It’s A Beautiful Day In My Colorful Neighborhood (A Review of La Boca)

If you've ever seen picture of buildings that look strangely like brightly colored blocks then you'll be right at home in La Boca.  The neighborhoods are literally built by stacking blocks on top of each other to form intricate and beautifully colored structures.  They may not be the most structural sound places to live but I'm sure you'll enjoy the view!

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.

Been There, Dune That (A Review of Forbidden Desert)

 FORBIDDEN!  You laugh at the sound of the word!  After all, you’ve heard it before…and survived!  This time, there’s not even a sinking island.  What could go wrong?  Flying deep into the heart of the desert, your team searches for a fabled city of advanced knowledge, great wealth, and unimagined wonders.  But the expedition goes awry quickly as you crash land amongst the buried ruins.  To escape, you must dig through the city and discover its ancient secrets before sun and sand entomb you with storms of time.

That Sinking Feeling (A Review of Forbidden Island)

They call the island, Forbidden.  A little dramatic, perhaps.  You don’t believe in any of that superstitious, mumbo-jumbo.  But maybe there is a reason for the dour adjective?  I mean, every time they want to keep people out, they slap on some ominous-sounding name to discourage snooping, right?  Rumor is there are untold treasures hidden away on the island.  And they can all be yours!  Straight out of a pulp fiction yarn, you and your team ignore the warnings and fly in searching for fortune!  Only to find out the island is aptly named, after all!  Can the stories of great riches be true, as well?  Can you find out before the entire island sinks into the depths – claiming you with it?!

Kings in Israel (an interview with Lance Hill)

Based on the selection available, making an original board game based on events from the Bible is tough. Making a good game based on events from the Bible? Even tougher.

Lance Hill is currently seeking funds on Kickstarter for his new board game project, Kings of Israel. He has already passed his funding goal with almost two weeks left to go. We had a chance to interview him about his game.

It's Time To Panic! (A Review of Space Alert)

"This is Captain Larry, we are exploding, do you copy, over?"

It's just a simple deep space exploration mission.  An easy paycheck.  Zip in, take a picture, zip out.  10 minutes, tops.

Hold on, we've got a contact.  Enemy starships at 2 o' clock, coming in fast! Better head over and fire the port weapons.  Better charge the shields while you're there.  Hold on, can someone charge up the reactor?  Wait, there's some sort of... space tornado on approach.  Hit it with everything we've got! Now, hold on, what's this? The ship's computer is asleep?  Didn't anyone shake the mouse?

Just a moment now, something's on the ship.  Somebody go activate the droids and take care of that.  What's that, we've run out of crew members?  And now there's an asteroid heading straight for us? And we've still got 4 minutes left before the ship finishes taking a picture of the sector?  Well I suppose this isn't too bad, but... wait, why did our shields just drain?  What was that explosion? Did our main reactor just EXPLODE?

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Space Alert, the frantic, cooperative, and real-time board game about managing the chaos of perhaps the most unlucky space mission ever undertaken by mankind.

Release the Kraken! (A Review of Red November)

You are a proud crew member in the Gnome Republic’s crowning naval achievement: the sleek and menacing nuclear powered submarine, Red November.  With the latest advances in design and construction, precision propulsion, state-of-the-art technology, a deadly arsenal of modern weaponry, and previously unheard of sea-going amenities such as a grog-dispensing vending machine, your mission is to cruise the world’s waterways projecting the Motherland’s prowess, capabilities, and glory.  This will be the highlight of your naval career.  I mean, in such a sophisticated and highly-developed vessel, what could possibly go wrong?

And the Rockets' Red Glare... (a review of Hanabi)

Fireworks. The sound, the spectacle, the dazzling display. You've probably attended some good fireworks shows in your lifetime, ones that have sent you home with an awed expressions on your face, memories in your mind, and praises on your lips. You've probably also seen the demonstrations that are completely forgettable, perhaps a way to pass the time to celebrate a holiday but not an event worthy of remembrance.

But did you know that fireworks displays require cooperation, deduction, and skill? And playing cards in ascending order? No?

Well, in the world of Hanabi they do.

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?

The Legends Have Returned! (A Review of Legends of Andor)

"We demand to be taken se..." okay I"m done

"The King's ambassadors can hardly believe their eyes. Prince Thorald has finally returned and has managed to gather the bravest heroes in all of Andor."

So begins your first legend in the cooperative fantasy adventure epic game that is Legends of Andor. Your quests will take you far across the countryside, into territories unknown and mysterious realms, bringing you face-to-face with monsters, mystics, and treasure, all in the hopes that you will succeed and go down in history as one of the Legends... of Andor.  

Your quest begins here.

Stop, Drop, and Roll (A Review of Flash Point: Fire Rescue)

Sometimes board games can be educational.  Take, for instance, Flash Point: Fire Rescue.  I've learned from this game that the kitchen is the most dangerous place in your home.  That's where the first explosion always happens.  Yes, explosion.  And then, after two more explosions, things REALLY start to get bad.

It's a good thing you, and the other players with you, are ace firefighters.

You're Under Arrest (A Review of Police Precinct)

We demand to be taken seriously!

Down at the precinct, all is quiet. Then, with the ring of a telephone, everything bursts into bustling activity. There's been a murder and you and your fellow detectives have been assigned to the case.

The phone rings again. An accident on Third Street. No big deal, you can spare someone to handle it.

Another call. There's been a robbery at the electronics store. Oh, and a crowd of unruly punks has started to form on the street. 

Yes, crime and chaos has run amok in the city, and Batman is nowhere to be found. Only you can investigate the murder, find the killer, and arrest him before it's too late. Just make sure there's a city left when it all ends.

Welcome to the world of Police Precinct.

We've Got Supers! (A Review of Sentinels of the Multiverse: Enhanced Edition)

They're back!

Superheroes. Who among us hasn't at one time in their life donned a blanket cape or rushed around the park pretending to have flight or super-strength. The draw is undeniable; if you are a superhero, you can still be yourself, but stronger, faster, better. Since we can't actually get superpowers (yet?), what better way to experience the excitement than playing a boardgame about being superheroes?

While a number of superhero games had been released in the past, most were quick knockoffs or movie cash-ins with no real quality inside the box. Then, one day, along came Sentinels of the Multiverse - a superhero game not tied to a movie, show, or comic book, targeting the hobby-gaming market with the promise of substantial gameplay. We reviewed the original game, which came in a tiny box and consisted entirely of an unruly mess of cards. We liked it, but felt that it fell short in many areas.

Fortunately, the game was successful enough to warrant an expansion (and then two more), and with that first expansion came the new "Enhanced Edition" of the base game. With some gameplay tweaks, a much larger box with better storage, and the addition of tokens, lets talk about how the Enhanced Edition improves upon the original game.

So Say We All (A Review of Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game)

Everybody look to your left. Now look to your right. One of you is probably a Cylon. It might even be you.

At least, that's the way of things in Fantasy Flight's Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game. Players will take on the roles of characters from the (modern) show as they face dangers, tense political situations, dwindling supplies, and of course the fact that some of the players are secretly Cylons working against them.

Please Don't Take My Sunshine Away (A Review of Shadows over Camelot)

'Tis a dark time for Camelot. Lancelot has run off with Guinevere, hordes of Picts and Saxons are invading, and the evil works of Mordred and Morgana cannot be ignored. Knights of the Round Table must join together in quests to save the kingdom, recover the holy grail and Excalibur, and defeat all their enemies before it is too late.

As the shadows creep over the land, these brave Knights struggle valiantly onward; but a traitor may be hidden among them and bring desolation to them all!

Shadows over Camelot is a board game for three to seven players in which players take on the role of knights trying to save Camelot. It is a cooperative game; however, one player may be a traitor secretly working to sabotage everyone’s efforts.

Frantic, Fun Fleeing (a review of Escape: The Curse of the Temple)

You never really know another person until your relationship is tested--as, for example, when you are running for your lives to escape from a cursed Mayan temple as it is about to crash down around you. Will the other person return to offer a helping hand when your tools are accursed? Or will they strive to save their own skin? These are questions it would be good to know the answers to in advance.

Thank goodness for Escape: The Curse of the Temple, which will allow you to test the strength of your relationships before you face a real life-or-death crisis. But is this an adventure worth taking? Find out below!

Hooyah! (A Review of Hooyah!)

Hooyah! indeed...

Hooyah!

If you've ever thought it would be cool to be a Navy SEAL - a member of an elite and highly trained force designed for specialized and dangerous missions - then Hooyah! might be a game for you.  In fact, the idea of a cooperative game based on the Navy SEALS seems so obvious it's a wonder it hasn't been done before.

Well, it's here now from  US Game Systems, Inc. But will this game answer the roll call, or does it fail to complete the mission?

Panic! Disease Everywhere! (A review of Pandemic)

ugliest. box. ever.

[Editors note: The following is a Nemesis Review, featuring opinions from our in-house thematic-loving @futurewolfie and his ferocious opponent, the stodgy euro-loving @Farmerlenny. Make sure to read both opinions to get a better overall picture of the game!]

Not every board game in the world pits every player against each other.  In some cases, you've got to work together to conquer the game before it conquers all of you.  These sorts of games can be a great break from tough head-on-head action and intense rivalries, and especially bitterness and resentment that often happens after one player beats another by a few too many points or a few too many times in a row.

Pandemic shines at (or at least very near...) the top of these sorts of games as a solid, well-put-together game that requires strategy, cooperation, and communication between all players.

This One's Not About Batman (A review of Arkham Horror)

Box!

Often when I introduce the game "Arkham Horror" to new players, their first thought goes to Batman.  It makes sense, after all Batman is a little more mainstream and Arkham does happen to be the name of the asylum where most of his supervillain nemeses are kept.

So, quick lesson regarding literature:  "Arkham" is actually the name of a fictional city in Massachusetts from a series of horror stories written by one H. P. Lovecraft.  These stories feature a number of enormous, ancient, horrific alien monsters including the most well known Cthulhu.  They also feature their main characters losing their sanity and/or coming to a gruesome and violent end.  The Arkham in Batman takes its name from this city, and not the other way around.