Cytress   WBG Score: 8.5/10 Player Count 1-5 You’ll like this if you like: Blood Rage , Android: Netrunner , Neon Gods . Published by: Tress Games Designed by: Sean Lee This is a free review copy. See our review policy here . This games has already been previewed here . The game has since had a successful Kickstarter, and fulfilled to its backers. I have been sent a final copy as thanks for my help with the preview. So, now, lets check out how this beautiful and ambitious project from first time designer Sean Lee came out. Spoiler, pretty good! How To Set Up Cytress Place out the four districts around the mini map and load it with its associated Intel cards. Then place the three-tiered tower that makes up the city of Cytress. Place the District board below the Cytress tower and place the four contract cards below it. Then, on the Cytress tower, add five random Stratolite cards, placing the remaining deck next to the tower. Now give each player their own player mat, and rebel board, with resource trackers, Crew tokens, three Transports standees and one leader standee all in their chosen player colour, along with seven tube sections each. You are now ready to play. How To Play Cytress Players will now run through four different phases, across around four to six rounds. Some phases are simultaneous, others run in turn order. The first phase is where players all simultaneously gain resources based on the symbols in their top left yellow Corpocrat cards. For each symbol there, players will move their resource tracker one space on their resource tracker board. As you gain more cards, your phase one resource generation will naturally increase. Next, players will take turns placing their leader standee onto one of the four district boards. This will gain them the shown resources. Other players will gain any resources shown on their bottom left Privateer cards if they have any matching the area where other players send their leaders. In a two-player game, players will then move their leader to a second position once each player has chosen their first. Next, players will move to the third and main phase of the game, where they will take turns sending out one of their three transport ships to one of the nine locations. Four of these sites will allow players to gain new Intel cards to add to their own personal player engine, improving their subsequent turns. You can also visit the District board to trade resources you have for others, gain new Intel cards, and claim the first player token (this is the only way it changes in the game). You can take a Bounty card to either add a Crew token to the mini map or move a crew token on Cytress to a higher level. Finally, you can visit the Renegade or Stratolite to drop a tube onto the mini map where you have a Crew member, and then move that crew member up to Cytress. This is the main part of the game. When you do this from the Renegade, you can pay the cost to drop the tube with any resource you like, and place it onto any coloured space on the mini map where you have a crew member. When you do this from the Stratolite space, you have to choose one of the Stratolite cards to pay with a specific resource and ascend from a specific colour space, but you then get to move your transport ship off and have another bonus turn. That bonus turn, could be to visit the Renegade and drop a second tube this round! When you do this, you need to decide which person you visit, how you pay, which crew member to ascend, and where to place them. Each of the three levels of Cytress has a different end-game scoring mechanic. The player who dominates each level with the most crew members on each of the three levels at the end of the game can use that level's scoring mechanic. The top level will allow you to score six points for each set of the four intel cards you have. The middle level offers the player who dominates this tier three bonus points for each of their intel cards in their longest lifepath (biggest collection of cards). The bottom tier allows the player who dominates here to gain three points for each crew on Stratos. But at the end of the game, there are also points available for the player who has the most crew tokens surrounding each of the tubes on the mini map. Seven points for a three-high tower. Five points for a two-tier tower. And three points for a single tube. So, when you are picking which crew member to ascend, where to place them, and what to leave behind, there is a lot to consider. With huge end game point swings available! The final phase each round is to return all your Transports and leader to your player board, and reset the Stratolite cards in the Cytress tower. Player then moves to the next round. The game continues like this until one player uses their seventh and final tube. They can use more, as there are plenty in the box, but this will be the final round. Players then score for their Crew on Stratos; the higher they ascend, the more points they earn. There are also points for the player who has the majority on each level and who controls each of the tubes on the mini map. Finally, there are points for each bounty collected from the bounty hunter. You will gain two points for each matching symbol on the bounty card on all the other Intel cards you gained during the game. Is It Fun? Cytress Board Game Review Playing this game is incredibly satisfying, and the experience is heightened with every turn you take. Each decision feels significant, as if it could tip the balance of the entire game in your favour or lead to your downfall. This sense of urgency and importance in decision-making forces me to engage deeply with the mechanics and strategies involved in this game from turn one. Strategic planning in Cytress is essential, much like in any classic board game, but what sets this game apart is the necessity to consider every action meticulously right from the beginning. The game has a brisk pace, with most games finishing after just five rounds, and sometimes even four. This limited timeframe means players must be agile and decisive, as there is little room for prolonged development of strategies. You are thrust into the action immediately. The pressure to act quickly and effectively enhances the overall enjoyment, making every move feel impactful. And this is not down a linear path, with obvious choices. The game offers multiple paths to victory, which adds depth to the strategic possibilities. Players can choose to focus on dominating a specific area of Cytress, thereby reaping the associated bonuses that come with control of that territory. Alternatively, players might prioritise gathering a wealth of resources early on, setting themselves up for success in the later rounds, or they could aim to control the mini-map, which can offer significant advantages around the tubes that get built there later in the game. Or, do you want to gain all the Bounties. They are limited to five after all. Each of these strategies is viable, and the challenge lies in determining which path, combination of paths, will yield the highest score for you by the end of the game. The beauty of this game lies in its complexity and the interplay of different strategies. Can you effectively combine various approaches to truly dominate the scoreboard? This question lingers in the minds of players as they plot their moves, weighing the potential risks and rewards of each decision. The satisfaction derived from executing a well-thought-out plan, while simultaneously adapting to the evolving game state and the actions of your opponents, creates a rich and rewarding gameplay experience that keeps players coming back for more. When I play Cytress, I am instantly absorbed because of this. But it does not slow the game down. These complex and rich choices do not mean you will have a slow game. Far from it. Two of the four phases are simultaneous and very quick anyway, and the other two rounds where you are placing your leader and transports, you are limited to a few locations anyway. You just need to pick a strategy, then plot your most efficient path to that. But of course, like all good board games, other players are around the table and forever changing the state of the game as you play. You won't have everything your way. Players will place their leaders where you want to go. They will take spots on the mini map you intended to use. They will build tubes in places you didn't expect. And most intriguingly, they will take the Stratolite card you had planned to use! Adapting to this, alongside your pre-planned moves, is crucial to the success of this game, both in terms of your personal score, but more importantly, the group enjoyment from the game, which I have found, every time I have played, to be immense!

You can find the updated card art for this game here . This is a preview copy sent to us for our early opinions. No money exchanged hands. Some art, rules or components will change in the final game. You can follow the board game geek page here . Tricky Seasons: Finland comes from trick-taking guru Ren Multamäki . The man behind other trick-taking master classes such as Tolerance , White Hat , and Justice . Three brilliant trick-taking games, that all add their own little twist. This time, with Tricky Seasons: Finland we have another trick-taker, the twist this time being the game has been blended with tic-tac-toe and a bidding element. The game will be coming to kick-starter soon, I will add a link here when it is live. The game works simply. First, give each player a player number from one to five. Then, roll any six dice, and then place the six blank dice onto the spots matching these dice faces on the board. Place them in order of the three white dice first, then the yellow, then black, and finally the green. Consider the blanks as sixes. Any doubling up of numbers, simply leave that dice out. It should look something like this after. The black blank dice wasn't placed as it was the second six. Then deal out all the cards, taking some out for lower player counts. And then each player will pick two cards from their hand so use as their bidding the cards. The card are all multi use, and show either the suit and rank at the very top corner, or the bidding value just below that. In the cards I have, this is in a star just below this, but in the updated art you can see below it will be in on the bottom left in a white diamond. The cards each player places down at this stage as their bidding cards will total the intended points each player will be aiming to score this round. Each player will now be left with ten cards. Players will then play ten rounds, in the usual trick-taking way. Placing one card down from their hand, each subsequent player must then follow suit if they can. The highest card of the initially played suit wins, unless the hand was trumped. The trump suit is always the next season after the initial played card's season. So, if you played an Autumn card first, trumps for that round is now winter. Updated Card Art The winning card will be the highest card of the lead suit if no trumps were played, or the highest trump card if a trump was played. The player that wins the trick can then place a die on the game board. If the lead card was Spring or Summer, then the winning player will place a green growth die. If the lead card was Autumn or Winter, then the winning player will place a black decay die. When you place a dice, do so with you player number showing as you place it. You can place it onto any empty space on the board. The next round then starts, starting with the player who won the previous trick. Updated Card Art The idea is that you are looking to manipulate the board to suit your pre-game bid. But the board will change a lot during the game as more dice are placed. Also, when a die is surrounded on all four sides, the player who placed the final die is allowed to change the surrounded dice from a green growth die to a black decay die, or vice-versa. At the end of the round, after all ten tricks have been played and won, and ten dice have been placed on the board, a scoring phase occurs. Here, any dice in rows or columns of three or four of the same colour (the yellow dice counts as wild) will score one point for each player with one die within the row or column. A die can only count once even if it is in a scoring row and column. Players then score points based on their bid if they scored the same amount of points from the dice on the board as their initial bid. A correct bid of zero or six scores four more points. A bid of one or five gets three points. Two or four gets two points. And finally a conservative bid of three gets just one bonus point. Old Card Art The game plays over as many rounds as their are players, three to five. Or you can play to an agreed amount of points. Games will fly by though, and you will find that after each early game, your understanding for how you can manipulate the board in your favour will increase, and your bidding accuracy and scoring will get better. Which moves the game from a simple trick-taking game, to a tactical strategic battle of wits that will captivate you. I am a huge fan of trick-taking games anyway. At first, while playing this, I was enjoying myself but felt very unsure about how to play it tactically. I was unsure how to bid and where to place my dice. But after a few rounds, it clicked into place. As such, for anyone who enjoys trick-taking games, I would highly recommend this game. It has enough to make it stand out and feel different from other trick-taking games, but it is so familiar and similar to other games, you will be off and running within minutes. The teach is a breeze to anyone who has played a trick-taker before. The tic-tac-toe part does take a little more getting used to strategically, but the rules are simple enough. But then when it falls into place in your brain, the choices you are making throughout the game feel meaningful, satisfying, and enjoyable each round. No matter how you are doing, you always feel in the game and never too far behind. Check out the new art for this game here .

This is a preview copy sent to us for our early opinions. No money exchanged hands. Some art, rules or components will change in the final game. You can follow the board game geek page here. You can find the full preview for this game here . I have already previewed this game here , but the game has since had a bit of a re-design, with anew cover art, and glorious new cart layouts. Take a look. Here you can see the original artwork on the left, and the new layout on the right. It's much brighter, and the iconography is a lot clearer. And the same goes for all the other suits and cards. Everything just comes across as brighter, clearer, with a fresher and simpler look, despite there now being a border. Although, that serves a purpose, identifying the suit in a much simpler and easier to identify way. I am a big fan of this game, and I have thoroughly enjoyed my experiences with the original prototype over the last few weeks. The gameplay, mechanics, and simple rules set all appeal to me in a trick-taking game like this. The introduction of a new art style has enhanced my gaming experience. This fresh visual approach refreshes the game's aesthetic and adds a layer of clarity. The colours are more vibrant, and the textures are more refined, which helps in distinguishing different suits within the game. Check out my original preview for more information on how the game plays and my thoughts on it.

Play Prop WBG Score: 7.5 Player Count: 3-8 You’ll like this if you like: Fast fun party games Designed by: Birger Norup This is a free review copy. See our review policy here . Play Prop was designed back in the late 70s by a few board friends! You can check out the full story here . Its beautifully odd. The game is now available for us all to enjoy, if you are willing to purchase from international Amazon sites, or directly from the Danish publisher's site. Mass market distribution is on its way, though, I am told. But I ordered mine via Amazon.com and it arrived to the UK in a few days. But should you be looking at this? Let's get it to the table and find out. How To Set Up Play Prop Take all the components out of the box, and place the two mats on the table or play area. Next to one, place the bowl with the two dice inside. On the other, place one cork on a string for each player inside the central circle. One player will take one cork off and place it next to them; they will be rolling the dice this round, so won't need a cork. Get a pen or pencil and place it by the score sheet. You are now ready to play. How To Play Play Prop The person with the dice will now shake up the bowl and place it face down with the two dice on the mat. They will reveal the dice by lifting the bowl. All players need to quickly identify what the dice say and act accordingly. If the dice add up to seven or show a pair or any two same numbers, then the players with the corks must remove them by tugging on the string as quickly as possible. The player who rolled the dice must now use the bowl to try and trap as many players' corks on the mat before they remove them. For anyone who gets trapped, they will score a point. Points are bad. For the player rolling the dice, if they miss anyone, they score a point. Players who pull their cork away when the dice do not show a pair or total seven will gain a point. And the person with the cup will gain a point if they trap someone when the dice are not correct. Keep playing until someone scores four points in a round, then change who is the Cupper with the dice, then start the next round. Play eight rounds in total and the player with the fewest points after eight rounds is the winner. Players are actively encouraged to feint, shout out "seven" when the dice don't add up to seven, or do whatever it takes to trick your fellow players and have fun! Is It Fun? Play Prop Party Game Review This game is absolutely hilarious! The joy, however, is made almost entirely by the clever and strategic element of 'faking-out' your opponents. This aspect of the game adds a layer of excitement and unpredictability that keeps everyone on their toes. Players must not only focus on their own moves but also pay close attention to the actions and reactions of others, making every round a delightful mix of strategy and wit. The laughter that ensues from a well-executed fake-out can be contagious, bringing everyone together in a shared experience of amusement. However, there can be a bit of a lull when you find yourself unable to roll a seven or land doubles for an extended period of time. Although, when this happens, the anticipation builds with each roll of the dice, and when a seven of double finally rolls, there is an explosion of shouts, movement, and laughter! But mostly, despite these occasional setbacks, it’s just so much fun! The overall experience is filled with laughter, friendly banter, and a sense of competition that makes you want to keep playing. Each game session becomes a memorable event, where stories are shared, and inside jokes are created. The thrill of the game lies not just in winning but in the shared joy of playing together, making it a perfect activity for gatherings with friends or family. The laughter and enjoyment that come from the game create lasting memories that everyone cherishes long after the game is over.

21x WBG Score: 7 Player Count: 1-6 You’ll like this if you like: Math at school! Published by: Naylor Games Designed by : Leo Samson This is a free review copy. See our review policy here . I previously previewed this game here . The game has not changed much since that preview so I wont go over the rules or set up again, you can read that in my preview. But I wanted to show of this glorious final special edition. Its gorgeous! The game works just the same as the preview copy I have. But this final, special edition, comes in a larger box, with three decks. The three difficulties are separated, and there are also some new golden bordered "Celebrity" edition cards, with a new difficulty level added in. As a refresher, or if you have not clicked back on the link to the preview, the game works much like Pontoon. Each player is dealt two cards, and you have to try to make 21. You can draw more cards from the deck, up to five. But unlike Pontoon, this is not simply adding up the number on the face of each card. No. Here, each card has its own algebraic calculation. And your job is to set the value of X, which could be present on more than one of your cards, but must always be constant, so that your cards collectively add up to 21. You get these handy player aids to remind you of the laws of math, so you don't get the order wrong! But one genius addition to the game is the inclusion of N. N is the number of cards you have. So, at the start, N would be two. But if you draw a third card, N now becomes three. This affects all cards in your hand with N present. The cards are set to three main difficulties, with the simplest having triangles on the top right. These include integers and simple expressions, including negative numbers, addition, subtraction, and multiplication. The second level with the square and triangle adds in division, brackets, indices, and powers. And the final level with the pentagon added has more complex division and the new celebrity cards such as the below. What do I mean by celebrity? Well, these cards have been designed by famous math celebrities. People who wanted to get involved in the game and design their own cards for it. You can find out a little more about this, the game, and the included celebrities here . If you enjoy math puzzles, this will be a great little addition for you. If you don't, then this will not feel like a game for you. It can be confusing and simply not enjoyable to people who do not enjoy math. However, I find the difficulty levels a great equalizer, and I have enjoyed many games of this with people who come from all sorts of backgrounds in math, and also ages. You can simply make the game more balanced by giving different people different levels of cards to even it up. And trust me, even the most advanced mathematician will have some trouble with the level three cards: 3x-V over Y, where V is the number of games of 21x you have won this session plus 1, and Y is whatever you want it to be as long as it is a positive number! Come again?! Its genius. This game is such a wonderful project; I adore that it exists. I am so pleased to own it. I won't always play it, but when I do, I see it being three to five games per session, in a "best of" scenario. Generally with my son, who is far better at math than I am. And when I do play it, I feel I am training my brain in a way my phone can only pretend and lie to me about!

Zhanguo: The First Empire WBG Score: 8.5 Player Count: 1-4 You’ll like this if you like: Iki , Brass: Birmingham Published by: Sorry We Are French Designed by: Marco Canetta , Stefania Niccolini This is a review copy. See our review policy here ZhanGuo first came out in 2014. Much like another stunning Sorry We Are French release, IKI , it saw a re-release, with a fancy new art design and a little tidy up and we now have the 2023 version Zhanguo: The First Empire . With the subtitle to seperate it from the original on BGG, I presume? Anyway, it's here. Thats the brief history, and it looks gorgous. Don't you think? This was pitched to me as an elegant hand managment game with seemless gears. chuck in the gorgous box art and Chinease theme and I am all in. Let's waste mo more time and get it to the table and see how it plays. Skip to the bottom to see my thoughts, but first is the set up and how to play guide in this blog: Unleashing the Power of Strategy: A Deep Dive into Zhanguo: The First Empire - Board Game Review. How To Set Up Zhanguo: The First Empire Board Game This will sound like a lot, an it is, but it is all relatively straight forward. First, place the game board in the middle of the table, aligning with the number of players. Place the Court board next to the left of the main game board . Choose between using the Unification tableau on the game board or the double-sided Unification tile, placing it on the printed tableau. This adds variation to your game and is your choice. Then, put the round marker on the 1st space of the Round track. Next, sort the nine Mausoleum tiles by icon and randomly place them on corresponding spaces on the game board. In advanced mode, place the nine Mausoleum tokens on the top left of each Mausoleum spot before placing tiles. In regular mode, just leave this part out . Then shuffle the seven Wall tiles and place one on each of the 6 Wall spaces on the game board, randomizing the side. In a three-player game, use Walls of the unused color to fill positions marked with a '4.' Shuffle the six Emperor tiles and then in a four-player game, place them face down on corresponding Wall sections, then turn them face up. In a three-player game, discard one tile randomly before placing the rest on corresponding Wall sections. In a two-player game, discard two tiles randomly before placing the rest on corresponding Wall sections. Now shuffle the 15 Palace tiles and place one face up on each Palace space in each region. Avoid placing Palace tiles on spaces marked with a "4" if playing with three players. In a four-player game, shuffle two blank Governor tiles with eight bonus tiles and place two randomly in each region. In a three-player game, remove the two blank Governor tiles, draw five bonus tiles, and place one randomly in each region. In a two-player game, shuffle two blank Governor tiles with three bonus tiles and place one randomly in each region. Then place a number of Master Alchemist cards equal to the number of players next to the game board. Sort the 120 Unification cards by type and shuffle them separately. Place the decks face down next to the main board. Take a specific number of Writing, Currency, and Laws cards based on the player count and place them next to the main board. Put the three large Unification tokens on their matching spots on the game board. Place one 40/80 VP token per player at the end of the score track. Place all Worker tokens next to the main board. Each player now places their player board in front of them. Players choose a colour (Blue, Yellow, Red, or Purple) and each player takes components in their chosen colour and places them on corresponding spaces of their player board. The 9th Terracotta Soldier won't fit on your board and instead is placed at the entrance of the Mausoleum on the main board and is considered "unlocked." Four Officials of each type (Alchemist, Architect, General) are then placed onto each players corresponding spaces on their player board. They will also take their personal set of five Alchemist cards which goes to their personal supply, face down. Each player takes five Unrest markers and places them on the zero space of the Unrest track of each Region. Each player then places their Ship on the starting position of the Elixir route and their Score marker on the zero space of the Victory Points track. Randomly determine the first player and place the first person Turn Order marker on the first space of the Turn Order track in the Unification area. Going clockwise from the first player, other players' Turn Order markers are placed on the next available spaces. Finally, deal two Starting tiles to each player. Players simultaneously choose one and receive the depicted bonus on their chosen tile. Both tiles are then returned to the box. You are now ready to play. Phew! How To Play Zhanguo: The First Empire Board Game The game plays over five rounds with each round having five phases. The first phase is simply where each player draws two cards from each of the three decks. Then in the second phase, each player takes it in turns to play one card until all players have played all their cards . Cards can be played in one of two ways: either onto the Emperor area of the court board to take one of the six available actions there, or tucked under one of your five regions on your player board to increase your power there. When a player places the card into one of these regions, they will gain Unification tokens in the colour of the card you just placed, but then must increase the level of unrest by one if it is the second card placed in this region, or by two if it is the third. When a card is placed in the Court area you must first choose which of the six actions you want to take and perform this action, and then activate the ability of your cards that match this actions symbol. For the three actions shown on the left, to activate your cards' abilities, you need to play a card with an activation number lower than the current face up card. For the three actions on the right the card you place must have a higher activation number. If you cannot do this or choose not to, you can move one Official on their board to an adjacent region instead. More on that below. You also choose to pass this step if you wish. But to be clear, when you activate the matching sybols in this way, you are essentially getting multiple bonus actions, taking the same turn over and over. The six actions are as follows: Recruit One Official - You can move one of the Alchemists, Architects, or Generals that you placed on your player board during set up onto the region of your choice on your player board. They each have a certain role and will help with later actions if present. Search For The Elixir - You will remember placing your ship on the main board during set-up. This is how you move it along the route. When you take this action, you can move your ship three spaces. Every icon you move past or onto you can activate. This is how you can unlock more of your Terracotta soldiers, moving them from your player board onto the main board, or how they can move an Alchemist card and it add to any region. However, you have to have an Alchemist official present in this region to do this. There is also one space for players to take one of the master Alchemist cards placed during set up and add this to your hand of Alchemist cards. Install One Governor - This is how you move the Governor meeples from your player board to the main board. You can take the bonus from the place that you place it and also remove one of each Official in this region on your player board. You can also reset your Unrest level to zero when you do this. Hire Two Workers - Workers are needed to build the Palaces and Walls. This is how you get them onto your player board. When you take this action, you can move two workers from the general supply and add them to any region where you have a General present. The Unrest level then increases by one in this region. Build One Palace - Building palaces is a key way to score points. To do so you need to have at least one Architect in the region in which they wish to build the Palace. You also need two workers in this region and one in an adjacent region. These are removed from your player board when you build a Palace. If it is still there, you can then take the Palace tile from the board where you placed your Palace and one Unification tile of their choice. You will then score six pints place the bonus on the Palace tile immediately. Build One Wall - Players must spend one, two, or three workers depending on the symbol under the wall, and then move one wall piece from their player board to the wall section on the main board. If there are any Emperor tiles left in the section you built in, take this too and replace any card in their tableau, if they have one. Once everyone has played all their cards then play moves to the third and final phase of the round. Players work out who has the most Unification tokens for the three types. Then the person with the most can choose if they want to take the Unification reward shown on this area of the board. If they don't want to or can't take the full reward, then it moves to the player with the second most of that token. If you take the reward, you must hand back all your tokens of that type. If you pass, then you can keep them for a later round. There are three rewards. One for each type of Unification. This also sets turn order for the next round as you place your turn order marker into the column of the reward they just accepted, which then slides over when this part is done. In turn order players can then spend three Unification tokens they still have in their possession to unlock one of their Terracotta soldiers on their player board. Once this is done all players can then place unlocked Terracotta soldiers onto any fulfilled Mausoleum condition. Any unused Unification tokens valued at two must be returned to the game board at this point. Single-value tokens can be kept, so long as each player doesn’t have more than five of them. The round tracker token then moves on, unless this is the final round in which case final scoring begins. Players will score all points they had earned during the game plus five other things. First, points are awarded to the player with the highest number of Governors in each region: 10, 15, or 20 points depending on if this is a two, three, or four-player game. Second, players will score points based on a multiple of the amount of Alchemist cards played on their player board by the final space reached by their ship. Third, players will score ten points for each row or column formed by their Terracotta soldiers . Fourth, players will score for their Walls based on the symbols on the wall in the game you are playing. And finally, players will score points for all Terracotta soldiers still at the entrance to the Mausoleum. Two for one, five for two and nine points for three soldiers. Most points unsurprisingly, wins!   Zhanguo: The First Empire Board Game Review Now, this game may seem imposing with its rules and setup. The BoardGameGeek weight rating of 4/5 also explains why some might steer clear of it. However, if you can look past the initial complexity, a captivating experience awaits. For me, the weight of this game lies not in intricate rules as you learn, but in the decisions it demands as you play. There are no overly complicated or difficult elements; instead, you're presented with a smorgasbord of delectable, layered choices throughout the game. Choices that will make you feel in complete control over your destiny, even if it takes a few plays to fully grasp exactly how to wield that effectively. This game exudes richness and depth, teeming with delightful moments and decisions that make me love it. Initially, grasping how all the game elements work together can be challenging. Between the main board, your player board, and connecting bonus actions with the icons on your played cards, it might feel like a lot. But when the pieces start fitting together in your mind, everything falls into perfect harmony. The cascading actions available are nothing short of amazing. Activating all matching symbols when playing the right card and constructing the correct engine feels immensely satisfying. It demands a bit of thinking, a good amount of planning, and a solid understanding of the strategy, but the payoff is worth it. Playing the game, you might just find yourself entirely absorbed in the process in a wonderful way. If you relish thoughtful Euro games, this could be a fantastic addition to your collection. If the theme resonates with you, it might even become one of your new favorites. I will place it among my top ten games of the year for sure, but I harbor concerns about its ability to keep hitting the table due to its weight. The game's appearance and strategic complexity will intimidate some, although the teach isn't overly challenging, it does look heavy. Even with a grasp of the basic rules and concepts, players might still feel uncertain about their actions. The strategy and a full understanding does take a game or two. Not everyone has time for this, or the patience to play a game that long and often before you really know what you are doing. While this game earns a spot in my heart, I worry it might fade over time due to a lack of plays. Games of this caliber could benefit from increased accessibility—whether through improved rulebooks, player aids, more visually friendly boards, art and iconography, or even audio aids via QR codes. I can only hope that such enhancements for games of this weight are on the horizon for all of our sake. Putting aside the concern that others in my gaming group might not share my passion for this game, I genuinely love it snd would heavilly reccomend it to anyone looking for a crunchy euro full of cascading turns that will fill your mind with utter joy. Final word has to go to the insert. There is a lot of stuff with this game. Setting up and packing away for games with this many componants can be a chore. But the layout and icons for the insert really help with this. Finally, a game has reccomended putting all parts of a players set-up into one bag. Doing this will speed up set up by a good few minutes, and also helps speed up the tear down. Just gove each player a bag of their chosen and let them do their own player board by following you. Then to pack away, just pop everything listed here in each players colours into the respective compartment. A great touch. And one more games should employ.

This is a preview copy sent to us for our opinions, no money has changed hands and all art and components and rules are not necessarily final and may change. Check out the games website where you can order here . Slay To Win is from first time designer Craig Campbell , and introduces an interesting, family weight game that fuses a card game with am RPG, more associated with games of Dungeons and Dragons. Let's get into it. It is clear that Craig is a DnD fan, and has brought his love of role playing to this card game in an interesting and flexible way. The game works by players choosing a character and and quality card. This will assign each player a starting weapon, attack and defence score; as well as their Sense and Interact strengths. Players will then choose a Story card from one of the ten provided. This will set the goal of the game, as well as dictate the monsters you will face. You can play just one Story card for a one-shot, or piece a few together into a campaign. Decide up front how many Story cards you want to play, so all players know the plan and goal, which will be to get the most points for killing monsters! Although be aware, you only get the points if you strike the killing blow! Players will then run through the three acts on their chosen story cards, moving through each of the six steps of each of the three acts. You can make a decision amongst your group on how you do this. It can be a simple skill check and move on in order to gain new weapons and action cards. Or you can run through a full role-playing experience based on the triggers in the story card. This is entirely up to you and can be different each time. As players move through each part of the story, they will be checking against their Sense and Interact skills. This is done by flipping the top card from the action deck. Each action deck will also show a number from one to six. This serves essentially as a D6. You will add the score you get from this to your own personal Interact or Sense skill, then add any bonuses you gain from your other Action or Weapon cards, or those gained from the other players in the game. Players can help each other out. You will then see if you beat the target score of the test, or in the case of an all-play check, see which player gets the highest score. You can then gain an additional weapon card or action card as you reward. You can only ever hold five action cards, but you will want to curate a hand that works for your impending monster fight. You can also use the action cards during this Drama phase to help you with various checks. You can gain as many weapons as you like, but you can only equip one per fight. Having multiple options will help, but you must then make a choice at the end of the act when you face the monster as to which weapon will help you the most. Some weapons work better against certain monsters with certain skills, and vice-versa. The story card will tell you how many monsters you are fighting, and if they escape at the end of each act, ready to fight again in the next act; or if you will defeat them, and then face a new one for the next part of the story. The monsters are made up of multiple cards to create a unique foe with multiple powers each time. Adding a Naga to an Arachnoid, for example, will give the Arachnoid the powers of the Naga, allowing it to gain Speed (meaning it always fights first and cannot be avoided with ranged weapons) and slipping poison, which increases the damage for all attacks after the first. But this will be very different next time as different Monster cards are paired each game. Once you have finished the six stages of each act, you will then face the chosen monster. You will use your sense skills to check for initiative, check if the monster has speed power, which determines who will go first, and then run through various phases of attacks and defences to see if you can defeat the beast. You can use a range of powers from your action cards, your chosen weapon, and help other players out with various checks. Each monster will have a defence value that you will need to beat to inflict damage, much like in D&D. You will then add your damage and reduce the monster's health by the shown amount. It doesn't matter who hurts the monster; it is all about who can strike the fatal blow. Who can slay to win? Geddit!? Each monster feels quite different. And each of the ten stories offers a varying and rich experience. Although, if you do not role-play this, it will feel largely mechanical and the same each time. As such, if you plan to play this as a simple card game, I would not suggest this for you. There are better games out there that offer more interesting card play and opportunities to fight monsters. But, if you want to embrace the RPG side of this game, then this game will really shine for you. I can see why the designer of this game wanted to offer the chance to play both ways. This is encouraged on the game's website and crowdfunding site. Not everyone will want to get into the roleplay side of this, and so they offer the other simple way to play. Which is fine. And works fine. But it is nowhere near as fun! I could even see this being used by people playing DND to design or use as additional material for full games of Dungeons and Dragons. It could add flavour to monsters and characters they create or meet. Be used to create more variety in weapons they find and powers they gain. It is a very useful deck of cards for multiple areas here. And as a roll-playing card game, it is a lot of fun too! If you and your group like a bit of role-play fun along with your card play, this will be right up your street. Well worth having a look at to see if this could work for you.

This is a preview copy sent to us for our opinions, no money has changed hands and  all art and components and rules are not necessarily final and may change. Check out the Gamefound campaign here  where you’ll find this, a new expansion called Escalation and reprints of the base game, deluxe upgrade kit and the previous Eagles Nest expansion. The Gamfound campaign is currently live at the time this preview goes out.  By Steve Godfrey If you want to hear my thoughts on the base game then you can check out my full review, with a rules overview here Let’s get Kraken Norman Village Map Operation Kraken comes with two new maps the Norman Village and the Super Carrier When you play with the Norman Village map set the game up as per usual then add the two new Leichter Panzerspahwagen vehicles (henceforth referred to as “vehicles” because this’ll be a long preview otherwise) on the board, one in each of the starting spaces and put their unit cards near the board. There are some load out cards that can’t be used with these new maps but a simple to read table in the rulebook will tell you which, but it’s not many and the reason for their exclusion makes sense. Other than that, setup is the same as in the base game. The game will play out the same as the base game in terms of how actions and turns work with the only real difference being the vehicles so let's talk about how they work.  When a defender finishes their turn in a space with a vehicle then they must embark, at which point they place that mini on the vehicle's card but only 1 per vehicle, it gets cramped in there otherwise, these things aren’t made for family outings. At any point they can disembark by using a move action, placing their mini on the same space and then making their move action. Whilst in the vehicle there are four actions that can potentially be taken. Drive 3 by moving 3 road spaces. Drive 1 and make a sweep actin. Drive 1 and make a spot action or attack 1 adjacent space. You can also make your usual actions as well. Important to note that whilst you can’t make the same action twice with the same unit, you can take similar ones. Meaning you can take two of the different drive actions or make a drive action and then take a normal move action.  The sniper can still attack a vehicle but they’ll need 2 aim tokens more than a regular unit to take it out. So for example if you're in an adjacent space you’ll need three hits to take it out. If a defender is in it at the time then they’re removed from the board as well. However, vehicles cannot be respawned. There are loadout cards that don’t work on them, like the knife for example, which makes sense. I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to stab a tank but it’s safe to say it takes a while and many knives to get through. On this map there are also two spaces per sector for the sniper to enter but also none for the neutral white sectors.  The vehicles give the defenders so much more freedom to move round the board. In the base game you can’t have a mini do the same action twice, but now being in a vehicle moving 3 spaces and then being able to make a regular move makes the defenders all the more threatening. Previously you could roughly plan each defender's limitations in terms of movement and carve yourself out the path of least risk. With this new addition and extra movement capabilities the map now seems a lot more closed down leaving less spaces as a “safe spot” for the sniper. This is probably going to be fine for the most part when they’re still looking for you, but, the minute you pop your first objective you’d better have an escape route planned because it may not be long before they catch up to you. Even more devastating is the ability to shoot into an adjacent space. Where before it may have taken some manoeuvring to make a successful spot/sweep, then get someone onto the space to be able to attack before the slippery blighter runs away. Now it can be as simple as two actions, which makes avoiding or taking out those vehicles almost paramount to survival. Super Carrier Map The second map takes place on multiple levels of a Super Carrier. Lower deck, middle deck and top deck. Again set up works much the same only this time there are face cards in the objective deck. If you happen to pull two of the same value (i.e. two kings) you must discard one and pick another card. The reason being that the both face cards of the same value are on the same floor. You’ll also have locked door tokens which will be put onto each door space and they start the game unlocked. The other point to note is that the sniper will always start in the same space since there is only one entrance.  There are a couple of ways to navigate the levels for the sniper and one for the defenders. The stairs/ladder are freely available for both and each connects to an equivalent letter on a different level and they have line of sight to each other so don’t be one of those people who clog up the stairs because you can get picked off. The sniper can also move around using the vents John Mclane style. These work on a similar principle to the ladders and connect to different parts of the carrier.  The defenders have a new ace up their sleeve (which explains why there’s no ace’s in the objective deck?) which is, they can lock doors. When they use a move action they can lock an adjacent door either before or after moving, however this uses up one of their moves so essentially they can lock a door and move one space or vice versa. The sniper however has their own delicate, subtle way to unlock a door….they can shoot the lock off! This works the same as a regular shoot action and on a success the lock token is removed from the game and the door is permanently unlocked. Makes sense, it’s not easy getting a locksmith that far out at sea last minute. They also have access to two new loadout cards. Bolt cutters which let you secretly move through a locked door and the Explosive Entrance, because you’ve gotten bored with normal doors and decided to make your own with some explosives. Some walls are also reinforced on this map meaning you can’t shoot through them but you can still hear noise through them.  The defenders also have a new way of gathering intel. They have the normal way which gathers intel on the coloured sectors or they can gather intel on a deck. As long as there’s a defender officer on the floor they can ask the sniper if they’re on that deck, rather than a specific sector on that deck. You can't, however, gather intel on the deck and a sector on the same turn.  Ok, maybe I lied before when I said that the Norman Village felt claustrophobic. THIS is a claustrophobic map. Where other maps gave you the breathing room to make a fair few 2 - 3 space movements, this one almost dares you to try it. With so few spaces you're always either in close quarters with a defender or, if you're not, you probably soon will be so it really forces you to take less of those bold moves. Which would be fine if you weren’t on a timer so that added pressure is always gnawing away at you. To make matters worse, someone has had the cheek to lock the doors and restrict your movement further. So now you're faced with the difficult choice of either finding a new unencumbered route to your next objective or risking shooting a few locks and giving a clue to your current position. This map seems to present more of a puzzle than the other maps I’ve played (I’d only played the base game maps prior to this) and almost reminds me of those mazes that you get on the back of kids menus at restaurants and I’d wager the sniper map will probably resemble one at the end of the game as well. Not that that’s a bad thing. Because it’s more of an enclosed map it definitely leans more into that stealth style of gameplay and present more of a puzzle straight from the word go than some of the other maps have done.  This map gives you two new loadout cards and each leans more towards a different style of play. The bolt cutter for the more sneaky among you and the TNT if you just want to play more as an agent of chaos. One piece of advice I will give is that you’ll need at least one of these in your loadout. We played one game without any and the sniper was left on the back foot needing to shoot a lock and reveal their position early doors when a bolt cutter could have served him a lot better had he had it.  Not much has changed for the defenders other than, they all have their own set of keys (it’s nice to feel responsible) but there can be some tactics to be had from that. Do you, for example, leave the door open and lure the sniper in like something from a Tom & Jerry cartoon only to hopefully trap them in there by locking the door giving you time to swarm the room? I mean, if that doesn’t make one hell of a good gaming story then I don’t know what will.  So, we did find one issue with the fortified walls, in as much as it wasn't very clear on the map or the rulebook where these were. We assumed it was the wall of the rooms but weren’t too sure on that. I’ve spoken to the folks at Rebellion Unplugged and they’re aware that it’s an issue and are working on making this clearer for the finished version. This doesn’t change how I feel about the map but it was worth pointing out as it was something that cropped up during out. At the very least it’s great to know that everyone involved is responsive to this sort of feedback and making the best game possible. It’s Kraken If you already love Sniper Elite then there’s a good chance you’ve already insta-backed this and you're now looking through these previews to see if it’s justified. To which the answer from me is yes. You get two very different playing maps which add to the replayability to an already great game and offer some interesting new mechanics. Sniper Elite is one of those games that once your in, you’ll most likely want it all. Personally I’m looking forward to getting my hands on the long sought after Eagles Nest expansion and the upgrades and this new expansion just makes the whole thing even more tantalising for me. So…everything...I’m looking forward to everything basically.

Scythe & Expeditions Metal Coins WBG Score: 8 Player Count: 1-7 You’ll like this if you like: Scythe   Published by: Stonemaier Games Designed by: Jamey Stegmaier This is a free review copy. See our review policy here . If you own Scythe of Encounters, you will know that the base game comes with some rather nice, uniquely designed cardboard coins. You can upgrade these to these beautiful metal coins if you wish. They work with both games. This upgrade pack simply replaces the coins from either game, Scythe or Expeditions. It does not change the rules or game in any way. This is purely an aesthetic choice. For Scythe, I would recommend the realistic resource tokens as your first point of call for an upgrade, as these are used more often in the game. But if you have these already and want more bling at your table, then this is the way to go! They look gorgeous and feel great. My only complaint is they are a little lightweight for the price, but the design and craftsmanship are otherwise top-notch. In comparison to the base games cardboard coins, they are a lot more rich in colour, and detailed in design. And obviously feel a lot better in your hands. And on the board, they just pop! They match the game's colour scheme so well and look so much better than the original cardboard ones. Scythe is undoubtedly one of my favourite games, and my appreciation for it runs deep. The combination of strategy, resource management, and beautiful artwork creates an immersive experience that captivates players. To enhance this experience, even if just by a little bit, is something I am very much eager to pursue. I believe that every detail counts when it comes to enjoying a game to its fullest potential, and I am committed to exploring every avenue to elevate my gameplay. One of the most effective ways to enhance the Scythe experience is through the use of thematic coins. These coins serve not only as a functional component of the game but also as a means to deepen the overall atmosphere at the gaming table. When playing Scythe, which is set in a beautifully crafted alternate-history Europe, having coins that reflect the game's aesthetic can significantly enhance the thematic immersion. The tactile feel of these coins, combined with their intricate designs, adds a layer of authenticity that can transport players into the world of Scythe. The coins I envision are not merely replacements for the standard tokens; they embody the essence of the game’s factions and the rich lore surrounding them. Each coin could represent a different resource or currency, such as metal, oil, or food, and could feature unique artwork that corresponds to the various factions within Scythe. This attention to detail not only makes the game visually appealing but also enriches the storytelling aspect, allowing players to feel more connected to their chosen faction and the world they are navigating. The sound of coins clinking as they are exchanged during trade or the satisfaction of stacking them as resources accumulate adds a sensory dimension to the game. This tactile interaction with the game pieces can create memorable moments that resonate long after the game is over. The addition of thematic coins to Scythe is a simple yet impactful way to elevate the gaming experience. By investing in these beautifully crafted coins, players can enjoy a more immersive, aesthetically pleasing, and overall encompassing experience while gathered around the table. Every game session becomes not just a competition but an adventure into the world of Scythe, making each playthrough unique and memorable.

Buy Here - Wingspan Speckled Eggs WBG Score: 10 Player Count:1-6 You’ll like this if you like: Wingspan Published by: Stonemaier Games Designed by: Elizabeth Hargrave   This is a free review copy. See our review policy here . Wingspan Speckled Eggs Expansion Review This will be a simple little review for these gorgeous speckled eggs. They are amazing, fit perfectly with the game, of course, and offer a new, brighter, and more playful look to your table when playing Wingspan. But just look at them! Do you really need to know much more? They come in all kinds of colors, each with the same speckled look. That, to me, somehow makes them look more realistic, while still being fun and joyful at the same time. I simply adore these and now use them for all games of Wingspan, with whatever expansion I am using. They brighten up the cards and make everything look better. If you like Wingspan, this is a great add-on to introduce to your gaming table. It does not change anything about the game. This is purely an aesthetic choice.

Buy Here - Wingspan European Expansion WBG Score: 8.5 Player Count:1-6 You’ll like this if you like: Everdell , Lost Ruins of Arnak , Furnace . Published by: Stonemaier Games Designed by: Elizabeth Hargrave   This is a free review copy. See our review policy here . I have reviewed the full game of Wingspan here . There are also a number of other Wingspan expansions and variant reviews that you can check out here . But this is the first expansion that came out for this hugely popular game, and set the tone for the rest. It introduced end of round bonus alongside 81 new Bird cards, five new bonus cards, five new goal tiles, a new tray to hold all these new cards! And 15 new purple eggs! Sold yet? If not, read on! How to ad the Wingspan European Expansion to the base game Simply take the cards out and shuffle the bird cards into your main bird deck from the base game, and do the same with the bonus cards and goal tiles. Then simply mix in all the other extra tokens into the base game components. You can now set up as usual. If you end up using the new end-of-round goal tiles, the rules suggest you use the green side of the goal mat, as they work better with that side. How to play the Wingspan European Expansion when added to the base game The game plays as usual. The only change is that you now have an extra step after the end of each round, as indicated by the new reference tile, which reminds you to check any bird cards that you may have played that have end-of-round bonus powers. Check any cards with the new green Round End power, and execute each one in turn. The rest of the game plays as usual, but of course, you now have a lot of new bird cards and, as such, bird powers to aim for. Is It Fun? Wingspan European Expansion Board Game Review This is a must-have expansion if you enjoy the original base game. It will not make anyone who does not enjoy the base game feel differently about the experience, but it does make the original a little more interesting and a slightly better experience. And I really like the base game as it was. The new cards are a welcome addition. Who would not want more of these gorgeous, interesting cards? The more, the merrier. But the new end-of-round powers are a fascinating mix into the game. They make things more interesting, add a new element to the game, and increase the strategy and focus for every card selection you make. There are some really interesting powers that this introduces, such as this Common Starling, that lets you exchange food tokens for card tucking powers, which, when combined with other such card tucking goals and end-of-round scoring, can be very beneficial! The new end of round is a nice addition too. It makes each game feel a little different, and having new variations of this only adds to the game's replayability. These goals work very well with these new cards as well, and develop new ways to play the game. I love the Bird cards that let you place cards sideways. They allow you to grow your Bird cards into the final columns quicker, and if you are taking a strategic route that will most probably not allow you to fill up your board, this is a good way to still achieve that and gain the final column bonuses. Picture below shows two of these cards, the Long tailed Tit is vertical for illustrative purposes only. But it would of course be played sideways in the game as shown with this European Roller. The introduction of other powers on the bird cards, such as these new When Played powers for the Eurasian Hobby and the Eurasian Sparrowhawk, allows you to choose how you feed them when they are played. As you can see from the asterisk next to their food icons, you can either play the shown food tokens or place the card over the top of another bird card already in your play area in the case of the Hobby. For the Sparrowhawk, you can play extra cards tucked behind this card for each rat token you play. This is a great thematic and strategic introduction to the game, and again works well with the multiple ways it seems this expansion plays with the tucked bird scoring options. This is a fantastic expansion, and one that I will use 100% of the time I play the base game moving forward. I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys Wingspan, and I would also suggest it is the first expansion you get for this game. It was the first out for a reason!

Hitster Summer Party WBG Score: 7.5/10 Player Count: 2-10 You’ll like this if you like: Pop song trivia! Published by:   Jumbo Designed by: Marcus Carleson This is a free review copy. See our review policy here . I have reviewed the main game, Hitster, you can check that out here . This is the Summer Party edition. The same game, but all new songs, and all focused our Summer hits through the ages. Ranging from the 1929 hit from José Fernández, Guarjira Guantanamera (which you will know!) to 2024 bangers such as Sabrina Carpenters' Espresso. How To Set Up Hitster Summer Party Remove the cards from the deck and shuffle them. Distribute one card to each player. Players should place this card face up in front of them to establish their starting year. Any card will suffice for this purpose. Players do not need to recognise the song on the card; they just need a year to begin with. Next, provide each player with two Hitster tokens, and open (or download for free) the Hitster app, syncing it to your Spotify account if you have one. If you don't, downloading Spotify is not necessary, but it is preferable to do so and log into an account. However, it will still function without an account by connecting automatically to the free version. You are now ready to play. How To Play Hitster Begin by deciding whether to play individually or in teams. Each participant or team receives one music card, as described above. Now, designate one player as the DJ. This person is responsible for scanning the QR codes on the music cards and playing the corresponding songs using the Hitster app. For the best experience, it's recommended to use Spotify Premium, though the game is also compatible with Spotify Free. Players take turns in a clockwise direction. On your turn, draw the top card from the deck without flipping it over. Scan the QR code on the back using the Hitster app; the song will begin to play. Based on when you believe the song was released, place the card face down on your timeline. If you think it's older than your existing cards, place it to the left. If you believe it's newer, place it to the right. If you think it fits somewhere in the middle, place it accordingly. After placing the card, flip it to reveal its release year. If correctly placed, it stays on your timeline. If misplaced, discard it, unless another player tries to claim it with a Hitster token. Before a player reveals their card, if you suspect it's incorrectly placed, you can challenge by calling out "Hitster!" and placing one of your tokens on the spot where you believe the card should go. If you are right, you keep the card. Before revealing the card, if you can correctly name both the song title and the artist, you will earn an extra Hitster token, even if you misplace the card on your timeline. Play then proceeds to the next player. The game continues with players taking turns, placing cards, and trying to build a correct musical timeline. The first person to get ten cards correctly placed wins the game. If you'd rather play as a group, you can play in larger teams. In this version, each team starts with five Hitster tokens. You can also change the difficulty level. For a more challenging experience, players must name the song title and artist correctly on their turn to keep the card. For an even trickier version, they must also guess the exact year the song was released. To play Hitster, you’ll need someone with the Hitster app installed and a Spotify account. While it works with Spotify Free, Spotify Premium offers a smoother experience. So, grab your phones, scan those songs, and test your music knowledge. Is It Fun? Hitster Summer Party Game Review I loved the original version of this game, and this one is just as good. The summer vibes work perfectly for this time of year, and I have yet to get this out with any group and not have a wonderful time! I am not sure you needed more cards from the base game, as I have played it so much! And I am not bored of those cards yet; they are all great songs. Also, I don't know them all yet; you cannot possibly know them all. Although, I suppose there are a few I recognize quicker now. But, saying that, having the choice of the base game and now this summer one is a choice I relish! It's nice to have more cards; it's nice to have them themed this way. And now, unreservedly, I demand more! Looking into it, there are a few other version of this game. A Guilty Pleasures version, A Rock one, A Bingo edition, and a few more too! If you like the idea of testing your music trivia in a fun, light, and group friendly way, well, there is certainly a version of this for you out there. Just like the base game, the variety in this edition is wonderful. Despite all being "Summer" themed, which essentially just means fun, light songs, there are all sorts of genres, artists, and eras covered. There will be something for everyone. And even if you are not the biggest music aficionado, you will be able to contribute in this game somehow. As such, I find this is best played in a group. It's fun to bring different ages together in a game of Hitster, to span the decades, and bring groups together through a mutual love of music and party games! What could be better?