It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a game with as much commitment to its theme as Colt Express.
A 3D game like this could have been a gimmick but, implemented as it is, the models become an integral part of the game.
Players play a selection of criminals out to hold up a train, with the game fighting back in the form of the Marshal. Who can finish the game with the most ill-gotten gains?
Some background: for those of you who haven’t played Castle Panic, it’s a (mainly) cooperative board game which sees players fight to keep a hoard of monsters away from their castle walls until they’ve all been vanquished or their castle has been destroyed.
It’s a fast-paced, enjoyable game capable of creating some genuine moments of tension as your best-laid plans go awry thanks to a badly timed monster card affecting the game in ways you weren’t planning for.
I reviewed the game some time ago, here.
Unboxing, don’t let the bold, cartoony visuals, bright colours, and the 3D features of the game fool you into thinking it will be easy. It’s a genuinely thought-provoking game.
Real cooperation is required to beat Castle Panic, often forcing players to think several moves ahead. Continue reading
What can I say about this game that’s not already been said?
Consistently voted one of the best board games ever made, and with enough expansions to last a lifetime, Pandemic has earned the title of modern classic, right up there with the likes of Carcassonne, Dominion, Catan and the rest.
I don’t have much time to play many of the so-called big box games at the moment, but Pandemic was a must.
I recently received a delivery – Boss Monster 2: The Next Level, a Kickstarter project I backed a couple of months ago.
So I thought I’d talk a little more about what I’ve learned from Kickstarter thanks to this project and others like it – some good, some bad, but hopefully all useful. Continue reading
Recently I was lucky/stupid enough to spend five nights in a row gaming.
A friend was staying, he likes gaming too, what can you do? One thing leads to another, leads to three games of Zombie Fluxx and a DC Comic Building Game marathon.
In the end we played ten games, some of which I’ve reviewed on this site, some I haven’t – yet.
It’s not often I get the opportunity to play more than one game, never mind this many, and I thought it worth giving a knee-jerk-reaction score to each. This would take into account how well they played with two people, whether I’ll ever play them again, quality of pieces, etc. Continue reading
Before he directed the Avengers, Joss Whedon was known for his TV shows like Buffy, Dollhouse and Firefly.
A kind of sci-fi Western, Firefly was a major hit with fans, but still got cancelled after one season in one of those WTF television decisions that happen too often.
Fan support meant the show and its great characters were brought back for a movie, Serenity.
More recently, we got Firefly: the game, a strategy game which sees players traveling the ‘verse in a ship, building a crew and carrying out jobs for a range of unsavoury characters. Continue reading
For a while now I’ve been thinking about writing a few words about why I play games.
To some people it’s a really geeky hobby they’d never even think of taking up. To others it’s just something they do and not playing games seems weird.
But I’d really like to get some opinions from the readers of this blog on why they play. I’d love to hear from you – email me using 2onboardgaming@gmail.com or simply leave a comment at the bottom of this post.
I’d like to hear the stories behind why you play – when you first started, what your first game was, maybe your favourite memories. Anything at all inspired by games. I’m sure there are some great stories out there so your help would be appreciated.
What is Takenoko?
UPDATE: Thanks to Antoine Bauza, the creator of Takenoko himself, for retweeting and ‘favourite-ing’ this review. Wow!
From the box onwards, everything about Takenoko is different from any games I’ve previously played.
I’d been debating for some time what game should be next on my list to invest in, and this game kept coming up as a great one for two players.
The theme of the game is certainly different – players are tending and extending a Japanese garden which is home to a giant panda and a gardener.
The panda eats bamboo, the gardener grows bamboo. Doing so allows players to complete various goals.
The game is designed by Frenchman Antoine Bauza, creator of 7 Wonders, Ghost Stories and Rampage (among others) who has a big reputation in the world of board games. Continue reading
What is Forbidden Island?
Forbidden Island is a really clever and potentially frustrating co-operative game which plays well with 2-4 people.
It’s from the makers of Pandemic, which is on my wish-list and hopefully I’ll get to review one day. I chose Forbidden Island as a gateway game to Pandemic – similar mechanics but an easier game. I figured that if my wife and I enjoyed Forbidden Island, we’d give Pandemic a go.
Players work together to escape a sinking island with four treasures in their possession. Continue reading
Wow. That’s my first reaction on receiving Takenoko.
Sadly, plans to play it were put to one side when a family emergency came up, but I’ll get to reviewing it as soon as I can.
2onBoard 