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Review: Conquest of Nerath Takes Dungeons and Dragons to a New Realm

Posted 9/9/11 11:44 am EST by in Hobby Gaming, Reviews, Wizards of the Coast


Nentire Vale may be a familiar setting for Dungeons & Dragons fans, but the Conquest of Nerath board game takes D&D into an entirely new realm of play: epic war gaming. That's not to say it is a game lacking D&D flavor, though. Instead of the gritty strategic gameplay of a Risk or Axis & Allies war game, Nerath spices the formula up with game-changing spells and dungeon-delving side quests. But do these additions create something uniquely great or a game with an identity crisis? Read on for the full review:

Just the Facts:

Players: 2-4
Playing Time: 120 minutes
Age: 12 to adult
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
MSRP: $79.99
Release: June 21, 2011

 

The Gameplay:

The gameplay in Conquest of Nerath builds upon a very familiar base of war games that have come before it. Players command large armies of miniatures in an attempt to conquer the most territories while expanding their forces and engaging in large battles along the way. On a typical turn, players will move their units, resolve combat, purchase new troops, and receive an income based on the number of territories they currently hold. Read More...

Dragon-Con 2011: Taking Tokyo With Magic The Gathering Creator Richard Garfield

Posted 9/7/11 1:17 pm EST by in Dragon Con, Hobby Gaming


by George Holochwost

As much as we geeks would like to think some of our industry heroes require no introduction, most of our celebrities are fairly obscure to the uninitiated. This is not the case when it comes to Richard Garfield. As if it needs to be said, Richard Garfield is the creator of collectible card games (CCGs) - most notably Magic: The Gathering.

What some folks don't know about Richard Garfield is that he is also the creator of some extremely cool boardgames. Nonetheless, his newest offering is a fantastic treat called King of Tokyo, and lucky for us, Richard was all too happy to talk all about this city-smashing slug-fest of a game.

When I first started my talk with Mr. Garfield, he was fresh out of a panel and had just finished signing a stack of Magic cards. Accompanied by his family, I tried to be brief so that they could get back to enjoying their very busy convention experience. However, after my few quick questions, Richard pointed to his bag and mentioned that he was working on a new expansion for King of Tokyo and asked me if I'd like to try it out. With a resounding “TOTALLY!” I accepted his offer and later we met up to conduct our kaiju showdown. Read More...

DragonCon 2011: Spotlight On RPG Legend Monte Cook!

Posted 9/6/11 4:00 pm EST by in Dragon Con, Hobby Gaming


By George Holochwost

Over the last twenty years Monte Cook has left quite an impression on the role-playing hobby. Kicking off his career back in 1988 with his contributions to Iron Crown Enterprises' Creatures & Treasures 2 (for the Rolemaster system), he has since blazed a trail through modern gaming that is truly titanic in scope. From Call of Cthulhu to Marvel Super Heroes, and Dungeons & Dragons to his own version of the World of Darkness, Monte has worked on some of the most memorable properties in gaming.

As a guest of honor here at DragonCon, Monte Cook is a reminder to the community that gaming is still a vital and important part of the total DragonCon experience. Involved in a number of gaming related panels and discussions, many of Monte Cook's ideas on modern gaming were shared at his seminar at 4:00pm on Saturday. On Sunday, Monte was part of the Game Design Mastery panel; this seminar covered topics ranging from starting your own campaign, to dealing with the issues created by problem players, to how to simply make the best game possible.

As a gigantic fan of the property, I had to ask Monte a bit about the classic Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition setting Planescape. Spanning dozens of supplements, Planescape is a world full of extra-planar wonder and a host of unique characters and concepts that give the setting an incredible feel unlike any that came before it or since.

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DragonCon 2011: What's Your Game?

Posted 9/6/11 12:30 pm EST by in Dragon Con, Hobby Gaming


By George Holochwost

The basement of the Hilton is the place to be if you are a gamer at DragonCon. A convention unto itself, the main gaming hall is filled with the furrowed brows and triumphant cheers of convention attendees engrossed in their favorite board, miniature, role-playing, and card games. With plenty of tables to host both tournament and casual events, this is where you want to be if you are trying to get your game on.

Needless to say, the popularity of hobby boardgames has soared in the last several years. Thanks to games like Carcasonne and Settlers of Catan, more and more folks are diving into this surprisingly rich pastime. When pacing the aisles of the Hilton lower levels, games such as Rio Grande's Dominion, Z-Man's Yggdrassil, and Fantasy Flight's Descent see multiple tables of play. Wanna try one out? Most folks are completely cool with you joining in as player three, four, five or eight of whatever they happen to be playing at the time.

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WizKids Previews HeroClix Superman Set

Posted 9/6/11 11:00 am EST by in Hobby Gaming


DC Comics may have rebooted all of their titles, but you can still create your own battles using Superman and a related cast of characters spanning over 70 years of the publisher's history. WizKids is preparing to release a new HeroClix set focused around the Man of Steel on September 28th.

Over 50 characters will be pulled from such popular story lines as All-Star Superman, World of New Krypton, Legion of Super Heroes, Flashpoint, and more. Fans can look forward to appearances by favorites: Superman, Flash, Lex Luthor, Zod, Swamp Thing, and Lobo. There are also some unexpected inclusions such as Composite Superman and Manhunter Grandmaster.

There's also a big change to the traditional "Buy It By The Brick" chase figure promotion that has been running in HeroClix sets since 2006. Instead of a mail-away ticket for one special character being hidden in each "brick" (a box of booster packs), the actual character model will be randomly included in a pack. This time around, HeroClix fans will be getting a Robot Superman variant as their chase figure.

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Clever Mojo Games Launches Two New Kickstarter Projects

Posted 9/5/11 6:03 pm EST by in Hobby Gaming


Clever Mojo Games has been here before. In fact, they are widely credited with causing this past year's rush of Kickstarter game projects. The small board game publisher based out of Edmonds, WA launched Alien Frontiers back in June 2010, and we've gone over the game's history before on this site, detailing the success of it's Kickstarter and then naming is one of the top 10 board games of 2010. Now, Clever Mojo is back in an attempt to catch lightning in a bottle again with an Alien Frontiers expansion, Alien Frontiers: Factions, as well as a completely original title, Sunrise City.

There have been many questions as to how much long-term support the Kickstarter community can provide for the board game industry, and Clever Mojo Games will be providing some clues as their projects are breaking new ground. Not only is Clever Mojo one of only a few gaming companies who have attempted to run two projects concurrently, but they are also the first to use Kickstarter to launch a major board game expansion.

This is significant since expansions have an inherently limited audience, consisting of players who already own the first game. Also, the original Alien Frontiers experienced its huge success when it was the only game in town. If Alien Frontiers: Factions and Sunrise City can draw big bucks in light of strong competition and a limited audience, then Kickstarter will be a likely source of gaming seed money for a long time to come.

Alien Frontiers: Factions - Kickstarter Project Link

In the intro to this post, I painted a picture where the Alien Frontiers: Factions would serve as a potential bellwether for Kickstarter expansions. The truth is that this little game is already fulfilling its potential. Within just a few days of launching, the project has already passed $16,000 and 340 backers. To put things in perspective, the original Alien Frontiers was a runaway success with 228 backers and just shy of $15,000 raised!

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Review: Tetris Link Stacks Up Against Stiff Competition

Posted 9/2/11 12:30 pm EST by in Hobby Gaming, Reviews


Tetris Link is a block-placement game in the same vein as Blokus, FITS, and City Square Off. While each of these titles are successful in their own right, Tetris Link aims to carve out its own niche by bringing a beloved franchise to the gaming table. But that leaves the question: How exactly does Tetris Link stack up against such solid games? Read on for the full review:

Just the Facts:

Players: 2-4
Playing Time: 15 minutes
Age: 6 to adult
Publisher: Techno Source
MSRP: $19.99
Release: August 2011

The Gameplay:

Tetris Link is a stacking game where players drop in Tetrimino pieces to create groups of their own color, while attempting to block their opponents' moves. The game comes with a clear plastic Tetris grid that stands upright with an open slot at the top for inserting pieces (think Connect Four). To start a turn, the active player rolls a die that will instruct them what piece to use. The possible choices are: square, S/Z, T, L, or line piece. The sixth side is a Tetris Link logo that acts as a wild, allowing the player to choose their own piece. If a player ever rolls a piece they do not have remaining in their pool, they simply lose their turn.

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The Hottest New Tabletop Games of PAX Prime 2011

Posted 8/31/11 11:32 am EST by in Hobby Gaming


One hallmark of any PAX, whether it be Prime in Seattle or East in Boston, is a hopping tabletop gaming scene. During my weekend at PAX Prime 2011, I surveyed the crowds of gamers have distilled all of that geek energy into it's most potent form: the top ten list. Whether a game was a frequently-spotted new release or an unreleased title with a crowd clamoring for info or a demonstration, this list contains the cream of the crop.

10) Super Dungeon Explore

Super Dungeon Explore is an unreleased title from Soda Pop Minis, who consistently had a crowd waiting to check out the upcoming game. Soda Pop's expertise is in sculpting some of the coolest miniatures around, so the look of this game is obviously one of its strong points. The other is its ability to boil a true dungeon-crawling adventure into a roughly 90 minute playtime. Read More...

Bi-Lingual Klingon Monopoly: Pre-Order September 1st!

Posted 8/30/11 12:35 pm EST by in Hobby Gaming


Star Trek fans who like their board games with a little Klingon flair have a quite a treat landing in November. The gaming geeks over at USAopoly are prepping 1,701 sets of Monopoly: Star Trek Klingon Limited Edition and we can preorder the game beginning September 1st.

The rules of the game remain unchanged just like all of the other limited edition Monopoly titles we’ve seen roll out lately. However, game tokens, properties, houses and hotels are going to look a little different than they do on your classic Monopoly board. Read More...

Ticket to Ride Heads East With New Maps

Posted 8/29/11 4:00 pm EST by in Hobby Gaming


Earlier this year, Ticket to Ride publisher Days of Wonder celebrated the company's 10-year anniversary by issuing a $10,000 map design challenge. After reviewing hundreds of submissions, it was decided that two maps deserved to win, both of which will be awarded the prize and be published later this year as part of the new Ticket to Ride Map Collections series.

Francois Valentyne won for his take on an Asian map that involves rough travel over the Himalayan mountains, while Ian Vincent won with an India-themed entry. Each of the contest winners will be sold separately, and will come printed on double-sided boards. Valentyne's Legendary Asia map will be bundled with an original Alan R. Moon design, the Team Asia map. Alternatively, Vincent's India map will come with a reprint of the much sought after Switzerland map (which has been fetching upwards of a hundred dollars on eBay after having gone out of print).

Here's a look at the new maps:

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Review: Small World Underground Mines a Proven Gaming Formula

Posted 8/26/11 12:28 pm EST by in Hobby Gaming, Reviews


Small World: Underground aims to takes the Small World game franchise into a new, darker setting while also adding more tactical gameplay elements. But how does Underground stack up to the original? Should you own one, the other, or both? Read on for the full review to find out:

Just the Facts:

Players: 2-5
Playing Time: 60 minutes
Age: 8 to adult
Publisher: Days of Wonder
MSRP: $49.99
Release: July 2011

Read More...

PAX Prime Primer: Your Guide to Tabletop Gaming

Posted 8/25/11 12:01 pm EST by in Hobby Gaming


PAX Prime 2011 will be taking over Seattle, WA this weekend, but while all the cool kids are busy checking out Borderlands 2, Counterstrike: GO, Battlefield 3, and Star Wars: The Old Republic, you'll find me rolling dice and taking names. So come, my geeky brothers and sisters, and let us take a sneak peek at what awaits tabletop gaming fans at PAX Prime.

Exhibitors

Cryptozoic - (Rooms 309 & 310) - In addition to their upcoming games The Walking Dead and Food Fight, Cryptozoic will be showing off Penny Arcade: The Game - Gamers Vs. Evil, and offering a special promo card with purchase of the game (as well as an additional promo card in every con swag bag).

Fantasy Flight Games - (Expo Hall Booth 6109) - Hot off their complete domination of Gen Con with a seemingly never-ending flow of major product announcements, Fantasy Flight Games will have space in the 6th floor expo hall to demo Elder Sign, The Adventurers: The Pyramid of Horus, Rune Age, and Gears of War: The Board Game.

Gary Games - (Room 2A) - Fresh off the success of the first expansion for Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer, Gary Games will be making their PAX Prime debut. Stop by their booth to purchase a new promo pack that was released last month at Gen Con.

Mayfair Games - (Room 206) - The worldwide Settlers of Catan championship is returning to the USA, and you can be a part of it if you head over to Mayfair games and sign up for the pre-qualifier tournament being held at PAX this weekend.

 

Paizo - (Rooms 202 & 203) - The hot products from this publisher of the popular Pathfinder RPG system are the new Ultimate Combat system and the new pre-painted miniatures line produced in a partnership with WizKids/NECA.

Sandstorm - (Room 212) - Upstart game company Sandstorm Productions will be hoping to make their mark on the strategy board gaming scene with the release of two titles from the mind of designer Eric Vogel, Cambria and Hibernia. Both set to carve out a niche for themselves by cramming euro-style gameplay and quality components into a portable box with a low $20 price tag.

Steve Jackson Games - (Rooms 201 and corral) - The SJ Games crew will have an extremely limited number of copies available for Munchkin Axe Cop, so if that is something you've got your eye on, make this book your absolute first stop at PAX. Other new games in limited supply will be Trophy Buck, Reindeer Games, Giant Cthulhu Dice, and the Munchkin dice bag. Read More...

Board Games Gone Mobile: Vol. 3

Posted 8/24/11 3:00 pm EST by in Hobby Gaming


Board Games Gone Mobile is a bimonthly column covering the growing trend of board and card game mobile apps as they are adapted from tabletop classics. Included here are reviews, previews, and news about iOS and Android hobby gaming.

It's been another two months, but the steady march of new hobby gaming apps has not abated. 2011 continues to shine as a potential "golden age" of digital board games, as fans who could previously count the number of faithful adaptations on their fingers are now overwhelmed with choices in their mobile app stores. That being said, let's take a look at some of the recent noteworthy releases:

Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer

Deckbuilding card games finally arrive on the mobile gaming scene with this adaptation of Ascension. For those not familiar with the game, you can read my full review of the card game, but know that Ascension aims to condense the popular deckbuilding format into a shorter playtime while also spicing up the formula with randomized card selection. Instead of card stacks that players must repeatedly choose from throughout the game, Ascension uses a constantly changing row of six cards to provide variety.

As far as gameplay is concerned, Ascension works flawlessly from the moment a match begins. Intuitive zoom controls allow the app to condense an incredible amount of card information onto a tiny screen, while giving players the option to easily read full card text at any point they desire. The UI is clear, and players are given visual indications of whose turn it is and what moves must be performed next.

Read More...

Review: Confusion Takes USA vs. USSR Into Uncharted Territory

Posted 8/19/11 2:30 pm EST by in Hobby Gaming


Sometimes in life, you take two steps forward only to take one step back. Unless you're not allowed to move forward more than one step. Or you can only move backwards on a diagonal, not directly back. Admit it, maybe you don't even know which ways you can move. If so, you are experiencing Confusion.

Confusion: Espionage and Deception in the Cold War is one part deduction and one part "capture the flag." Think of it as a game of Clue meets chess. Instead of deducing the who, where, and how, you are instead trying to figure out the movement capabilities of your various spy pieces, and then maneuver them to retrieve a top secret briefcase before your opponent can do the same.

Just the Facts:

Players: 2
Playing Time: 45 minutes
Age: 12 to adult
Publisher: Stronghold Games
MSRP: $59.95
Release: September 2011

Read More...

August Kickstarter Projects Highlight Several Noteworthy Games

Posted 8/18/11 12:40 pm EST by in Hobby Gaming


It's hard to judge a book by its cover, or a game by it box, but sometimes you've just got to make the call. Such is the case with a Kickstarter.com project, where the crowd-sourced fundraising site allows you to see a concept and be confident that it will work, but forces you to pledge dollars in order to vouch for a project's success.

The concept of Kickstarting board games is simple. Pledge enough to cover the cost of printing one game and you will receive a copy, typically packed in with some sort of Kickstarter-exclusive components or expansion content. After the project is completed, there is also usually a delay between the availability of Kickstarter pre-orders and actual retail copies, meaning you are paying for the ability to own a title months before it hits store shelves (if ever). If you miss out on the Kickstarter and it turns out to be this year's hot game, you'll just have to wait.

Two of the most prominent examples of Kickstarter board game success

Particularly after the recent successes of games such as Alien Frontiers and Eminent Domain, gamers have been quick to jump on board with promising new projects. August has been yet another month filled with such interesting games, and while I haven't actually been able to play any of the titles I'm about to mention, I've backed several of them and each deserves a minute of your attention:

Read More...

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