Peacekeepers of Jar-Zabonia has been entered to win!

Me and my game!

I've entered Peacekeepers of Jar-Zabonia into the Who's Got Game competition for Marbles: The Brain Store's 2014 Game Design Contest!  The contest is for games about patterns, so I feel that Peacekeepers is perfect for the contest.  Submissions are due tomorrow evening and they'll announce the finalists on Monday.  So things will move quick!  The finalists will be announced on the Marbles Facebook Page sometime Monday, so check there to see if I've made it into the final round!

Close up of the cubes and mountains.

I'm working on a new storage container and playing board
that will keep the cubes from sliding around.

SHARE! SHARE! SHARE! 9 Days Left to Enter to Win!

This is my copy of Coin Age.
Yours (if you win) will look similar,
but I'll have some additional maps for you!

Only 9 days left to enter the Coin Age giveaway! 

Enter the raffle below.

A couple of weeks ago I reviewed the micro-game Coin Age, a great little game that can fit in your wallet or purse.  The game is available for a free Print-and-Play if you want to take the time to print and cut out the game, or you can enter my raffle below to win a copy!  I'll take care of all the printing and cutting.  I'll also print out 'coins' so you don't have to carry around $1.56 in change to play.

In addition to the standard map that is included with the game I'll also include several other custom maps.  I'll have fan-made maps of Middle Earth, Westeros, and South Korea (in honor of entering Polter-Heist in the KBG Design Contest) as well as at least three brand new maps created by me, just for this contest! The maps I have ready are Chicagoland, Thimhallan (for any Darksword series fans), and Oz.  And who knows, I may get a few more created, too.

Three custom maps made by me, just for this contest:
Oz, Thimhallan, and Chicago

The Rafflecopter will run through Friday, August 8th. (Be sure to enter the contest below!)  When the GJJGames Facebook Page hits 100 'Likes' (if it hasn't by the end of this contest) I'll pick a winner from this list!  So please share my page out and let your friends know about GJJGames!

And, if my page hits 150 'Likes' before the end of the Rafflecopter I'll make and give away TWO copies!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: This contest is not being run or endorsed by Facebook, Blogger, or any other entity other than GJJGames.  Tasty Minstrel Games has given permission for me to print and provide a copy of their game for the purposes of this contest.  Any information provided will be used by GJJGames to fulfill the terms of this contest and not sold or provided to any third parties.

Quick Review - Zombie Dice

Zombie Dice
Designer: Steve Jackson
Publisher: Steve Jackson Games

Quick Review - Zombie Dice

For my son's fifth birthday he got his own copy of Zombie Dice.  He's been asking for it ever since seeing it on Wil Wheaton's TableTop (which is also the same episode where he saw Get Bit and decided he wanted that, too).  This evening we played Zombie Dice for the first time.  We were at a campground and Zombie Dice was a great game to play with my in-laws at the picnic table.

The game was quite fun.  It wasn't the best game I've ever played, but as far as casual press-your-luck type games go, it was very enjoyable.  Like most press-your-luck games, there was very little strategy and a significant lack of control over the outcome.  In the game you take on the role of a zombie, out to eat brains and avoid getting shot.  Basically, you roll dice to see if you get brains, shotgun blasts, or runners.  If you get shot three times you lose whatever brains you've collected that turn.  So the object is to collect brains and stop once you get two shotgun blasts.  Usually this is fine, but sometimes you might have only one and then roll two shotgun blasts on your next roll, wiping out all your collected brains.  And occasionally you'll roll three shotgun blasts all in one roll (that happened twice during our game).  So the game is all luck.  But that didn't mean it wasn't fun.

My boys had a great time laughing at Busia (their grandmother) because she kept pushing her luck and rolling dice, even when she had two shots.  One time she had 9 brains and 2 shots and still rolled.  The boys thought that was hilarious, and they thought it was even funnier that she ended up the game with a big ol' 0 brains.  So we had a good time playing, and it was super casual and pretty quick to play, but I don't think the game will have a whole lot of staying power.  It might get pulled out occasionally, and might be fun to play a round or two of before or after a bigger game on game night, which is probably what it's mostly geared toward.  But the lack of any real control will keep this with the second rate games on our shelf.  Fun once in a while, but left on the shelf most of the time.  But, I could be proved wrong...  It is simple enough that my boys can play on their own, so we'll see if they play it together more.  They definitely had fun tonight!

Playing Zombie Dice at the campground.

Did you like this review?  Show your support by clicking the heart at Board Game Links , liking GJJ Games on Facebook , or following on Twitter .  And be sure to check out my games on  Tabletop Generation.

Preliminary Rating: 6/10

GJJG Game Reviews are independent, unpaid reviews of games I, George Jaros, have played with his family and friends.  Some of these games I own, some are owned by friends, some are borrowed, and some are print and play versions of games.  Where applicable I will indicate if games have been played with kids or adults or a mix (Family Play).  I won't go into extensive detail about how to play the game (there are plenty of other sources for that information and I'll occasionally link to those other sources), but I will give my impressions of the game and how my friends and family reacted to the game.  First Play Impression reviews will only get a single rating of 1-10 (low-high) based on my first impressions of the game during my first time playing.  Hopefully I'll get more chances to play the game and will be able to give it a full review soon.

Enter to Win!

Don't forget to enter the raffle to win a copy of Coin Age!  I'll be including at least three brand new maps made by me, just for this contest!  See a photo of the maps below.  The maps will be of Oz, Thimhallan, and Chicago.

The Rafflecopter will run through Friday, August 8th. (Be sure to enter the contest below - remember, you need to enter the raffle to be eligable!)  When the GJJGames Facebook Page hits 100 'Likes' (if it hasn't by the end of this contest) I'll pick a winner from this list!  So please share my page out and let your friends know about GJJGames!

And, if my page hits 150 'Likes' before the end of the Rafflecopter I'll make and give away TWO copies!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Three custom maps made by me, just for this contest:
Oz, Thimhallan, and Chicago

Disclaimer: This contest is not being run or endorsed by Facebook, Blogger, or any other entity other than GJJGames.  Tasty Minstrel Games has given permission for me to print and provide a copy of their game for the purposes of this contest.  Any information provided will be used by GJJGames to fulfill the terms of this contest and not sold or provided to any third parties.

The game design bug is contagious!

I guess my latest obsession with game design is a bit contagious.  My 5yo son has been designing his own games lately.  They are a bit unstructured, but at least he's thinking a bit about game mechanics, choices, and consequences.  Here's a video of him explaining how to play his newest game, titled "Cool".

He's playing again with my wife right now and it's interesting to see how the game is very similar, but has changed and evolved in just the last 20 minutes.  Now he's got a game board for each player (although it's just a paper and still has no spaces drawn on it) and players can collect torches and get power.  Who knows, maybe someday it'll be the next big thing!

Quick Review - Get Bit

Get Bit 
Designer: Dave Chalker
Publisher: Mayday Games

Quick Review - Get Bit

Today my youngest son turned 5.  He's become quite the gamer lately and has been asking for two games: Zombie Dice and Get Bit.  So this morning when he opened them up he was super excited.  Unfortunately today was also his birthday party, so we were spending the day cleaning and then entertaining and didn't have a chance to play either of them all day, despite him asking over and over.  Finally after everyone left we all sat down to play Get Bit.  And we had a blast!

The game is super simple to play.  First, set up the robots in a line with the shark behind them.  Then each player gets a hand of cards (5-7 depending on the number of players) in their color.  Each player then plays a card from his hand.  Players move their robots to the front of the line so that the highest number card played is at the very front.  Except if any players play the same number, then those robots don't move.  The robot at the end of the line gets a limb eaten.  Then play repeats until the shark eats all of the robots except for two.  When there are two robots left the shark immediately eats the last shark.

Despite how simple the game was we had a ton of fun.  The robots are awesome to play with.  Even though the main game says to remove just the limbs, the robots come apart into a number of pieces (feet, shins, thighs, butts, torsos, hands, forearms, upper arms, and heads are all removable) so that you can play longer games if you want.  We ended up playing a bit longer by having the shark eat the heads, butts, and torsos, too.  With the kids the game was mainly about playing cards somewhat randomly (my older son likes to always play cards in order from highest to lowest, so it's pretty easy to predict what he'll play), but I can see how with a few adults the deduction, bluffing, and decisions can be pretty fun.  The game is quick and plays in 10-20 minutes and is for 2-6 players (recommended with 4 or more though) and is a great game for quick family game time, a warmup or end of night game for your game nights, or to take with on camping trips.  We really enjoyed this, and I think my wife was pleasantly surprised!

Preliminary Rating: 8/10

It doesn't look like it, but he's having fun!
He's trying to decide what card to play and is deep in thought.

Uh oh, the shark thinks his blue robot is yummy!

Did you like this review?  Show your support by clicking the heart at Board Game Links , liking GJJ Games on Facebook , or following on Twitter .  And be sure to check out my games on  Tabletop Generation.

GJJG Game Reviews are independent, unpaid reviews of games I, George Jaros, have played with his family and friends.  Some of these games I own, some are owned by friends, some are borrowed, and some are print and play versions of games.  Where applicable I will indicate if games have been played with kids or adults or a mix (Family Play).  I won't go into extensive detail about how to play the game (there are plenty of other sources for that information and I'll occasionally link to those other sources), but I will give my impressions of the game and how my friends and family reacted to the game.  First Play Impression reviews will only get a single rating of 1-10 (low-high) based on my first impressions of the game during my first time playing.  Hopefully I'll get more chances to play the game and will be able to give it a full review soon.

Happy Birthday!

Today is my youngest's 5th birthday.  Along with a pile of Legos he also got his very own Zombie Dice and Get Bit games.  He's been asking about them for weeks and can't wait to play!  So a very happy  birthday wish to my littlest gamer!  Keep making Daddy proud!

"My very own Zombie Dice!"  Happy 5th birthday to Super Sam!

Oh, and don't forget to enter the raffle to win a copy of Coin Age along with some custom maps that I've created!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Enter the Raffle, Win Coin Age!

Just a reminder, to enter the Coin Age giveaway you need to enter the raffle below.

In addition to the standard map that is included with the game I'll also include several other custom maps.  I'll have fan-made maps of Middle Earth, Westeros, and South Korea (in honor of entering Polter-Heist in the KBG Design Contest) as well as at least three brand new maps created by me: Chicagoland, Thimhallan (for any Darksword series fans), and Oz.  And who knows, I may get a few more created, too.

The Rafflecopter will run from today through Friday, August 8th. (Be sure to enter the contest below!)  When the GJJGames Facebook Page hits 100 'Likes' (if it hasn't by the end of this contest) I'll pick a winner from this list!  So please share my page out and let your friends know about GJJGames!

And, if my page hits 150 'Likes' before the end of the Rafflecopter I'll make and give away TWO copies!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This is my copy of Coin Age.  Yours (if you win) will look similar,
but I'll have some additional maps for you!

Disclaimer: This contest is not being run or endorsed by Facebook, Blogger, or any other entity other than GJJGames.  Tasty Minstrel Games has given permission for me to print and provide a copy of their game for the purposes of this contest.  Any information provided will be used by GJJGames to fulfill the terms of this contest and not sold or provided to any third parties.

GJJG Game Reviews - Sum Swamp - by Learning Resources

Sum Swamp
Designer: Uncredited
Publisher: Learning Resources

GJJG Game Reviews - Sum Swamp - by Learning Resources

Game Overview:
Sum Swamp is a very basic game where you move from start to finish along a game path based on the roll of the dice.  Some spaces that you land on have some different effects.  There are also two short cuts and one endless loop that you can get stuck in unless you land on exactly the right space.  Game wise there's not much there, but that's ok because the game is aimed at young kids that are just learning basic addition and subtraction, and most likely also just learning about board games, too.  The game is recommended for ages 5+, but my son has been playing it since he was 3 and still loves it at a week shy of 5.  This review is for the game as a kids' game.  This definitely isn't a game for adults only, although parents will often be playing it with their kids, so that is kept in mind in the review.

Components & Packaging:
The theme of Sum Swamp is critters travelling through a swamp.  There's not much to it.  The components consist of a small game board, four plastic critter pawns (red snake, green frog, yellow turtle, and blue snail), and three dice.  Two of the dice are pretty standard green D6 dice, but with large, easy to read numbers instead of pips.  The third die is white with + and - symbols on it (3 of each).  The dice are what form the basis of the game's educational aspect.  All the pieces are pretty good quality.  The pawns are soft flexible plastic (or maybe rubber) and the game board and dice are nothing special, pretty standard.  The box isn't the highest quality, but this isn't a super high-end game with tons of components that need to be stored either.  So it's sufficient for what it is, although it'll probably end up needing to be taped up a few times during its life cycle (mine already needs tape on the corners).

Score: 6/10 x1

Rules & Setup:
The rules are very straight forward.  They're on a single sheet of paper and are very clear.  This is obviously important since this is a game for young children.  Players simply roll the dice and perform the mathematical operation that results (addition or subtraction of numbers from 1-6).  If a player lands on a special space he may have to roll only a single die and proceed only if it is even or odd depending on the space's instructions, or roll the operator die and move forward or backward the number of spaces indicated by the number of the space they are on.  There are also two shortcuts that players may use if they land on the entrance space and an endless loop that players must enter and can only exit if they land on the exit space.  In all it's a simple game that a younger player can learn very easily.  With such a simple game there's not much room for misinterpretation of the rules either.

Likewise, setup is a breeze.  Simply choose what piece each player wants to be and place them at the Start space on the board.  Then decide who goes first and take turns rolling the dice and moving.  This is a game that even young kids can set up and play by themselves (as long as they can do the simple math required).

Score: 9/10 x2

Gameplay:
Gameplay is about as basic as can be expected.  It relies 100% on the luck of the dice (and I'm pretty unlucky because I think I've only won once).  There is absolutely no skill involved, but that's not the whole point of the game.  The math is simple enough that it doesn't get in the way of the game play, even with very beginning mathematicians and there are enough 'fun' spaces on the board that kids aren't always just adding and subtracting.  There is a sense of accomplishment when you roll an appropriate number on an odd/even space and can move again, and a bit of despair when you roll a - on a number space and have to move backward.  Just enough to keep the game enjoyable.  So while this isn't a game that will have older kids or adults playing it when the little ones aren't looking, it isn't as boring as some kid games are.

My kids seem to have fun with it even though they never really cared for games like Candyland, or Shoots & Ladders.  They even recreated the game in Legos, so that's saying something =)  Sum Swamp plays in about 5-10 minutes, which is a perfect length of time for short attention spans.  A 5 minute game means that it moves quickly and a winner is decided shortly after starting.  So even if your child doesn't win there's still time to play again.

Score: 7/10 x2

Educational Value:

Sum Swamp gets kids doing simple math without feeling like they are actually doing math.  Using the small numbers of 1-6 keeps the math simple, but using numbers instead of pips ensures that kids aren't just counting the dots.  And having 11 and 12 as possible results requires kids to do more than just count fingers sometimes.  The game also uses the concept of odds and evens.  Sum Swamp doesn't really teach addition, subtraction, odds, or evens, but those skills are required to play the game, so kids will learn them and have them reinforced by playing the game.  The game also teaches basic game mechanics like rolling dice, game board movement, and performing actions based on a space's action indicators.  And of course taking turns, being a gracious winner, and not being a sore loser are all parts of introducing kids to games.

One thing that is lacking from the game is the ability to make any decisions.  As I stated above, the game is 100% based on the luck of the dice rolls.  A game this simple doesn't really need any decisions, but if that could be added into the game it might make it a little more interesting.  Even if it was something as simple as two paths that could be taken, one that is longer, but with fewer spaces that might hinder movement and one shorter, but with more potential obstacles.

Score: 8/10 x1

Replayability:
Because the game is so quick it is easy to play several times in a single sitting with the kids.  They enjoy it and don't seem to tire of it very quickly.  It is the same game every time though, so it does have the potential to get boring for kids once the novelty of doing the math runs out.  I think having some kind of decisions in the game could change this and make the game more enjoyable for older kids, so I might think about making an expansion to this =)  I find that we usually play 3-4 rounds of it before I get tired of the game and try to redirect their attention.  But my boys can often play as many as 5-10 rounds if they have a willing participant.

Score: 7/10 x1

General Fun:
For adults this game isn't too much fun, but my sons love playing it.  They are getting to the age where they are looking for more interesting games though (they like cooperative games like Forbidden Island, or games like my Polter-Heist), but still pull this off the shelf on a fairly regular basis.  My nearly 5 year old son pulls this out much more often than my 7.5 year old son, but when he pulls this out his older brother is always happy to play.  My wife and I aren't always as enthusiastic about the game, but we don't mind playing.  It gives us the opportunity to interact with the boys and help reinforce their math skills, so that's what is important.

Score: 6/10 x2

Overall Value:
Sum Swamp retails at $19.99, but you can find it on Amazon and some other sites for as little as $7.50 with free shipping.  $20 seems high (the Learning Resources store has it on sale currently for $13, which seems reasonable), but at under $8 this is a great deal.  It is a great addition to your educational games collection, although it won't have long-term staying power once the kids have a good grasp of basic addition and subtraction.  So for $13 or less I think this is a good value.  Don't pay full retail for this though.

Score: 7/10 x1

Final Thoughts:
Overall Sum Swamp is a great game for kids just starting to learn addition and subtraction.  The game is simple to learn and fun to play with just enough variety in the spaces to keep things interesting.  It is all completely luck though, which will keep this from enduring beyond being a basic math education tool.  The recommended age is 5+ and I think by 7 most kids won't have any interest in the game any more unless they're reluctantly playing with younger siblings.  That said, it does make learning basic addition and subtraction pretty fun.  This is a worthwhile addition to your educational games collection.

Overall Score: 71/100

Did you like this review?  Show your support by clicking the heart at Board Game Links , liking GJJ Games on Facebook , or following on Twitter .  And be sure to check out my games on  Tabletop Generation.


GJJG Game Reviews are independent, unpaid reviews of games I, George Jaros, have played with his family and friends.  Some of these games I own, some are owned by friends, some are borrowed, and some are print and play versions of games.  Where applicable I will indicate if games have been played with kids or adults or a mix (Family Play).  I won't go into extensive detail about how to play the game (there are plenty of other sources for that information and I'll occasionally link to those other sources), but I will give my impressions of the game and how my friends and family reacted to the game.  A score of 1-10 (low-high) is given to each game in six categories: Components & Packaging, Rules & Setup, Gameplay, Replayability, Overall Value, and General Fun.  Rules & Setup and General Fun are weighted double and Gameplay is weighted triple.  Educational Games will have an additional category for Educational Value which will result in Gameplay being weighted double instead of triple.  Then the game is given a total score of x/100.

Giveaway Contest!!! - Win a copy of Coin Age when I get 100 'Likes'

Were you intrigued by my review of Coin Age last week?  This is a great little microgame that can easily fit in your wallet, purse, shoe, whatever.  I have gotten permission from Tasty Minstrel Games (Thank You!) to offer a copy of Coin Age to the winner of this raffle.  I'll be printing a copy of Coin Age and laminating it, complete with the main map, instructions, coins, and several other maps you can play on.  Then I'll put it all in a little baggie so you can take it with you wherever you go!  I'll mail it to whoever wins this contest.

The Rafflecopter will run from today through Friday, August 8th. (Be sure to enter the contest below the picture!)  When the GJJGames Facebook Page hits 100 'Likes' (if it hasn't by the end of this contest) I'll pick a winner from this list!  So please share my page out and let your friends know about GJJGames!

And, if my page hits 150 'Likes' before the end of the Rafflecopter I'll make and give away TWO copies!

This is my copy of Coin Age.  Yours (if you win) will look similar,
but I'll have some additional maps for you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: This contest is not being run or endorsed by Facebook, Blogger, or any other entity other than GJJGames.  Tasty Minstrel Games has given permission for me to print and provide a copy of their game for the purposes of this contest.  Any information provided will be used by GJJGames to fulfill the terms of this contest and not sold or provided to any third parties.

Wish me luck!

Wish me luck! I've entered Polter-Heist in a game design contest being run by Korea Board Games, Co., Ltd., the leading board game importer and manufacturer in South Korea. I will find out if I'm a finalist on about August 18th and if I do make it to that round the winners will be announced around the first of October. I'm keeping my fingers crossed! Toes, too! And I'm making my wife and kids cross theirs! I think I'm even going to train my dogs to cross their paws!

Quick Review - Doom: The Boardgame

Doom: The Boardgame
Designers: Christian T. Petersen &
Kevin Wilson
Publisher: Fantasy Flight Games

Quick Review - Doom: The Boardgame
In addition to playing Descent, yesterday I also played Doom: The Boardgame for the first time.  Both games have very similar mechanics, but the themes and overall feeling of the game play are completely different.  Whereas Descent is set in a fairly standard fantasy RPG environment, Doom is set in the high-tech, alien invasion world of the Doom video games.  Descent had a very RPGish, epic feel to it, especially with the experience points, earning gold to trade for buying items, campaigns and quests, and while there are video games that have that element, too, Doom felt much more like a video game than Descent did.  Maybe it was the military feel of Doom or the fact that the entire gameboard was only revealed as sections of it were explored, but Doom had much the same feel as the First Person Shooter video game it is based on.

While I really enjoyed Doom, I think in the long run I'll like Descent a little better because of the wider range of decisions that seemed to be in the game.  In Doom your characters had a certain set of skills and weapons and then you just shoot everything around you.  Defense in Doom was passive (each character had a set value for armor), while in Descent battles felt more like actual combat with each player rolling dice to determine attack and defense strength that could vary every time.  In Descent there were also a lot more decisions to make.  In Doom your choices were basically if you move, attack, or do half of each.  And every marine in Doom has the same basic abilities (they can all move the same and have the same choices).  The only real differences are in the choices of weapons available to each character and weapons aren't earned, but found lying around the game board (along with health, ammo, extra armor, and other items), just like in a video game.  In Descent each character has some drastically different abilities, making it much more critical that players collaborate and pool their resources, deciding who moves first, what actions they take, etc.  There seem to be a lot more nuanced decisions to make in Descent.

That said, sometimes it's fun to just blow stuff up.  And you do a lot of that in Doom, just like in its video game counterpart.  The simpler rules and decisions mean a more straightforward game, but after looking through the rules and components, it's obvious that there is a lot of room for the difficulty and complexity of the game to expand as players earn experience and progress through the game.  I definitely wouldn't ever turn down a game of Doom, but I think given the choice between Doom and Descent, most of the time I'd probably pick Descent.  But again, I think Descent is more suited to extended game sessions and campaigns spread out over multiple sessions.  Doom seems like it'd be better at just sitting down to play one scenario at a time.

My friend and I did start playing Doom with our sons (both almost 8) and it quickly lost their attention.  I ended up playing three marines though.  I think the game can work with younger players, but the rules would have to be simplified greatly.  A lot of the options would have to be removed (things like Soldier Orders, and the Marines Cards) and the game stripped down to its basics of just moving and attacking (maybe keep the Guard order) and have the Game Master adjust the amount of tokens and monsters placed in each room based on the needs of the younger players.  Also recommended would be to have the entire scenario's map laid out before hand (without the monsters and tokens) so the players have an idea of where to go.  Descent I don't think would work with simplified rules for younger players, so Doom does have that going for it.

I'm giving Doom a preliminary rating of 8, just like Descent, but it's probably actually a 7.75 whereas Descent is the full 8.  I really find it curious though how two games can be so similar in the basics, but feel so different in actual play.  I'm glad that I experienced both in the same day.  That was kind of cool =)

Preliminary Rating: 8/10

He's checking out the monsters he'll be up against...  Or rather the monsters I'll be up against after he and his friend move on to other battles.  The complexity of the standard rules was a bit much for them.

Moving through the research lab battling zombies and monsters.

Did you like this review?  Show your support by clicking the heart at Board Game Links , liking GJJ Games on Facebook , or following on Twitter .  And be sure to check out my games on  Tabletop Generation.

GJJG Game Reviews are independent, unpaid reviews of games I, George Jaros, have played with his family and friends.  Some of these games I own, some are owned by friends, some are borrowed, and some are print and play versions of games.  Where applicable I will indicate if games have been played with kids or adults or a mix (Family Play).  I won't go into extensive detail about how to play the game (there are plenty of other sources for that information and I'll occasionally link to those other sources), but I will give my impressions of the game and how my friends and family reacted to the game.  First Play Impression reviews will only get a single rating of 1-10 (low-high) based on my first impressions of the game during my first time playing.  Hopefully I'll get more chances to play the game and will be able to give it a full review soon.

Quick Review - Descent: Journeys in the Dark

Descent: Journeys in the Dark
Designers: Daniel Clark, Corey Konieczka,
Adam Sadler & Kevin Wilson
Publisher: Fantasy Flight Games

Quick Review - Descent: Journeys in the Dark
So I just played my first 'almost' RPG game.  I've never really been a fan of Role Playing Games - I've always felt that they're too open, not structured, and unless you have a very good GM I feel they're too easy to devolve into just acting goofy or boring quests.  Maybe that's just because I've never really played them and only have a very cursory experience of watching parts of games in the past, but even when I've seen RPGs reviewed on shows like Table Top, they just haven't sparked any interest in me, despite being a huge fan of Science Fiction and Fantasy, the biggest genres for RPG games.

So when my friend Gus said he was getting an RPG game that was actually a board game, I was intrigued.  The setting of an RPG in the structure of a board game?  That sounded mighty interesting.  Well, Gus got his copy of Descent: Journeys in the Dark last week and we got together to play yesterday.  This was my first time playing a game of this scope.  I was a bit intimidated at first, but the other players were RPG veterans and helped explain a lot of the terminology and themes.  So it wasn't long before I was moving around the board, battling Goblin Archers and Ettins (and unfortunately missing more often than not), and finding cool items.

I really found the game interesting.  I like that players can't just make up stuff and go completely off script, but I also like that there is a lot of flexibility in what players can do, how players can customize their characters, how characters can grow (gain skills, weapons, and items), and how the opponent is organic (with the foes being controlled by a game master Overlord).  It had a great mix of collaborative gameplay (working with your companions) and competitive gameplay (playing against the Overlord).  The game is broken up into a number of quests (scenarios) and you can play one quest at a time, or combine quests into a long campaign.  If you play the campaign method players can earn experience points and gold as they progress and then use those ti increase skills and buy items between quests.  Each quest has one or more 'encounters' where you have to complete a task and battle a bad guy (usually with a number of minions, too).  Running a campaign will take a looooong time, so you'll need to break it up into multiple sessions (my guesstimate is that a campaign will take about 30-40 hours of play time, but I could be completely off).  We started a campaign and play on working on it a little at a time over the next few months.  But this really gives the game an epic feel and keeps it more in line with what I know of RPG games.  Between sessions all a player's stats are written down on sheets included with the game and then you can pick up right where you left off at the next session.  I am really looking forward to that next session!

Preliminary Rating: 8/10

Did you like this review?  Show your support by clicking the heart at Board Game Links , liking GJJ Games on Facebook , or following on Twitter .  And be sure to check out my games on  Tabletop Generation.

GJJG Game Reviews are independent, unpaid reviews of games I, George Jaros, have played with his family and friends.  Some of these games I own, some are owned by friends, some are borrowed, and some are print and play versions of games.  Where applicable I will indicate if games have been played with kids or adults or a mix (Family Play).  I won't go into extensive detail about how to play the game (there are plenty of other sources for that information and I'll occasionally link to those other sources), but I will give my impressions of the game and how my friends and family reacted to the game.  First Play Impression reviews will only get a single rating of 1-10 (low-high) based on my first impressions of the game during my first time playing.  Hopefully I'll get more chances to play the game and will be able to give it a full review soon.

Quick Review - Tiny Epic Defenders

Tiny Epic Defenders
Designer: Scott Almes
Publisher: Gamelyn Games

Quick Review - Sword & Skull
Tiny Epic Defenders by Gamelyn Games is a small box collaborative game in which players work together to defend the capitol city.  The game is currently on Kickstarter (ending in the morning) at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/coe/tiny-epic-defenders and is fully funded by more than $140,000 over its $15,000 goal as of this writing.  The game is brought to you by the same people that created Tiny Epic Kingdoms, another smashing Kickstarter success.  Since the game is not yet available I played the free Print and Play version to give it a run through.  Only $16 will get you the base game (which will have more cards than my PnP version), $24 will get you the deluxe version with even more cards. There is also an $8 PnP version on Kickstarter that will have all the final artwork and cards for both versions.

The game consists of a number of cards, several marker tokens, and several meeple tokens for each player.  There are 7 land cards, 4 hero cards, 3 Epic Foe cards, 4 Dire Enemies, a number of Monster Horde cards, and a number of Artifact cards.  For all the cards (except Land) there are more in the Kickstarter versions than what I had available.  This should allow for even more varied and complex games.

The concept is simple; each player gets three actions on their turn to move about the board (which consists of six land cards arranged in a circle around the Capitol card), repairing damage to the Lands, defending against monster attacks, and regaining health when possible.  The unique part of the game mechanic is the Turn Deck.  In this deck there are both player cards and monster cards.  Players only get to take their turn when their card comes up in the Turn Deck.  Once the Turn Deck is exhausted another monster card gets added.  The game increases in difficulty as the game progresses because there are more and more monsters and the players don't get to take any more turns (although they can acquire artifacts that will help them in their battles by battling Dire Enemies).

Gameplay is simple to teach and learn and the game goes pretty quickly.  We played a four player game and everyone had a pretty good time.  It started slow in the beginning and was pretty easy to keep everything defended, but gradually chaos ensued and pretty soon areas were falling left and right.  Eventually our Capitol fell and we didn't lay a single hand on the Epic Foe.  Yes, we played our first game at the Epic difficulty level and that was probably a mistake, but it was still a ton of fun.  There was good interaction between all the players and it was often a struggle to figure out what the best move would be.  We definitely want to play again and I'm strongly considering backing the Kickstarter (if my wife will let me spend the money... I seem to be spending a lot of money on games lately).  At the very least I think I'll back the $8 PnP so I can get all the new cards and cool new artwork.  If you read this while there's still time, I highly suggest grabbing a copy.  The price is great and I'm not sure if it'll be sold in stores after the Kickstarter or how much it'll be if it is.  Tiny Epic Defenders is a very fun game!

Preliminary Rating: 8/10

Our game, shortly after the Ruins had fallen.
Not long after this nearly the entire kingdom was burning.

Did you like this review?  Show your support by clicking the heart at Board Game Links , liking GJJ Games on Facebook , or following on Twitter .  And be sure to check out my games on  Tabletop Generation.

GJJG Game Reviews are independent, unpaid reviews of games I, George Jaros, have played with his family and friends.  Some of these games I own, some are owned by friends, some are borrowed, and some are print and play versions of games.  Where applicable I will indicate if games have been played with kids or adults or a mix (Family Play).  I won't go into extensive detail about how to play the game (there are plenty of other sources for that information and I'll occasionally link to those other sources), but I will give my impressions of the game and how my friends and family reacted to the game.  First Play Impression reviews will only get a single rating of 1-10 (low-high) based on my first impressions of the game during my first time playing.  Hopefully I'll get more chances to play the game and will be able to give it a full review soon.

Quick Polter-Heist update and what's coming...

Woo hoo!  Polter-Heist is now officially listed as a game at Board Game Geek!  Check it out and become a fan!  Polter-Heist on Board Game Geek

Also, look for First Play Impressions for Descent: Journeys in the Dark, Doom, and Tiny Epic Defenders coming real soon!

Playtesting at The Gaming Goat

Last night (well, I guess two nights ago since it's now after midnight) I went to The Gaming Goat, a local game store here in DeKalb, and broke out Polter-Heist and Peacekeepers of Jar-Zabonia.  This was the first time testing Peacekeepers of Jar-Zabonia with anyone outside my family and the first time testing Polter-Heist with strangers.  every other time I've played Polter-Heist it's been with friends.  So I was very happy that both games seemed to go over extremely well.

Everyone loved Polter-Heist as usual and since this was a group of gamers I was happy that they enjoyed it as much as friends and family have.  We only played a four player game because most of the people in the store were busy with MTG, Yu-Gi-Oh!, or whatever CCD they were engrossed in, but as we got into the game we gradually started attracting spectators.  The game played out very nicely.  No one turned into a ghost, although it was very close a few times for a few players.  And we all did make it out alive with the Treasure, but it was a ton of fun and I've been invited back to have people play it again.

I also played two games of Peacekeepers of Jar-Zabonia with two different people.  I was a little nervous about that one because it hasn't been playtested quite as much and strategy type games can be challenging to get right.  But both players liked the game a lot.  The players liked the choices between the different cubes, the tactile feel of the game, and the strategy behind capturing opponents' cubes.  I'm still anxious to try out a four player game of this, but knowing it went over well with gamers was a huge boost to my confidence in the game.  Oh, and I've carved and painted the mountain tiles now, too, so that added just a little bit more flair to the game.

I don't know if I've mentioned in my posts on Facebook, but I will be submitting both games to separate contests at the end of the month.  Polter-Heist will be entered in an international contest for games that can be played in an hour or less (with a monetary prize for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places, but not necessarily a contract to print the game).  Peacekeepers of Jar-Zabonia will be entered in a US contest for a game that can be played by one or more players, can fit on a desktop (like in an office), is visually interesting, and fits the theme patterns.  That contest has not only a monetary prize, but also a promise to produce the game, sell it exclusively in a US chain store, and 5% royalties on all sales.  With the response I've gotten for both games I am super excited about both games in their respective contests!  So wish me luck!

The end of the first game of Peacekeepers.  You can see the newly carved and painted mountain tiles.
I lost this game by quite a bit, but redeemed myself later in the evening.

Quick Review - Castle Panic - The Wizard's Tower expansion

The Wizard's Tower
Designer: Justin De Witt
Publisher: Fireside Games

Quick Review - Castle Panic - The Wizard's Tower expansion

Wow, that was a MUCH better game!  I bought the Castle Panic- The Wizard's Tower expansion last night and we played it for the first time tonight.  I still have a few of the same gripes with the game (complex trades to set up players for good situations in the future are a bit above my sons' heads, and sometimes the trading phases are a bit tedious) and adds a few new gripes, but overall the game is MUCH improved.  We played the game outside by the campfire in the yard and turned on a camp lantern as it got darker, which all added to the mood.

Tonight's game definitely lived up to the name.  We won tonight, but only because of some very minor cheating =)  Very quickly into the game (about halfway through the monsters) we were down to only a single tower left.  And we panicked.  But we managed to hold off the monsters, and even rebuild a few walls.  But then I drew a boulder and rolled a 5, which would have wiped out our last remaining tower.  So I, ahem, quickly grabbed the die and re-rolled.  Luckily this went right through the gaping holes in our defenses, but unfortunately it also didn't take out any monsters (it did go under a flying Gargoyle).  We managed to hold out for quite a bit longer, drawing a few lucky cards (Scavenge, Barbarian, Drive Him Back, etc.) at very opportune times, but then we were faced with two monsters in the Castle ring, coming after our Castle.  We liberally interpreted the rules to allow some 'stacking' of cards when using a Stand Together card (we allowed using Special cards with that, so we also used a Double Strike and Enchanted card to wipe out a threatening monster).  And then we were faced with a whole horde of monsters in the Castle ring all coming for our last Tower.  There was absolutely no way for us to win since there were more monsters coming than there were useful Castle cards in the deck, so we fudged the rules once again.  This time we decided that if there was only one tower left in reality the defenders would try to build walls around the tower to slow the onslaught of monsters.  So we started building walls whenever possible to the counter-clockwise side of the tower.  Luckily we were able to do this enough to kill the imps and monsters that were approaching.  Finally there was only one monster (a Centaur with full strength) left and we had no wall.  But I happened to draw a Drive Him Back card, so I sent him back to the forest.  Then on my youngest son's next turn he was able to absolutely destroy the Centaur with his pick of cards - he had an Archer and Hero and Nice Hit card that let him kill the Centaur and then some.  And we won!  Well, sort of.  The game actually kicked out butts, but we still had a lot of fun even with the 'adjustments' we made to the rules.

However the game still isn't perfect.  Yes it was much more challenging and the variety of monsters made things much more interesting.  But with all the new monsters comes a whole slew of new rules.  This made things confusing a lot of the time.  It was sometimes difficult to keep straight which monsters moved differently, or could only be attacked by certain defenders, or what they did after getting killed, or how they behaved with fire...  I found myself consulting the rule book a LOT more tonight.  I'm sure that'll decrease as we play more (and we don't intend to play the game without the expansion any more), but there are a lot of exceptions and adjustments to the rules.

Anyway, with the expansion I think this will be a game that we play much more often now.  And there are a lot more monsters available now so we can tweak and adjust the numbers until we find something we are comfortable with.  After we play a few more times I'll do a full review, but this is definitely a huge improvement.  even the quality of the components is a slight step up (there is now a monster token draw bag and the clip for the Wizard's Tower fits more snugly than the default clips).  This is definitely worth getting if you already have Castle Panic.

Preliminary Rating: 6/10

Getting ready to try out the expansion!

Only one tower remains!

Here you can see some of the new tokens and cards.

My youngest son was the Master Slayer - take a look at all those monsters he slayed!

These are not the druids you are looking for...
My wife doesn't like her picture taken unless she's decked out in Storm Trooper garb =)

Did you like this review?  Show your support by clicking the heart at Board Game Links , liking GJJ Games on Facebook , or following on Twitter .  And be sure to check out my games on  Tabletop Generation.


GJJG Game Reviews are independent, unpaid reviews of games I, George Jaros, have played with his family and friends.  Some of these games I own, some are owned by friends, some are borrowed, and some are print and play versions of games.  Where applicable I will indicate if games have been played with kids or adults or a mix (Family Play).  I won't go into extensive detail about how to play the game (there are plenty of other sources for that information and I'll occasionally link to those other sources), but I will give my impressions of the game and how my friends and family reacted to the game.  First Play Impression reviews will only get a single rating of 1-10 (low-high) based on my first impressions of the game during my first time playing.  Hopefully I'll get more chances to play the game and will be able to give it a full review soon.

GJJG Game Reviews - Coin Age - by Tasty Minstrel Games

Coin Age
Designer: Adam P. McIver
Publisher: Tasty Minstrel Games

GJJG Game Reviews - Coin Age

Game Overview:
Coin Age is a micro game that is small enough to carry in your wallet.  In fact, that's exactly what I'm doing!  I used the Print & Play version of Coin Age (available here: http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/146130/coin-age#files) and also printed out the PNP Coin Stickers so that I don't have to carry $1.56 in change with me everywhere I go.  After printing the pieces I cut them out and laminated them and slipped them into a little zipper baggie left over from some other game.  So now I can carry a board game with me wherever I go!  The concept behind Coin Age is pretty simple.  On a map, about the size of a credit card, several regions are mapped out.  Then using coins (2 quarters, 4 nickles, 6 pennies, and 8 dimes - or use the printed versions like I have) each player tries to gain control of each area.  One player plays Heads and the other plays Tails.  Through an ingeniously simple mechanic of coin slapping (or tossing) players take turns placing, moving, or capturing coins on the board.  Larger coins are worth more points, but can be covered by smaller coins.  After all spaces have been covered or one player places all her coins the players tally up their points, doubling them for areas they control a majority of the spaces in.  The whole concept is super easy to learn and plays in about 5 minutes, but the strategy involved is pretty in-depth for such a small game.

Components & Packaging:
Unfortunately this game is no longer available for purchase.  It was available through Kickstarter a while ago, but I wasn't privy to that campaign and wasn't able to snag a professionally printed copy, so I can't rate that.  So really, the components and packaging is highly dependent on how each person prints and protects their copy of the game.  I printed my copy on a color inkjet printer and then laminated it.  I also printed the PNP Coin Stickers, but instead of putting them on a coin or matboard, I left them on paper, folded the page so the coins lined up, stuck the two sides together with rubber cement, then cut out each coin and laminated them, then cut each one out again.  This saves me the trouble of having to carry around $1.56 in change just so I can play the game, but it does make the 'coins' very light and thin.  So it's a bit of a tradeoff.  After everything was printed and laminated, I slipped it into a small zipper baggie and put the whole thing into my wallet.  I can't think of another game this cool that I can carry around with me everywhere!

Score: 4/10 x1

Rules & Setup:
The rules for Coin Age are printed on a folded sheet that is the same size as the game board (when folded).  The rules are printed on both sides of the sheet and they include a very nice, simple diagram that tells what actions to take based on the coin flips.  They are super easy to learn and I've taught the game to several people now and it only takes about a minute to explain the game.  For the most part the rules are perfectly clear, but I did find one small issue - when scoring at the end of the game, if one player doesn't have any pieces in an area and the other player has some pieces, but not more than half of that area's spaces covered (e.g. in The Copper Peaks if one player has two spaces controlled and the other two are empty), does the player with the pieces in the area get double points since they 'control' the area even though they don't have more than half of the area occupied?  I've been playing that no, a player has to control more than half of the total spaces, not the occupied spaces.  Anyway, it's a minor point and hasn't taken away from my enjoyment of the game, although it did cause a bit of puzzling over the rules the first time it happened.

Setup of the game is about as easy as setup for any game can be.  You simply lay down the board and then divvy up the coins so each player has half of each size, then decide who is heads and who is tails, and flip a coin to see who goes first.  Setup takes about 30 seconds.

Score: 9/10 x2

Gameplay:
For a game that I can carry in my pocket, is super easy to learn, and sets up in 30 seconds or less, Coin Age is super fun to play!  Games go quick, so it's easy to play a few games while waiting for food at a restaurant or any other time you have a little downtime.  My friend Tony and I play while we are waiting for our wives to be ready for the main game night game.  We've even played while eating dinner on a camping trip.  It's just so easy to pull out and play when it's right there with you all the time!  The concept behind the game is very simple, but the strategy that comes with deciding where to place coins and which ones to move or capture can get pretty deep.  There is a fair amount of luck since you can only take actions based on the results of the coin flips, but then deciding what to do with the results requires you to really consider the board layout, what coins your opponent has left, and what you have left.  There are a lot of decisions to make and some can completely make or break you.  Most of the games that I've played weren't decided until the last few turns, although a few were runaway wins for someone.  Because the game goes so quickly there's no real sense of disappointment when you lose because you know you can jump right back in and play again.  I also printed out a laminated score card to keep track of points in multiple games, although I'm not sure it's really necessary (the card has spaces for all the sections so you can tally up points, but it's actually easier to just count the points on the board without the card).  But keeping track of the total points over several games gives the game a little more scope since a devastating defeat can take several games to recover from.  All in all, I really enjoy this game for its simplicity, quick play, and portability.

Score: 8/10 x3

Replayability:
I dare you to play just once.  OK, I triple dog dare you!  You won't be able to do it.  The game is so quick and easy to play that you'll find yourself saying "just one more time" about thirty times!  Each game is slightly different because of the variability of the coin flips and it's super easy to try out different strategies each time you play.  Sometimes they'll work, sometimes they won't, but you'll never feel stuck by a bad decision made early in the game because it'll be over soon and you can move on to trying your next tactic.  This isn't really a game that will take up a whole game night (although I can see how an hour could quickly disappear while playing this), but it's great to play during some downtime, while waiting for food or someone else to be ready to play a bigger game, or any time you have a few extra minutes.

Score: 9/10 x1

General Fun:
Even though the game is little, it's a blast to play.  I enjoy pulling it out because everyone is always surprised that such a small game can pack in so much strategy, variance, and fun!  Plus, it looks great, too!  Every time I've played it's been fun, however like I said, it's best used as a filler game.  Since it's only 2 players it won't do for an extended game night unless you have several copies of the game and do tournaments or something.  But it's definitely worth printing your own copy so you're never without a great game.

Score: 8/10 x2

Overall Value:
Well, for a free game (minus the cost of a few sheets of paper, ink, and optionally laminating the pieces) you really can't beat this.  Once everything is printed and cut out it all fits onto a single sheet of lamination, so I think my copy cost me about $0.31.  Even when it was on Kickstarter you could get a professionally printed copy with a few extras for as little as $3.  It should be a no-brainer that this is a game you need to get!

Score: 10/10 x1

Final Thoughts:
I am SUPER happy that I printed this out.  It's turned into a favorite to fill in small gaps of time, everyone I've played it with has loved it, and I can take it with me everywhere!  Everyone should go print a copy for themselves immediately!  Or maybe not because then I won't be able to impress everyone when I pull an awesome game out of my wallet =)  Tasty Minstrel Games should definitely consider running another Kickstarter campaign or selling this somewhere else so that it's easier to get professionally printed copies.  It's easily worth $10 and their $3 minimum, pay what you want campaign from last year was an incredible deal.  Go give Coin Age a try right now!

Overall Score: 81/100

Did you like this review?  Show your support by clicking the heart at Board Game Links , liking GJJ Games on Facebook , or following on Twitter .  And be sure to check out my games on  Tabletop Generation.


GJJG Game Reviews are independent, unpaid reviews of games I, George Jaros, have played with his family and friends.  Some of these games I own, some are owned by friends, some are borrowed, and some are print and play versions of games.  Where applicable I will indicate if games have been played with kids or adults or a mix (Family Play).  I won't go into extensive detail about how to play the game (there are plenty of other sources for that information and I'll occasionally link to those other sources), but I will give my impressions of the game and how my friends and family reacted to the game.  A score of 1-10 (low-high) is given to each game in six categories: Components & Packaging, Rules & Setup, Gameplay, Replayability, Overall Value, and General Fun.  Rules & Setup and General Fun are weighted double and Gameplay is weighted triple.  Educational Games will have an additional category for Educational Value which will result in Gameplay being weighted double instead of triple.  Then the game is given a total score of x/100.