To the Dungeon! (A Review of Dungeon Fighter)

[Editor's note: The following is a Nemesis Review, featuring opinions from our in-house eurogamer, @FarmerLenny, and his deadly enemy, the thematic space-loving @Futurewolfie.  Make sure to read both opinions to get a better overall picture of the game!]

Are you a hero, or merely a toothless charlatan? You better hope to be a hero, because the king has summoned all those claiming to be heroes, and that includes you, and done the only thing that makes sense in order to separate the real heroes from bogus lowlifes. That is, he has tossed you and a few others into a dungeon with only one purpose: fight your way out alive.

If you survive, you will prove yourself a true hero.  Fail, and… well, the kingdom can always use a little more fertilizer. It will be no easy task, as it will require great skill and a bit of luck.  And a bit of silliness.

This is Dungeon Fighter.

Once Again, with Feeling (a review of The Resistance: Second Edition)

She looks you in the eye, trying to catch the slightest hint of betrayal.

"I am not a spy," you reaffirm, sterner, more confident than the last time.

"I believe him," she tells the others, and just like that, you're on the resistance's mission to overthrow the corrupt government.

Yet despite her belief, once the cards are revealed, the mark of sabotage is all over the mission. Someone in the group was a dreaded spy. And it turns out it was you.

Enter the world of The Resistance--a social paranoia game of deduction, deception, and good, good fun.

Flies through the Air with the Greatest of Ease (a review of FlowerFall)

After Origins 2012, I was surprised to hear many people whose opinion I respect say that the game that won the show for them was a small-box affair about dropping flowers. You mean you actually...just--drop flowers? That's it?

When Asmadi Games launched their Kickstarter campaign a few weeks later and I saw the price point was only $15, I knew I had to get in on the action, if only to see what all the hoopla was about. I received my Kickstarted copy early (a first for me--what, no long delays overseas?) and immediately tested it out. But does it float gracefully or fall flat? Find out below!

Ridiculously Wealthy Tycoons (a review of Masters of Commerce)

Party games are usually not my thing. I'm not a fan of trivia, and even the question-and-answer games are getting stale. One of my favorite party games is Pit, but it's lacking the strategic meat to keep my gamer friends satisfied. 7 Wonders, while not necessarily a party game, can accommodate a large group, but my non-gamer friends are not always willing to commit to learning the iconography. If only there were a game to fill the gap...

Read on, intrepid capitalists, to discover more about the gap-filling game Masters of Commerce!

Corner on Wheat! (a review of Pit)

One of my fondest memories of college is family game night. I didn't have any actual family at college, but that didn't stop a group of us from gathering every Saturday night to play games. There were many family game night staples (including Kill Doctor Lucky and Bang!), but one that I was introduced to there and that remains one of my favorite party games is Pit.

Rome WAS Built in a Day (a review of 7 Wonders)

[Editors note: The following is a Nemesis Review, featuring opinions from our in-house eurogamer, @Farmerlenny, and his deadly enemy the thematic space-loving @Futurewolfie.  Make sure to read both opinions to get a better overall picture of the game!]

Gamer hype is not uncommon, and 7 Wonders, even before its many official accolades (including the first-ever Kennerspiel des Jahres), has been a particular geek darling. Copies last fall were hard to track down, and the hype continued to be laid on thick. (I suspect some of this was an indirect geek brag: "Not only is this game awesome, but I have a copy and you don't.") Still, a seven-player game that could be played in half an hour, produced interesting decisions, and allowed strategic planning seemed far-fetched, and I was sure the hype could not be true.

After a geek super-couponing deal at Barnes & Noble that any frugal mom would be proud of, I secured a copy of 7 Wonders (for less than $2 out-of-pocket, I might add /geekbrag). What do I think about it? Find out below!

Bean Farming at Its Finest (a review of Bohnanza)

Perhaps this is a larger box than necessary, but there is
a lot packed into this small game.

About a year ago, when my love for hobby board games was rekindled, I had some birthday money, and I thought I would try a new game. I pored over reviews, and my choice came down to two games: Puerto Rico and Bohnanza. I thought Puerto Rico was a better bet in terms of which game I would prefer...but I also doubted I could find anyone to play with me since the rules looked more complicated and it couldn't regularly be played over a lunch hour. Bohnanza looked stupid, but the Amazon customer reviews were glowing, and I also thought I had a better chance of finding other players, so I chose in favor of it. When the game arrived in the mail and I examined the simple, cartoony cards, I thought I had made a huge mistake.

Turns out I was wrong.

FDQ: What Is the Best Party Game?

You're at a party, and someone suggests a game. That person brings out...Trivial Pursuit, an occasion that might merit the "Nooooooooooo!" edited into the Star Wars Blu-ray. (Too soon?) This, or similar situations, sparks today's FDQ: what is a good alternate party game suggestion? Or, really, what is the best party game? Answer in the comments!

@FarmerLenny answers:
Call me old-fashioned, but I might suggest a game of Pit. Pit is riotous fun for players, is easy to learn, and even though players typically start out underwhelmed, by the end of the night they are laughing hysterically. Another good option is Wits & Wagers, the trivia game for people who don't know anything. I love bidding/betting games, and playing with whiteboards, so this is another favorite. I also enjoy The Game of Things, though I've never played the official version. More recently, The Resistance has gone to the top of my go-to list as well. There are plenty of other options. All this to say: friends don't let friends play Apples to Apples.

@Futurewolfie answers:
I haven't played a lot of party games recently. I enjoy Apples to Apples, but it can be pretty exclusionary. I've never played Wits & Wagers (I know, a travesty!). Of games I've played, The Resistance is pretty high on the list but has a limited number of players (ten sounds high...until you're actually at an actual party...). Catch Phrase usually works well with all ages and skill levels (I have some great memories of my 85-year-old grandma). The Great Dalmuti is a pretty enjoyable card game with large groups, and you can play a variant of it (President or Scum, anyone?) with a normal deck of playing cards. Pit is good if your people don't mind a lot of yelling...at least where my family comes from. I can't imagine a quiet game of Pit, anyways.