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Showing posts from 2023

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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

Elizabeth Hargrave - Undergrove Crowdfunding - Podcast Interview

Delighted to be joined by Elizabeth Hargrave to talk about Trick or Treating, foraging, the perils of Mushroom club, and of course, UnderGrove which is their new game coming to Kickstarter. Details below.  Links of Note  https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/alderac/undergrove-designed-by-elizabeth-hargrave-and-mark-wootton   https://www.elizhargrave.com/ https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/111338/elizabeth-hargrave https://www.instagram.com/elizharg https://www.alderac.com/undergrove/   https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/376740/undergrove   ========================================================= If you would like to support us then please visit and interact with the links below.  Please give us a rating or review on your podcast catcher of choice.  Also, please let someone else know about our show, as recommendations are wonderful things. OUR LINKS OF NOTES ( https://linktr.ee/werenotwizards ) Apple Podcasts    |   Our Blog, Reviews, Previews and Thoughts  |  Our YouTube Cha

Decypher Board Game Review - The Gift Of Cardboard

As we get towards the end of the year, we're starting to look at gift ideas that exist in the tabletop space but would work well in a group that is more used to playing lighter and more family orientated games.  is such a game and features in our Gift of Cardboard series of games.    Overview Decypher is a code breaking game where you are trying to guess the other player's five digit random number code.  Main Play  The easiest way to describe Decypher is like numerical Guess Who. Each of the numbers is represented in the old fashion digital number style. The kind you would see on a calculator or very old watch. At the beginning of the game you'll randomly create a code that the other player needs to guess and then you'll take turns guessing on each of the digits. So you might ask if the other player's number has a line in the middle, and if the player had a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 then it would. Guess correctly and you get another chance to guess another part of the num

Squishmallows Take Four Party Game Review

As we get towards the end of the year, we're starting to look at gift ideas that exist in the tabletop space but would work well in a group that is more used to playing lighter and more family orientated games.  is such a game and features in our Gift of Cardboard series of games.    Overview Squishmallows is a quick reaction set collection game where players are trying to collect a full set of Squishmallows for their squad before their opponents do.            Main Play  Each player will be given a set of numbered cards from one to four. The same numbered cards will be placed on the table, with Benny the Squishmallow placed in the middle of the table. One Squishmallow card is dealt under each number and then on the count of three all players will play a number card, essentially deciding which if the Squishmallow cards they want to take. If two players play the same card, then the first person to grab Benny gets to take the card they want. The first person to collect four cards fro

Luke Laurie - Dwellings of Eldervale, Andromeda's Edge - Teaching and Game Design - Podcast Interview.

   Delighted to be joined by Luke Laurie, designer of Dwellings of Eldervale and Andromedas Edge, I talk with him about his day job as an educator, getting into board game design and the success and size of Dwellings and his latest game he's designed with his son. Links of Notes Gamefound is still open for orders.. https://gamefound.com/en/projects/cardboard-alchemy/andromedas-edge https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/358661/andromedas-edge https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/63686/luke-laurie https://breakinggames.com/collections/dwellings-of-eldervale/ https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/330608/cryo If you would like to support more content on the blog then please consider backing us on Patreon.   www.patreon.com/werenotwizards

The Plot Thickens - Science Fiction Edition - Narrative Game Overview

As we get towards the end of the year, we're starting to look at gift ideas that exist in the tabletop space but would work well in a group that is more used to playing lighter and more family orientated games. The Plot Thickens: The Science Fiction Edition is such a game and features in our Gift of Cardboard series of games.    Overview The Plot Thickens is a improvised story telling game, where players will use story cards dealt to them in order to craft the perfect story and create a scene that will then play out over various rounds. This carries on until the players reach the last chapter, and the main character has the chance to finish off the story and decide how the whole tale will finish. Main Play  In The Plot Thickens, each player will be dealt of number of cards that will help them to determine the plot of the story they are playing through. In this science fiction version, the cards are all space themed, with a collection of words that you would normally associate with

Sherwin Matthews - Resident Evil Board Game - Podcast Interview.

Joined once again by model painter, and designer, developer and person most likely to eventually get tired by my nonsense.. Sherwin Matthews is back from Steamforged Games to chat about Horizon Forbidden West, Resident EEEVEL and we touch pirates on cardbaord.. You can keep an eye on Sherwin by going to ARR ME HEARTIES!!! RESIDENT EEEEEEEVIL https://twitter.com/sherwinsagenda https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/104102/sherwin-matthews www.steamforged.com ========================================================= If you would like to support us then please visit and interact with the links below. Please give us a rating or review on your podcast catcher of choice. Also, please let someone else know about our show, as recommendations are wonderful things. OUR LINKS OF NOTES ( https://linktr.ee/werenotwizards ) Apple Podcasts | Our Blog, Reviews, Previews and Thoughts | Our YouTube Channel Our BGG Guild | Board Game Geek Page | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagr

Dawn Card Game Review - Green Meadow Games

Dawn arrives in a bite sized box, designed to take up a small amount of space in your collection. Some games take several different mechanics and mash them together, while Dawn takes one, serves it up to you in packaging that slides open like a draw from one of those expensive jewellery purchases and then asks you to join in as a team in building a village or sabotaging efforts in becoming a scoundrel and taking the wealth for yourself.  Overview Dawn is a hidden resource hand management game with a traitor mechanic with the main aim of the game being to play cards to overcome challenges or construct buildings. You'll play a maximum of six rounds in the game.  Main Play Dawn reminds me of a stripped down Dead of Winter but set the in lovely country scene. Every turn you'll be adding a card to your own little treasure trove that secretly decides your affiliation. Then you'll be playing resource cards in order to help pay towards buildings, handle threats or contribute toward

The Old King's Crown Crowdfunding Preview

"Rest easy. Take your time. It is not going matter whether you walk out of that door now or in a few days. It wont change anything and to be honest, you'll need you strength for the path ahead. The king is dead, or gone, or missing. He's not here, heh. The sound you hear quietly on the breeze, the slight taste of iron in the air, that my friend is the sound of the inevitable struggles making their way here. So rest easy and take your time, for heavy lies the head that wears The Old King's Crown." Overview The Old King's Crown is an asymmetrical part area control, part deck building strategy game where the aim of the game is to garner the most influence to win. Main Play You can break the Old King's Crown down into some very basic steps. Each of the main turns in a round is named after one of the seasons, starting with Spring where you'll place your main Herald piece on one of the Region board sections, followed by Summer where you'll place cards an

Sabrina Culyba - Diatoms - Podcast Interview

You're in for a treat. Sabrina Culyba joins me to chat all about games and education, the importance of playtesting, the development of Diatoms and then putting the marketing hat on and selling your idea. It was a really interesting conversation so please make sure you check out the kickstart link below to learn and support Diatoms. Links of Notes https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ludoliminal/diatoms?ref=bl9w24 LudoLiminal Website: https://ludoliminal.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rF95Ny6DmbE&t=2s BGG: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/370210/diatoms Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ludoliminal/ ========================================================= If you would like to support us then please visit and interact with the links below. Please give us a rating or review on your podcast catcher of choice. Also, please let someone else know about our show, as recommendations are wonderful things. OUR LINKS OF NOTES ( https://linktr.ee/werenotwizards

Scott Pease - Snap Ships: Tactics Podcast Interview

No don't mind me while I chat with one of the people responsible for sooo many lost hours to Tony Hawks and Guitar Hero and now Scott Pease is here talking about Snap Ships Tactics and it's wonderful ship system based combat. We chat about the development of SST, the challenges in getting the word out on the game and why it's different to what else is out there and then in the last five minutes, Scott RUINS EVERYTHING.  Links of Note  https://www.snapshipstactics.com/   http://www.scottmpease.com/   https://store.snapshipstactics.com/   Snap Ships Tactics Amazon Link   ========================================================= If you would like to support us then please visit and interact with the links below.  Please give us a rating or review on your podcast catcher of choice.  Also, please let someone else know about our show, as recommendations are wonderful things. OUR LINKS OF NOTES ( https://linktr.ee/werenotwizards ) Apple Podcasts    |   Our Blog, Reviews, Prev

Fled - Odd Bird Games - Crowdfunding Preview First Thoughts

Odd Bird Games were responsible for Feudum, a game that had systems within systems, a huge table presence with one of my favourite board game art styles of all time. It was also slightly divisive in terms of its reception with it either being a game people loved to bits, or didn't enjoy their time with it. My concern with Feudum was always my ability to devote the time and teach required to get it to the table, and therefore I've toyed with adding it to my collection so many times, its almost an in joke that I have with myself. what that means is that I've never experience the design mind of Mark Swanson, and so with Fled I've now got that opportunity to experience if he lives up to his Odd Bird name and persona. Overview In Fled, you play an Irish prisoner in the mid 19th Century, jailed for petty theft and looking to use a mixture of contraband and tools to navigate the prison, gain the necessary equipment to plan and implement your escape and take you back to your be

Viticulture Essential Edition Board Game Review - Stonemaier Games

I don't know if you call it a mature palette, or an experience of bitter flavours but I've never been much of a wine drinker, while I've seen others slowly make the transition on to dry whites and full bodied reds, I've always wanted to jump in and be part of 'that gang'. However in my experience, I find wine and all it's many types really quite disgusting. I'm not sure if it is my sweet tooth, when I was younger and I witnessed adults quaffing and occasionally crying on the stairs I always thought that it would be the ultimate treat. Adulthood arrived and I sampled cry whites and full bodied reds and really thought that this stuff should really taste better than three day old socks. It sits there in the background and challenges me to grow and start tanning a bottle like all the other people apparently do all the time.  So being someone who doesn't want to miss out, I decided to take my glass, fill it to the top and dip in some delicious cardboard c

Pugly Pirates Board Game - Crowdfunding Preview

  The main question that rises from Pugly Pirates and Teleporthole Games is how many possible puns can you fit into a board game about both pirates and puppers without going overboard. The answer is unfortunately houndreds. When a game is heading to crowdfunding there is always a small measurement of the enthusiasm that the designer has for their own game. In the case of Pugly Pirates, you're looking at Jack Russell levels of excitement and energy and I've not doubt there are furry tails wagging all over the place. The question is whether or not you'll find your bones or end up walking the plank. Overview Pirates is a hybrid of several genres and ideas, including a bit of pick up and deliver, area control and even some light economic mechanics will play out during a game. You are trying to carry out actions that will score you victory points and lead you on to victory over the other players. Your main actions involve island hopping, discovering goods to trade an

Save Snowball - Decking Awesome Games - Crowdfunding Preview

Please note I've used rendered art supplied by the publisher to avoid any use of spoilers. I think it takes a specific type of mind to come up with entertaining puzzles. I often wonder what kind of order you create them in. If you start with a set idea of the types of puzzles that you want to create, or if you fixate on making sure the route to the answer is as fun as it can be while still providing enough of a challenge. For me, I would struggle to make them uncomplicated beasts and not have the end player overworking their brain. Your job as a puzzle creator is make others feel empowered and successful without having to massage your own scheming enigma based ego.  Overview Save Snowball is a escape room like numerical solution based puzzle game, where you will draw numbered cards that will present puzzles to you that you must solve that in turn will lead you to other numbered cards in the deck, all with the goal of finding your beloved rabbit Snowball.  Main Play Save Snowball wo

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