HUTAN: Life in the Rainforest
At the end of every game of HUTAN, I have a miniature rainforest model right on my table, full of trees and a few animals.
» Read moredrafting games
Águeda: City of Umbrellas – Showers of Colors
Águeda does a masterful job with sequencing. Within each sequence of the game, there are only a few decisions to make…
» Read moreIdavoll – Jawohl! for Nidavellir’s Second Expansion
For a game to have two expansions in just two years suggests the original game must be good.
» Read moreThe Perfect Wave
The Perfect Wave blends two of my favorite game mechanics – drafting and set collection – into a groovy mix that’s truly unique.
» Read more10 Gallon Tank
10 Gallon Tank is a simple and fun drafting game that offers fans of “I-Split-You-Choose” an opportunity to use a favorite mechanism that is often overlooked in games.
» Read moreGoats’ Day Out
In this polyomino shape placement game from Thinkfun, players ages 8 and up fill the belly of their goats with food, clothing, sports equipment, and school supplies. The player who most strategically arranges the shapes in their goat’s stomach after three rounds wins the game.
» Read moreSNAP Review – Ecosystem: Savanna
Nautilus Island
Nautilus Island is a vibrant drafting and set collection game. Collect objects from The Nautilus to survive and escape!
» Read moreSplito – Making the Family Share
If you need a little bit of help getting your family to share, it might be time to deploy Splito.
» Read moreBlazon – Design a Heraldic Shield
I’ve always been a fan of the medieval time period for its astonishing castles and Arthurian lore. Blazon focuses on one aspect of medieval history; heraldry.
» Read moreEpisode 352 – Top 5 Simultaneous Play Games
We are NOT at GenCon this week. Instead, let’s talk about games where everyone plays at the same time!
» Read moreSNAP Review – Ecosystem: Coral Reef
For kids studying food webs and ecosystems, this new marine biology card game from Genius could really help to reinforce concepts. But will parents actually enjoy playing it?
» Read moreLongboard – Surf’s up!
Living in the Midwest, there are no ocean waves. But surfing is on my bucket list of things to try someday. In the meantime, I’ll try the next best thing; running a surfboard shop right at my kitchen table.
» Read more318 – Board Game Terms: Draft, Dexterity, Roll-and-Write
What is a “draft” and what’s the difference between open and closed? What makes a dexterity game? And what on earth does “roll-and-write” mean?
» Read moreStudies in Sorcery
You’re in the final semester of your magical degree. It’s time to acquire materials, complete your final projects, finish your Thesis, and graduate with your Masters degree in the Dark Arts. Studies in Sorcery is a card drafting, resource management game designed by Chris Glein and published by Weird Giraffe Games. Up to four players ages 10+ can compete to
» Read moreOn the Rocks – Stirring up Trouble
There’s something mysterious about a bartender. They know how to combine ingredients in just the right proportions to make drinks that are attractive (and hopefully delicious).
» Read moreHappy City: Pick the Best Buildings
So often city building games don’t live up to my SimCity ideals. But Happy City does exactly what I have wanted in a competitive city building game. Here you build the best city you can with the resources you have.
» Read moreCapital Lux 2: An Absurdly Awesome Tactical Game
I love games that require constant reconfiguring of strategy due to changing conditions. I can’t think of many other games that force this upon you more than Capital Lux.
» Read moreSNAP Review – Robots Ate Our Pizza
Alien robots have come and challenged your group to a puzzle! Finish poorly, and they’ll eat all your pizza. Finish well, and… well, you’ll have some pizza left for yourselves to enjoy.
» Read more252 – Room to Grow: Drafting Games – The Family Gamers Podcast
Introduce your kids (or non-gamer grownups) to drafting with a series of games that grow in complexity.
What is drafting? A drafting game is one in which players pick something…
» Read more