card game, many of the pages are devoted to illustrated examples.

There is also a sheet advertising the second game of the series, Outpost: Amazon (reviewed this issue).

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The game includes 6 cardboard life tokens and 6 Character cards and 48 Event/Threat cards. The cards have a glossy finish and are of a decent card stock.

Sleeving is optional, though if sleeved, the cards won’t fit into the insert, which is something to consider.

To begin the game each player receives a Character card and a health token. The Good and Bad Events are separated and each deck is separately shuffled. The manual lists three difficulty levels, with each of them containing a different assortment of Good and Bad Events. Example: The Easy version has 8 Good Events and 4 Bad Events, while the Hard version has 4 Good Events and 8 Bad Events.

The chosen Events are shuffled along with the Threats to form the Expedition Deck. The remaining Event cards are separately shuffled together and will form the Outpost Deck.

At the start of a player’s turn they will draw 2 cards from the Outpost Deck. They will keep one card in their hand and the other is placed on the table - thus forming the Supply. The Supply is a community area of cards that can be used by any player. Cards kept in hand are only used for their Combat Value and cards in the Supply are only used as Equipment.

Next, the current player may play cards out of their hand for their Combat Value, placing the cards underneath the targeted Threat.

After all players have taken a turn the round ends and any “end of round” effects from Threats that are currently in play are resolved.

When a player is done attacking they may use any Play continues in this manner until the players win number of the Equipment cards in the Supply area. (surviving all of the cards in the Encounter deck) or they lose the game by having either one of their party These cards are placed in the Discard pile after use. member die or at the end of any player’s turn there are The last action taken on a turn is revealing the top card 5 Threats on the table. of the Expedition deck. This will be either an Event card or a Threat. If an Event is revealed, any costs must be paid - or a Character will lose one health. They will Although I really liked the concept of the game, it then resolve the text of the Event and place it into the seemed like this was an Alpha version. There were Discard pile. If a Threat is revealed, one player who isn’t several areas of the game in which I felt that weren’t Exhausted (taken their turn) loses one Health and the playtested enough.

Threat is placed onto the table.

For instance, our first game was a 2 player game that At the end of your turn you turn your card sideways ended very quickly - there just wasn’t enough time to (Exhausted) to indicate that your turn is finished. do anything as players were taking wounds every turn Continued on next page>

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Outpost: Siberia

(Cont.)

and the First Aid kits were basically of no use as the What I did like about the game is that it has a bit of a Character was going to be wounded again on the next “Friday”-like element to it, in particular where defeated turn or two. I would venture to say that the 2 player Threats and Events are placed into the Discard pile and version of the game is essentially unplayable. then shuffled with the other cards to form a new deck and new cards are made available.

Our next game was a 3 player version and the addition of one more Character somewhat eased the assignment of Overall I like the concept of the game, but there are Health loss and provided a more acceptable experience. several things that need to be addressed and corrected.

We still lost, but we were at least able to last a while As I’m typing this review I haven’t opened “Outpost: and be competitive. Clearly this is a game where you Amazon” yet. I’m hoping that it addresses my concerns want to have as many players as possible, however, this and provides a better gaming experience. The “Outpost” is normally true of any Co-Op game. series could be interesting, but more effort is going to be needed from the designers to bring it up to snuff.

I thought that the Character cards should have been Perhaps Outpost: Amazon will deliver the promise hinted double sided with different stats on each side for the at here in Outpost: Siberia. See our review of it this issue scaling of the various player counts. “Trail Guide Belle” to find out. has only 2 Health and is only playable in games where there are 4-6 players, as she is easily killed in the lower player counts.

I was left scratching my head at the First Aid kits, as they only provide 1 Health point upon use. These should have been at least 2 Health points in order to be viable. I was also surprised that there was no Character (Medic) who provided any Healing options.

Some of the other Event cards and Character cards also left me wondering how much effort/testing went into this game. Fortunately there is enough of a foundation to build a better game from this. See our review this issue of the latest game in the series, Outpost: Amazon and see if any of the deficiencies of this version are addressed and corrected.

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Designers: Jon Gilmour & Daryl Andrews

Publisher: Players: Mechanic: Ages: Length:

IDW Games 2-6 Co-Op 12+ 30 Mins.

Pass/Worth Trying www.idwgames.com

Game Nite Issue #28

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Outpost: Amazon

By Serge Pierro

Survival Co-Op Card Game

I

n this issue we took a look at the first game in the “Outpost” series, Outpost: Siberia. We found that the game itself had potential, yet the execution was a bit weak, as if it wasn’t playtested enough. Now we will take a look at the second game in the series, Outpost: Amazon and see if it delivers on the potential exhibited by the first game.

Outpost: Amazon comes in the same sized 6” x 4 1/2” x 1 3/4” tin as Outpost: Siberia and features the same raised lettering for the logo of “Outpost”. It also contains the same custom insert that was featured in the initial game.

The latest incarnation of the game features a 32 page rulebook. Clearly this was based on the rulebook for Outpost: Siberia, as on page 14 there is a sentence: “Outpost Siberia is a cooperative game:”, clearly the original files were used as a basis for the rules and this was missed during editing. There was another mistake on page 20 that lists the Starting Cage’s capacity at 13, while the card in the game has a text for “14”. Other than those examples that jumped out at me when I read the rulebook, the rest of the rulebook appears to be fine and does a decent job of explaining the game.

Interestingly enough there is a sheet included for Outpost: Siberia which offers a “Outpost Siberia Survival Guide” for download and says that it offers a new way to experience Outpost: Siberia. Perhaps this helps with the problems associated with the first game?

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The game features the same tokens as those in the first game.

The cards themselves have been graphically redesigned and have a cleaner, more pleasing look to them. Otherwise the production values are the same as the original cards.

While this is the second game in the series, it does not play exactly the same as the first game and overall the gameplay has been improved and some of the previous issues have been dealt with. See our review of Outpost: Siberia in this issue to fill in some of the gameplay, as we will be mainly focusing on the differences here.

The setup for the game is the same as the previous one, with the scaling of the difficulty determined by the amount of Good and Bad events in the Expedition deck.

The “easy level” features 8 Good and 4 Bad events, while the “hard level” has 4 Good and 8 Bad events. And like the first game, you can adjust the difficulty to whatever you’d like by adjusting the distribution of the 12 events.

The big difference between this game and the original is the inclusion of “Cages”. Whereas in the first game you killed each of the Threats and attempted to survive the Expedition deck, here you have the option to either kill them or put them in a Cage, with the amount of points “caged” determining how well you did. There is a table at the back of the rulebook that lists the various scores.

Example “50-69 - Not too great” and “80-89 - So close!”

A score of 90 points is considered “perfect”.

The way the Cage mechanism works is as follows: On each of the Threats there is a “Net Value”. This is the number that is needed in order to “net” a Threat and place it in a Cage. Example: a Mutant Leopard has a Health value of 6 and a Net value of 3. If you want to kill it (and not score points at the end of the game), you deal 6 points of damage to it, however, if you want to Net it and put it in a Cage for scoring purposes at the end of the game, you have to deal at least 3 damage to it and have a Net available to place it in a Cage. There are six Cages available throughout the game, a Starting Cage and five additional ones that can be purchased by spending “Wreckage”. All of them feature different capacities.

At the start of the game you now receive one card from the Outpost. This improves upon the original game by providing the players with a little Combat “boost” for the first turn or two.

The drawing of cards from the Outpost is improved upon in this game. You now draw three cards, choosing one for your hand to use for its Combat value, one for the Supply to be used as a piece of Equipment and the remaining card is placed in the Discard pile.

The drawing of the three cards is a huge improvement over the first game as it was common to be stuck with useless cards when drawing only two and the option of the third also helps make the gameplay decisions more interesting, and at times, much tougher.

And speaking of Cages, there is now a limitation of how many cards can be in the Supply area - 10 and that Perhaps the most important improvement is that of includes any of the Cages that you currently own! So, the “First Aid Kits”, as these now allow a Character to you have to plan to work around this. heal up to their maximum health points. To test this

Continued on next page>

Game Nite Issue #28

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Outpost: Amazon out we played a two player game which proved to be competitive, as we were able to heal and continue the game. The “First Aid Kits” were a disaster in the original game as they only healed one point of damage, making them somewhat useless.

And speaking of Characters, the ones that are included in this game are more interesting than those in the original. It would be almost suicidal not to play with Ada Imani as her ability allows her, once per round, to look at the top four cards of the Expedition deck and arrange them as she wishes. Of course if you are looking for an even more challenging game, feel free to leave her out and be surprised at each of the encounters.

Each of the above tweaks helped to improve the gameplay and rectify some earlier problems. However, this game also includes some changes to the Threats themselves. There are now some Threats that deal “2” damage upon being revealed, whereas the first game had Threats that all dealt “1” damage. So even with the inclusion of the improved “First Aid Kits” there is a chance that a Character can be killed when they are down to only “2” health and they encounter one of these Threats. Yet another reason to have “Ada Imani” in your starting party.

Outpost: Amazon is a nice improvement over Outpost: Siberia. Many of the problems associated with “Siberia” have been dealt with in “Amazon”. We found the limitation of the 10 cards in the Supply added another layer of strategy to the game and with the draw 3, take one, Supply one and discard one, the Supply was usually filled with some good cards for players to use. However, as you go through the Expedition deck and deal with the encounters, your Outpost deck grows and it sometimes takes longer to gain access to a Net or First Aid Kit. This added to the tension of the game and provided a better experience.

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(Cont.)

I’m not sure if the Equipment distribution was changed, but this game felt more “fair” than the previous one.

But then again there is the luck of the initial draws for the assembling of the Expedition deck, so maybe it just worked out that way. The game can still be tough, but we felt that at least this time we were able to compete instead of being pummeled by a poor design.

While I was not impressed with Outpost: Siberia, due to several design/playtesting flaws, Outpost: Amazon goes a long way towards redeeming the series. And although it is not listed on the tin, this game also plays well as a solo game by taking control of two or more Characters and working your way through the Expedition deck and then seeing if you beat your previous high score.

If the Outpost series sounds interesting to you, then you will want to gravitate towards Outpost: Amazon, as it is clearly the better game in the series thus far.

Designers: Jon Gilmour & Daryl Andrews

Publisher: Players: Mechanic: Ages: Length:

IDW Games 2-6 Co-Op 12+ 30 Mins.

Worth Trying www.idwgames.com

Game Nite Issue #28

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Interview Interview

By Serge Pierro

• Trench Rui Alipio Monteiro - Game Designer Thank you for taking the time to share your What games over the years have you enjoyed thoughts with our readers, can you tell us a little most, from both the point of personal enjoyment, something about yourself? as well as those that influenced your growth as a designer?

I was born on March 29, 1965, in Porto, Portugal.

I’m an Artist/Designer by vocation, I’m always passionate about art, especially geometric abstractionism and cubism. Hence, all my work has an artistic character and my motto is: “Play with Art!” In 2008, after an “epiphany,” I became a Game Designer, with my “firstborn”: TRENCH. I conceived the design on the beach of Castro de Sampaio, in the Parish of Labruge, in Vila do Conde, Portugal.

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My favorite games are those that are for two players, with simple rules, yet, require thought and high strategy.

The games I always played were the ancient abstract strategy games. Trench was designed through an unorthodox look at the iconic chessboard, taking a point of view different from the one we are traditionally used to. Trench was, it’s genesis, a subliminal project, a fruit of the purest inspiration and it was a crafty new way to resurrect lost, timeless classics.

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

Since I started to create games, I have not time to play other games. I usually play and test my games by myself and it takes up a lot of my time.

Who are your favorite game designers?

Oh my gosh! I am always uncomfortable with this question because if I answer the truth I am not understood or provoke misunderstandings.

I must be atypical, I admit, but in reality I do not know the other creators because I’ve never been, and I’m not, a typical board gamer. The board gamer world is new to me since 2013, when I first published Trench.

in the process of developing my games, is in a fast paced dynamic without looking back, breaking ground and creating various alternatives along the way that invariably turn into creative options.

I accidentally became a game creator. I joined three It’s a buzz of ideas and emotions and when I get subjects that I like: design, history and challenge to the tests and the concept works, even if it needs some adjustments, it’s very gratifying! and Trench and other games were born...

The adrenaline that nourishes and sustains me

What do you think defines your “style” as a game is only comparable to that experienced in the designer, is there a specific mechanic or rule set performance of an upcoming game, so I cannot wait long or suffer from “starvation.” or…?

I am a solitary creator. I like to create “a solo” from In my abstract strategy games, the luck factor is zero. the beginning to the end, without any interruptions Players have the same advantages and difficulties so the outcome of the game depends on the strategy, or influences! concentration and skill of the player. Victory is not The kind of mechanics that I prefer to focus on random.

Continued on next page>

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Interview

(Cont.)

Seeing as how you have been both a publisher and designer, how does the business side influence your game designs and how does your game design influence your business decisions?

In the beginning, in the creative phase, I never bothered with the business side. I was only focused on creative work, art, thematic, concept, mechanics and rules. I wanted everything to make sense. I wanted also create art and innovation. In my games the design is always part of the concept.

thousands of equal pieces for hundreds of games around the world ...so it is that many different games have equal pieces and components.

Today I know that both sides, creative and business, it’s necessary to find a point of balance which is why briefly the public will have a base version, the low cost version, of Trench, one version more economic but equally beautiful.

Like everything in life we have ​​ to give up certain things for the benefit of others so that we go well...

However I would like to say to all those who have the 1st edition of Trench and the backers who pledged the 2nd edition (PREMIUM): you have a unique game. Trench is the only game in the world, produced in bi-matter and bi-color. It is a luxury edition that probably will not be produced again in When I produced Trench I wanted to highlight the the near future because unfortunately the business artistic and original side of the game so I did not side, influence our decisions. give up on the design and the quality of the board and the components.

In the case of Trench, in my mind the pieces had to be pyramidal to portray the pyramid of power, from the soldier to the general and had to be bicolor: black and white.

What inspired you to designing a WWI themed I also did not adapt the design to the business side. abstract game (Trench)?

But of course it was a great challenge and expensive project because both: the board and the pieces, I have always wanted to create something innovative required specific and exclusive molds. And molds and leave a sound legacy for future generations. are so expensive, especially if produced in Portugal/ It was with this motivation and enthusiasm that I Europe. proposed to create a game evocative of WWI - a We know that it’s not the same thing one factory noble game in the classic style of board games; thus produce molds and injecting pieces for just one was, baptized TRENCH, at the suggestion of my game or the same molds produce thousands and wife, Maria Luísa Monteiro.

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to not fading out from the Collective Memory the history of WWI. From its very inception, Trench evokes the memory of the “Great War” through art.

The use of the “trench” in Trench is both interesting, and yet at the same time, thematic. How early in the design process did you come up with this idea?

The design, mechanics and theme were born inseparable, none were born first. Ideas occurred circumstantially, instinctively, for a single purpose create a strategy abstract game inspired by WWI. On my first sketch of the board I drew the trench immediately. In my mind everything was already defined and realized: • The diamond-shaped board separated down the middle by a diagonal; World War I always interested me because it is a defining moment in humanity´s history. It was the first global conflict and the most decisive event in the modern era to that date. It was the war that changed the world, and it continues to be one of the greatest nightmares in human history.

• The trench - is thus transformed into a realistic reference to the actual combats and is the basis for all the available tactical and strategic formulations that took place during World War I;

• The pyramidal pieces representing the ranks of an infantry or cavalry of an army, from the foot Trench is a tribute to the soldiers of the trenches of the soldier at the bottom to the general at the top of the Great War; it is a hymn to strength and humanity; pyramid of power; it is a testament to the human capacity to adapt to • The starting setup was inspired by the inhospitable and challenging environments. alignment of a diamond-shaped Roman military This is the mission that Trench seeks to accomplish: formation. it condemns this awful and embarrassing moment in human history as it attempts to inform and alert Trench recreates - in abstract form - the strategies our contemporaries to the tragedies that occurred and tactics of World War I trench warfare, quite effectively!

Continued on next page> Game Nite Issue #28

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Interview

(Cont.)

One of the most striking elements of Trench is the beautiful black and white design. What made you choose this color choice, as compared to the olive green palette normally associated with a WWI themed game?

The optical illusion “Op Art” is also intentional, creating a deliberate camouflage for the pieces on the board. It simulates the camouflaged soldiers in their battlefield. Camouflage and dissimulation was developed as a strategy during World War I.

While I enjoyed watching the 2018 Trench Olympiad Championship, at times it was a bit tough to follow due to the “camouflage” aspect of the game’s I choose black and white because these colors design. Are there any plans for a different color represent the dichotomy between light and scheme for use in tournament broadcasts to make darkness, good and evil, sound and silence, life and it easier, for example, to see the “soldier” pieces?

The black and white colors, is also an integral part of the concept.

death. It is also a humble homage to the Portuguese cobblestone street pavement, “Calçada”.

It’s a good question.

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As can be seen from an illustrated Strategy Guide design, the layout of the future digital version or for use in tournaments and championships can still be improved and this issue of excessive camouflage, present on the physical version, can easily be overcome.

As Sun Tzu says, we should be able to adapt to circumstances…

Unlike many modern board game designers who rush from one game design to the next, you have devoted your time to promoting your game and continue to raise awareness to it in the international market. How much time do you spend each week in promoting the game?

That part has been my wife’s responsibility. She devotes part of her precious time to spreading the game, some significant weekly hours. As we do not have budget for marketing and advertising we use the free social networks and we already got good contacts by this way, including our partner, Mike Strickland.

I must confess, seeing Trench every year since 2016 at Mind Sports Olympiad (MSO) the annual international multidiscipline competition and festival for games of mental skill and mind sports, it´s just great. It’s an honor for me!

However, the public does not always understand But this year was even more special. Watching when the game’s creator is also its own publisher Trench Olympiad Championship being broadcast and has to publicize its own game. It is a delicate live was very exciting. situation to manage. It’s not easy...

I felt that, in a tournament setting, Trench is an exciting spectator sport: It is fast-paced, dynamic, What did it feel like to have Trench’s Trench and deeply psychological and shows its strategic beauty and builds up a sweeping momentum.

Olympiad Championship held at prestigious 2018 Mind Games event?

I was honored that the Trench OC was commented

on by the legendary Spanish mind sports player and Continued on next page>

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Interview

(Cont.)

coach Paco de la Banda (he won the Pentamind in 2010) and by my friend and countryman Ricardo Jorge Gomes, Eurogames World Champion 2018 and Trench Portuguese Champion.

You have a strategy book coming out for Trench, can you tell us a little about it? Will it contain any annotated games?

And I was proud to see AndrĂŠs Kuusk, also a legend Yes, the first Strategy Guide will briefly be edited. of Mind Sports Olympic, 4 times Pentamind and James Heppell, 2 times Pentamind, to participate This hardcover Strategy Guide features over 150 pages and with dozens of annotated games provides in the Trench OC. the road map for the best strategies in the opening, This year I was also very happy that the silver medal middle, and end of the game. came to Portugal with my friend Nuno Torres.

Also included the Trench final table (annotated), On the day of the Trench OC at Mind Sports of the Trench Olympiad Championship at Mind Sport Olympiad London 2018. Andres Kuusk Olympiad I am a happy man! playing against Georg-Romet Topkin.

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It also contains a brief history of the game, and more. The preface was written by General Loureiro dos Santos - a Professor and recognized Specialist in Military Strategy.

I believe that the official Trench Strategy Guide will show that Trench is a serious game with deep potential.

I’ve seen many photos of children playing Trench.

Why do you think a game of this depth has such appeal to children?

For me, this is the big surprise of Trench. I never imagined that children would feel so attracted to Trench, an abstract game of deep strategy.

And we are talking about including children from the age of 6. In schools, Trench is a success. It’s amazing!

I think this is due to the modern and appealing design of the game, but also because Trench has a history and is logical and intuitive. Children quickly assimilate that the central lines are the trenches and the pieces are an army ... they do not want to lose their General. They protect him a lot. They prefer to sacrifice their soldiers. They are happy and excited when they can capture more than one piece at the same time when their piece exits the trench into enemy territory.

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Interview

(Cont.)

One day, a grandfather told me: “My grandson has never been interested in chess but he asks me to play Trench.” His grandson heard this comment and replied, “Grandfather, I already told you that I like Trench because Trench has more logic!” I am very happy when I hear this, of course.

Teachers from some Portuguese schools are using Trench in the classroom because they recognize that Trench helps the child train his memory and refines his motor skills by manipulating the pieces. They use Trench to improve children’s concentration, patience and persistence; to develop the sense of creativity, intuition, memory, analytic and decision-making This year’s all-Spain team, 5 children, in Mind skills; also to teach determination, motivation and Sports Olympiad, participated in the Trench OC sportsmanship. and won medals. Their coach, Veronica Candelaria, sent me the following message: “A los niños les encanta el juego” - “Children love the game.”

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Are there any plans for an app version of Trench with a strong/expert level AI? Regarding to a strong AI, this will be developed at some point. It’s currently way more important to have a playing site where humans can play against other humans and even though it would be nice to have a level AI I think it doesn’t need to be as strong in the beginning.

Basically what I think are the most important things currently: 1) A lot of live tournaments; 2) Internet playing site; Anyway, my vision of the Trench Digital, in the future, is a unique Trench site with: - Game in its digital version, multiplayer, player vs. computer (AI), ranks, championships.

- Trench store for the sale of the physical game, the “Strategy Guide” and merchandising.

- An active blog. The blog would feed off information Are there any other upcoming projects that you are from the tournaments, and other promotions, at liberty to discuss or announce? including interesting games that were recorded and can be reviewed with analysis and strategy tips.

TRENCH is the first part of a trilogy, the totality of which will be revealed to the public soon.

This includes creating an official Trench Rating system, with monthly updates that can be Trench was inspired by World War I. It represents automated, based upon the rating system used in Land. The second was inspired by the Air Force chess and most other strategy games. during World War II, which had the supremacy in that war. It represents Air. The third was inspired Ah yes, I’m available to a partnership to develop the by the Naval Forces, i.e. the Navy. It represents Sea. digital Trench.

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Interview

(Cont.)

What advice would you have for someone who wants to self publish their game?

You have to be prepared to listen to many “no� and criticism (even when you do your best) and not give up.

You have to be prepared to work hard.

You have to cultivate patience because a lot of things will take time to happen.

Sometimes you will feel frustrated because you want everything perfect and you want to meet deadlines but do not despair because in the end when you achieve the goal your endeavors and resilience will be rewarded.

What advice would you have for aspiring game designers?

Believe in yourself, believe that you are capable.

Never give up on your dreams.

Good luck to all!

Life is the best strategy game!

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27

Root

By Serge Pierro

Game of the Year?

O

ne The last time that we reviewed a product by Leder Games it was for the expansions to Vast: The Crystal Caverns, and not surprisingly we thought very highly of them, as Vast: The Crystal Caverns is an innovative and excellent asymmetrical game that we enjoy playing. So, when the opportunity arose for us to review their latest offering, Root, we were quite excited to see what it had to offer. Let’s take a look at one of my most anticipated games from Gen Con and see how it measures up.

Root comes in a 9” x 11 1/2” x 2 3/4” linen finished box. Inside is a custom, black, plastic insert that has dedicated sections for the two dice, custom meeples/cardboard components and the cards. There is a 3/8” recessed area that was used for the storage of the punchboards during the shipment of the game, but is meaningless once the boards have been punched.

The game comes with three documents for learning how to play.

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First up is a double sided piece of paper that has a walkthrough of the first two turns of the game. Each turn uses each of the four Factions, showing how the game flows and the “flavor” of each Faction. This is meant to be passed around, with each player reading the specific section for their Faction. It contains the essential elements of each faction’s turn and has a central map showing the moves that are discussed. It does a decent job of giving an overview of the game’s turn structure.

The second document is a 24 page “Learning to Play” book that goes into greater detail on how the game is played. This will most likely be your primary source for learning how to play the game, as it contains the rules and devotes a couple of pages for each faction that reveal greater details than the “Walkthrough” sheet. And although 24 pages might seem to be a lot, the book measures only 6 3/4” x 8” and is profusely illustrated with several examples, so there isn’t as much to read as one would anticipate from the page count.

The last book is the 12 page “The Law of Root”.

This is a more “traditional” technical rulebook

that contains no illustrations, yet provides more details. We found that the “Learning to Play” book was sufficient for learning how to play the game and only on a couple of occasions did we open “The Law of Root” for further clarification on a matter. As a bonus, this book also contains the rules for the two expansion factions (Lizard Cult and Riverfolk Company).

each board present a list of components for the specified faction, as well as a few paragraphs on how to play them and provided the following statistics: Complexity, Aggression, Card Wealth and Crafting Ability. For example: The Woodland Alliance has a Complexity of “High”, Aggression “Moderate”, Card Wealth “Moderate” and Crafting Ability “High”. This proved to be quite useful when we were first The six panel, double sided, board is linen deciding on who would play what faction, as finished and is quite sturdy. The “main” face each player was able to choose the faction that of the board is glued over the “snow” of the most suited their play style/level or interest. other side of the board, thus providing a nice “binding” effect around the edges of the board.

The front of the player’s boards are where you will be placing/removing your faction specific Each faction/player has their own player board. cards and tokens. Some factions have tokens These are also double sided and linen finished, that are removed from their player board and though they are slightly thinner than the main reveal Victory Points underneath them. Others board, but nevertheless are sturdy. The backs of Continued on next page> Game Nite Issue #28

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Root

(Cont.)

have areas for cards to be placed that influence how the faction is played. All of the nonVagabond factions have areas to store “Crafted Items” that are acquired throughout the game.

Like Vast: The Crystal Caverns, each of these boards plays completely different and echoes the asymmetrical nature initiated with Vast.

Even though this is an asymmetrical game, there are some common elements that are used throughout. For instance, there are specific rules for movement that each of the Factions must follow. Another instance would be “Card Crafting” in which players will use an area control mechanism in order to match the resources on a card in order to gain its bonus. And yet The remaining components include: another instance would be the rules for Combat.

Otherwise, each of the Factions have their own Two custom 12 sided dies that each have a distinct set of rules and gameplay. range of 0-3, with each number appearing three times on each die.

The goal of the game is to be either the first player to reach 30 Victory Points or complete The cards used throughout the game are linen one of the Dominance cards. finished and are of a decent quality. Due to the linen finish and not being shuffled extensively Each Faction has an explicit means for scoring throughout the game, the sleeving of the cards points. The “Marquis de Cat” scores VP’s by is optional. I will not be sleeving them, as they constructing buildings. The “Eyrie Dynasty” should be fine just as they are. scores VP’s by placing Roosts. The “Woodland Alliance” scores VP’s by putting Sympathy The cardboard components are of a standard tokens around the board and the “Vagabond” quality and are also linen finished. scores VP’s by Questing and their relationship with other Factions. Points can also be scored by The main attraction of the game is the inclusion Crafting items. of custom, silkscreened meeples. And while the silkscreening is minimal, the overall look of the As mentioned above, the alternative method of meeples is quite captivating, as they bring a lot winning is the completion of a Dominance card. of presence to the game and each of them are These are cards that can be used throughout the interesting in their own way. game, however, when they are either spent for their suit or discarded, they are placed alongside The setup for the game is clearly explained in the board. When a player has 10 or more VP’s “step by step” fashion in the “Learning to Play” during their Daylight phase they may discard rulebook. any card of the same suit as the Dominance card and claim that card. This Activates the card and your scoring token is removed from

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the scoring track - you can no longer win the game by accumulating 30 VP’s - you can now only win by fulfilling the requirements on the Dominance card. Example: “You win the game if you rule three rabbit clearings at the start of your Birdsong.”

One of the most fascinating aspects of the game is that each player’s turn is very clearly laid out on their player board and players remarked at how convenient and helpful it was to have their turn sequence listed in this manner. Players who were not “hardcore” gamers were able to follow along easily and felt confident on their turns. The more they played the more they were able to then turn their attention to the more strategic elements of the game and not concern themselves about possibly “making a mistake” by not knowing what to do on their turn.

I was surprised at how much I liked each of the Factions. In other games I would normally gravitate to one of them (Example: The Cave in Vast: The Crystal Caverns), but in this game I enjoyed playing all of them, as they each had their own area of interest. It would be hard to pick only one in this game, but if I had to, I’d lean towards “Woodland Alliance” as they were the most interesting to play, though the “Eyrie Dynasties” are also very interesting to play. Like I said, they are all fascinating and it is hard to pick just one!

The overall “look” and graphic design of the game was a little “off-putting” to some of the players, as they thought that the game was a little to “cute”, but once they got into playing they no longer had any concerns on how it Continued on next page> Game Nite Issue #28

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Root

(Cont.)

looked, but loved the way that it played. I often wondered whether a different look would have affected my overall impression of the game, but honestly, the graphics and artwork worked fine and gave the game a distinct look, as compared to yet another (fill in the blank) overused theme.

game play can generally be considered towards the light/medium spectrum of gaming, there is nice strategic depth and planning as you play, especially during your first few games, as it can be quite easy to implement a plan - only to find out afterwards that there was a better way to do so. This was especially true of the “Marquise de The Dominance cards added a great deal of Cat”, as the strategic placement of the Sawmills interest to the game, as players had to constantly is essential for a winning strategy. be aware of who was in the lead with Victory Points, but they also had to keep track of what Although I didn’t have the opportunity to Dominance cards were also available. This led play the expansion for the game, I have no to several interesting moments as players who reason to believe that it wouldn’t be a worthy were behind on scoring decided to switch gears addition, considering that the expansions for and attempt to win via the Dominance cards. Vast: The Crystal Caverns were so well done, plus This kept everyone keenly aware of the state the rules for them are included in “The Law of of the board and provided another layer of Root” book and can give interested readers an depth as there was always an alternate victory insight as to how they play. I look forward to condition that could be attained. We enjoyed the possibility of playing them in the future and the “tension” that these cards provided. seeing what they have to offer.

I really enjoyed this game and its components, Root is easily in the running for my “Game of so it’s hard to find any real faults. So I guess I’ll the Year” and after you play it, I have a feeling have to nitpick and say that the one thing that that you might feel the same way!

I didn’t like was that the player boards and the game’s main board are hard to get out of the Designer: Cole Wehrle box due to them fitting so snugly. You’ll have to Publisher: Leder Games slightly “bend” the side of the box and squeeze 2-4 your fingers inside the opening in order to get Players: them out. It would have been nice to have had Mechanic: Area Control 10+ more room, but like I said, this is nitpicking Ages: and certainly nothing of profound importance.

Length: 60-90 Mins.

I’m quite happy to say that Leder Games has delivered yet another excellent game. While the

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Highly Recommended www.ledergames.com

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Planetarium

By Tom M Franklin

Feeling Gravity’s Pull

I

n Planetarium you are trying to influence the formation of four new planets, each in a way that benefits you the most. To do so, you’ll collect resources in orbit around the sun that will allow you to play cards on the different planets, altering to the planet’s evolution. Then, at the game’s end, you’ll have one last chance to add to or change the fate of the planets to gain the highest score.

In the middle of the board is a new sun, around which planets and four essential resources for planetary development are in seven discrete orbital paths. Planets are each placed on their set starting spots on the board. The four resources (metal, water, gas, rock) are randomly placed face-down on all the other points around the sun. Once they have been placed, they are turned over so players can see the distribution of resources for the game.

Players are then dealt five cards: two from the Low Evolution deck, two from the High Evolution deck, and one from the Final Evolution deck. Each card will list the resources needed to play the card,

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the number of points the card is worth, and whether it helps to promote life on the planet or makes the planet more hostile.

Players also receive a square player mat that is divided into four quadrants, one for each of the four planets.

On a player’s turn they may take two actions: first, they may move a planet clockwise to the next spot indicated by orbital lines on the board. If a resource is on that spot, the player claims the resource and places it on their mat in the quadrant that corresponds with the planet used to claim it. Since spots are connected by their standard orbit and the orbits just above and below their standard orbit, your move may move a planet closer to or further away from the sun.

Alternately, you can use a planet’s gravitational pull to move a resource that is one spot behind the planet in any of the connecting orbits clockwise into the planet. Such resources also get placed on the player’s mat in the quadrant that corresponds to the planet used.

Photo: Tom M Franklin

In the second part of your turn you may choose to play a card, provided you have the required resources.

When playing a card, the card is always played on the planet corresponding to the quadrant on your player mat where the resources were gathered from.

A small cube of your color is placed on the card to indicate who played the card.

After playing a card you may choose to draw a card from any of the available decks – either single card from the Low Evolution and High Evolution decks, or two from the Final Evolution deck where you keep one and discard the other. Low Evolution cards require the fewest resources to play but also offer the fewest points. High Evolution cards require the most resources but offer the most points. Final Evolution cards are only used at the very end of the game.

All the resources used to play a card are then moved onto the Evolution Track, an arc at the outside of the solar system. When these spots are all filled up, it signals the Final Evolution phase of the game.

Final Evolution cards can be collected any time you play a card prior to Final Impact (although your hand limit stays at five throughout the game), however they can only be played during the Final Impact phase. These cards will have several conditions that must be met to be played. Conditions might include additional resources and/or that the planet be habitable or uninhabitable and/or be in specific orbital path(s) around the sun, etc. Regardless of the conditions listed on the card, you must always have played a Low or High Evolution card on the planet for each Final Evolution card you wish to play on a given planet.

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Planetarium (Cont.)

Planetarium starts off as a simple resourcegathering game with a clever clockwise gravitational movement/pull mechanic. However, since each card that is played hastens the Final Evolution phase, the game quickly begins to come to a close.

The need to balance your cards to collect early points and be able to play Final Evolution cards on planets with the collection of Final Evolution cards (playable Final Evolution cards, mind you) asserts itself quickly.

We found that the Final Evolution cards generally made the difference between a win and a loss.

However, this difference can either come in the form of playing of those cards or working towards playing a card and conditions ending up not being right to allow the card to be played.

I must start by saying Planetarium is a beautiful game. The artwork on the box, the playing cards, and in the rule book is fantastic. The richness of the illustrations and the depth of the colors makes Planetarium even more of a joy to play.

More importantly, though, the gameplay is both quick and fun. Given how quickly a game can go once everyone understands the rules, Planetarium almost has the feel of a filler game, but your initial strategies and the need to change strategies in response to other players’ moves, makes this game something of a minor brain-burner. (Rarely has my gaming group been so, um, animated in their response to another player moving the planet they had been setting up to claim a particular resource.)

We found that the tipping point between playing cards on planets and focusing more on Final Evolution cards came somewhere slightly before resources reached the halfway point on the Evolution Track, give or take a played card or two.

In more than one case the final score depended upon which way a planet’s habitability ended (habitable or hostile), making another player’s Final Evolution card worthless.

Planetarium was something of a surprise. I had expected to enjoy the theme and the overall gameplay, but I hadn’t expected to enjoy it as much as I did. It is one of those rare, new games that my gaming group talked about extensively after the night was over and have unanimously requested it to join our regular rotation of games.

If the theme or the game play appeal to you at all, do yourself a favor and find yourself a copy. You won’t be disappointed.

How much did we like Planetarium? So much that I backed my first-ever Kickstarter project for the Planetarium expansion.

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

Stephane Vachon

Sparkworks 1-4 Hand Management 10+ 45 Mins.

Highly Recommended

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Photo: Tom M Franklin

www.sparkworks.fun

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Abstract Games

By Tom M Franklin

TZAAR

I

n 2009 TZAAR was released, officially replacing TAMSK as a game in the GIFP Project series. While I have my own personal reservations about the ides of replacing TAMSK, I have no reservations about TZAAR’s place in the pantheon of GIPF games.

TZAAR shared many concepts with its fellow GIPF Project games: the six-sided board is very familiar, as are the pieces designed to be stacked one upon the other, and the decisions must be made regarding moves – should I make myself stronger or my opponent weaker?

The goal of the game is to either eliminate all of one of these three types from your opponent’s pieces, or to disallow your opponent the chance to make a capture.

White moves first. That first move consists of making a single capture.

Captures can be made by any piece – a piece may capture any other piece regardless as to whether it has a colored rings or spots and rings or no colored spots/rings. With regard to captures, all pieces, despite their relative rarity, are considered equal. Captured pieces are removed from the There are three different types of pieces in board and are considered out of play.

TZAAR. There are six Tzaar pieces, those with a colored center and outer ring; nine Tzarra pieces After that first move, each player has two moves with a blank center spot and a colored outer per turn. The first must be a capture. Captures ring; fifteen Totts, pieces without any colored can be made anywhere along the straight lines center or outer rings. drawn on the board (i.e., crossing over empty intersections) provided they do not ‘jump’ over TZAAR starts in one of two ways – either the any other piece. Thus, you may move one of pieces are laid out in a pattern suggested for your pieces across five or six empty intersections initial play in the rule book, or players may to capture one of your opponent’s pieces. opt to choose to place pieces randomly on the board. (In my experience there is surprisingly little difference between the two setups.)

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Photo: Tom M Franklin

Your second move involves an important choice: you can either capture another of your opponent’s pieces or you can elect to place one of your own pieces atop another of your pieces.

By placing one of your pieces on top of another piece you do two things: you eliminate another of the lower pieces in the stack from your numbers of that piece (a Tott placed atop a Tzaar means you have one less Tzaar on the board) but you make your stack stronger. Your stack of pieces two high cannot be captured by a single piece. Your stack of pieces three high cannot be captured by a stack of pieces one or two pieces high, etc.

Each stack you build strengthens your capturing ability but weakens your numbers of the pieces underneath that topmost piece. (Only the piece on top of the stack count for numbers of that type of piece.)

With each turn, the number of available pieces to capture and/or stack decreases. After only a few moves, each move requires additional thought.

In PĂœNCT the center of the hexagonal board is considered too important to allow pieces to be placed into it on their initial entry onto the board. In TZAAR, the center of the board is considered to be too important to either player Continued on next page>

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Abstract Games (Cont.)

Photo: Tom M Franklin

and is, therefore, wisely eliminated from the board. Players must, therefore, plan moves around this central pathway.

Games of TZAAR are usually played in under 15 minutes. I have never taught this game to someone who has not wanted to immediately play TZAAR again. And again. And again.

The year TZAAR was released Games Magazine gave it its prestigious Game of the Year Award.

After a single play it’s not hard to see why they made their decision. TZAAR combines easy to learn rules with a complexity of gameplay that easily invites repeated play. It should come as no surprise that I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this game.

Photo: Tom M Franklin

In deference to our Editor-in-Chief and Publisher, TZAAR is Serge Pierro’s favorite game in the GIFP Project series. It ranks high on my list as well, although I find it far harder to pin down a favorite.

The key element in TZAAR is in the decision that must be made in your second move.

To further weaken your opponent with an additional capture or to strengthen your position by stacking pieces – which also works to weaken your overall count of the type of piece underneath the topmost piece.

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41

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

Mike Richie #22

Grant Wilson #22

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Curt Covert #23

Daryl Andrews #24

Leonard Koh #27

Rui Alipio Monteiro #28

Rob Dougherty #25

Nestor Romeral Andres #26

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Mobile Review Index

Issue #12

Issue #13

Issue #14

Issue #15

Issue #16

Issue #17

Issue #18

Issue #19

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Issue #20

Issue #21

Issue #21

Issue #22

Issue #23

Issue #24

Issue #25

Issue #26

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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

• • • • • • •

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

• • • • • • • • •

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

• • • • • • • •

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

Game Nite Issue #28

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Game Review Index

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Game Nite Issue #28

• • • • • • • • • • • •

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 #28

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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

• • • • • • • • • •

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

• • • • • • • • • • • •

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

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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

• • • • • •

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

• • • • •

Ancestree Exodus Fleet Tak Mistborn: House War Expedition: RPG Card Game

• • • •

ShutterBug Divinity Derby Wakening Lair Planet of the Apes

• • • • • •

Vast: The Fearsome Foes Vast Miniatures Expansion Vast Bonus Cards Wildcatters Alexandria Tzolk’in

• • • •

Gretchinz!

Button Men The Flow of History The Game of Nines

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Game Review Index

•

•

•

• •

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Dicey Peaks Coldwater Crown Thanos Rising Peak Oil Wordoku

• • • •

Zombie Dice: Horde Edition Codenames: Marvel Fog of Love Cthulhu Dice

• • • •

Gearworks Grackles Maiden’s Quest The Veil

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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Issue #29