Game Reviews Archives - Page 6 of 84

PicTwist: National Parks board game review

Whenever we visit a US National Park, we take a lot of photos!

How can you not take photos when you’re wandering around, taking in nature’s beauty?

These are also the types of photos I use for my phone and desktop backgrounds. Looking at the scenic photos can bring a sense of peace.

However, when such pictures are all broken up, mixed around, and players are racing against the clock to be the first to arrange their picture, that peace can evaporate quickly!

That’s a bit what it’s like playing PicTwist: National Parks – a new board game from The Op.

April 6, 2022April 6, 2022 Trent 0 Comments 2-player, 3-player, 4-player, 5-player, puzzle, solo, The OP

Card Games Cooperative Games Family Games Game Reviews

The Crew: Mission Deep Sea game review

Two years ago we took off on a quest in space and now we’re searching the depths of the sea.

In fact, it was exactly 2 years ago, in March 2020, when we reviewed The Crew: Quest for Planet Nine by Kosmos. We played it a TON leading up to doing our review. And then we played it even more in the months after that while we were all shut inside as the Covid pandemic broke out around the world.

Needless to say, we absolutely loved the cooperative, trick-taking, mission-based card game. We could hardly get enough of it, even making up our own challenging mission scenarios.

Since then, Kosmos has gone ahead and outdone themselves with the follow-up game The Crew: Mission Deep Sea!

Yes, that’s right – they found a way to make a fantastic game even better. And I don’t think we’ll ever play the original again.

March 30, 2022 Trent 0 Comments 2-player, 3-player, 4-player, 5-player, cooperative, family, Kosmos, trick-taking

Mickey and Friends: Food Fight Board Game

Board Games Dice Games Family Games Game Reviews Kid Games

Disney Mickey and Friends: Food Fight Game Review

As I sit here reminiscing about my lunch times in middle school and high school, it occurs to me that we didn’t see many food fights in our cafeteria. And I’m certain I was never a part of any of the ones that did occur. Of course, my memory isn’t what it used to be, but I’m pretty sure I’m innocent.

Mickey and Friends: Food Fight is a fun, fast paced game of dice chucking and food flinging for the whole family.

Are you ready for a good ole gut luggage grapple? If so, sit back and relax and enjoy Mickey and Friends: Food Fight.

March 25, 2022April 10, 2022 Dane Trimble 0 Comments children, dice game, luck, The OP

Articles Board Games Card Games Cooperative Games Dice Games Family Games Game Reviews Kid Games Party Games Top 10 Lists

SaltCon 2022 Recap – 22 Games Played

I had a fantastic first weekend of March because I was hanging out and playing tons of games with my friends at SaltCon Spring 2022!

I look forward to this 4-day gaming event with much anticipation every year. And it was especially great this year because the air was finally clearing around the Covid pandemic. Which means we could see the smiling faces of the 1,700 or so people who came out to play all sorts of games.

This year I was able to attend 3 full days of the event and played 22 different board games, card games, and dice games!

It was a lot of fun and I’m ready to share my thoughts on each of the games I played.

(Consider it like a bunch of mini-reviews.)

March 20, 2022March 30, 2022 Trent 0 Comments auction, board game, card game, dice game, drafting, luck, SaltCon, strategy, theme, tile-laying

Board Games Family Games Game Reviews

Neoville Board Game Review

Frank Lloyd Wright has been my favorite architect as long as I can remember. His modern organic architecture has been an inspiration to many of today’s prominent architects. Falling Water, a house designed by Frank in 1935, exemplifies his philosophy of organic architecture with the harmonious union of art and nature.

Blue Orange Games new release, Neoville, picks right up on this theme of bio-architecture as players take on the role of an architect creating a new kind of city where the buildings conform to their surrounding and nature is the star.

Create giant stone edifices, fluid water buildings, tall tree towers or mighty clay high-rises bringing harmony to your city and prestige to you.

March 3, 2022April 24, 2022 Dane Trimble 6 Comments 2-player, 3-players, 4 players, Blue Orange Games, city buidling, theme, tile-laying

Board Games Family Games Game Reviews

3 Azul Board Games Compared

5 years ago, Next Move Games published a unique tile-laying game that made huge waves in the board game industry – Azul.

The game includes colorful and chunky tiles made of bakelite and it quickly jumped to the top of Hot Games lists all over the world. Because of its immediate success, it was very hard to find a copy of the game for months.

Due to the game’s popularity, it was quickly followed by 2 additional Azul games in 2018 and 2019–each delivering familiar elements mixed with novelty. And today we’re reviewing and comparing each of these sequel games:

* Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra
* Azul: Summer Pavilion

February 25, 2022 Trent 1 Comment 2-player, 3-player, 4-player, Azul, colorful, luck, Next Move Games, strategy, tile-laying, tiles

Board Games Family Games Game Reviews

Magnate: The First City board game review

“Welcome to Humbleburg, a sleepy commuter community that has resisted development for years. That is until one fateful city council meeting where everything changed in the blink of an eye. Developers from all over raced to Humbleburg to make their fortunes in this small town. Will you be one of them?”

In Magnate: The First City players take on the role of developers who buy land, develop it, and lease space to tenants. But nothing lasts forever and sooner or later the bubble will burst.

The player who can manage their properties the best and sells at the right time will be victorious.

January 31, 2022 Dane Trimble 0 Comments 2-player, 3-player, 4-player, 5 players, action selection, area-control, auction, city building, dice, Naylor Games, resource management, solo

Articles Board Games Card Games Cooperative Games Dice Games Family Games Game Reviews Kid Games Party Games

2020 & 2021 – Years in Review

In getting ready to write my 2021 Year in Review, I realized that I never posted a 2020 Year in Review.

Maybe that’s because 2020 felt like a gap year for everybody – and many things just didn’t happen.

Well, that gives me a better chance to take a look at both years and compare how they’ve shaken out for family board game playing time.

January 27, 2022 Trent 0 Comments Top 10 lists

Board Games Family Games Game Reviews

Galaxy Trucker 2022 board game review

We had a CB radio in our van when I was a kid and I remember talking to long-haul truckers via that radio during long trips with our family. Chatting over the radio while riding was a fun way to get a very small glimpse inside the cab of truckers.

I can only imagine the stories we’d get if we were to tap into truckers in space.

Because if they’re anything like what happens during a game of Galaxy Trucker, then we’d be in for quite the tale!

In the game, players frantically build their ships and then take them on a flight to gather goods, face space pirates, encounter meteor swarms, and more.

Strap in and check it out!

January 16, 2022 Trent 0 Comments 2-player, 3-player, 4-player, Czech Games Edition, luck, space, theme, tile-laying

Board Games Family Games Game Reviews Kid Games

Dragon Market board game review

The princess is having a wedding this weekend and everyone is rushing to gather gifts and treasures for the occasion.

But this gathering isn’t as simple as running to the store and buying things. Instead, you’ll be maneuvering boats and jumping from boat to boat to collect the items you’re after.

Plus, others will be out doing the same thing and they’ll make even harder for you to get around and get what you need.

So it is in Dragon Market – a fun family board game from Blue Orange Games.