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."

Besieged! (a review of Zulus on the Ramparts)

Things are looking grim for the small band of British soldiers at the fort at Rorke's Drift. Zulu forces have surrounded the fort and will soon overtake it. You are in command of the soldiers and the small stock of supplies available to them. Can you hold out until morning, when Lord Chelmsford's relief column should arrive with reinforcements?

Find out in Zulus on the Ramparts!

[ENDED} The Gencon 2013 Millennial Milestone Giveaway!

This contest is now closed. We announced the winners here.

We've been tweeting about it for a long time; when we reach 1,000 followers on Twitter, we'll give something away. Like a board game, or something.

Well, we did it, and we did it before Gen Con, which means we picked up some hotness from the show and now we're going to GIVE IT TO ONE OF YOU.

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.

If a gamer rolls a "1" in the Forest...

Last week I was away on vacation. My ego hopes that you noticed, but regardless, I get to talk about it.  Why? I'm a gamer and a blogger and that's just what I do.

My vacation was not just any vacation, after all.  It was my yearly trek to the western side of Michigan, camping with family for a week right by the lake.  It's a time of relaxation, of getting away from electronics and obligations, and doing whatever one feels like doing at the moment.  Which, for me (and fortunately, for several of my cousins) this meant a lot of playing games.

So Happy Together (A Guide on Cooperative Games)

Only you and your teammates can stem the tide of disease in Pandemic

When non-gamers first hear that I like to play board games, I think one of the first scenes they imagine in their minds is the one with a group of young siblings playing a competitive game of monopoly or sorry until they get in a fight and quit angrily.  And while some relish the conflict and competition inherent in most board games, there is a genre of game which pits players not against each other, but against the game itself.

Even though cooperative games aren't a new phenomenon, many outside of the hobby gaming scene haven't heard of them, and aren't sure what that means.  Usually one of the first questions I get when I introduce a cooperative game is, "So you're on, like, teams?"

Fortunately, if you've run into trouble explaining the concept, or are unsure what it means yourself, this guide is here to help you out.  

So, what is a Cooperative game?

News Bits: 4/15/2013

A fairly light week as far as news is concerned, but there's some good stuff here nonetheless. Here it is, the NEWS:

Z-Man Games reveals Pandemic triptych [Link] Z-Man Games revealed the final artwork for the In the Lab and On the Brink Pandemic expansion covers this week, and all three games form one long photo. Is this a compelling enough reason to buy the new edition? Maybe, just maybe...

News Bits: 9/10/2012

There are lots of juicy news morsels for your consumption this week. Enjoy the news!

Greater Than Games Offers Opportunity to Be a Mastermind
Greater Than Games, creators of the cooperative superhero card game Sentinels of the Multiverse, is offering an opportunity to create the next Sentinels of the Multiverse villain. The contest is up on their website and runs through September 28. According to the comments, the winner's villain will be included in the next run of the game, and the winner will receive a free copy  Sentinels of the Multiverse is one of the most thematically rich games I've played. The chance to create a part of its mythos is a pretty big draw.