Board Games Archives - Page 11 of 66

Back to the Future: Dice Through Time board game

Back to the Future: Dice Through Time game review

Last Wednesday was Marty McFly Day – October 21 – the day Marty McFly and Doc Brown traveled to the future (the 2015 future) in Back to the Future II.

You may not have even noticed. And that’s okay, because it means the space time continuum hasn’t been disrupted!

And even though we’re just now posting this game review, let’s do a bit of time travel of our own and pretend we’re back to a few days ago, October 21, taking a look at Back to the Future: Dice Through Time by Ravensburger.

October 25, 2020 Trent 0 Comments 2-player, 3-player, 4-player, cooperative, dice, luck, Ravensburger, strategy, theme

Board Games Cooperative Games Family Games Game Reviews

Scooby-Doo! Escape from the Haunted Mansion game review

“I would have gotten away with it too if it weren’t for you meddling kids!”

If you recognize that statement, then you must be familiar with Scooby-Doo!

The question is, does your family have what it takes to solve the mystery at Lord Fairmont’s haunted mansion?

Of course, you’ll be channeling the skills and hijinks of Mystery Inc. with Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and of course Scooby-Doo!

October 14, 2020 Trent 0 Comments 2-player, 3-player, 4-player, 5-player, cooperative, solo, story, The OP

Board Games Game Reviews Kid Games

Snap Ships – Build to Battle Review

Snap Ships – Build to Battle is a clever modular building toy from Play Monster, who is also known for toys like Automoblox and Marbleocity and board games like Island of El Dorado, Farkle, Set, and the classic Stratego.

Snap Ships are similar to LEGO but with beautifully sculpted spacecraft parts. At the core there are square blocks that snap together making up the base structure, you then add the different parts to create the perfect ship. From cockpits to laser cannons to fuel tanks there are all the different components you would expect.

Each model comes with two to three different building instructions, but with your imagination, there’s no limit to the number of different designs you can come up with. Add that to the fact you can mix and match sets and you can keep busy for quite some time.

September 30, 2020September 30, 2020 Dane Trimble 0 Comments building, Play Monster, Snap Ships, toy

Board Games Family Games Game Reviews Party Games

Upside Drawn – No drawing talent needed

Telestrations is one of our favorite party games. It’s like playing the classic game of “telephone” but with pictures.

We always end up laughing a ton because of how the original depiction morphs over the course of the game.

So when we heard about Telestrations: Upside Drawn, we were very excited to get a copy from The Op to play.

Attaching the “Telestrations” brand name to the game is a nice move to get attention. Just don’t be fooled — because Upside Drawn it’s a much different game from regular Telestrations.

The great news is that it’s a lot of fun in its own right!

September 14, 2020 Trent 2 Comments art, creative, drawing, party, social, The OP

Board Games Family Games Game Reviews Kid Games Party Games

Blinks Game System Review

There’s been a big meshing of digital and physical board games over the last decade.

Many physical board games have taken on digital form and can be a blast to play with friends at a distance. And other physical board games have incorporated a digital element that we love for extending the gameplay — such as the cooperative games Star Wars: Imperial Assault, Descent: Journeys in the Dark 2nd Edition, and Mansions of Madness 2nd Edition that we love using the app to play the bad side.

Well, today we’ve got something quite different from anything we’ve reviewed in the past. It’s actually a digitally-driven complete game system called Blinks!

But it doesn’t use any computers, mobile devices, or apps. All the game data and rules are stored in the hex game pieces themselves!

The cool thing is that each hex game piece, called a Blink, stores the information/rules of one game. And that Blink “teaches” the other Blinks the rules of the game and then they’re all in!

September 4, 2020September 8, 2020 Trent 0 Comments 10-player, 2-player, 3-player, 4-player, 5-player, 6-player, 7-player, 8-player, 9-player, Blinks, colorful, digital, solo

Board Games Family Games Game Reviews Party Games

Gorilla Marketing party game review

My day job is in marketing.

That means 25 years in marketing.

As such, I’ve heard many times about “guerilla marketing”.

So when I saw the game Gorilla Marketing, designed by Adam Wyse and published by Roxley Games, I couldn’t wait to give it a try!

I was especially excited to play with my Marketing team at work. But as luck would have it, the game arrived the very day we all started working from home because of COVID. Major bummer – no more lunch break games of any sort at the office.

But that wouldn’t deter me from giving it a shot with my family. And I’m so glad I did — because it’s been an absolute hoot!

We have yet to play a game without busting a gut laughing. And we have yet to stop playing after just one game. There’s just too much fun to be had!

August 21, 2020August 21, 2020 Trent 0 Comments 3-player, 4-player, 5-player, 6-player, 7-player, 8-player, judging, party, Roxley Games

Board Games Family Games Game Reviews

Let’s get Trekking the National Parks!

Zion National Park is like a second home to me.

It was my mom’s backyard growing up. So naturally, as a family, we spent a lot of time enjoying its beauty from grandma and grandpa’s farm. My most memorable summer growing up was the summer I spent living with my grandparents and working in the park.

And heading north, Yellowstone National Park is another one of my favorite places to visit.

And when we play Trekking the National Parks the board game, I get the itch to visit a lot more of the US National Parks.

July 30, 2020 Trent 0 Comments 2-player, 3-player, 4-player, 5-player, luck, route, strategy, theme, Underdog Games

Disney Jungle Cruise Adventure Game board game

Board Games Family Games Game Reviews

All aboard the Disney Jungle Cruise!

“This secluded elephant pool has never before been seen by civilized man. And looking at everyone on this boat, it still hasn’t.”

“Bamboo can grow to be six stories tall…although this bamboo looks about seven stories tall. But that’s a whole other story.”

These jokes probably sound very familiar if you’ve spent time aboard the Jungle Cruise ride at Disneyland or Disney World. And playing Disney Jungle Cruise Adventure Game, you’ll get to tell a whole bunch more!

But telling jokes isn’t the crux of the game, it’s just a by-product. Instead, the game pits players against each other racing along the river, collecting cargo, and keeping their passengers safe.

Ready to captain your boat to victory?

July 23, 2020July 26, 2020 Trent 0 Comments 2-player, 3-player, 4-player, dice, Disney, luck, Ravensburger, theme

Board Games Family Games Game Reviews

Let’s get us some Rune Stones!

Do you like deck-building games like Dominion, Clank!, Legendary, and Thudersone Quest?
What about resource-collecting/converting games like Century: Golem?

How would you like a game that mixes those game mechanisms together?

Well, that’s what you get with Rune Stones by Queen Games!

At SaltCon 2020, I was able to get in a demo game of Rune Stones with some friends and we all enjoyed it.

And now that I’ve played it a number of times since then, it’s time to share my thoughts on this family board game.