Skip to main content

Our Latest Article..

Imperium Horizons Board Game Review - Osprey Games

Imperium Horizons is almost like a director's cut of a popular film. You are pleased that you are getting more of what you like, but are sometimes left wondering why certain bits that could have been tidied up were left as they were. For those not familiar, the Imperium games are a deck builder based around the development and evolution of your own civilisation as you move it from being a barbaric nation to being one who merely scream and shout at the television. The original Classics version was daunting in terms of its ambition and offered an experience that far extended over a normal expected deck-builder. Its small failings were mostly down to a rulebook that was as much of a puzzle as playing the game, and unfortunately left it having a short shelf life in many collections. For me, who has both Classics and Legends, it falls into that genre standard of being a set of games that I like enough to keep in my collection, but never play it enough to fully appreciate what it has to

Foul Play - The Manor House Murder - A Card Game Review

 This review is based on the retail version of the game that we were provided by the designer and publisher. We were not paid for this review. 



It was at this point that the atmosphere in the room changed, and not even the overly dramatical crackling of seasoned logs in the overly dramatical fireplace was going to warm things up in a room that was chilled by the cold vacuum.. OF MURDER. The silence was only broken by the crackling of knuckles by Smothers, the house butler. A man with a chip on his shoulder the size of a grown dolphin, and whose shoes squeaked just as much. 

The detective breathed in sharply as though they were about to sing that really high and long note in Frozen that everyone attempts at least once. The cook, the stable hand and the gardener looked on in disdain, while everyone else just hoped that this time, it was going to be over for once and for all. The butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker? Well, that was just another silly story for another time. 

The detective finished breathing in then started talking before they exploded. 

"So, based on the evidence that myself and my colleagues have collected over the last twenty eight minutesss.." That last S came out in an excess of breath that sounds like a snake trying to hit that long and high note in Frozen. 

"I believe based on the evidence that I have witnessed with my own eyes and based on the gathering of individuals here, that the Lord of the Manor was murdered by someone devious. This person has Brown Hair. This person wears glasses. This person is someone who likes to breath in the wonders of tobacco. This person is..."

The dramatic pause at this point would have worked wonderfully if it wasn't for one of the dogs that was lying by the fire choosing that moment to release a fart so potent that for the briefest second the height of the fire increased by six inches and The Gardener started to laugh. The Governess sighed. The dog went back to sleep, empty. 

The detective looked around sternly while ever so subtly wafting their hand around them while the commotion settled, took another deep breath and raised an accusing finger. 

"This person that murdered the Lord was the maid, Ivy Smothers!" declared the detective with a sense of self satisfaction. 

"Em.. I don't smoke.." said the Maid.

"Well, I first started to suspect when.." continued the detective..

"I said, I don't smoke.." interrupted Ivy again.

The detective fumbled again and checked their notes. Meanwhile in the far side of the room the other three police officers started to laugh. One of them came forward, grabbed the notes from their colleague, gently nudged them to one side and looked around to the room at the gathered employees of the manor, all staring in shock at the turn of events. The replacement police officer took a deep breath, stared daggers at the dog just in case, and announced gently 

"Right, let's see. Which one of you owns a gun?"


This is Foul Play, The Manor House Murder, a card game all about devious deeds and cards and gathering evidence in order to find out who killed the Lord of the Manor. During the game you borrow, steal and share cards with other officers in order to try to ascertain who decided to help the Lord shuffle off his mortal coil. There's two modes to try, the Good Cop one where you need to discover the killer based on three pieces of evidence that are shuffled into the deck and must be found in order to be able to make the accusation. More interesting, there is the Bad Cop game where all the evidence is left in the deck, but is there to be manipulated so if you are able to tie your evidence to the specific traits of a character, then you'll win that way instead. 


Each of the suspects shares a few identifiable qualities such as colour of hair, whether they wear glasses, or even if they smoke or not. Evidence cards will give you clues based on those traits and other cards will allow you interactive with other players in order to grab the cards you need. In all fairness, its fairly straightforward, with nothing that is going to cause you too much strain on the brain as you play. Foul Play is more about interaction with who you are playing with as opposed to relying on clever mechanisms to provide the entertainment. You'll steal cards from others with a grin on your face, or grimace as you're forced to share evidence with another player. This is a game that is meant to be part of a get together, something to get friends chuckling at a meal together. This isn't a game that will take hours to play, or maybe be something that you'll need to make special time for. The art is simple and functional and fits the bill it was designed for, however the different backs on the cards does mean there is a colourful presence on the table. 


Foul Play is a light casual simple hand management game that doesn't overstay its welcome. We personally preferred the Bad Cop mode out of the two on offer, but all in all, here's a game that is simple to learn, straight forward to play and will make you smile as long as you aren't taking things too seriously. 


You can find out more about Foul Play by going to https://www.foulplaygame.co.uk/ 

Players 2 - 5 

Age 14 + 

Designed by 'Foul Play Games' and produced by 'After Dark Murder Mystery'

 If you would like to support more written pieces on the blog then please consider backing us on Patreon. www.patreon.com/werenotwizards

Comments

Related Podcasts

Popular posts from this blog

Parks Board Game Review | Keymaster Games | Base Game Review

Taking slow methodical steps, taking your time, closing your eyes and breathing in slowly, taking in the smell of nature and the scenery and managing the sensory overload crashing over you with a pine freshness. Do that. Stop and breathe. Take it all in. Be at peace. You might be inclined to use the word 'majesty', and you wouldn't be blamed for feeling a slight sense of being overwhelmed, as once again you're reminded of how stupidly small you are in relation to everything around you. That no amount of preparation would help you if the uncontrolled environment decided to focus it's gaze entirely on you, to put you back in the food chain. You might think to yourself you could survive, but the reality is that you'd die of thirst before you died of boredom, and so we sanitise our touches with the grander examples of nature, by sticking to the path, and coming within touching distance enough to go ooh and ahh, like we are watching fireworks. Always behind a

Wee Toons Board Game Review - Alderac Entertainment Group - (Tiny Towns Review)

Fir aw the times yi hope yi end up gieing the chance tae look at summin braw and special and summit that the high heid yins are aw spraffing aboot, thurs aways the chaunce yi sit there thinkin, am a gieing it laldy here coz I am gettin tae ploy it? Sometimes yir better waitin until aw cont hiz calmed doon, and yi dinnae feel like some wydo is sitting aun yir shouldoor, checkin yir watch fir ya, and tutting like a radge.  Tiny Toon fae Alderac wiz such a game. In the past yi couldnae move fir sumwan chattin aboot it, stickin it oan lists and Twitching all oer tha innernet. Like, it wiz so gid tha it even wun tha top prize at Origins. Tha probbly ment tha heid bummer, Mr McPherson wiz toap man fir five minits in his hoose, so he goat the remote fir the telly, and was given the extra crunchy bit off the fish supper oan friday.  Tiny Toons is aboot wid an bricks an glass and stoan, and yir aw like the heid man makin the calls, tellin fowk wit tae build wi an they aw need tae follow yir lea

Empire Plateau Board Game Kickstarter Preview

This is the pre-production version, so the art, rules and mechanics may be subject to change over the next couple of months. Therefore please treat this as a first thoughts piece, based on version of the game that we were provided with. We have not been paid for the preview. We also do not provide a full play by play explanation of the game, so not all mechanics may be mentioned in the preview. So what have I done? I really don't know. I have a rule about reviews that I keep to myself which is very simple. Any designer that contacts me and says 'Well, it's like chess but..' I normally respond with a quiet thank you and then a polite decline. I want people to sell me the game because of what it is, not because they claim to have improved a game that is so in it's own category some people wouldn't even necessarily put it down as a board game. No, making the horsey jump an extra space isn't going to cut it, and no I like the prawns the way they are I thank you