News Bits: 12/30/2013

I think everyone (including most of our writers) were on hiatus last week. In any case, we're back, and here is the NEWS:

Z-Man Games releases Government Shutdown scenario for Pandemic [Link] For those who want to relive the events of this past October (any takers? huh? huh?), Z-Man Games has released a new government shutdown scenario for Pandemic.

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.

He deserves a big hand for that and we gave him one (A Guide To Hand Management)

There are a lot of new-fangled mechanics that have come to popularity in the recent years: worker placement, deck building, and dice building to name a few. But other mechanics have a much longer history. Among game components that have a rich history dice and cards both trace back over 1000 years. In this mechanic guide we’ll explore the most common implementation of card driven games, Hand Management.

News Bits: 5/28/2013

The holiday pushed off this week's NEWS:

Spiel des Jahres 2013 nominees announced [Link] Definitely some surprises on the nominee list this year as two games nominated for the award are small-box games. The choices seem a bit eccentric, but not having played many of the nominees, I will allow others to hold forth on their worthiness.

Exciting Exploration (a review of Lost Cities)

You've got your compass. And a map. You wore your thick boots today, and your mother packed you a hearty lunch. Oh, and money: good, you've got that, much of it from wealthy benefactors who hope you will bring back artifacts of great worth from your time in the jungle. Or Atlantis. Or wherever you're going.

But wait--someone else is attempting a similar expedition? And how did they attract wealthy benefactors as well?

No matter. You will find and explore these lost cities and make a bundle while you're at it. At least if you can figure out the scoring formula...