Build your tree to entice the tree spirits. Connect the living creatures along the way to score the most points. Kodama is a beautifully illustrated game that is simple to learn but has the potential for much more strategic play.
Monthly Archives: March 2017
Take one of the best storytelling card games out there and add a dash of sci-fi fun. That’s the idea behind Gloom in Space. There’s Star Wars, Space Odyssey, Firefly, Star Trek, and many more inside jokes to bring out the evil laughter as you try to inflict as much Gloom as possible on your crew before their inevitable demise. What could be more fun?
Given that we’re already fans of the Gloom series, it was a safe bet that we’d like this game. What we didn’t anticipate was that it would become our favorite title in the series. That’s right. Favorite. Take that Munchkin Gloom.
Definitely hoping to play through the rest of our great grabs from PAX East but also really inspired to dig out some other games that have been too long on the shelves. Some of these we haven’t ever brought to the table despite our best intentions. So for this weekend our wishlist includes:
Hero Realms – Got to speak with a few people at the booth about this and after revisiting the rules we are really wondering why this hasn’t ever gotten to the table. Given our undying love for Star Realms (so much game packed into such a small box!) we have a lot of guilt for letting this one slip by us.
Fury of Dracula – Now I know why this hasn’t hit the table, despite how long we’ve had it. It’s a combination of it being a big game and needing more players. But player numbers be damned, we’re going to tackle this one this weekend. There’s a fun new episode of TableTop with Wil Wheaton playing and we are inspired to keep this one from lurking in the shadows.
What’s on your list? What do you hope to play this weekend? Something new? An old favorite?
Our 6th trip to PAX East and we’ve almost got it down to a system. I am still overwhelmed every year by the lights, sounds, energy and chaos of the convention but in an odd way it feels a bit like a homecoming as we navigate the crowds in the packed aisles.
There is a trend that we’re noticing though and I’m hoping that it has something to do with the upcoming PAX Unplugged. There was a definite decrease in the board game area. Now, we still had plenty to see, playtest and more than enough opportunities to shop. But it felt hemmed in by the video game areas. Even the tournament sections felt a bit cramped. Even with that being said, there was an ongoing list of tabletop tournaments to choose from as well as the D&D booths. I guess I’m just saddened that it might become an either or situation because we love all types of gaming and multiple conventions come with multiple price tags.
For James, the highlight was definitely the Mass Effect panel and getting to preview the upcoming Mass Effect release. While the line was just too long to be worth waiting in for actual playtesting, he did get to speak with some of the creative team and get autographs from them. With the release date just around the corner, we felt our time was better spent checking out some of the Indie games coming out soon.
And overall, that’s our favorite part for both video and tabletop games – the chance to check out some of the Indie designers and see what’s out there.
There’s a shared comradery that is tangible at this convention. Everyone is willing to let someone else step up to the table, to share the experience and learn something new. We could learn a lot from gamers.
We picked up a few things, some Steam codes and a few Tabletop games, but mostly we always come home with a renewed love of the hobby.
Now we countdown the days until PAX Unplugged. This one is local enough to daytrip!
Dwarves working against each other down in the tunnels, battling trolls and cave-ins, to grab the most gold? We’re in. Wandering about PAX East, we were immediately drawn to the artwork of Mayfair Games’ Saboteur: The Duel. The two previous incarnations of the Saboteur title looked intriguing but The Duel was the two player version making it much more likely that it would get to the table. The Duel is a quick playing, tile (card) placement, hand management game that had us laughing as we threw trolls and rock slides in each other’s path.
