I Swear I Put That Influence Somewhere (A Review of Fealty)

How many games start with the death of a king and end with one of the players being crowned the new king?  I'm not sure but Fealty stands out from the bunch by immediately dropping the premise in favor of solid gameplay.  You can still act the part of an aspiring lord and demand that everyone treat you with the respect you're due but instead let's get right into the game.

Still Red Dawn (A Review of Fortress America)

[Editors note: The following is a dual review, featuring opinions from our in-house war gamer @spielemitkinder, and the thematic space-loving @Futurewolfie.  Make sure to read both opinions to get a better overall picture of the game!] 

Wolverines!  It is America’s most desperate hour.  Beleaguered on three fronts, these United States struggle against an unthinkable invasion of the land of mom, apple pie, rock ‘n roll, and freedom.  Forget the TSA, high taxes, and Obamacare.  Lady Liberty’s very way of life threatens to vanish in the pages of history.  Will hordes of barbaric invaders sweep unopposed from sea to shining sea?  Or will guerrilla citizen-soldiers rise up through hill and dale to help their reeling army stem the tide until America’s massive lasers can blow the enemy back to the motherland, proving we really are the Home of the Brave?

The Gondola Ride (a review of Rialto)

Venice. Land of bridges and gondolas and noblemen vying for the favor of the powerful doge. You are one such nobleman, with lots of cards, cylinders, coins, and cardboard at your disposal. If you've got an hour, you've got an opportunity to ride your gondola to the top.

Is controlling Venice in the cards for you? Find out in Rialto!

Bidding, Bribing, Blackmailing, and Bludgeoning (a review of Revolution!)

It's the French revolution, and you are the leader of an opportunistic faction seeking to control Paris. In order to gain control of the city, you will have to enlist the help of various powerful personages...but doing so isn't cheap. And while revolutions are built upon principles, you'll have to throw your scruples out the window to gain traction with those who can help you. Of course, those who can help are equally unscrupulous and will just as easily serve your rivals if the price is right.

But this is revolution! Down with the king! It doesn't really matter who wins the revolution...as long as it's you.

Build Me A Kingdom Worthy Of Donald X (A Review Of Kingdom Builder)

There is vast land all around just waiting for someone to come along on horseback, look out over a scenic cliff, and build a kingdom.  As far as creative titles go, Kingdom Builder is not going to give you an overwhelming sense of what kind of Kingdom you're building or why you're building it.  But as the wise people who give out the Spiel des Jahres know, it's not the name of the game but how it plays that counts.

If I Only Had a Brain (A Review of Zombie State: Diplomacy of the Dead)

Zombies!  Relentlessly, they sweep over the globe in wave after wave of evil hordes.  Rising in all corners of the earth, the unremitting infection grows and spreads like a plague from Hell.  Armies are overwhelmed.  Cities fall.  Civilization crumbles.  Humanity sits precariously on the precipice of extinction.  Bands of survivors fallback to dwindling strongholds and vulnerable safe havens in desperate efforts to stem the dark, rotten apocalypse…or simply to survive.

Sounds like the new World War Z flick opening this Friday?  Alas, there’s no Brad Pitt to be seen here.  Instead, you will take charge of a world region reeling against an inexhaustive onslaught of walking corpses in the board game Zombie State: Diplomacy of the Dead.

All Under Control (A Guide to Area Control/Majority)

Who doesn't like to carve out their own little fiefdom, now and then?  Whether it's a man cave at home, a special project at the office, or a particular job in some organization, there's a satisfaction to be had in owning your own personal space or role. A sense of freedom knowing you're in control. Putting your own personal touch on something is rewarding, and it's nice to see the results of accomplishing that goal for which you've exerted so much effort and planning. Of course, this overarching element has always been endemic to hobby gaming, and there's one specific mechanic that has proven to be a natural fit in capturing that feeling.

Building the Babel (a review of Tower of Babel)

A tower to the sky? You don't really know why they're building it, but hey, they asked for your help, you've got nothing better to do, and they helped you when you needed to move to your new place, so it's your obligation. And you're willing to do anything for victory points.

Ah, victory points. Victory points make the world go round. In fact, they've always made the world go round, in modern and ancient times. You'll help your friends, but only as long as they help you more. After all, you've got to maintain your reputation as the world's most respectable builder. Your monuments are the ones that will endure.

Enter the world of Tower of Babel: the game where helping others is necessary, but helping yourself is paramount.

Valhalla Is a Place on Earth (a review of Midgard)

 [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!]

A game about Vikings dying gloriously in battle? Sounds like an odd yet interesting premise. And with elements of card drafting, area control, and even a little set collection, Midgard delivers on that interesting premise thematically and strategically, all in a game that lasts under an hour. What did we think about it? Take a look!

"In Spanish it means...'The Grande!'" (A Review of El Grande)

The box doesn't bode well, but this is a great example of
"don't judge a game by its box."

[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!]

The box is ugly, there's no disputing that. Even after reading about the game, reading about the mechanics, and seeing the reassuring "Spiel des Jahres" pawn on the cover, I was almost convinced by the box art to turn my back. If I had done so, I would have missed out on one of my very favorite games. Well, now you know how I feel about it. But keep reading for a more in-depth review.