In 1993 Richard Garfield hit it big. He had the ingenious – and parasitical – idea of taking the collectible sports card model and applying it to a game. Magic: The Gathering was the genesis of something culturally significant. It has spawned millions of dollars for Wizards of the Coast, as well as thousands of…
I love the track. We have this dirt hole of a paddock, a loud and raucous environment that’s as much a party as it is a pedestal for hoofed contest. Stepping through that turnstile is like entering another world, a Disneyland dedicated to debauchery. Of course I love horse racing games too. It’s a genre…
The Hunters is a big game. It unfolds across the table with swollen cardboard limbs. It spits hundreds of cards in all directions, cards to represent locations, enemies, and story. No speck of surface is left unsoiled. In fact, you may not even be able to fit it all on your table. Such is life…
Listen up, boppers. We have a new cut from that cool crew called Prospero Hall. A slick hit for our friends in the mass market. It only takes a smooth 45, but we gonna play this one all night long. You hear me, babies? All night long. It’s still on. And we’re playing. Now, everybody…
Warning: RPG Content Ahead I don’t often write about roleplaying games. That’s because I don’t really play them. Anymore at least. That is, until this past week. Yes, dedicated reader, I did play through the Animal Adventures boxed set with my daughter; it was a grand time. And while I don’t want to lessen that…
Core Space just gets me. It does so much of what I want from a miniatures game. A restrained yet satisfying ruleset that is easy to recall even with months between sessions. A free form and light campaign system which can be engaged on my own terms. An interesting and characterful setting that remains vague…
Godtear is not what I expected. It’s tighter and more succinct than the standard Steamforged Games release. The ruleset is very clean and sensible, surprisingly so. Better yet, it manages to avoid any native sense of sterility that is common in stripped down conflict-oriented designs. All things told, this is a fantastic work. Before I…
303 squadron was the most effective unit in the Battle of Britain. Of note, it was made up entirely of Polish pilots displaced by the German war machine. Many books have been written about this famous unit and its exploits. Several movies have been released as well. I’d advise you stick to the literature and…
Pathfinder: Level 20 is the first design collaboration between Lynnvander Studios and Gale Force Nine. This small-box game is many things, but it definitely ain’t honest. Its first fib is the tall tale concept – anyone who has played the tabletop RPGs Pathfinder or Dungeons & Dragons knows that level 20 is a myth. It’s…
What a stupid card game. You’re dealt some numbers between one and six, and possibly one or more bright absurdist rainbow llamas. You want to get rid of these silly digits because any you’re left with at the end of the round are points. L.L.A.M.A, like golf, is a dignified pastime. It’s also scored in…
Player Elimination 