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Paper App Dungeon WBG Score: 8 Player Count: 1 You’ll like this if you like: Welcome To Published by: Lucky Duck Games Designed by: Tom Brinton This is a free review copy. See our review policy here Paper App Dungeon first hit Kickstarter in 2021, and was a huge success with over 4,000 backers pledging over $400,000. Which is incredible for what this is. A small notebook, with a pencil. Although back then, you did get a dice as well to be fair! I think the success can be put down to a few things. Modern board games are amazing. But some of them are huge and very complex. Sometimes you want something small and light. But still fun. Paper App Dungeon delivers this. I, like many others, also crave portability. I love playing games. But it's hard to set up Star Wars Rebellion on the bus. Games that offer complete portability, both in terms of size, but also playing area required are very few and far between. And even then, you still need a flat surface to play on. Paper App Dungeon is its own playing surface. And now, with the D6 pencil, you can simply roll the pencil onto the notebook and play from there. Lets get it to the table and see how it plays. This is going to be quick! How To Set Up Paper App Dungeon Open the notebook to page one and take the pencil. You are now ready to go!! How To Play Paper App Dungeon Turn to the first map. Each notebook comes with 44 randomly generated maps. So, each book is completely unique. Find the smiley face on the map. This is your starting point. Then roll the pencil. The pencil has six sides, just like a D6. Whichever side is lands on is how many spaces you can move. Roll an odd number as you have to move diagonally. Roll an even number and you have to move orthogonally. You must use your full movement and do so in a straight line. If you hit a wall, simply turn directions. Try to avoid going over a pathway you have already gone on. As you go, draw a line to show your path. Your goal is to reach the stairway, your exit to the next map in the book. But along the way, you will want to collect extra health by going over hearts, and extra money, by going over coins. There are treasure chests which will contain the value of whatever you roll with the D6 pencil when you go over it, as well as mystery health, which again will give you the health shown on whatever you roll that turn. So far, so simple. But watch out for monsters that will take your health away, either by the amount shown on their, or again, for whatever you roll when you go over them. As well as spider webs that will take away coins equal to the value of the roll. There are also locked doors that you can only go through by gaining a key, and portals that transports you around the board. You record you gained and lost health and money as you go, and then record your final tally on the map itself. If you fall to zero health then note a death on the final page and restart the next level with 10 health again. You cannot go over ten health at the start, but every now and then you will come across a shop. This is where you spend your coins. Some shops sell items that allow you to increase your maximum health. Play through all levels and note your final health, coins and number of deaths on the final page. That's it! Is It Fun? Paper App Dungeon Pocket Game Review This is a crazy game. Each map takes around one to two minutes to complete. As they are randomly generated, some maps make no sense. You could find yourself heading monster-free, easily towards the exit sometimes. Other times, you will be stuck behind a wall of death, with no obvious pathway to safety. It's cool they are made this way. Each book you buy would be unique, and offer new maps. But it does mean some maps are better thought out that others. Because, there is no thought! (Sorry to any future all powerful AI that I just upset) Also, as this is a dice rolling game... well, pencil rolling, you can sometimes be wandering around, going anywhere but the direction you want. But this is not frustrating or annoying. It's hilarious. The game is small. The game is quick. The game is easy. You cannot take it too seriously. And the consequences of winning and losing are both equally small. But it is so addictive. As it is quick, easy, and fun, you just want to keep coming back for more. The minimum times I have played in a row so far was four. And that was because my son ripped it out of my hands after watching me, and played himself! Paper App Dungeon is the perfect portable game to play on the go, on your own, when you have no space, no time, but want to play. For what it is, this is a ten out of ten game. The shop that pops up every four or five maps is a welcome break. It offers some cool powers, and they change as you play through the game. It's fun to do new things with them, in what is otherwise, a slightly repetitive game. But this repetition in this game is welcome. It feels familiar each time. Which for a quick game you play on the move feels right. I would recommend this game to anyone. Just go buy it. You will pop it into your pocket or bag and play through it on the plane, train, or when out waiting for friends to turn up. It's so portable, quick, and fun, you will fly through the book and I cannot see how this game doesn't work for any person in any environment.

This is a prototype version of the game and does not represent the final quality or look of the game. Every so often, a new game emerges that utterly captivates you. Sometimes, it's a release from a renowned publisher or designer that you've eagerly awaited for months, even years. You've followed every development closely, from design diaries to early glimpses. You've devoured "how to play" videos on YouTube. Other times, it's a complete surprise—a stranger reaching out with an offer to try their unknown game, and it's not just impressive; it's mind-blowing. In truth, as I played it this weekend in my conservatory, the heat led me to voluntarily shed my socks to regulate my body temperature. But I'm almost certain that even if I had left them on, they would have been figuratively blown off by the sheer impact of the experience. This game is awesome. The game is a giant tech-tree-building, territory-controlling, card-playing, race game. It looks epic. It feels epic. It plays epic. The full version will play up to six players. This early pre-release version is up to four. But even in two, the game feels tense, combative, enthralling, and just simply put, very, very good. The game is essentially a race to build three or more Refuge by the end of the fifth round. Each player starts with one Refuge site and four force tokens. These are essentially level one troops. You need to get eight troops onto a hex not adjacent to any other Refuge sites in order to build another Refuge. Players start with two Zealots on their own player board. These are your workers in which you can carry out the various actions. There are two ways to play the game: the basic or advanced. In the basic version, your choices of actions are significantly reduced making it a perfect learning game. But we went straight into the full game as it looked too darn exciting! The main actions are: Move your troops on the board and gain the resource of the hex they finish on. Add more troops, either four onto a refuge, or six around it and one on it. Double the amount of troops on one hex. Flip over a neighbouring tile to a Refuge you control to gain three times the value of that hex's resources, either something called Soylent or Desolene, and gain a Mangled Zealot. This is a worker you can use for one round before they become exhausted. You can also upgrade your Refuge to gain an additional permanent Zealot. Construct Fabrication which increases the yield of your Refuge. Develop one of your many tech trees to make your actions better. Gain P.A.T.Z.E.R. tokens which can be used to develop your tech. Or build a new Refuge. You can do as many actions as you have Zealots, so getting more by upgrading is crucial. As such, we found the game to have a delicious build. Rounds one to three build slowly as you develop your tech and Refuge. But round four and five explode with some truly amazing turns. In the early games, I felt I was way behind and was never going to get close to building my third Refuge, but on each occasion, it happened with time to spare, and on most occasions, with time and resources to build my fourth and sometimes fifth Refuge as well. This was because we were not fighting much. I think we got into the game so much, we did not focus on each other, instead concentrating on our own development, which is stupidly satisfying. But this led to drawn games. Which technically mean you should keep going until one player pulls ahead. But each time, we stopped, restarted, and tried again. This was because we wanted to learn the game from the beginning and try again to build up more efficiently. However, again, as we did not fight each other, it led to more draws. In later games, we managed to find the balance between fighting and developing your own tech. It is very much like Scythe in this way. In that you don't really want to fight too much as it takes your focus away from your own development. But you need to do it to avoid other players developing at the same place. And the board is tight. As you cannot build next to other Refuge locations, you will quickly run out of convenient locations to build new ones. You may well have to go and destroy another player's to simply gain the building site. Developing your tech is so fun though. And I can see why we were so preoccupied with this in our early games. Perhaps because we were playing mostly in a two, and had only one other player to worry about, it made it easier to do this. But in a three, I still found this was the case. Simply as developing your own abilities, gaining extra Zealot, and thus more turns, is just so fun. The game is a beautifully crafted, delightfully balanced, and wonderfully executed example of what modern board games can do. When you combine interesting mechanics, interesting lore, gorgeous art, and intriguing gameplay, you end up with something special. And that is exactly what has happened here. The board is modular. The tiles slot neatly into cases which can be easily formed as they all snap together with tidy little magnets. This means you can form all sorts of shapes for your game board, and they will not slide around or get knocked out of place as you play. Something that drives me crazy in other games. Well done for this wonderfully solution! The art on the game is simply stunning. The cards are the best example of this, especially the Divine tech cards. Each round, one Divine tech card is revealed, offering game-changing powers for the first player who is able to buy this. They are great cards to acquire, but very hard to do so. Which is how it should be. So many games get it wrong by either giving you small upgrades only to avoid the game becoming unbalanced. Why not have huge awesome upgrades but make them hard to get so players who do manage to acquire them have to make sacrifices to do so, so other players don't feel bad if they miss out. Fighting is an intriguing aspect of the game. Players tally up their troops on the hex in question, similar to Scythe. They can add extra tech powers they may have previously developed, as well as any Divine Tech cards they had bought. Additionally, players will play one card from their hand, either to boost their battle strength, which will cost them a fighter after the battle, or to weaken their opponent's strength after the fight, but also weaken themselves during. All players start with the same ten battle cards, making it a quick but engaging mini-game that keeps all players invested as they go head-to-head. The winner will then be able to carry out bonus actions, based on their current Refuge level, such as to take troops from your opponent, harvest resources from the hex you just waged war over, or even level their Refuge to the ground! All players then receive a bonus of either a P.A.T.Z.E.R token for the loser, or a R.U.I.N. token (worth four P.A.T.Z.E.R tokens) for the winner. The game runs through multiple phases across five rounds. It seems complicated at first, but most stages fly by. Essentially, you gain resources each round, take actions, then do your best to control the Ecolapse. The final phase where players need to destroy a hex neighboring one of their refuges. Something that can be very frustrating if you need that hex for resources in the next round. But you can avoid this through various powers or simply by paying the most cost in the voting round that precedes the Ecolapse round. But do you dare spend your resources in this way? What will the other players do? How much do you need to risk losing? I cannot wait to play this game in higher player counts, and I am intrigued to see how this game develops. Everything about it has so clearly been crafted with love, attention to detail, and a knowledgeable mind of modern games. I cannot imagine this being anything other than a runaway success.

This is a prototype version of the game and does not represent the final quality or look of the game. At the time of writing in April 2024, Tenby is currently live on Kickstarter right now. You can check it out here. In fact, it just hit its goal! So, if you want to play this game, it will be a reality soon! But do you want to play it? What is Tenby anyway? Let's get it to the table and find out. Tenby is a picturesque little Harbour Town in South West Wales, in the UK. It is the holiday destination for many families in the area; especially in the 80s, before low-cost airlines changed the way we travel. One such visitor to this charming little summer spot was first-time game designer, Benjie Talbott. Inspired by the charm and aesthetics, Benji set about to honour this once favoured childhood spot, and now regular relaxation spot, in the form of cardboard and tokens. At its heart, Tenby is an open-drafting tableau builder. Nothing outrageously new there. But what sets this apart is two key things. The scoring. And the charm. Let's look at the scoring first; it's way more objective. But first, a quick overview of the game. First up, I want to say how good the rule book is for this game. From a first-time designer, playing a game that is not in its finished state yet, I am always a little apprehensive about how the game will be, and importantly, how clear the rule book will be. But this game has one of the most clear, well-laid-out, and coherent rule books I have seen in a long time. Tenby is played over a series of ten rounds, clearly shown by the round tracker. Each round, players will choose which day card they want to take. Day cards will show a series of symbols that will allow them to take town cards, resident cards, and/or life ring tokens. The cards can be added to their town that they build up through the game. The tokens can be exchanged for extra cards, moving cards in your town that have already been placed, or increasing your choices of cards when taking one from your display to add to your town. Each round, players will add more cards to their town this way, building up streets of cards. Cards must be placed in a way that their edges match any neighbouring cards. Buildings must go next to other buildings. Harbours next to harbours. You can end streets with specific cards to form a finished complete street, which will assist end-game scoring. But then of course, it cannot be added to anymore during the course of the game. You can create as many streets as you like. Starting a new one with a card you just took, or you can add to another unfinished street so long as you match the edges of the card. When you take a resident card, you can choose between two cards, discarding the other. This will then provide a new way of scoring for you this game. Such as rewarding you with points for every building of a certain colour. Or points for specific features in your street like window blinds, flower boxes, or viewing binoculars. But this is not the clever scoring I mentioned above. No, that resides on the cards themselves. Each card has the image of the street, featuring buildings, piers, shops, and various features. But on the bottom, it will also show points or a scoring condition. These are mostly to do with buildings that are next to it, on the same street, or within one or two houses from its own placement. Cards will score you points for neighbouring lights, dustbins, benches, door frames, chimneys... all sorts! There is a huge variety. And the puzzle in the game is to figure out how to make cards work well together within your linear tableau. One card may need to be next to a blue house, and you have just drafted a card with a blue house. But that new card with the blue house perhaps would score more efficiently if next to a different card as its own scoring condition doesn't work with the first cards. Do you sacrifice the second card's scoring, hoping to get a better card to go next to the other side; knowing it will help the first card, or do you put it elsewhere, maybe even starting a new street with it, hoping to find a better blue house later in the game. It's a delightful, absorbing, and highly rewarding puzzle that you will be fully obsessed with for the entire game. But thankfully, as the choices are never that great, it won't slow the game down that much. Although, there are a few occasions where choices can be tight and players will need a moment. But hopefully the other players will have their own things to be thinking about and doing when this occurs. Players take it in turns to choose their day cards, and then in turn, their town cards to pick from each round. But then once this is done, the next player can go ahead and make their choice whilst the previous player thinks about where to place their newly acquired cards. There is a bit of overlap if you want to speed it up a bit. Just be sure the previous player is done before you take any cards as they may wish to use their life rings to do something unexpected. So, onto the more subjective charm of this game. There are lots of card games in small boxes like this that do similar things. Ecosystem for one is a game that comes to mind thinking about the mechanics. But there is something about Tenby that feels alluringly unique. I have never been to Tenby. Although, like most who play this, I now do! But I have been to similar harbour towns in the UK and always fell in love with them. There is something just calming, but also exciting about these places to me. The adventures to seafaring fishermen had throughout the years. The stories told in the pubs every night. The gossip, scandal, and outrage of the local communities. The history, families, and lives, lived. It feels like a beautifully self-contained history that I get to dip into, be a part of for a short time, but then always have to leave. Like the fridge magnets I buy and postcards I send, I always want to keep a part of these towns with me when I leave. I don't feel like that when I play most tableau-building card games. But I do when I play Tenby. As I said, the above point is very subjective. And may not mean anything to you. However, if that is the case, I guess you stopped reading this a long time ago. If you are still with me and currently have images of your own summer vacation spots from your own childhood, I would encourage you to check this game out. Now, where are my swim shorts and sunglasses? I need to book a weekend away to Tenby!

Cubirds WBG Score: 8.5 Player Count: 2-5 You’ll like this if you like: Hanabi, Sushi Go, Bohnanza. Published by: Catch Up Games Designed by: Stefan Alexander This is the reviewer's copy. See our review policy here By Steve Godfrey You wake up in the morning with Morning Mood by Edvard Grieg playing (you'll know it when you hear it) which is odd because you haven’t put on any music. Then you realise that you’re probably in an intro bit to a board game review so it all makes sense. You look out the window at the birds perched on your fence and think, “wow they look blocky.” So you rub your eyes, look again and see the same blocky birds facing you? It’s only then that you realise the kids have been mucking about with your copy of Cubirds and now you have to go out in the cold and peel them from the fence that they’ve sellotaped them to. Yep that’s right, tape, not blu tack! How to get your ducks in a row. Set up by laying out four rows of three birds and make sure that each row has three different species of bird. Shuffle the deck and give each player eight cards to make up their starting hand and then give them one card to keep face up. This is the start of their collection. To win you’ll need to be the first player to either a) gather at least one card of 7 different species (there’s eight in the game) or b) gather 2 species of at least three birds each. On a turn you have to lay birds to one end of one of the four rows. Choose a bird from your hand, you then have to play all of that species on the table. Pick any row and all the cards have to be placed on either the left or right of that row. If there are any birds of the same species in that row then you’ll take all the cards that are in between those cards. For example, if you play a Robin down and there is a Robin on the other end of that row then all cards In between the two robins will come to your hand. Slide the remaining cards together then add cards to the end of that row until there are two different species there. Now if you want to and are able to, you can complete a flock. All birds have a small flock and a large flock number on them. If you have cards of that species equal to or higher than that number then you can play a flock. With a small flock take one of those cards and place it in your collection and discard the rest. Do the same with a large flock but this time add two to your collection. If you play birds down that don’t surround anything then you have the option to draw two cards from the deck or pass. If at any point a player empties their hand of cards, everyone discards all of their cards in hand and then get dealt right new cards. The person who triggered the end of a round now takes a turn. Birds by Picasso At this point I’ve certainly racked up more plays of this on BGA than I have physically. But regardless of which platform I play it on, one thing is usually abundantly clear. it’s still not enough. I need more, because this game is addictive. Is it perfect? No. It’s got its flaws and in reality this should probably be a 7 or a 6.5 out of ten and maybe for some people it is! But despite everything I still find myself wanting to rack this game up time and time again but I’m still not sure I’ve got a grasp on why. I appreciate that for a reviewer informing the reader what makes a game great/bad that this isn’t entirely helpful but maybe I’ll work it out when I’m writing this, or you’re money back. From the off Cubirds asks you to put on your best, feathery, set collection cap on and gets you to make some interesting decisions and sometimes take a gamble. Surrounding birds with cards you know are going to complete a set is a bit of a no brainer. Except on the occasions where you’re sacrificing a lot of birds to complete a set, which then runs the very high risk that you're handing your opponents a free set. So in that case you’d just hold onto them? Maybe, but then there’s the ever-present possibility that someone could empty their hand of cards and trigger a new round which would then make everyone discard their hand and leave you with nothing. In fact a good little strategy is to purposely empty your hands to not only make your opponents start from scratch and to give yourself a refresh in the case of a less than stellar hand. It’s a really fun and interesting balancing act and it really keeps that, in between turns, tension going. Of course this amplifies with the player count as the time between turns gets longer and the “board” state changes more drastically. I love how the race element ramps up as the game goes on. The tension as you hope no one else takes your cards and those almost sweat-inducing moments as two people are close to victory and you nervously wait on a wing and a prayer for those cards you need. It’s easy to look round the table at others collections and the state of the cards and see how close people are to winning and you instantly start thinking “if I can just get one more turn” and then it’s that agonising wait to see if your able to pull off your winning turn or if someone else is going to win by a beak. Angry birds or lucky birds Luck of the draw can definitely be a factor in how your game plays out. I’ve had my share of games where the cards just weren’t falling properly either in my hand or on the table and I just couldn’t complete flocks quick enough. It’s possible to get games where you feel shut out. I’m not gonna deny that it’s a frustration when things aren’t going your way and it’s out of your control. That sort of bad luck seems worse in a two player game since there’s less chance for the game state to change dramatically enough between turns. As the player count grows, that bad luck has more chance of changing between turns and hopefully becoming less of a factor on the table at least. The orientation of the bird type and the numbers are a bit off as well. On the top left of the cards you’ve got the bird type and on the top right you’ve got the number you need for a flock. It means that whichever way you fan the cards you’ll be covering some important information. Despite the possibility of bad luck shutting you out of the game there’s something about Cubirds that just makes me want to rack it up and try again. There’s a part of my brain that no matter how well or badly the game went just wants to go back in for more. I’m not sure what sort of addictive mechanisms they’ve put in this game but whatever they are, they’re working.

Cascadia WBG Score: 9 Player Count: 1-4 You’ll like this if you like: Azul, Calico, Barenpark Published by: Alderac Entertainment Group, Flatout Games Designed by: Randy Flynn This is the reviewer's copy. See our review policy here By Steve Godfrey “Cascadia, you’re breaking my heart, you’re shaking my confidence daily.” Yep, another review and another song stuck in my head (it’s Cecilia by Madness if you’re wondering.) Why do I feel the need to keep mentioning these? Well in the hope that they leave my head and transfer onto the next poor soul who hears it, much like the video in The Ring. How to cascade. Give everyone a random starting habitat tile and then remove a certain number of regular habitat tiles at random depending on player count. Place the rest of the tiles in face down piles and put four tiles in a row face up, then take four wildlife tokens from the bag and place one underneath each tile. If they happen to be four of the same then set them aside and draw again. Choose one of each of the wildlife scoring cards and set them where everyone can see them. For your first game at least it’s suggested to use the set A cards. On your turn choose one set of tile and wildlife tokens in the display and add them to your environment. Tiles will have some terrain types on it as well as some animal types depicted on it.  When you place your tile it can go anywhere in your environment  as long as at least one side is fully touching an already existing tile. You don’t have to place matching terrain types next to each other but since end game scoring involves scoring your largest terrain areas it’s good if you can. You'll then add your animal token to your environment. It can go on any tile in your environment that has a matching animal on it. Once the token is placed it can’t be moved and no other tokens can be placed there. Then replace the tile and token you took and then onto the next player's turn. If there are four of the same animal tokens in the display they are immediately replaced. If there are three of the same. then the active player can choose to replace the three identical ones. If the tile you place your token on has only one animal type on it you can take a nature token. These can be spent on your turn to either replace any of the animal tokens in the display or you can use it to take any combination of tile and token and not just the set ones. The game will end when you have no more tiles left to refresh the display. You’ll score one point for each tile in your largest terrain area of each terrain type. Then the player with the largest area in each terrain type will score bonus points. Then you’ll score for the wildlife cards. Each animal has its own scoring conditions and you get points depending on those cards. For example, in the set A cards the elks will score for how many and you have in a straight line, the hawks don’t want any other hawk adjacent to them and the bears want to be in pairs with no other bears adjacent to them. Lastly you’ll get one point for each nature token you haven’t used. Grin and bear it We talk a lot in board gaming about welcoming games, or gateways games, or games that we show to people that will introduce them to this fun, but also addictive and financially crippling hobby that we call board games. A lot of gamers have in their arsenal (other football teams are available) a few of these types of games that they’ll recommend or take to a family gathering to play in place of that Christmas relationship crushing stalwart Monopoly. Just invoking that name I can already hear families gearing up for an argument. The reason I mention all this is because Cascadia is going to be a game that I'm going to be adding to my particular gateway repertoire. Cascadia will lull you into a false sense of security. The process of teaching or being taught it is a simple affair and will probably have you thinking “right we’ll crash out a quick game of this, nothing too thinky and then get onto the really crunchy stuff”, and then the puzzle hits you like being hit on the head with the hammer from Mallets Mallet (there's my obscure British TV reference for this review.) Now granted, that was a foam hammer but it’s still relevant because even though Cascadia presents you with a nice puzzle, it’s still not a particularly complex game. It’s currently sitting at a weight of 1.83 / 5 on Board game geek, if you put any stock in those ratings. It does however give you something that maybe you weren’t expecting from the rule’s explanation and I love when games surprise me like that and you can see it come to life as you play. Cascadia gives you a lovely combination of things to mull over as you survey the choices of tokens and tiles. Trying to navigate those animal tokens to score as much as you can on as many of those cards as you can would be puzzling enough on most games of this weight. In fact if you play with the family or intermediate variant then that’s pretty much what you'll be getting. It’s this wonderful juggling act as you're constantly trying to set up a scoring opportunity and all the while trying to keep enough space so you can set up some others later down the line. It’s a spatial puzzle in the same vein as a polyomino game and managing to slot that last piece in place is just as satisfying as any of those types of games. Terrain scoring really adds that extra crunch to the game that, in combination with everything else, really makes this a game that anyone, regardless of your gaming experience can latch onto. Each round you’ll be agonising over whether you should take a combination for its tile or for its animal token as you wait for that rare instance of the perfect combo coming out. Like seeing an outfit that you like on a shop dummy and then seeing all of it in your shop in your size. That’s where the nature tokens come in and these are like tiny pine cone saviours that you want to hoard like a hungry squirrel (do squirrels hoard pine cones?) They add just enough mitigation to stop the game becoming as frustrating as it could potentially be if you were constantly only getting unfavourable combos. Getting the most out of your Elks If there’s one thing you won’t be short of in Cascadia is replayability. With four scoring cards of each animal type that can be used in any combination, you're already looking at, hold on, 1, 2, carry the six, er…….. a lot of games before you’ve been through the various combinations. Then factor in the random tile set up and then all the different tile/ animal tile combinations and you could easily be playing this game until such a time that you actually manage to get some real Elk to stand in a straight line. If you hadn't guessed that would probably be never, which puts a stop to my pitch for a real life version of Cascadia. That and the fact that fish aren’t exactly known for being responsive to instructions. They’re too busy chanting to Bob which I presume is their god. Vast amounts of replayability of course is only necessary if you find yourself needing the variety. The first five or six times I played Cascadia it was with the set A cards and even after all those plays I didn’t feel that I particularly needed to dive into the other cards. I have played with a few different cards since then and they’re as much fun as the regular cards and even having one different is enough to add a bit of variety to each game. There’s a family variant which uses just one catch all scoring card and if you’d like they even have an achievements track which you can throw in for multiplayer or solo which serves as another level of competition, especially if you play with the same group. The solo mode itself is nice and simple to run and works on a “score as high as you can and compare to the table” style system. Again changing your scoring cards and even going for those achievements can change up the longevity of the solo game. Cascadia is a catch all type of game that’s gonna stay in my collection ready to be taken off the shelf at a moment's notice to be played in any situation. It’s light enough to be a great family game but puzzly enough that it's going to give the old grey matter a workout regardless of your gaming experience.

This is a prototype version of the game and does not represent the final quality or look of the game. Corps of Discovery Board Game Preview - More info here Mind MGMT is a fantastic game. One of my favourites from 2023 in fact. It was published by Off the Page Games who specialise in developing ideas inspired by graphic novels. Bringing the ideas off the page, into games. Get it? Their second game Harrow County: The Game of Gothic Conflict recently fulfilled after a successful Kickstarter, and is gaining favourable reviews. The third game from these fans of comic/game fusions is Corps of Discovery. A game based on the Manifest Destiny comics. It has the same look and feel as the comics, as is the style with this publisher, but how does it play? Mechanically speaking, the game is a delightful puzzle of deduction and contract fulfilment. Thematically, it is about exploration. Playing the game, you will get a sense of all of this. A classic mix of mechanics and themes. And yet, the game feels fresh and unique - albeit in a familiar way. The game plays out in an ingenious way. There are multiple maps for each chapter, and a number of chapters available in the base game along with a few expansions in the pipeline. Each one follows the same basic core mechanics but introduces new ways to win the game. Defeating monsters, finding hidden objects, defeating giant killer plants! It's all here. The setup: first, you must choose which map you want to play. Slide it into the game board with the cover sheet protecting you from seeing the layout. This would spoil the game. There is then a bit of setup admin, where you need to fill each hole with a face-down sun token. I find it is best to just chuck them all onto the board and then rearrange them into the slots. When this is done, you can slide out the cover sheet, and the board is ready. Smart, right? The game works by you working your way around the game board, removing sun tokens one at a time, trying to uncover specific terrain and items. You start at a different point for each map and have a different goal each time. But in Chapter 1 - Fauna; that I will focus on here, the goal is to find and defeat three Minotaur's. But first, you must find the Settler's Forts, so you can learn the techniques needed to slay the beasts. But, you can't just walk around, uncovering every space at random times. As you play, each token you uncover is placed onto the current challenge, which will have between two to five spaces until it is full. At this point, if you cannot meet that card's specific requirements of items, you will suffer the consequences of a failed challenge. Generally losing resources and water. Run out of water, and you will lose the game. So, for example, in the below challenges, for the Rainstorm card, you need to have a Shelter built after three turns, otherwise, you will lose two fires, one water, and be forced to add a Sample token to your backpack. Filling an otherwise useful space with a redundant object. More typically, as you can see in Strong Wind and School of Fish, you need to discard items that hopefully you have found and stored in your backpack, in order to gain benefits, and avoid losing water. But try not to become too distracted with fulfilling just these challenge cards. Your challenge in this chapter is to find the Forts, learn the skills required to defeat the minotaur's, then find the beasts' lair, and kill them. Only then can you win this chapter. Each minotaur needs a different methodology of termination. Making spears, ammos, and traps can only be done once each time. And each action needs specific items, things you have found along your path. So, just walk around and gather things to complete challenges and kill monsters. Easy right? Wrong. You can only hold six things in your bag, total. Only four before you get exhausted and start losing water for each completed challenge card. You need to plot your route carefully. But how do you go about finding each thing you need? This is a 7x7 grid. There are 49 spaces to visit. And time is of the essence. You cannot simply run around hoping to find what you need. This is a game of deduction. Well, this is where this game moves from pretty and interesting to genius. Each chapter has an associated reference board that offers you clues as to where everything may be. At first, you will be going in a little blind, but as you start to see the lay of the land, a picture will form in your head. Puzzling this part of the game out will be make or break. This determines how much fun you will have. And I found it to be quite the split experience. In solo, I was left adrift. Unsure where to go and often making quick guesses based on limited thinking time. It was luck-based, lacking in any kind of satisfaction, and causing me some frustration. In two-player, where I think this game shines, I was awash with joy. Puzzling this sort of thing out in my head is not for me. But debating it out loud with another person is thrilling. Genuinely. We played a game where we were down to the final move. We knew the next turn would either take our final water with a failed challenge or deliver the final resource we needed to win. We had a one in six chance of getting the thing we needed. But we used the available clues to deduce exactly where we should go. We got it right and cheered like our team had just won the World Cup. It was amazing. In that regard, it's sort of like a deeply thematic Sudoku. And I am all in for that! As you can see above, we know in this map, there is only one wood per column and row. Wood will be orthogonal to water. As is water and rock to mud. It's sort of like algebra too, in that way. If A is B, but only when B is C, etc. I don't fully understand algebra. It just sounded smart. But playing this game sure does make you feel clever as you play. Getting those big decisions right, finding what you need just when you need it by noodling out the available clues - it's a great feeling. The other chapters all offer clever twists on the base game's mechanics such as in Chapter 2, where the hunt for the minotaur's is replaced by a clever pathway goal. Here, you need to find specific land types in a set order to gather crew and resources to fight a giant mutated flower! It adds another level of suspense to the timing of the game that elevates it to another dimension. There still may be some monsters to fight along the way, but the challenge now is about tracking the "end-of-level" boss, getting the tools you need to defeat it, and taking it down before all is lost. It feels more like a linear progressive ramp-up in tension compared to the ups and downs of Chapter 1, which suits my style a little more. And it's incredible how different each chapter feels from this small change. Corps of Discovery is a game that appears to embody discovery and adventure. And it does. But the heart of this game resides in the deduction and overall efficiency puzzle. This is why I describe it at the start as feeling unique but in a familiar way. It does not necessarily do anything new. But the entire production is impressive, the execution of each composite part so seamless, that as you play Corps of Discovery, you will feel like you are discovering a new game each time. Which leads me to my only concern with this game. Knowing where things are on each map is a problem. This is why the game goes to such effort to stop you from seeing the map during set-up. But after a few plays, could you not memorize the location of the key items and areas? Well, no. I don't think you could. First, there will be plenty of maps to play, learning them all will be tough. Each map is double-sided, and there are multiple chapters, and expansion maps are also planned. To simply play the same map over and over just to learn it, well, sure. It's possible. But would anyone really do that? I don't think so. And if they do, that's their choice, and a different way to play the game I suppose. But the game as is, provides enough variation, enough maps, and enough prevention of seeing the maps before you play to make this problem irrelevant. Designer, Jay Cormier commented on this point, "we'll be offering new maps to download and print at home - so we'll have unlimited maps!!" I don't think learning the aps will be an issue! "Corps of Discovery" is a brilliant board game. I usually fall for games on the first play as the new and exciting is overpowering me. I often cool a little in games 2-4 as I try to learn the strategy. And then settle on my final thoughts around game 5 onwards, as I can then play the game with the new game excitement, or the early game confusion. "Corps of Discovery" was very different. I really did not enjoy my first few games. Not as I struggled to learn the strategy or rules. No. It was simply as I chose to play it solo. I am happy playing games solo. But not this. This is a shared experience game. Like "The Mind," the joy in "Corps of Discovery" comes when you make a bold but correct decision and the team benefits from this. As a group, this feels wonderful. In solo, this fell flat for me. When I then moved onto playing this game with a second player, the curve of excitement and enjoyment leapt up unexpectedly to a ten right from the off. And has not gone away yet. I now must pass this game onto another person to preview, and I do so with mixed emotions. I cannot wait to see what other people think of this game. But I also want it back on my shelves to play again and again. I want to try the other chapter. I want to try this with other people. It is a fantastic game and one that will live long in my memory, until I can get my hands on it again! Until then, you can find more info on the game here. It is alsop worth noting that as part of the Kickstarter, they will also be offering deluxe editions of MIND MGMT and Harrow County during the Corps of Discovery campaign. The publisher offers those games via their website, but can only ship within North America. SO now, European fans can easily get hold of these games too.

This is a prototype version of the game and does not represent the final quality or look of the game. Prepare to embark on an epic journey through the realms of Micro Midgard, the latest creation from the publisher behind the critically acclaimed Micro Dojo. Building upon the success of its predecessor, Micro Midgard introduces players to a thrilling Viking-themed adventure, enhanced with layers of complexity that promise to elevate the gameplay to new heights. Drawing inspiration from the same innovative movement mechanic that captivated players in Micro Dojo, Micro Midgard takes this core gameplay element and weaves it seamlessly into the rich tapestry of Norse mythology. As you navigate the vibrant landscapes of Midgard, you'll encounter multiple ways to score points and win the game. Launching soon on Kickstarter, Micro Midgard invites you to join the fray and discover the secrets hidden within its dynamic gameplay and immersive theme. Prepare to unleash your inner Viking and chart a course for glory as you delve into the heart of this captivating tabletop adventure. Check the links below for updates and be among the first to embark on this epic quest into the realms of Micro Midgard! Kickstarter BoardGameGeek Website Instagram Facebook Page Facebook Group The game is launching with three different versions. An envelope edition where the entire game ships as a letter for super low cost shipping (just like the original Micro Dojo). This is the version I have here. A standard version of the game that fits in a pocket. A larger Ragnarok Edition with dual layer boards and deluxe wooden components. The solo mode has been co-designed by Shem Phillips of Garphill Games. But how does it play? The game unfolds over a series of rounds, as players strategically position their characters on one of the four meeples scattered across eight distinct realms. With each move, players transition to an adjacent realm, activating the action(s) specified there. It's a beautifully simple yet intricately designed system that demands careful planning, fosters a delicate balance among players, and prompts strategic foresight with every turn. The available actions offer a spectrum of choices: players can opt to gain a resource, manipulate the movement of a wolf, or embark on a crafting mission. Crafting actions allow players to progress along one of two tracks, while manoeuvring the wolf triggers actions akin to crafting but activates one of two different tracks. As players ascend these tracks, a cascade of possibilities unfolds, igniting a deeply satisfying chain reaction of strategic manoeuvres. At its core, Micro Midgard is a game of resource management, challenging players to optimize their actions, amass essential resources, and leverage gold and mead for maximum point accrual. Additionally, it operates as a race, with the first player to reach nine points declared the victor. Though if no player achieves this feat within a specified number of rounds, victory is awarded to the player with the highest point total. However, in most instances that I have experienced, a player will claim victory long before this contingency arises. While the game boasts portability, particularly in its envelope version that I possess, it lacks a designated storage solution which I fear will mean I put it away and forget about it. While the lack of a box may deter some from displaying it prominently on a shelf, (envelopes are not as pretty as boxes!) it is a commendable choice in terms of sustainability and accessibility. Nevertheless, backers may find themselves drawn to the full boxed version for its enhanced presentation and organisational appeal. Despite its compact size, Micro Midgard belies its complexity, offering players a wealth of strategic depth. Yet, there are moments where options may seem limited, particularly as the game progresses and certain realms are removed during Ragnorok, altering movement dynamics and intensifying the race to accumulate points. This can restrict your movement on the main board to sideways only progression. You can no longer travel inwards towards Midgard. And in certain positions, with players in certain places, you can often be left in a position where you can only move a few directions with your turn, giving you reduced choices as you plan your turns. This is what makes the game great though. This is not a bad thing at all. The game just gets tighter and tighter, and closes in on you as the race to nine points heats up.

Intent To Kill WBG Score: 9 Player Count: 2-4 You’ll like this if you like: Cluedo, Mind MGMT, Detective. Published by: Hobby World Designed by: Artur Khodzhikov This is a free review copy. See our review policy here Anticipation is reaching a fever pitch as the release of 'Intent to Kill' looms on the horizon for 2024. Promising to be a standout masterpiece in the realm of deduction games, this eagerly awaited title is already garnering praise for its meticulous design and immersive gameplay. With its captivating retro 60's style theme and artistry, 'Intent to Kill' presents a visually stunning experience that transports players to an era of intrigue and mystery. The attention to detail in 'Intent to Kill' is wonderful, with every aspect of the game meticulously crafted to deliver an unforgettable gaming experience. From the intricately designed game components to the richly thematic artwork, every element of 'Intent to Kill' has been carefully curated to evoke the atmosphere of a classic noir thriller. But beyond its aesthetic appeal, 'Intent to Kill' promises to deliver on multiple levels of gameplay depth and complexity. Players can expect a riveting blend of deduction, strategy, and suspense as they navigate the shadowy world of intrigue and betrayal. With its carefully balanced mechanics and intuitive gameplay, 'Intent to Kill' offers both seasoned gamers and newcomers alike a thrilling and immersive gaming experience. Let's get it to the table and see how it plays. How To Set Up Intent To Kill First, place the game board onto the table and give each player a page from the notebook and a pencil. Place the building markers onto the board as per the scenario you are playing, as shown in the manual, or use the basic starting locations shown in the setup. Next, place the five crime scene markers in the spaces on the right of the board in sequential order. Then shuffle the civilian cards and pick 20 at random. Decide which player will act as the murderer, and then they take one card from the 20 civilian cards at random, noting this character as the murderer for this game. They mark this on their notes. If you are playing with the person of interest (not recommended for your first game), do the same, and pick one at random, noting this also in the murderer's notes. The murderer must also write down the characteristics of these two choices: their height, build, age, and social group. Next, take the civilian cards and let one of the players playing as the detective place them onto the board, putting two into each corner block and one into each other block. Make sure you place all civilians with the coloured side face up when you do this. Now take the motive cards and choose six from the deck. Shuffle these up and let the murderer choose one. There is a recommended group for your starting game that I strongly advise you use! After that, pick any that work for you. In the full game, you will choose eight instead of six. The murderer notes their chosen motive on their notes, then lays out all six in front of them face up. The detective will take six identical cards and lay them out in the same order in front of them. The murderer now takes the social group tokens, chooses three at random, and picks one from their three. Ideally, you want to pick one that is represented a few times on the board with the current civilians. The other two are discarded, and the one selected by the murderer is placed face down in front of them. This will be the group that sympathizes with the murderer. In the basic game, this has no effect, but in the main game it will! Then take the remaining six social groups and place them face down on the bottom of the board. Finally, give the detective the surveillance token, and they now place their marker into any block on the board. Give each player the reference card based on the version of the game they are playing, and you are now ready to begin the base game. If you are playing the full game, now shuffle the murder and detective cards separately. Place two murder cards underneath each crime scene card and stack the rest face down by the board. Draw three detective cards to form an available face-up row and place these next to the rest of the deck, which is placed face down next to all the evidence tokens, also in a face-down group. You are now ready to play. If you are playing one of the scenarios, note some of the extra rules, shown clearly in the rule book, such as removing some of the social groups, dealing additional cards to the players, or adding additional tokens to the board. How To Play Intent To Kill Playing the game is very simple but does differ a little based on which version of the game you are playing. Follow the step-by-step guide on the bottom of the board, and also shown on the player reference cards. First, the murderer will intimidate two civilians, which means they cannot be questioned in the later part of this round. They can do this to any civilian other than the ones in the same block as the detective. To do this, simply flip them from their coloured side to the black and white side. The murderer can even do this to their own character if they wish. Then, the murderer will murder one civilian. They must do this in a way that follows their current motive, and they cannot pick a civilian in the same block as the detective or pick themselves. When they have chosen, remove this character from the board swapping it with the crime scene token on space one. In the full mode, the murderer now takes the two murder cards that were under the crime scene card and chooses one to keep, placing the other one under the remaining deck. The murderer can play this card immediately if the card allows. Note, any card with the gun symbol on means the detective will draw an evidence token. The detective now acts by moving directly to the new crime scene. Any other civilians there are immediately moved to an orthogonal location as chosen by the detective. They then have up to two movement and two actions in which they need to gather evidence to decipher who the murderer is and what is their motivation. As an action, the detective can ask any unintimidated civilian a question in any location they are in. Simple yes or no questions about the gender, height, build, and age. The detective can ask one question to each civilian in the location they are in as one action. The murderer answers for the civilian and must answer honestly unless, of course, the detective inadvertently is unknowingly questioning the murderer themselves, or the person of interest if this is in the game. Also, any member of the sympathizing social group can also lie at this point. There are then four separate building actions that can be chosen if the detective is in the block with the appropriate building. The Fire station lets you take a social group from the stack of six and move every civilian from the chosen group one block. The Hospital lets one flip over one intimidated civilian in this or an adjacent block. The Diner lets you ask one question to any unintimidated civilian in this or an adjacent block. And the Police station lets you place the surveillance token onto a civilian in this or an adjacent block. The surveillance token then lets you take a free action later, by removing the token and asking to the murderer, could you murder this person right now? They have to answer truthfully, and this will give you vital clues as to their motive. In the full game, the detective also has the choice to take two evidence tokens when in the location of the current murder and choose one from these two. The tokens show the symbol of the four buildings. Later, as a free action, you can discard a matching token to a building if you are in a block with the matching building and draw a new detective card. You can also play a detective card during this phase as a free action. The detective cards are much like the murder cards and give the players unique one-off abilities to gather more information, or for the murder, put the detective off their scent. Once the detective has carried out their two actions and all movement they want, any intimidated civilian in the same block as the detective is now comforted and flipped over. The murderer then takes one social group at random from the stack of six and can move any remaining civilian from this group one block. The detective can then do the same with another chosen social group. The next round then begins. The game plays over five rounds, at which point the detective must guess the murderer's motive and civilian. If they get both right, they win. If they get both or one wrong, the murderer wins. Is It Fun? Intent To Kill Board Game Review Intent to Kill is incredibly slick. Everything feels so smooth as you play, and the balance between the two roles is perfect. We have played six times so far, and the score is 3-3 between the two roles. Each game has felt incredibly close. The detective usually gets at least one of the two things right, and has the other one isolated down to one of two or three options. The game always feels like either side could win right until the very end. The game is intriguing, captivating, and utterly absorbing. From the very beginning, from either side, you feel completely caught up in the theme of the game. Asking a question as the detective to rule out more than one motive at once feels great. Answering a question to throw off the detective when you know you can lie, but they have no idea, is secretly hilarious. And plotting who you murder, to try and throw open the options of your possible motive, is a delicious decision to make. The art works so well with the theme. Everything looks a little mysterious. It oozes the theme of the Cold War, and the characters chosen for the civilians are varied and well executed. It does probably need to be said that this is all just a little odd in the current political climate. Especially as this has been made by a Russian publisher. And I have noticed a few zero rankings on BGG simply because of this. I myself contemplated my own position and if I should review this game or not. But it seems folly to do so simply due to the country of this game's origin. I don't think board games should stay out of politics, but I also don't think we should blindly cancel any publisher or anyone based on a global political situation they have no control over. That said, you need to make your own mind up if this theme works for you right now, based on the state of the world. I myself found it a little creepy and ominous, but I felt that added to the game. It is set during the Cold War, after all. But then, I did not grow up or experience this war or know anyone affected by it. Others may feel differently, quite understandably. As such, I would recommend this to anyone looking for a great deduction game, who is not affected by the theme, and ideally, is looking to play with two players. This game works up to four, and beyond probably. But I feel that it sings with two. Sure, with three or four, you get the added table talk. But I found most of this was muted as the other team were conscious of giving away clues. Whereas in a two, we still had the talk, but it was more rhetorical and often hilarious!

Dubious: A New Wave WBG Score: 8 Player Count: 3-6 You’ll like this if you like: Dixit, Codenames, Decrypto Published by: Hobby World Designed by: Dave Neale This is a free review copy. See our review policy here Dubious first came out in 2021. It received favorable reviews from fans of social deduction, leading to calls for more content. This standalone expansion can be added to the main game to add more variety or played alone. It comes with everything you need to play the game. But how does it play? Let's get it to the table and find out. How To Set Up Dubious There are three new settings with this version of Dubious: Science Fiction, Cthulhu, and Antiquity. Make your choice of which arena you want your game to be set in and take one reference sheet from this choice for each player. Give this along with a pencil, clip, record sheet, and screen to each player. Players will now affix the setting card to the middle of their screen with the clips. Place this around the record sheet so the screen shields your sheet from all other players' gaze. Next, take the occupation and secret cards from your chosen setting, shuffle each deck separately, and deal out two of each card to all players. Players will choose one occupation and one secret card to play as from their choice of two. They will mark their choice on their player sheet, along with the other card they saw but did not choose. This helps them eliminate one option from their guesses for the other players. Finally, set up the questions for the game. You will need to have two appearance questions and three assorted questions. Take the three thematic questions linked to your chosen scenario and add these to the general question deck. Shuffle the two decks separately, then draw one appearance card, one general card, a second appearance card, then two more general cards and stack them in this order with the first appearance deck on top. You are now ready to play. How To Play Dubious One person will now read out the first question aloud. All players will write their answer to this question on their record sheet. You will want to answer the question in a way that hints at your occupation and secret. To score points, you need for at least one other player to guess your occupation and secret correctly. But if everyone guesses correctly because your answers were too obvious, you will score nothing, and the other players will score instead. Equally, if no one guesses as your answers were too vague, again you score nothing, and the other players score instead. Think about your roles and how they link to their choices in the game, and try to write answers that give some clues, based on the other players playing and how well you think they know you, so you can find the balance between blatant and obscure! The remaining four questions are then read out, and again all players write their answers. When this is done, players take turns reading out their answers to all five questions. As this happens, players take notes on their record sheet, trying to figure out what each other player's occupation and secret is. For each answer they give you can take notes and make a guess, then there is a space on the record sheet for you to note down your final guess for each player. Players then read their answers aloud one final time, and each player now has 30 seconds to make their final guess. There are then two final minutes to sort your guesses out, before all players reveal their answers aloud. Each player will score a point for each correct guess they make for other players' occupation and secret, as well as a point for each time someone else guesses their own occupation and secret correctly. Unless of course, everyone guesses correctly, in which case they score nothing. The player with the most points wins. Is It Fun? Dubious Party Game Review Dubious is incredibly simple to play and teach, and you will get through a round in no time at all. This is all the vital ingredients for a good party game. But is it any fun? Well, yes. It is a lot of fun. Working out your own answers to find the balance between being too obvious, but knowing you are giving just enough information away so that some of the other players guess correctly is a very enjoyable experience. If you like that sort of thing. There will be some players who find this too difficult. And some combinations of secret and occupation are just too similar to allow you the freedom to do this well. Being a Gladiator or Pirate who was raised by Barbarians for example can be a hard combination. However, if you enjoy this sort of thought process, and the deduction required to then figure out what the other players are talking about, you will have a lot of fun with this game. Guessing correctly based on a few obscure clues feels incredibly satisfying, especially if not every other player managed to do this. There is then a shared moment of celebration between you as the guesser and the player who gave that answer as you both score from it. Conversely, when players are not on your wavelength and do not understand what you were hinting at by only wearing one boot because the other was stolen at the local baths, it can be frustrating. This is just an example though of course. This absolutely did not happen to me, leading to a rant about how obvious this was, questioning loudly why my fellow players did not figure this out! There is enough variation in this box to play the game over and over, but by the very nature that this is an expansion with three new settings, I suppose after time, you will grow tired of these three arenas and the occupations and secrets they offer. But great news! The original game is still being printed and offers three more. If you already own that, well, now you have six, and I suppose that will take longer for you to outplay all the scenarios. We have played it eight times in just one weekend and loved every minute! I think it would take 50-100 plays before I was wanting more due to repetition. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed the original game and wants more variety. For anyone who doesn't own the base game yet, pick either one based on the settings and which three appeal to you the most. And if you are not a fan of social deduction, then well, this may not be for you. But there is no acting, no lying, no being put on the spot. This removes many of the things people don't like about this sort of party game, so I would encourage you to give it a try. The questions are written for you, and lead your answers in quite a specific way. This could be the social deduction game for people who don't like social deduction.

Cellulose: A Plant Cell Biology Game WBG Score: 7.5 Player Count: 1-5 You’ll like this if you like: Lords of Waterdeep, Viticulture, Cytosis Published by: Genius Games Designed by: John Coveyou, Steve Schlepphorst This is a free review copy. See our review policy here By Steve Godfrey What happens when Cytoplasm, Chloroplasts and Mitochondria get in trouble? They get put behind a Cell Wall! Trust me that joke is gonna go down a storm with the plant experts out there. Right, let’s get to the root of this plant cell game. How to build a cell wall Set up by laying the main board on the side appropriate to your player count and then laying the roots and shoots board next to it. Give everyone their flasks in their player colour and place each players coloured discs on the roots and the shoots track. Place either on or two of the grey flasks on the central vacuole depending on player count and then determine a start player and give everyone an amount of water determined by where they are in the turn order. At the start of each round there’s going to be a sunrise phase. Here each player will take resources on the roots and the shoots tracks depending on where their tokens are. Next is the daytime phase. On your turn you’ll place one of your flasks on to one of the spaces on the board and take the action. At the end of your turn, you'll have the opportunity to play a card if you can afford to. The majority of the spaces will have a single space that only one player's flask can go on. They’ll also have an open space that anyone can go in but only one of each colour flask can go in there. Some spaces are nice and simple, you just place a flask and gain the number of resources. The water space will get you an amount of water depending on where the water marker is on the track. Once you take water, move the water maker down one space. When you take this action, you’ll also have the choice to place up to three water into the central vacuole. If the track reads zero then you can’t take this action. You’ll also do that when you use the “collect Co2” space, but you can still take this action if the water track is at the bottom. One space will let you convert resources to make a cell wall piece. Another will then let you use that piece to add to the cell wall. When you do, place it on the leftmost empty space on the cell wall and then take the points depicted on it. There’s a space that will let you move your tokens on the roots and shoots tracks for a cost and these spaces will sometimes net you one-time bonuses. One more space of note is the cards. Place your flask on the space of the card you want in the row and pay the cost. The first card in the row is always free. When all the players are out of flasks you’ll move onto the evening phase. First add one carbohydrate to the cell wall, this will act as a semi game timer. Then reset the water track. Lastly check the central vacuole. The player with the most water here will discard their water from here, move their marker up on the points track and take the grey flask. This is their extra worker for the next round. In higher player counts there’ll be two flasks up for grabs here. The players who didn’t win will leave their water there. When the cell wall is complete the round and end the game. Should you place or plant your workers? At its core (I would say root but I’ve already used a root pun earlier) Cellulose is a good, solid worker placement game. In fact, it actually serves as a good introductory worker placement game if you’ve got any friends or family that you’re wanting to pull down the rabbit hole of worker placement games, or board games in general. After all, it's always nice to have others to share in our financial turmoil. The reason it works as a first foray into worker placement games is that it’s not quite as tight as others in the genre in terms of available spaces. The majority of the spaces are pretty open allowing all players to go there at least once in a round if they want to. Even though it is more open it does have some nice touches to keep some race element to those spaces. The ever-dwindling water track feels like a constantly ticking timer and has the potential to drop massively even in just one round. Most spaces have a single spot for one player with a slightly better benefit to the regular space. They aren’t always a huge difference but that one or two extra proteins could go a long way. What I really like about the openness of the spaces is the rule they’ve applied that says “only one of each colour per space” It may not sound very restrictive (and in most cases it’s not) but when you get the opportunity to nab an extra grey flask or take one of your workers back it could serve to limit where you can go. Although, the fact that there are opportunities to get extra workers or take yours back for extra turns again serves to open things up. Do you want to build a cell wall? In a game where a big chunk of points comes from building the cell wall you’d assume that the minute you build a Chloroplast you’ll want to build the cell wall as quick as you can right? Well not necessarily. The ever-changing points values means that building too soon may not be ideal and it then becomes a bit of a stand-off as players wait each other out to see who’s going to cave first and just take the points. However, since a new piece is placed on the wall at the end of the round then setting yourself up to place first in the next round could be the way to go. The game does throw another tempting way for you to spend your hard-earned chloroplasts in an attempt to lure you away like the plant equivalent of a Siren. Again, it feels counterproductive not doing the thing that the game has told you is the goal but ATP’s are part of the currency you’ll need to play cards and cards are worth just as much, and sometimes even more points than the cell wall track. The cards are possibly my favourite part of the game with the enzyme cards being the stand out. You get the usual bonus when you play one, but, if you have others in play at the time then you can spend a protein for each one to activate their abilities. It’s really satisfying when you get to trigger a few of these on a turn and watch the resource’s flood in... I suppose grow would be the better term here, the last thing you want is to flood a plant. The game does a good job of ramping up. You'll be scrambling for resources at the start even going so far as wondering if this plant will ever start to grow, which is frighteningly close to my own experience with plant growing. Soon though you'll start to find you have resources in abundance, especially as you race up (or down in the case of the roots track) the roots and shoots track which gives you increasing amounts of resources each morning phase of the game. The roots and shoots track is a great part of the game and it’s always fun to see those resources appearing in front of you. The problem is that once you've reached as far as you can on both, you instantly make two spaces on the board redundant for you. The roots and shoots space and the enzyme space where the only use for them is to pay to advance on that track. You could argue that it makes the game a bit tighter as you head towards the endgame but I don’t like the idea that spaces are completely cut out. The central vacuole is another fun element . It’s a bit of area control at the end of each round. The points swing almost seems like it isn’t worth it at first but the points do ramp up as you get further round. But it's gaining that extra worker for the round that is worth more, especially in a game we're having that one extra turn could make all the difference. Learning is fun? Genius Games are all about making fun games whilst also making them scientifically accurate and hoping that people learn more about the subject on the table. Now of course how invested you are or how much this draws you in is completely subjective but the great thing about Genius Game is that they provide you with an extra book to teach you about the subject behind the game which is fantastic. Personally, I didn’t feel particularly enamoured to follow up this particular game with reading up on it but again this is just me. A friend who played this game is a horticulturalist and had he had the chance would have absolutely dived into that book. Regardless of if you do or don’t get into the science of it you can be safe in the knowledge that it’s accurate. I’d definitely use this game as an aid if my kids were learning this particular subject. In fact, one of their previous games, Periodic, was a big help when the kids were learning about the periodic table at school and I actually found myself learning in that one as well. If or how much you are willing to learn from this game doesn’t detract from the fact that it is a fun, solid worker placement game. If you're a worker placement fan who enjoys the tightness of a lot of the games in the genre then maybe this may not grab you as much as others. However if you’re looking for a good fun game that will give you that worker placement fix that could help you introduce people into that world then this could be the one for you.

The Mystery Agency: The Museum Heist WBG Score: 9.5 Player Count:1 - ? You’ll like this if you like: The Mystery Agency Games, Cantaloop, Unlock Series Published by: The Mystery Agency Ltd. Designed by: Henry Lewis This is the reviewer's copy. See our review policy here By Steve Godfrey Here at What Board Game we love board games. We talk to publishers and designers about board games, review board games and write articles on board games all because we love talking to everyone out there about board games. So here is my new review... of a book. How to solve a heist. Open the book and read the instructions. They’ll tell you to cut out the first six pages of the book. Now once you’ve gotten over the horror of defacing a book AND a game, turn to the first page and get solving. The six pages contain blank information sheets for each of the eight suspects which you can fill in as you go through the game. Similarly, you'll find an incident report which you’ll fill in. Lastly There will be a map of the museum which, yeah you guessed it, you’ll populate as you play through the game. Each double page spread will have some mix of pictures and story that may or may not aid your investigation but all of them will have a puzzle for you to solve. Solve the puzzle and move to the next page. Some parts will have locked door puzzles in which you’ll need to scan a QR code to take you to the puzzle in which you’ll need to enter the correct code to move on. If you don’t want to scan the QR code then the hints section will have a link to each one. At this point I’ve played two of The Mystery Agencies games prior to this one. One of which I’ve reviewed here and the other Jim reviewed here. I really like both of these and they stand as some of my favourite puzzle games. I want you to know that so you have some context for when I tell you that this one is my favourite of the three. The big games from this company are brilliant and innovative and do some clever things with some beautifully produced components that I’ve not seen before. While none of those unique components are on display here, I think they've managed to pack just as much innovation and clever puzzles in here to rival its bigger siblings. This whole book is one big mystery and if you're into your detective shows then this is going to be right up your sleuthing alley. Sleuthing Alley by the way is just off of Baker Street. It plays out exactly like one of those shows. It follows the same rhythms and story beats and ends in a big denouement (that’s not a spoiler) and it’s wonderful. Everything they’ve managed to pack into this book captures something that satisfies that sleuth in me that sits in front of the TV trying to solve the crime before they do. I’ll tell you when it first clicked for me, no spoilers obvs. I was reading through a page when I spotted something, a piece of evidence that was hidden away, something that could easily have gone unnoticed and was a really subtle nod to something and I thought “oooh that’s good.” In fact, I think I said that out loud, probably to annoyance of the people who were watching TV at the time. I think they were watching Death in Paradise ironically. It just goes to show they aren’t spoon feeding you every piece of evidence. You really do have to turn into a proper detective to solve this thing. It really goes out of its way to put you onto the shoes of the main protagonist of the story. I think the reason I love this one above the others is that the story and the investigation is more robust. It feels like you’ve been dropped right into the plot of a detective series. This is all helped of course by the fact that this is a 144 page book rather than a limited set of components, it’s got time to breathe and really go a bit more in depth. You can see this in the way it captures the story and the characters. You get to know people's stories and their relationships to each other and how crucial they are in helping you solve this case. The best way I can describe this is it’s an interactive detective show in a book and if any part of that sentence gets you excited then you need to order this book. The puzzles themselves are great and thankfully not all quick solves. This took me three sessions of probably about two hours each one. I didn’t really time myself so these could have been a bit longer. Regardless, you're definitely going to get a lot of game amongst these pages. I’d go so far as to say that it’s better value than any of the “one and done” puzzle/mystery games I’ve played. The puzzles are clever and a big majority of them had me saying “oh that is brilliant” as I realised how they were playing out. There’s a decent range here as well, from ones that I picked up on fairly quickly to ones that took a bit longer to get, if I could get them at all. I suppose one question is “what’s stopping me from just skipping out on a puzzle and just going to the next page. Well, physically nothing. It doesn’t have the physical restrictions that the other games have. But what's brilliant is that the puzzles feed off of each other. The answers to a puzzle in one part of the book could work as a clue to solving one later on, which works to stop you just skipping ahead (not sure why anyone would want to do that though) but it also adds that extra touch that helps you connect with the story. Just one more thing You get a couple of routes to go down with the hints system and both have their advantages and disadvantages. The ones in the back of the book are all there in the open so my advice is to grab some paper to cover everything you don’t want to see. There’s nothing worse than seeing a clue you don’t want or the solution before you’re ready. Speaking of which. Online, the clues/answers won’t reveal themselves until you’ve clicked on them. But be warned though not to scroll too far. I accidentally did this going into the denouement and something after this revealed the name of the suspect and it spoiled that (what would have been) awesome feeling of bringing everything together and really capping off the whole thing because I knew which suspect it was. This obviously didn’t detract from the fun I’d already had and it certainly won’t affect how I feel about the book because this was mostly a me problem. But I do think that maybe naming that section something else would go a long way to stop this happening in the future. Just beware of this as you get near the end. I’ll also say that this was the only instance where this sort of thing could happen. The Denouement If you love any kind of puzzle/mystery/escape room games then you owe it to yourself to grab a copy of this. It evokes all of those great detective shows but this time gets you in on the action to finally show these TV detectives precisely how it should be done.

Yokai Sketch WBG Score: 7.5 Player Count: 2 You’ll like this if you like: Lost Cities Published by: Devir Designed by: Ignasi Ferré This is a review copy. See our review policy here 'Yōkai' is a universal word used in Japanese culture to describe a class of supernatural entities or spirits seen in various forms of entertainment folklore. In this game, your job is to visit the forest and calmly watch the Yokai so that you can sketch them better than your friend. This doesn't exactly come across in the game, but what does come across is a very chilled and relaxed experience, in what is actually quite a frantic tug-of-war style battle for points. Let's get it to the table and see how it plays. How To Set Up Yokai Sketch Separate the 20 Yokai cards from the 36 sketch cards. Shuffle the sketch card and deal three cards to each player. Leave the remaining cards in a face-down deck on the table. Next, sort the Yokai cards by their four different colours. Shuffle each stack separately, then place them into five piles with the number side face up. You are now ready to play. How To Play Yokai Sketch Players will now take it in turns to draw one card from the sketch deck and then play up to three cards from their hand. The sketch cards have two sides to them, a colour matching one of the five different Yokai stacks on either side. Cards must be played next to a matching Yokai stack, picking one side of the sketch card to use. Once you have played your card, check the total number of sketch cards on both sides of this stack. If the total number is now at least equal to the number on the top of the Yokai card, this Yokai is completed. The player with the most sketch cards played will take the Yokai card for end-game scoring. They will discard all sketch cards played here to the discard pile. If the other player has sketch cards here, they remain for the next Yokai. If there is ever a tie, the Yokai runs away, (placed onto the bottom of that Yokai stack) and neither player can score the card, and all sketch cards are discarded. There are two special abilities that players can use to swing the game in their favour. The first is the Call The Yokai power, which is symbolized by the handprint on the centre of the sketch cards. When a card with this symbol is played, that player can decide to take the top card from any Yokai stack and move it to the top of the stack where you played this sketch card. This will change the current number this stack requires to be fulfilled. The second power is the Distract The Yokai power, which is symbolised by a cave symbol. When you play a card with this symbol, you can move the last card your opponent played at this Yokai stack and move it to the colour represented by the other side of their card. The game carries on like this until one of the Yokai stacks is emptied, at which point the game ends immediately. Players then total their Yokai cards, the player with the most points is declared the winner. Ties are broken by the player with the most variety of coloured Yokai's. Is it Fun? Yokai Sketch Card Game Review There is a lovely pull-and-push to this game. At first, it seems very light. But as you play more, you realise there is a delicate strategy required to win this game. Do you play all three available cards now, leaving your hand weakened for later turns, potentially setting up your opponent to finish a Yokai card? Or do you hold back and strike when a Yokai is ready to reach its limit? The Yokai cards are worth between seven and three points. Is it worth adding a third card to a three-pointer if your opponent had two cards there already, so that they score the three, but you are then ahead in what is inevitably a higher card underneath? My one and only gripe in this game is the art. Now, don't get me wrong. The art is stunning. Vincent Dutrait rarely lets us down now does he! But largely, the reverse of the cards. Which sadly, you don't really see as you play the game. Just look at the reverse of the cards shown above! The side you do see is functional, and pleasant enough. It's just a shame not as much effort was put into the side you actually stare at all game. But the gameplay itself is a lovely mix of clever and strategic card play, in a light tug-of-war style game, reminiscent of Lost Cities. It creates a lovely sense of calm as you play, despite being a fairly combative two-player battle. But the theme and vibe are so relaxed, the game flows in the same way, in a sedate meditative manner. As if we actually are sketching Yokai. I would recommend this game to anyone looking for a fast, quick, light two-player card game where the vibe is chill, the strategy is relaxed but present, and the game time, quick but satisfying. Yokai Sketch has a lovely balance to it, and I can see it being a popular filler for me when I am with one other player, and have 20 minutes to fill, and I want something relaxed, rewarding, and dare I say it, cosy.