News Bits: 12/9/2013

As promised, this week's NEWS is back to business and bursting at the seams. Without further ado, the NEWS:

Gravwell release date set for December 20 [Link] This according to the game's designer, Corey Young. For those not in the know, Gravwell was one of the best games I played at Gen Con. I've played it several times since on Futurewolfie's copy he purchased there, and I still like it quite a bit. Review forthcoming, closer to the release date, and it will be a nemesis review (that is, Wolfie and I will both provide an opinion). In the meantime, set phasers to "preorder."

Top Ten Lunch Games

I've written on the subject of lunch games many, many times, but probably most completely here. The category of lunch games--games that can be played and in most cases taught in an hour--is near to my heart for several reasons, not least of which is lunch when I am most likely to have time free to play a game. The pressures and responsibilities of home prevent me from attending more than one game night a month. But over lunch? Then I am free.

In my earlier post, I listed several criteria for ideal lunch games. They are:

• Goldilocks playtime (neither too short nor too long)
• Simple rules
• Simultaneous (or near simultaneous) play (in other words, there's always something to do)
• Chaos factor (players have an opportunity to break gameplay conventions)

So which games am I most excited to play over lunch? Here's my list.

News Bits: 10/7/2013

The NEWS:

GAMES magazine announces 2013 award winners [Link] GAMES is known (to me at least) for choosing off-the-beaten-path games for their awards, and this year is no exception. The top honors this year go to Garden Dice (our review here). Congratulations to the winners.

News Bits: 9/9/2013

Another week that begins with the NEWS:

Spielbox teases deluxe edition of Hanabi [Link] Well, this looks awesome...though nearly $80 is more than I'd be willing to pay, considering the basic version is $10. (Of course, the problem is finding a copy, with the initial print run sold out.) But still: stylish.

News Bits: 8/12/2013

This is the week many of us are waiting for: GEN CON. Futurewolfie and I will be there Friday and Saturday. Be sure to say hi if you see us. And now, this week's NEWS:

Sentinels of the Multiverse board game to debut at Gen Con [Link] There were hints of this news earlier in the week on Twitter, but a post on designer Kevin Nunn's (Rolling Freight) Facebook page have confirmed it. Very few details are known at this point, but you can be sure we'll be stopping by the Greater Than Games booth at Gen Con to find out more.

News Bits: 7/29/2013

The big news this week was a failed Kickstarter campaign and the discussion surrounding it. But there's more than that. Here is the NEWS:

Fred Hicks discusses the Doom That Came to Atlantic City Kickstarter campaign [Link] Kickstarter for board games is coming out of its infancy into the shaky years of adolescence. This kind of scenario (along with many, many, many others) has with good reason made many people wary of using the platform. I know there's a lot of idealism surrounding Kickstarter, about it being used to fund people's dreams, but really, I think Hicks's advice is on the money. And because there is no great way to test first-time campaigners (to see if they're overreaching), and since I've had several less than stellar experiences myself, I'm much more likely to use my money to fund Kickstarter veterans. Against the spirit of the service? Perhaps, but less risk. (Also, the game's designer responded here. Designer/publisher relationships are complicated, to say the least.)

What's It Worth to Ya? (a Guide to Auction Mechanics)

It's no secret around these parts that I love auctions. Love them. Love, love, love them. In games, in real life. If I can find a way to maximize the value of a deal, I'm in. So I jumped at the chance to write about auction mechanics.

Are you curious about auctions? You should be, because auctions are awesome. And you've come to the right place to find out more.