This is a prototype version of the game and may not represent the final quality or look of the game. You can find more information about the upcoming Kickstarter here . Goalkeepers Dice Game comes from first time designer Phil Brown. A father of two from New Zealand. He found that when playing games with his two sons, he did not have the right game to play with them. He wanted a game that offered a competitive experience, that worked with all ages so there is was no advantage to his older son, that used dice to create a nice balance between strategy and luck, and that rewarded players rather than punished them. For him, it did not exist, so he went out and made it! Phil had played other dice games that punished players, removing dice as they play. He wanted a game that rewards players and focuses on the positives of winning rounds, and winning games, rather than trying to avoid losing things. He wanted players to focus on winning things. From this, Goalkeepers was born! A dice chucking game that focuses on a number of rounds, that two to five players can play. Goalkeepers offers simple rules, fast an fun gameplay, all with a football/soccer theme. I think it could well be a winner for many. The game works by deciding how many rounds you want to play. Any number between three and seven is recommended. But the choice is yours. How long do you want to play? Then decide the dice setup based on player count: six each for two or three players, five in a four-player game, and four each with six players. Give each player their dice and then place the score markers into a central area. You are now ready to begin. Players will take turns to roll all of their dice. If you roll any TEAM dice (the ones with a football shirt/jersey on), they are placed to the side by your playing area. If you rolled a GOAL dice (the ones with the football on), these are also placed to the side. If you roll a PENALTY dice (the ones with the red card on), you must pass these to other players. You can choose who, and split up however you please. They then get extra dice to roll on their turn. Finally, any dice showing the SHOOT OUT symbol are placed into a group in front of you. When the second player has finished rolling their dice, the shoot out challenge begins. Here the first and second player compare any SHOOT OUT dice they rolled. The player with the most can either take one GOAL dice or two TEAM dice from the loser. Play continues like this until one player uses all their dice, either in the form of GOALS or by losing dice to other players. All players then compare their total number of GOAL dice, and the player with the most takes three points. The player with the second highest gains two, and the player in third takes one. There is also a bonus point of one for the player who ended the round. Play the agreed amount of rounds and see who wins. If there is a tie, play one extra round with all tied players with three dice each. The games are fast and frantic and feel to me exactly how I want a dice-chucking game to feel. I have some control over where I place my red cards, and whether I take the TEAM dice or GOAL when I win a SHOOTOUT. But obviously, there is still a lot of luck involved. It's mainly dice after all. But this, remember was the point. A game that offers a level playing field for all ages, all skill sets. I like the simplicity of this game with just a few dice. It suits me down to the ground. Pop them in a small bag and take them with you anywhere. Simple rules you can teach in a few minutes and games that last as long as you want, but can be over in 5 minutes if you are pushed for time. Perfect. This game is going to head to Kickstarter soon. The game deserves to be made and I hope it can find the support it deserves. It has a lovely origin and a solid design, which has created a fun game I for one will enjoy for many years to come. I sincerely hope many others get to do the same.

Get On Board: Paris and Roma WBG Score: 8 Player Count: 2-5 You’ll like this if you like: Unmatched , Funkoverse , Smash Up Published by: IELLO Designed by: Saashi This is a free review copy. See our review policy here . Back in 2022 Get On Board: London & New York was released to critical acclaim, winning awards and fans all over the board gaming world. Most most notable, gaining a score of 8/10 on WBG! Right!? I know. Well, unconfirmed and most probably made up reports suggest that spurned on by the glowing review we gave, designer Saashi decided to make a sequel, this time moving from the bustling metropolises of London and New York, to the more tranquil cities of Paris and Rome. Is it very different? Is it any better? Let's get it to the table and find out. How To Set Up Get On Board: Paris & Roma Much like the first game, the first thing you need to decide is choose the correct side of the board to play with. If you have 1-3 players, then use the Rome map. For a 4 or 5 player game use the Paris side. This is clearly labelled on the top left of each map. The main difference is that the Rome side (below) has coloured speedy Connection sections. The burgundy and yellow markings seen below. These are used in the one to three player mode as detailed below. Next, give each person a player sheet and pencil. Check that the markings below the tickets on the top of each players sheet are different. The rest of the sheet will be identical but these to be unique for each player. if not, just swap it out for another sheet. Each player will then take their 32 route markers and departure pawn in their chosen colour. The six common objective cards will then be shuffled and two are placed yellow side up on the space on the top of the board. Place three in a solo game. Then shuffle the five personal objective cards and deal one face up to each player. Next, shuffle the 12 metro ticket cards and deal two to each player. Use cards one to six for the Paris map and less players. Each player will then chose to start their game from one of the two locations, placing their departure pawn at their chosen location. These Metro tickets are then gathered back into one deck and shuffled again and placed onto the top section of the board. In a solo game, add the two rush hour cards and place them after the 9th and 11th card. The oldest player takes the Inspector pawn and becomes the first player. You are now ready to play. How to Play Get On Board: Paris & Roma. The first player, the inspector, now reveals the top card from the metro ticket deck, placing it face up on the discard space for all to see. Each player will now cross off the space for the matching ticket value on their player sheet. This shows them what shape they will be making in the next phase, and what shapes are still to come. In a 1-3 player game note the colour of the border of this first metro card. Either burgundy or yellow. Mark the corresponding colour on your player sheet on the bottom left. This will dictate which coloured connection areas will be in affect this game. When this is done, all players move to the next phase, where they will place coloured markers from their personal pool, starting at their departure pawn, in the shape as dictated by the metro ticket crossed off in the previous phase. You cannot double back on your route, there can be no more than one marker per colour on each section, and you must copy the shape as dictated by that rounds metro ticket completely and exactly. If you ever reach the same intersection for the second time, your game is over and you can no longer score any points. You are eliminated. Harsh huh? Have they not heard of the circle line? You can increase or reduce the size of any shape you have to place by one marker if you want to, by marking off one space in the red top right area on your player sheet. You can do this a maximum of five times and each time, you will incur a penalty of minus one, two or three. Each time your route moves through an area where there are other players coloured markers, and in a 1-3 player game, when you move through the chosen coloured routes, you can cross off one space in the connection zone on the bottom left of your player sheet. The further you go on this route, the more points you will get, as shown by the green boxed numbers. This is an adapted feature from the traffic in the previous game. If you pass through any Metro spaces then you must circle one of the corresponding symbols on the top left of your player sheet. Then at the end of that round, you can cross off any of the spaces circled that round to place an extra marker down. Or, if you choose to leave a circled space uncrossed and unused, it will give you an extra two points at the end of the game. This is a new feature not seen in the previous game and essentially replaces the chance to name your map. When you have finished adding your shape and marking off any related areas on your player sheet, the next step is to score any passengers or places that were moved through this turn. The Grannies are the most simple. For each one moved through, cross off one space on the red area on your player sheet. At the end of the game you will score the points shown in the green boxes next to all crossed off spaces. The Students and Cinemas work a little differently. At the end of the game you will multiply the number of students marked off by the number of cinemas across two lines for a maximum of 24 points. This is all quite similar to the last game. When you pass a Flirt, note the colour of the background, there are two types. The face type doesn't matter, just note the background colour. Mark off the corresponding space on your player sheet and then later, if you pass a restaurant note how many flirts are crossed off on either of the three rows and score two points for one crossed off face or six points for a crossed off couple; for a maximum of 12 per row. Any uncrossed faces must be crossed out, they cannot be scored. There are three opportunities to visit restaurants in each game. This is a slight change from the last game. The final person you can pick up are the tourists. They want to go to the Opera or the Theatre. When you pick one up, mark them off, and then later when you go by either one of these two buildings you will score the points underneath the right most crossed off tourist at that point. Any unmarked tourists are crossed off in the row you just scored and can no longer be used. This is all similar to the last game but now with a simplified scoring mechanic. As you move around the board you will need to focus on all the passenger and building scoring options as well as your own personal objective card and the common objectives. Each common objective can be achieved by multiple players but the first to do this will get ten points, and all subsequent players will only get six. After each round, check if anyone has achieved any of the common objectives then move the inspector pawn one space clockwise, Then move to the next round. There are twelve rounds in a game. When done, score your total points, and the player with the most points unsurprisingly wins the game. In the solo game, at certain points when flipping the next metro card, you will reveal one of the rush hour cards. This means you need to flip over an objective card. If you have not completed it yet you can now only score six points for this one. At the end, you can compare your score to a table on the rule sheet. Is this Fun? - Get On Board: Paris & Roma Board Game Review There is not a huge amount different to the original game. I have marked the changes above in bold. The speedy connection areas being the main difference, other than some slight changes to the way each character scores. As such, if you have the London & New York version already then you may not want to add this to your collection. But if you loved it and want to try the different maps then you will not be disappointed. If you do not have the original game I would recommend getting this one instead as I think it is a fraction better. But if you have the first game and were not a fan, then I cannot imagine you have got this far in the review! So, to answer the question about the two editions, there is not a lot different. It is a little better. But for me, it is more of the same but the same is great! I like the idea of this eventually being dozens of maps across multiple cities around the world. It may make more sense to just sell the maps as expansion rather than a new box each time. But the thought of playing one of these cities before I visit them, or better yet, whilst there, is a thing of board game beauty to me. The more maps the better. I want every city! I would recommend this game to anyone who enjoys the flip and write genre and is looking for a new game that works in a short amount of time, plays well in different player counts, but still offers a game experience of substance. If you like this theme of course. There is a lot in this sector. Get On Board is an exciting series of games. I hope they continue with this. Either with new expansion maps or more full box sequels. I think any subsequent full game will need a few more developments and changes to justify its existence. But right now we have two great versions. Both excellent fun. I am delighted to own both. Although, that may be somewhat of an extravagance.

The Kringle Caper WBG Score: 7 Player Count: 1-4 You’ll like this if you like: Exit and Unlock games Published by:  Grand Gamers Guild Designed by: Jonathan Chaffer This is a free review copy. See our review policy here - SPOILER FREE REVIEW The Kringle Capers is the first version of a series of one-off small box escape rooms using just cards. You can find out about the others in the series here . They are all 18-card decks that offer a 60-minute escape room-style adventure, set around a different popular holiday: Halloween, Valentine's, or in this case, Christmas. Let's get it to the table and see how it plays. How To Set Up The Kringle Caper Open the box and take out the 18 cards. I suggest getting a paper and pencil too. Keep the cards face down, in order. On a phone or computer, head to this website and click on The Kringle Caper "Play" button. Once you are prepared, click on Start and proceed to select card number one. The timer will begin! How To Set Up The Kringle Caper Read the text on card number one. You will then see a red magnifying glass and some more red text. For each red magnifying glass icon you see you will need to work out the answer for that number of words (or phrases), and then enter them into the website you previously loaded. all answers can be found on the card you are using that time, or perhaps, on previous cards you had access too. You will never need to use later cards until instructed. The website has handy information and hints if you get stuck. The hints will give you a time penalty, while the information will just give you access to some things that may or may not help you. There is no time penalty for using the information section, but it won't all be crucial. We completed the entire game without using it. However, we did use our phones to look up the lyrics to one particular song, and we could have used the information page instead if we had remembered! The hints work well and offer some guides and clues before giving you, if you really want it, the full answer. You won't ever get stuck. If you enter a wrong answer, it will tell you and ask you to look again. If you enter a correct answer, it will add a small bit of story and then instruct you to take the next card. Make sure to get your spelling correct otherwise it will not work. Some answers are phrases instead of single words. Some cards have more than one answer. You must enter them separately, one at a time. Some cards may require you to write on them. If you want to keep the game to use again or lend to a friend, you can simply write on a separate piece of paper or write in pencil. No cards will be destroyed or affected in any other way. A paper and pencil would help in other areas too, working a few things out. Keep playing through each card as instructed until you complete the final 18th card. You will then be given a brief conclusion to the story and your score. This will be based on the time it took you to solve all the cards, any hints you used, and then a final score out of five. I won't spoil anything by saying anymore, but here is the first card, just to give you a flavour. Is It Fun? The Kringle Caper Escape Room Card Game Review If you enjoy puzzle games and escape room style challenges, you will love this. It is very simple, and a scaled-down version. There are only 18 cards after all. So, don't go into this expecting big props, twists, or surprises. It is a simple card-based puzzle game, with some familiar challenges, and a fun holiday-inspired theme. We played this in the blazing sun, in the middle of summer, and still had a good time with it. I will certainly keep it around for another turn on Christmas Eve this year. I think by then we will have forgotten the answers so we will easily be able to enjoy this again! I am keen to try out the other games in this series and see how they develop the idea. But what we have here, with these 18 cards, is a pure, simple, distilled version of a card game-based escape room that offers a good 60 minutes of family fun. Well worth checking out if you enjoy these types of experiences. This one is certainly very well executed, not too tricky to solve (it's ranked 2/3 on the difficulty scale) and was something my entire family enjoyed doing together (nine and eleven-year-olds).

Planted: A Game of Nature & Nurture WBG Score: 7.5 Player Count: 2-5 You’ll like this if you like: 7 Wonders , It's A Wonderful World , Sushi Go Party Published by:   Buffalo Games , Designed by: Phil Walker-Harding This is a free review copy. See our review policy here I get a sense that designer, Phil Walker-Harding, likes drafting games. After the success of Sushi Go, a game that has sold over a million copies in more than 20 countries, you would think most designers would explore other mechanics. But Planted shares a lot of the things that make Sushi Go great. A simple design, with easy-to-learn rules, great fun drafting, interesting scoring, and a gorgeous design. Maybe Phil Walker-Harding should make a drafting game about every theme there is! Back to Planted, this is a gorgeous production that feels utterly premium, pimped out, and upgraded, and this is just a basic version. There is no deluxe. This is as standard. But does it play as good as it looks? Let's find out. How To Set Up Planted First, place the nursery board in the centre of the table. Then give a player board to each player, who should then place it in front of them on the table. Next, split the 60 Resource cards from the 42 Item cards , all of which have a common card back, shuffle them separately, and then place them down into their designated areas on the nursery board. Now, locate the six Plant cards labelled “Beginner,” shuffle them, and distribute one to each player. Players should display their Plant card face-up above their player board above the left most space. There are spaces for six planets cards like this. Place the remaining beginner Plant cards back in the box as they will not be used in the game. Next, shuffle all other Plant cards and stack them face-down as a draw pile on the designated area of the nursery board. Draw four Plant cards and display them face-up in the indicated spaces next to the draw pile, forming the nursery row. Finally, arrange all Light, Water, Plant Food, Green Thumb, and Growth tokens in separate supply piles near the nursery board. You are now ready to play. How To Play Planted The game consists of four rounds, with players aiming to acquire resources, decorations, tools, and new plants to score end game points. At the start of each round, players draw six Resource cards and two Item cards from the nursery board's draw piles, keeping their hands secret. Each round comprises of eight turns, where all players simultaneously select one card from their hand to play face-down in their play area. The remaining cards are placed face-down on the table to the left or right of their player board, depending on the round (as shown on each player board). In rounds one and three, hands are placed to the left, while in rounds two and four, they are placed to the right. Once all players have completed these actions, everyone reveals their chosen card simultaneously. Cards are used for one of four things: either to add to their Tools or Decoration, for in-game powers and end-game scoring, to use as a resource to take immediately, or to use to claim a new plant. To do this, when you reveal the card, you must say "Nursery" as you do so, and then you can take one of the four face-up plant cards. If more than one person does this at once, check the small number on the bottom left of the card, and the player with the lower number picks first. After each card is taken, replenish the nursery with a new card from the draw deck. At the end of the round, players can now use the resources they have gained to feed their plants. Each plant will need a combination of sun, water, and plant food. You must discard each resource used, and then if you have enough for each plant, you can place a Growth token over the scoring zone of that card to show it has been fed successfully. Cards have one to three scoring zones. Once those zones are full, that card is done for the game. Green thumb tokens can be exchanged for any resource at a ratio of 2:1. Any leftover resources can be discarded in pairs for more Growth tokens to feed the Propagation jars on their player board. There are six of these, and each one with a Growth token on at the end of the game will score you an additional one point. Players then discard any final unused resources, all cards in their play area, and get ready for the next round. In a three or four-player game, you will need to reuse some of the cards. After the fourth round is over, score up your points from Growth tokens on the propagation jars, any bonuses you have gained from the Decoration cards you collected during the game, and finally, from all Growth tokens placed on the plant cards themselves. Most points win. Is It Fun? Planted: A Game of Nature & Nurture Board Game Review Drafting games offer a unique and engaging gameplay experience that challenges players to strategize and think ahead. This game stands out for its simplicity, quick setup, and accessibility, making it perfect for family gatherings or lighter game nights. Sessions last around 20 minutes, but still ask you to make meaningful decisions, appealing to players of all levels. The game strikes a balance between being family-friendly and appealing to experienced gamers, with intuitive mechanics that offer depth but in a very simple way. Its quick setup and teardown process make it the perfect family-friendly drafting game. This is a gem in table top gaming, delivering a delightful experience in a compact and accessible package. The drafting process has players deciding between what they want to feed their plants this round, what tools and items will give them the best chance for more points and resource combos. All the while, as players watch the available Plant cards in the Nursery, choosing when to strike and claim a new card. Some of the resource cards have double benefits. You want to draft those quickly. But if there is the perfect Plant card available, maybe you need to shout "Nursery" first, to claim that card. But what if the right Item card has just come up? Choices, choices! The art featured on the cards is truly captivating and exudes a sense of beauty. The gorgeous pastel style creates a serene ambiance that enhances the overall experience of playing. Each illustration radiates a calming and peaceful vibe, making it easy to immerse oneself in the game. The attention to detail in the artwork is also commendable, striking a perfect balance between realism and a laid-back aesthetic. The harmonious blend of colours and the gentle strokes used in the designs enhances the visual appeal but also contributes significantly to the overall enjoyment and positive relaxing atmosphere of the game. But what of the plant cards themselves? The stars of the show! Well, I suppose plants are quite green, aren't they! I mean, they are fine. I like them. But it just seems a little bland compared to the rest of the game. Maybe more vibrant pots? Or a background with a little more going on could have been used? I don't dislike the art on the plant cards. But I do think, every time I play, they are a little lacking somewhat. In general, I find this game quite enjoyable. While it may not introduce any ground-breaking elements, it combines drafting, resource management, and set collection in a pleasantly simple and satisfying way. If it were to be made more complicated with expansions, I think the game would suffer. In its current duration of just over 20 minutes, it is just right. Delightful even. I trust that the developers won't fall into the trap of many other similar games by overcomplicating it, potentially diluting its core appeal. As it stands now, it is flawless. Keep your expectations in check, it is simple in its current state. But go in with these feelings and I suggest you will be pleasantly surprised by the experience.

Rolling Realms Redux WBG Score: 8.5 Player Count: 1-6* You’ll like this if you like: That's Pretty Clever , Troyes Dice , Riverside . Published by:   Stonemaier Games Designed by: Jamey Stegmaier , Karel Titeca This is a free review copy. See our review policy here Rolling Realms first came out as a "bit of fun" for designer Jamey Stegmaier during the lockdown period of 2020. He played it online with anyone who wanted to join in, using a freely accessible one pager. This then developed into a fully published game, which has since seen MANY mini expansion released. One for each Stonemaier game released, and many other for games Jamey enjoys. Rolling Realms Redux is a new stand alone/sequel/collection of new expansions (Delete as appropriate). *You can enjoy playing with up to 6 friends without needing anything else. But can play with an infinite amount of people if you have more copies. Inside this box, you will find all the necessary components to play the game, as well as the opportunity to discover 12 exciting new realms. These expansions, like those that came previously, are inspired by popular games from other publishers. As stated on the Stonemaier website, " The promo packs will only be available in their current form (separate packs on our webstore), not bundled into a big box. You can pick and choose the packs you want. We often discount the packs when releasing new packs." So, this is the best way to develop, or indeed, start your Rolling Realms collection. There is no need to wait for one big box collection. It won't come. Additionally with this release, you'll receive a printed living rulebook that explains all the realms (to date)—both original, new, and promotional. And there is no need to worry about storage space—the game comes in a meticulously designed box that accommodates all realms ever created. How To Set up Rolling Realms Redux Distribute a set of cards to each player, ensuring that each set is identical. Each set should contain 12 realm cards (along with any extra cards from the base game or promotional realms that you may have). Give one resource card, and one score card to each player along with a dry-erase marker and an eraser cloth. At the start of every round, one player will shuffle their realm cards and randomly draw three realms. Each other player must now locate those exact three cards from their own set so that all players are using the same cards. The remaining realms are set aside. Place the two dice into a central area, and you are now ready to play. How To Play Rolling Realms Redux Each game of Rolling Realms last three rounds. Each round consists of nine turns. Players take turns simultaneously. A turn will consist of two simple phases. Phase one. Roll the Dice: A player rolls the two dice and shares the results with all players. Each player records the numbers rolled on their score card in the turn spaces numbered one to nine. Phase two: Activate Realms: Each player will now simultaneously use each die once in a different realm. You cannot activate the same realm more than once per turn. You can spend any previously gained resources while activating realms. Rare situations where you cannot use any die allow players to gain a resource instead of using. Some resources and realm rules generate extra dice, but you still cannot activate the same realm more than once per turn unless altered. Using a dice in a Realm greatly relies on the Realms you possess. Ultimately, you will mark the two numbers rolled on two of your three Realms to progress your status within this Realm and try to earn stars. To clarify, let's explore some of the new Realms introduced in this edition. Here are three of the trickier ones. Hopefully, you will agree that they are all still fairly straightforward. once you have the hang of these three, the others will all full into place. Rock-Paper-Scissors works by players picking one of the rolled dice numbers and then assigning a circle (if it was a one, two, or three) a cross (if it was a six) or a square (if it was a four or five) and then placing the assigned shape into any slow on the left hand column. You will then gain the benefit on that row, either a pumpkin, heart or coin. And with that, let's have a brief pause to explain the benefits. The pumpkins can be used either in pairs to adjust a die roll up or down by one, or in sets of three to adjust a die roll by one but now use it in a realm you have already activated this turn. The hearts can be used in twos to use a die number twice if you rolled a pair, and then in sets of three to do the same if you did not roll a pair. The coins let you use one of the die numbers twice if the sum of the two dice is exactly seven, and then in any number to gain any number. You just need to use the same number of coins as the number you are using. So two coins for a two, four coins for a four. When you gain a benefit, circle the correct number of symbols on your benefit card. You can then use them at any point later in the game by crossing off the ones you have circled. At the end of the game, unused benefits are worth 0.1 point each. Ok, back to Rock-Paper-Scissors. once you have assigned one of the die to mark a space on the left an claimed the benefit, you you must use the other die (which will not be exhausted and can still be used in another realm) to assign a second shape to any space on the right hand column. it does not have to be the same row you chose for the first number. The idea is that over the course of the rounds you will "win" as many games of Rock-Paper-Scissors as possible by placing shapes on the left hand side that beat shapes on the right hand side. Circle beats cross. Cross beats Square. Square beats Circle. When a row wins in this way, mark the space on the left to show you won, and then at the end of the round, count how many victories you had and score stars accordingly. You need nine victories for the full six stars. Wonderland's War is an interesting new realm as it has a timer trigger. At the beginning of rounds four, five, seven, eight, and nine, you must total the roll of the two dice before any manipulation and mark the total in the allocated space on the card. In order to win this realm, you need to use dice prior to these rounds to mark numbers in the different spaces so that the total of your two dice in each battleground is equal to or greater than the sum of the two dice used that round. Blanks are worth zero, and you cannot go back to previous rounds to fill in blanks. The battlegrounds are immediately scored. When you fill a circle with a number in each battleground, you will gain a benefit. When you win a battleground, you will gain one or two stars, depending on which one it is. Flamecraft has an interesting way to use the dice. Either Enchant by circling a benefit above any of the three "Shops" or Gather by writing a number in one of the matching Shops' three spaces to then gain any previously Enchanted benefits. The first shop can be used with a two, three, or four. The second can use a three, four, or five. The final shop can use a five or a six. Those benefits are then marked off; they cannot be gained again. At the end of the round, you will score stars for each Shop where you marked off both benefits during the Enchanting, and also a star for each shop where you write three numbers. Hopefully now, these three other Realms will make more sense to you when you read the rules on them. They are all quite self-explanatory. After nine turns, record the stars earned that round on your score card. Each leftover resource is valued at 0.1 stars. Clear all content except scores on your score card and erase all realm and resource cards completely. Keep the used realms from the previous round aside and then reveal three new realm cards for all players to collect and start the next round. After the third round, proceed to the end-game scoring. The player with the highest cumulative stars wins. Is It Fun? Rolling Realms Redux Card Game Review The joy in this game comes from two main areas for me. First, the combo-turns that you can create as you get better. Gaining more benefits, then using them at the right moment to use three numbers per round instead of two; it's a real hoot! Second, the history of this game. It takes me back to playing online with Jamey during the lockdown months. It gave me, like many others, something to do and a connection with the outside world. Watching the game develop over the weeks, and seeing Jamey openly take feedback from normal, everyday people who were playing along with him was so inspiring. This Redux edition is simply another chance for me to support a game I adore because of this. I am delighted it brings in 12 new realms, and I am also excited to get more of these brilliant pens. Surely, the best dry-erase pens in the hobby? And of course, this new box is big enough to hold all the Realms you may have already. Exploring the new Realms and working out which ones work well together is a wonderful experience. It is almost a little like deck-building. Of course, in the proper game, you are picking three Realms at random, but in the process, you see which ones combine well together. I then like to use this knowledge to create more exciting games later by pairing a Realm that does well with lower numbers with another that prefers higher numbers, and perhaps with a third that has flexibility with both. If you like the original game, I would highly encourage you to check out this version too. If you don't have the original, then get this first. Then add packs as you go. This version is a little better as it has more realms, a cool travel box you can use to take the game with you anywhere you go, and a better solo mode. Solo Mode A quick word on the solo mode, because it is fantastic. Within this box are the rules for a new solo mode. The original box came with a solid "mini Golf" themed solo mode, that is a lot of fun. The new Redux version is called RRR Ball. It is a tournament you play against bots over five weeks. Each week has two matches. In a match, you won't score points, rather goals. Goals are scored by winning a Realm against the bot score. So the maximum amount of goals you can score is three. But some matches have a x2 multiplier. Each match is played in a different league. Each league will give you a different amount of rolls, more in the lower leagues. After each week, when all matches have been carried out, you will determine the rankings for that week. If you have more goals than the bot with the most goals, you will be the league champion and will be promoted to a higher league for the next week. If you get promoted from league one, you will win the solo mode.

Distilled WBG Score: 8 Player Count: 1-5 You’ll like this if you like: Viticulture , The Networks Published by: Paverson Games Designed by: Dave Beck By Steve Godfrey This is a free review copy. See our review policy here There are a few food/drink games out in the world in which it would be almost rude not to pair them with the subject in question. Distilled is no exception. So set it up, sit down with your favourite drink (please drink responsibly) and you’ll be ready to play. The real question you have to ask yourself is this, is the game worth pairing with a 60 year old MacCutcheon Whisky or is it only worth breaking out the cheap supermarket own brand? How to make spirits……alcohol, not ghosts. Give each player a player board and clip board, decide which set of spirits you’ll be using and give each player a card of that set to slot into their clipboard. Then deal each player two distiller identity cards to choose from, but only use the ones that match the regions of the spirits you’re using (there’s handy lists in the rule book for this). Once chosen, give each player their starting items based on their distiller and give them their signature recipe token and ingredient and a metal barrel and glass bottle card. The game is played over seven rounds, each consisting of four phases. On your turn in the market phase you can buy a card from the basic market. Here you’ll find Yeast, water, one of each type of sugar and two different types of barrels. Some cards are free and a few have a cost to them but these are always available. You can buy at most two cards from the basic market per round. You can also buy from the premium market. Upgrade cards let you upgrade your distillery. You can have at most three of these at any one time but you can replace existing ones if you find something better. Premium Ingredients which will go towards making your spirits and are the same types as the basic ingredients, except these are worth money and points if they’re used in your recipes. Items consist of premium barrels and different types of containers for your spirits. There’s no limit to the amount of things you can buy from the premium market; well apart from how much money you have. The last thing you can buy is a new recipe. You can only make two recipes at the start of the game, Vodka and Moonshine. The rest of the recipes on your list have to be brought and fall into a bronze, silver or gold categories and each one being a different price to buy. The higher the price, the more points it’s worth when you sell it! When you distil in the aptly named distil phase, you'll be adding ingredients to your washback to try and make a successful concoction. You’ll need to add at least one sugar, water and yeast to your spirit from your pantry. Any alcohol cards can be used in place of yeast or water. You can then throw in any number of other ingredients you want. You then take the same number of alcohol cards as you have sugars. Shuffle all the cards then take the top and the bottom card from the cards and put them back in your pantry. You then see which cards you have left in your hand and see which spirit you can make on your clipboard out of the recipes you’ve learned. Some will need only certain types of sugars or no sugars or certain types of containers. Each drink will earn you money or points or a combination of both. Certain other ingredients and items in your hand will also net you points and money which you will collect during the sell phase. Some drinks will require ageing before you can sell them. If you have to age a spirit you place it in the appropriate barrel, take a flavour card from the deck and place it with that spirit unseen and place it in your cellar. You won’t be able to sell aged spirits in the round that you make them so be prepared for the fact that the next round you may be a little short on money unless you keep a little bit back. The more you age a spirit the more points/money it could be worth when you do sell it. When you make and sell a spirit you’ll also gain a label of that type (if available) and use it to cover one of the bonus spaces on your player board. This is how you'll get your signature ingredient that you’ll need to make your signature drink. At the end of a round you'll see if any players meet the criteria to score one of the public bonuses. After seven rounds you'll score end game points for your private bonus cards, money, certain upgrade cards and your bottle collection. A game to raise your spirits One of my favourite games is Viticulture and one of the reasons I love it is because it takes you through the process of making wine in order to get points. It tries to give you the sense that you're actually making the thing that the game’s about. Of course it’s an abstracted version of the whole thing because, of course it is. Distilled takes much the same approach in what it’s asking you to do, but it’s a lot more… distilled and has you focus even more on the production of the spirits than it does on the day to day running of the Distillery, but there's still that factor in it. I find it makes the game so much more thematic and gets you so much more invested in the whole thing if you feel like you're actually going through those motions rather than just, say, cashing in a couple ingredient cards to take a Gin card. It feels odd that the act of collecting some cards, shuffling them and ditching two will make a game feel more thematic but what can I say, it really does. Distilled has you doing this from round one, which in a seven round game is very much appreciated; but it throws you in and has you puzzling out how to make your first spirit straight from the off. Now granted your first concoction will most likely be some Moonshine or some Vodka but we’ve all gotta start somewhere. I don’t know about you but if I’d been given a run down distillery and had only a few quid to my name I’d be happy if I got some mildly alcoholic puddle water out of it. Something I really appreciate in this game is that you can always make something, (providing you’ve got the basics) it may not necessarily be the thing you want, but I’d rather take something over nothing any day and it’s still going to net you some money at the very least. The market phase is where the majority of the game is going to be. It’s where you decide which drink you're going to try and build with the ingredients you buy, how to upgrade your distillery and how you're going to store and present it to try and flog it to the booze loving public. With four different markets out there you’re going to have quite a few options to choose from but be warned, money can be tight in this game, especially in the early rounds as your alcoholic empire is beginning to grow. But it makes every decision you make so important. Distillery upgrades are great long term, but spending that cash now means that you may not get the ingredients or storage to make what you want this round. That tightness of only being able to make one spirit per round means that you want to try and make the best you can every time to get those all important points, but that little economic game that sits underneath makes you constantly aware that this game is still about running a business. Is it Whisky or Whiskey? I enjoy whisky but I couldn’t begin to tell you how it’s made. Perhaps this is an excuse to go on a few whisky tours? You know, for research purposes. In the interim though, distilled is peppered with little alcohol related facts throughout the rule book and cards. The most interesting and relevant one relates to making the spirit itself. When you’ve got your elements together you shuffle your cards and remove the top and the bottom card and place them back in your pantry. What’s left is what you have to make a drink with. It’s very thematic in the sense that that’s inherent to the process of making a spirit. They remove the poisonous top and bottom of the mix. It’s a really clever way of integrating a little thematic touch to the game and it also stops that distilling phase from becoming a mechanical hoop to jump through each round. If it wasn’t there then just putting your drink together wouldn’t be as interesting. There’s so many thematic touches throughout the game that prove that this has been a labour of love from the designer. It goes hand in hand with the production that is just as lovingly put together. Little things like storing tokens in whisky barrel shaped trays always bring a rye smile to my face. It all comes from a first time publisher and designer. It makes me really excited to see what’s coming next from them. If I’ve got any complaint is that there’s not really any room in this otherwise well thought out insert for me to store any whisky bottles to take to game night, but I’ll let them off on this occasion. They’ve brought forth Juniper berries! So let’s talk about the empty gin bottle in the room (I know a few gin drinkers who will have shuddered at the thought of that sentence) The distilling mechanic is very random. Spending an entire round to pull together everything you need to make a big point scorer, only to see it turn to vodka all because of a bad draw can be really frustrating. Because of that I can easily see people being put off of this game based just on that alone, and honestly, I wouldn’t blame you. Personally though, I kinda like it. As I said earlier, it makes the whole distilling process a little bit more interesting and adds a tension to the game that can lead each player to have their own private little “yay or nay” moments. There are of course ways to help with this. Some upgrades help you mitigate things in this phase and, finding ways to add more sugars and ingredients into the mix to bulk out the deck and make those bad draws less likely. I will say that for your first couple of plays it will certainly feel like there’s a lot to keep a track of and certainly teaching it, it felt like a lot. You know those teaches where you feel like Columbo and you're using the phrase “just one more thing” a bit too much. With two sets of goals (public and private) and also the bottle set collection and the different regions and signature recipes and trying to remember the scoring on your upgrade cards, I felt there were a lot of little things that could easily get lost in the mix, especially as you're trying to get your head round how distilling works. Not that the distil phase is difficult but that alone may take a round or two until everyone knows what they’re doing. All that being said, the game itself doesn’t feel overly complex once you get into the rhythm of it. We also found the private goals to be a little fiddly and trying to figure them out meant end game scoring took a bit longer than I’d like. Personally I’d be tempted to to leave out the private goals and maybe the bottle set collection for a first game. The icons on the cards and the end game scoring on the bottom of the upgrade cards is too small though. There’s not that many of the icons so it won’t be long before you know what each does. But in both cases they are small enough that it will become a problem unless you sit real close to them, which isn’t always easy with a big game like this. On a few occasions I found myself almost not scoring some of my upgrade cards because the scoring condition is tucked away at the bottom of the card. On the flip side there is a first game guide which will take each player through a few turns to get them into it, in much the same vein as Wingspans Quick Start guide. I’ve personally not used it but I love the fact that it’s there to ease people into the game, especially if you’ve got multiple new players at the table. Distilled…..distilled. Distilled is a game that’s been designed with the theme in mind from the start. It works great at taking you through the process of making different spirits whilst giving you enough of an economic puzzle to back up the fun of getting the best out of your booze. If you're looking for a good time with no alcohol required then this is well worth a look. On second thought, if I move some cards around I could get some miniatures in that insert!

Distilled   WBG Score: 8 Player Count: 1-5 You’ll like this if you like: Viticulture , The Networks   Published by: Paverson Games Designed by: Dave Beck This is a free review copy. See our review policy here If you are looking for a full review of the main game, head here to the excellent piece by Steve. If you are wondering how this plays solo, well you are in the right place! How To Set-Up and Play for Solo Distilled The only real change from the base game is that you will not be using the Distillery goals and Spirit awards in this game. Instead, you will replace them with cards from the small solo deck. There will be some labelled A, B, and C. Shuffle each deck separately and then lay them out into five rows, with two A's at the top, then three C's, four B's, three C's again, and finally two C's. Shuffle the remaining B cards and place them face down next to this pile. Put the other cards back into the box. Then flip the cards in row one, three, and five face up so you can see their text. Finally, place any unused player score token on the bottom row of these card and place the Solo Goal Swap card next to this set of cards. Throughout the game, you will be aiming to complete any of the face-up goals on the row the score marker is currently on. You can complete goals on the row above as well, but never higher than that, or below. When you complete a goal, add a coin onto the card to mark that you have done that, and take any money or points shown on that card. When you complete a goal, any face down goal cards directly above it. If you complete a goal from the row above, you must move the score marker up to that row. Once per game, you can use the Solo Goal Swap card to swap out any two cards with two new cards from the unused deck. Flip it over to show you have used it. In order to emerge victorious in a solo game, you must achieve at least one objective from every row and then surpass the designated score. This score is determined by adding up the red numbers on the goal cards you have accomplished. Typically, the simpler goals come with higher numbers, while the more challenging ones have lower values. Therefore, focusing on the straightforward objectives will lead to a higher final target score. Be mindful of this as you play! The only other change to the game is the spare B cards are used after the end of each Market phase to remove some extra cards from the Market decks. AS if other players had chosen some cards during this phase. Simply flip the top B card, then use the next card to show you which cards to remove. It's very simple and takes a mere moment. Is it Fun? Distilled Board Game - Solo Review There is no dummy player in this solo experience . No automa. Just a simple way to set interesting goals, making each solo game unique, and then a final points target to aim for, based on the level of goals you went for this round. It's a near-perfect solo experience. If playing the game with others isn't your cup of tea, (or glass of Whisky!) your overall opinion of the game may remain unchanged. However, the competitive aspect of obtaining different drink tokens has been removed, relieving some of the pressure. And, you no longer have to worry about other players taking the cards you need or having all the luck during the distilling phase, as they are not there! Some cards will still be taken each round after the Market phase, but only after you have made your selection. While experiencing bad draws during the Distil phase can still be frustrating, but at least you won't have to witness other players getting all the luck that round! So, if you don't like the main game for these reasons, maybe the solo experience will be better for you. But the genius of this solo game for me is how similar it feels to the multiplayer experience. There is no extra admin, no slow down in play. Just a great way to experience a solid game on your own, with interesting, ever-changing, and genuinely interesting challenges. Both in terms of the mid-game goals, but also the end game score target, that evolves as the game progresses, depending on which goals you complete. There are enough solo cards to set up two separate games without any duplicates. I would have liked to see a few more for added variety, but this is certainly enough to keep it fresh as remember, you wont be completing all the tasks used in each game anyway. Generally around five to nine from a total of 14. I am a huge fan of Distilled. It is a truly fantastic game in its own right. With its captivating and distinctive theme that permeates every aspect of the game, from the rules to the mechanics and components, you have a truly solid game here. The solo gameplay is top-notch, offering a seamless experience without any additional rules or complexities, and it does not impact the game length at all. The level of challenge in the solo mode is just right for a game like Distilled. The only downside is that it's an ideal game to enjoy with a drink or two, and I prefer not to drink alone!

Tapestry Natural Rubber Playmat WBG Score: 8/10 Player Count: 1-5 You’ll like this if you like: Viscounts of the West Kingdom , Wingspan , Lost Ruins of Arnak   Published by: Stonemaier Games Designed by: Jamey Stegmaier This is a free review copy. See our review policy here . If you would like to read the review for the main game, then head here . If you would like to read the review for the first expansion Plans & Ploys, then head here . If you would like to read the review for this second expansion, Arts & Architecture, then check this link . To check out the third and final expansions, then head here . Oh, and the revised Civ pack here. All of which I have played and loved with the main cardboard board that comes with the base game. But now, I have this delightful rubber playmat to use instead. Is it any good? Does it add anything to the game? Let's check it out! First and foremost, when discussing the quality of the mat, it is important to consider the material used in its construction. The durability of the mat plays a significant role in its overall quality. In this case, it seems that the mat is of commendable quality, providing a sturdy and reliable surface for gameplay. Furthermore, the visual aspect of the mat is crucial in assessing its quality. While it may not match the sharpness and detail of a print on paper or cardboard, the clarity and crispness of the images and text on the mat are still noteworthy. A clear and legible design enhances the overall aesthetic appeal of the mat and contributes to a more engaging gaming experience. The ability to easily distinguish and interpret the elements on the mat is obviously essential for gameplay. Finally, comparing the playmat to the original board will give you a better idea of how well the print on this playmat has come out. This comparison allows for a direct evaluation of how the playmat enhances or alters the gaming experience in relation to the traditional board setup. You can see the playmat below is not quite as sharp for the text as seen on the original board on the top, but the images look great. The primary focus may not be on the quality of the text print work, but it is essential to acknowledge that the visual aspect of a game mat plays a significant role in enhancing the overall gaming experience. By investing in a game mat, players are not just looking for a functional accessory but also a way to streamline the set-up process and elevate the aesthetics of their gaming environment. Game mats are designed to not only make gameplay more convenient but also to add a touch of style and sophistication to the gaming table. The intricate details, vibrant colors, and thematic elements featured on a game mat can transport players into the world of the game, immersing them in the gaming experience like never before. When examining a game mat on its own, it becomes evident that it serves as more than just a playing surface. It acts as a focal point that ties the entire gaming setup together, creating a cohesive and visually appealing backdrop for epic gaming sessions.While The main board is just the square part with curly edges in the top right of this. All the rest is extra. Space to put the cards, space for the tiles. Space to lay out the buildings. It just makes the process a little simpler and looks a lot better when done. For comparison, here is the playmat with the original board on top so you can see what this playmat adds. There is more to this playmat than just the spaces on the board, as demonstrated. For a clearer view of the text on the main board, you can always place the original board on top of the playmat. It's the best of both worlds! If you are a fan of Tapestry, have all the other expansions, and enjoy playing the game a lot, then I can highly recommend this. It won't change your mind on the game if you are not a fan, but if you are and enjoy playing this game a lot, it will certainly enhance your time with the game, making it visually and practically a better experience.

Anachrony WBG Score: 9 Player Count: 1-4 You’ll like this if you like: Viticulture , Caverna , Perseverance Published by: Mindclash Games Designed by: Dávid Turczi , Richard Amann , Viktor Peter This is a review copy. See our review policy here By Steve Godfrey I was going to write a whole piece about the timey-wimey nature of the story that sets the world of Anachrony, in which an unexplained explosion hits and sends the world into an apocalypse. Until we learn that we can now time travel thanks to the neutronium brought with the said asteroid. We then learn that the asteroid hasn’t actually struck yet, but it’s a future event that will have ripples in time. Confusing? Well, don’t worry, this quote from the hard Sci-fi TV show Red Dwarf is sure to explain it all. Lister: Hey, it hasn’t happened has it? It has “will have going to have happened” happened, but it hasn’t actually “happened” happened yet, actually Rimmer: Poppycock! It will be happened; it shall be going to be happen; it will be was an event that could will have been taken place in the future. Simple as that Right, now that’s been cleared up, on with the review! When is Anachrony? Sorry, WHAT, is Anachrony. Anachrony is a worker placement game set in a dystopian future after the impact of an explosive event left few survivors. After humanity formed different factions called paths, they eventually came together and discovered, through the use of Neutronium left by the explosion, that they could travel through time. Each round, players will be powering up exosuits to explore the toxic wasteland (the main worker placement board) and use these spaces to recruit more workers, build buildings (which in turn will give you more worker placement spaces), mine for resources, trade, and even collect water. You’ll even be able to borrow resources from your future selves, but beware! If you don’t pay these back by the end of the game, you'll lose points. You can pay these back by using certain buildings to travel back in time to a previous round. You can also use this to travel back and build powerful but expensive super weapons. Having unpaid debt could also lead you to gain paradoxes, which could lead you to place paradox buildings that block building spaces on your board. After the fourth round, an impact will happen, and certain spaces will be populated with bonus tokens which, when visited, will destroy those spaces for the end of the game. At this point, the game will end after either the seventh round or when all spaces with tokens have been visited. The fourth round is also when you can activate your evacuation protocol for a huge chunk of points. Be careful to trigger it before the game ends, though. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins. Wobbly Wobbly Timey Wimey I’m not great at teaching a theme when I teach a game. I tend to stick to the basics and the “need-to-knows.” However, Anachrony is a game that does so much to integrate its theme that you’ll almost be doing it a disservice not to give some backstory. Don’t get me wrong; mechanically it’s not necessary to learn the game, but I’m sure that at some point you’ll be bombarded with questions like “why do we need exosuits to go here” or “how are we able to time travel” or, most importantly, “why do we need to evacuate the planet because I’ve just put on my pajamas and settled down on the sofa to watch Netflix and I don’t feel like getting up?” It’s a game that weaves its mechanics and theme so well that you may as well front-load the teach with a bit of story time (I mean, they are already in their pajamas), so why not throw in a bit of flair and entertain your friends. You never know, you could end up reading the CBeebies bedtime story, move over Chris Evans! A game that goes 88mph I love the way the worker placement plays out and the way your available actions ramp up as you play through the game and build more buildings, which, in turn, will give you more spaces to use. As you build more structures that can go inside your colony, you start to build up this big asymmetrical puzzle that you’ve crafted for yourself that you now need to navigate. Most of the buildings have a type of worker placement slot that can be used without the need for exosuits, and before you know it, a game that only seemed to have a few options now opens out into your own unique slice of this desolate world. Each round you’ll need to choose to power up a number of exosuits. You’ll need these to place your workers in so they can go outside onto the main board. The apocalypse has happened, and the air is toxic outside; trust me, you’ll need them. The exosuits aren’t the only important part of going outside because in a lot of cases, the more important decision is who to send. Each area will either require a certain type of the four different types of workers (admin, engineers, scientists, or geniuses) or give you special benefits if you choose a particular type of worker. For example, when you use the recruit space, you can't use a scientist, and you can only recruit geniuses (a wild card worker) using an admin since they have the gift of the gab (even in the apocalypse, we still have salesmen). I love that it makes that worker economy puzzle so much more interesting to navigate. Anachrony even ups the race element of a worker placement game. Because some of the spaces have some type of diminishing resource attached to them and some of the later spaces have costs attached to them, it makes getting to them as early as possible even more nail-biting and the source of so much back and forth on where to go first. This changes according to player count. At three or four, the board will fill up pretty fast, especially in the early rounds as players have fewer buildings. You’ll really feel that tug of war in your head as you try to decide your best move, knowing that whatever you choose, there’s a good chance the other space you want will be gone by your next turn. In contrast to this, a two-player game could feel almost relaxing as the fight for the main spaces isn’t quite as frantic. In one two-player game I played, for example, the first player marker never changed hands because neither of us felt it was necessary to pay the price to get it, as opposed to the other counts where it’s much more of a valid option. Speaking of workers, don’t expect your dedicated workforce to be pulling their weight at all hours. As you take them back at the end of a round, they return to your “tired” area. Yep, that’s right, they have the bare-faced cheek to have a rest! How to get them back? Well, there are two ways. Running along the worker area is a motivation track. Here you can take an action and pay an amount of water, depending on where you are on the track, and bring them all back. This moves the track one way to give you positive points at the end of the game. If you don’t fancy that either because you can’t afford the water cost or because you just don’t want to, you could always drive them hard. This gets them back by using a free action but pushes that track the other way for negative points at the end of the game. If you take this action with the marker at the end of the track, it costs you a worker. This little twist actually triggered a little bit of role-play from me in my first game. I’d decided that my Path didn’t believe in being nice to their workforce, and I never gave them water to get them back. Yes, I lost a couple of workers (a worrying amount actually) and some points at the end of the game, but crucially it didn’t hinder my game (me not keeping an eye on the end game objectives saw to that). I love that this is a valid choice you can make and head down this path of negative points, but you won't necessarily be sacrificing the win if you do. Time Travel, without a DeLorean! Of all the buildings you can get, arguably the most fun is the power plants (the time travel ones). I mean, let’s face it, time travel is one of the reasons this game piqued your interest, right? These let you jump into your metaphorical time travel device of choice, be it one of the two phone boxes, the grey car, the necklace, or just randomly leaping through time (oh boy) and going back to a previous round to help pay off any resources you borrowed previously or to build a super project. Time travel could have been such a perfunctory mechanic, but they’ve managed to weave it into something with meaning, some strategy, and a touch of threat. Each round you'll look back on the previous round spaces, and whoever has more borrowed resource tokens in each space will roll a die, which could get them paradoxes tokens. Get three, and you get an anomaly, which will take up precious building slots and give negative points if you don’t pay it off with resources and a worker. Anachrony isn't a game where you’ll necessarily be performing a Scrooge McDuck into your resources each round, so choosing how to spend them effectively is all part of the puzzle, and paying off the odd resources or worker may not seem worth the loss at first glance. That is until you realize that you get points for paying your debts. Not only that, because paying back your debts means that you could now avoid rolling that paradox die and throwing your competitors under the time travel bus (has there been a time-traveling bus before?). It’s great because it makes its own little strategic ecosystem. Plus, who doesn’t want to hop about in time just for the fun of it. Round five onwards is when you can complete your Evacuation objective. These are path-specific objectives that you can complete for a decent chunk of points. If you thought the race for spaces before was tense, then evacuation is about to up the game…literally. From here on out, you have a new space open on the main board which you can go to to complete your evacuation goals. One will require you to have three of a particular building type. The other will score you points based on how many sets of certain things you have. At first, the game gives you a little incentive to try and be one of the first to score your evacuation by having the last player to do it get a -3 point token. But the main reason you need to be fast is that the game could end in any of the next three rounds. So now your brain is whirring, do I trigger it now and cash in early (providing you’ve completed the main goal) or do I wait to eke out some more resources for a few extra points but risk the game ending before I trigger it. That fluctuating end game makes for a source of some great nervous tension, and you desperately try to work out how much time you have before someone triggers the end and what exactly you can get done. Whoa, this is heavy! Anachrony is certainly a big game, and with a BoardGameGeek weight rating of 4.01 out of 5, you’re going to need to have your brain switched on. I actually found this easier to have taught to me than actually teaching it myself. Mainly because there’s a lot to go through, and quite frankly, I get sick of the sound of my own voice if I’m teaching for too long. Having said that, I found that the game is actually pretty intuitive for the most part, especially when you start to get a grip of the icons. When I was having this taught to me, I didn’t find it hard to pick up the bare bones or the flow of the game. You’ll definitely need to dig out the rulebook for the super projects and the odd building or two, but for the most part, you’ll have a good idea of what everything does as you get into the game. The rulebook does a good job of telling you what each building does and even goes so far as to suggest some good combinations with other buildings. An exo(suit)stential crisis All the components you see here are from the retail edition of the game except for the Exo suit miniatures. In the retail version, they are hexagonal tokens that your workers sit on. Full disclosure, I was lucky enough to be sent the exosuit miniatures with this review copy to use as well and thought it’d be rude not to talk about them. I wasn’t asked to, but I mean look at them, how could I not. I’ll say now that you don’t need them. The game functions the same if you don’t have them, and you'll still have the same fun experience of this game with the original components. But now I’ve got them, I wouldn’t play without them. Workers will sit in the slot at the top, and they go a long way to help differentiate your exosuits from your opponents more easily, which is especially helpful when you pull your suits back at the end of each round. If I didn’t have them, I do think they would have been the next thing I would have brought for this game. Anachrony is a game that takes a theme that most books, films, and TV can struggle to pull off well and throws it into an arguably more difficult medium to navigate. But it does it well enough that it feels thematic but not so much that you feel the need to stop halfway through a game to have a conversation about if any of this actually makes sense to enjoy the game. All this while remembering to deliver a brilliant, strategic game to go along with it. Anachrony has been on my wish list for a long time, and it certainly hasn’t disappointed. Right, I'm off to invent some form of Time Machine. Maybe I’ll make it into a reclining chair and have the remote as the controls. It’ll be like watching a historical Netflix documentary but with all the smells, noises, and danger of the real thing…on second thoughts, I’ll probably just stick with the TV.

A Gentle Rain WBG Score: 8 Player Count: 1(2)* You’ll like this if you like: Cascadia , solo games, chill experiences. Published by: Incredible Dream Studios Designed by: Kevin Wilson This is a review copy. See our review policy here A Gentle Rain first came out in 2021, and it has created a fair bit of hype since it's release, over a few different editions. It has not been readily available in the UK ( it now is! ) and other countries, making it a thing of desire for many, simply because they could not get it. But also, reports were coming from overseas about this zen-like relaxing solo experience unlike any other. People wanted this game. They wanted to play it. They wanted to be blessed by its presence. But is this all hype? Or is there a good game here? Well, let's get it to the table and find out! How To Set Up A Gentle Rain Place the blossom tokens on the table, and then shuffle the tiles forming a face down stack. Flip over the top tile and place it face up into the middle of the table. You are now ready to play. The idea is is you are going to slowly build your lake. As the rain slowly starts to fall, more and more parts of the lake will be formed as you place tiles. When the rain stops, the game is over. So tile placement then! How To Play A Gentle Rain Flip of the top tile and check to see if any of the edges on this tile match the edges on the initially placed tile. Each tile has four half flowers on the four edges. The idea of the game is to create complete flowers, matching two matching halves together. If you can place the tile, you must place it. If you cannot place the tile, put it to the side in a discard pile and draw the next tile. This rarely happens. Whenever you complete a set of 2x2 tiles into a square shape of four tiles, take one of the blossom tiles that match at least one of the colours of flowers within this group of four, and place it into the middle circle created by these four tiles. If you don't have a tile matching one of the colours you are not able to place a flower blossom tile. The game will continue until the eighth blossom tile has been placed, at which point you will score eight points (for the eight blossoms) plus one point for every tile still in the unplayed stack. So, the idea is to find these matches of four to place all eight blossoms as quickly as possible. If the tiles run out before you place all eight blossoms you will simply score one point for each blossom you have placed by this point. This will be a lot more common in your first few games. It is possible to play the game with another player. The rules simply suggest that you take turns playing tiles in a cooperative mode. It works well with two players, as long as both players are in a similar head space and one player doesn't try to take over! Is It Fun? A Gentle Rain A Gentle Rain is an incredibly relaxing experience. In the right environment and with the right mindset, this can be a highly calming and enjoyable experience. I think I get the hype. However, this is in part a luck-based game. After a few games, when you have understood the right strategy, if you take your time when drawing tiles to check all possible options, you should be able to play the optimum move each time and get all eight blossoms out. The likelihood though of the tiles coming out in the right order for you to score the maximum possible total of 21 points seems somewhat out of your hands. The tiles will either come out in that order, or not. Obviously, you can optimize your placement and there is some skill and strategy to getting better scores. But, I would say after a few games, you will learn the best way to play, and it will then be down to the luck of the draw in terms of the order the tiles come out and how well you score. With that said, do I care? Well, no. I just enjoy the experience. I know it is luck-based in part, but I simply enjoy the process of putting out these tiles in this way. It takes ten minutes to play, uses a minimal space on the table and equally, minimal brainpower. If anything, it shuts down my brain and puts me into a mindful almost meditative state. I have one thing to focus on. I do that. The game takes over my being for this short period of time. At the end, I work out my score and note it mentally, but I don't really care. It is just a nice experience. I believe that all games of this nature should be like this. Cooperatively in a two-player game, I am not sure this is for me. This game screams issues with quarterbacking (when one player tells another player what to do) in the co-op experience. When I play this game in a two, it becomes an experience much more like Magic Maze where all I want to do is bark orders at the other player, and the game gives me the opposite of what I want from it, and what I get from it in a solo experience. However, other players may be able to work better with this in a two-player then me! I certainly hope so. As you acquire some strategies, like avoiding situations where you need to align three or four spaces to place a tile, or encountering scenarios where you require a tile with two identical colours (which are unavailable) to finish an area, you will begin to derive greater satisfaction from excelling in this game. Creating spaces where you are one tile away from a 2x2 with different combinations needed, rather than the same, and also avoiding too many dead spaces that cannot be completed, or where you are two tiles away from a 2x2 instead of just one, will help you maximize your efficiency and score. And of course, keeping your eyes peeled for the right tile. Do not miss opportunities to complete a 2x2. Finally, when you complete a 2x2 and can place a blossom, have a look at what other 2x2's are close to completion, and which blossoms you could use there. Use this information to pick the right blossom to place now, so you don't create completed 2x2's later that do not allow you to place new blossom tiles. There are an equal amount of coloured flowers on the tiles, so you can start to get a sense for what is to come, based on what has already been laid. And when you only have a few blossoms left to place, you can look at what colours they are, and place your next tiles accordingly, knowing which colours you will need in your final completed areas. The box of A Gentle Rain is not only tiny but also perfectly designed for easy set-up and tear-down, making it a convenient choice for quick gaming sessions. The simple components within the box are all crafted just right, offering a chunky and visually pleasing feel that enhances the overall tactile experience. A Gentle Rain offers a quick and relaxing experience that is perfect for unwinding and enjoying some quiet time alone. The simplicity of the game mechanics allows players to dive right in without the need to navigate through complex rules, set-up or strategies, making it accessible to both seasoned gamers and newcomers alike. The gentle pace and soothing nature of the gameplay create a serene atmosphere that is both calming and enjoyable. If you are in search of a tranquil and laid-back game that provides a beautiful experience without overwhelming you with intricate details, A Gentle Rain is a fantastic choice. Its charm lies in its ability to deliver a serene gaming experience that captivates players and leaves them wanting more. As you immerse yourself in the gameplay, you'll find yourself appreciating the subtle nuances of the art and intricacies within the strategy that make this game truly special. All aboard the hype train!

The Olympics is a fantastic occasion that brings together the world's top athletes to participate in 42 different sports. I had the privilege of attending numerous events during the London 2012 Olympics and am eagerly anticipating the upcoming games in Paris. In conjunction with the games, Gibson has introduced two new games for families to enjoy and immerse themselves in the Olympic spirit. "Go for Gold" is a fast and easy matching card game, while "Ready Set Win" is a strategic hand management and set collection game where players compete in various finals using the hands they have built throughout the game. Lets take at look at them both here in our Olympic Games Special: Go For Gold & Ready Set Win Board Game Reviews. Go For Gold - 2-8 players - 10 minutes game length Go For Gold works very simply. Shuffle all the cards and deal out 15-25 cards face down into a playing deck. You can decide how many you want based on the length of the game you want to play. Leave the rest of the deck face down, but then deal six face-up cards into a central row. When all players are ready, flip the top card from the playing deck face up. All players now play simultaneously in real-time, racing to take any of the six cards that match the face-up playing card. Cards match if they have either the same sport icon on it, or the same number of sports. Players can only take one card at a time and only use one hand. Once all matching cards have been taken, players reveal the cards they took for all players to check if there was a match. If so, they keep the card for end game scoring. If not, they must return that card, along with one other from the collection (if they have any) as punishment. Play continues like this until all cards from the playing deck have been flipped over. Players then group their cards into the eight different categories, and count how many sports they have for each category. Players are awarded a gold, silver, or bronze medal for collecting the most sports in each set, and the medals award you with three, two, or one point respectively. When all medals have been handed out, calculate your final score, the most points win! Go for Gold is a quick, enjoyable, and family-friendly game that can be completed in a matter of minutes. It is easy to learn and play with almost anyone, and its fast-paced nature ensures that you will be engaged and having a good time immediately. The game is more enjoyable with a larger group, it can get a bit competitive with just two players. However, adding more players increases the fun, with everyone vying to grab the cards and resulting in more laughter! It is an excellent choice for casual family gatherings or for playing with friends at a pub! The cards are a little low quality, which is a shame, and it makes shuffling them difficult, and they will get bent and damaged easily. But other than that, this is a lovely little game, with the perfect theme for the summer. Ready Set Win- 2-6 Players - 30/45 mins Game Length In Ready Set Win, players are competing over a series of six rounds, to build up their hand, in order to compete in six different finals. The idea is you are training up your teams each round, ready to win gold when the time comes. Set up the board like below, with each player being dealt two Training cards and Two Sports cards. Players keep one sports card and place the other onto the spaces on the team village. Then shuffle into the two decks the Training Break card and New Personal Best card (training deck) and five Finals cards (sports deck) and place them on their spaces. One Finals card is added to the countdown track, along with one class token. During their turn, each player is allowed to perform two actions. These actions include drawing a Training card from the top of the pile and adding it to their hand (with the maximum being seven cards), purchasing a Sports card from the board by using Training cards (the cost corresponds to the number of sports on the card, with an additional training point required for the farthest left card and four extra points for those on the right), or exchanging all four Sports cards with four new ones from the deck. Players have the option to repeat the same action twice before passing the turn to the next player. When a Sports card is purchased, the remaining cards move down, decreasing in cost, and the empty space on the far right of the deck is filled. Among these cards are the five Finals cards. As each Finals card is revealed, it is placed on the countdown track with a class token placed on top of it. After each player has taken a turn and play returns to the starting player, all Finals cards shift one space to the right. When a Finals card reaches the far right position, a final round is initiated. Players holding Sports cards matching the current Final class token must then assemble their teams to compete in this final. The player with the strongest team wins a Gold medal and ten points. Silver earns eight points, and Bronze awards six points. The strength of each team is determined by the number of sports depicted on all the entered cards, with an additional sport granted for each repeated sport. For instance, if a player submits five cards, each featuring an Urban Sports event (the final being contested), and these cards display a total of 14 sport icons, the player gains extra points for the three BMX icons, three skateboarding icons, three street dancing icons, two speed climbing icons, and two BMX Freestyle icons, resulting in a total of 27 points. Although it may seem complex, you will quickly grasp the concept. All cards used in the finals are discarded, and the game resumes as usual. The game concludes after the sixth final is completed. This game is a little more complex, but still very family-friendly; I have found most players can get their heads round it in just a few minutes. It feels more of a game than Go For Gold, and the scoring, although complex at first, offers you the chance to create some interesting hands for each of the finals. Selecting which cards to buy as you build you hand is crucial, looking for the right card form the right discipline, but also matching events you already hold in your hand. Of course, there is a fair bit if luck here, but with four cards available at all times, and each card double sided, there is usually a good choice available. And you can always swop them all out if you prefer. It is an enjoyable hand management experience that will set you up for a great summer of sport!

As the great MC Hammer once said, "Yield, Gaming time!" This is a prototype version of the game and may not represent the final quality or look of the game. From the makers of Hidden Leaders and Almost Innocent there now comes new area control game, set in the same world as the previous games, with the same artistic style from Satoshi Matsuura but a whole new game style. You can find more about Yield here. Yield operates in a straightforward manner. A group of 2-5 players will select a faction from five options and one of the two sides of their chosen faction player boards. Each player will gather their three (or four for a specific faction) army tokens, power dials, six action cards, fortress tokens, and ten battle cards (from which they must discard three from). The remaining battle cards should be positioned next to the main board (on the right side according to the player count) near the score tracker. Neutral fortresses are then placed on the spaces marked with roman numerals. Players will distribute twelve power between their three armies (or four for the yellow player if they chose side A), rotating the dials to any numbers above one, to a total of twelve between them. Players will keep each individual army's assigned number secret. Players will then add one of their fortress tokens to one of the neutral fortress spaces, placing their token on the top. Players will then take turns adding their army tokens to the board either on the space with their starting fortress or one space next to it. Finally, assign one player to be the starting faction. You are now ready to play. Play now follows three rounds, each of which consists of four steps. The first step is where players will all play one of their six action cards from their hand. All players have the same six cards and will play four each round. The cards are all played face down, and when all players have played one card, the cards are revealed to show the intentions of each player. The starting player will then carry out their action first, followed by the next player, until all players have done this. This continues until all players have played and carried out four actions. If you ever do not want to take an action, or need more battle cards, you can choose not to reveal the action card, and instead draw five new battle cards, add them to your hand, then discard two. The main actions available are to move your armies, conquer neutral or other players' fortresses if they are left unguarded, and build new fortresses. You can also initiate a battle with an added battle score of six, which we will explain later; or conduct a ritual when you can copy any other card either in your hand or already played, gain the first player marker, but you must remove the bottom fortress token from one fortress than you control. At the end of the game, the player with the most points from fortresses wins. Each fortress is worth the number of tokens there, including neutral and other players' tokens. Whoever has the top token scores all the points. So you want to be adding tokens, not removing them. After the action card phase concludes, players will proceed to start battles. Battles will occur across the map whenever two or more opposing armies are currently adjacent to each other. A scenario of two (or more) armies facing one can arise if two armies surround a single one, but only the armies neighbouring an opposing army will engage in combat. In a situation where one army is adjacent to an enemy's army and has another army next to itself, but not adjacent to the opposing army, the two armies cannot team up against the single army. Battles work by players revealing the current battle strength of the armies engaged in battle, and then using a fortress token to mark this on the score tracker. The player with the lowest battle score then takes the initiative and decides if they want to fight or yield. If they yield, they will lose the difference in their current battle score and the enemy's by removing that from their battle dial. If this brings them to zero, they are destroyed. If they still have health left, they are defeated but not destroyed. If the player with the initiative does not want to yield, they can play a battle card to raise their battle score. The battle card must match the colour of the area in which they are fighting. If a player has more than one army involved, and these armies cover more than one terrain, that player can then play cards from more than one colour in this battle. This is a significant advantage. Players keep playing cards, rotating the initiative as they overtake each other's battle score by playing cards, until one player yields. The only other way a battle can end is if a tie occurs, and the player who has received the initiative decides to call a draw. This is rare. The battle cards can also be played on their reverse side as a wild card. An defeated army can be pushed back one space by the winning army. They can then advance one space with one army if they choose, potentially moving onto a now unprotected fortress. If you cannot push an opposing army as they are backed into a corner, then this is another way an army can be destroyed. Defeated armies stay on the map, but destroyed armies are removed. Play then moves to the next phase, the conquer phase, where players can add fortress tokens of their color onto any fortress space they don't currently own, that they are on with one of their armies. This generally is the result of a winning battle. For each fortress conquered this way, the player who does this can draw two new battle tokens. Play then moves to the final phase where any destroyed army can now come back onto the map, onto any fortress owned by that player. They will reappear with half of their previous health, rounded down. One player will then draw one card from the battle deck, reveal it to all players, and all players will then add that amount to their overall battle score, distributed amongst all their battle dials. In round two, two cards are drawn like this. After round three, the game ends. So far, so normal. But where is the twist? Alright, calm down, I was getting to it. This game has five different factions, and each one has its own unique asymmetric power. In fact, each one has two of its own. You can choose side A or B. Let's take a closer look at these now, and this is where the game comes alive! These powers can give you an extra army, allow you to move your fortresses as well as your armies, or even gain units for your armies instead of losing them when you lose a battle! A pretty hard power to combat when you are up against it, I found! Pavyr lets you gain extra battle cards for being in bigger fights, and Vyma has a great power that lets you play face down battle cards as neutral threes, rather than neutral ones. A bit advantage. But this is side A, check out some of the side B's! Pavyr now gains units from his total Fortresses, a huge swing in most fights! And Vyma now gains additional movement when carrying out the Ritual action. Movement is very powerful in this game. And check these out! Keralon now adds plus two for all face-up battle cards when their champion is in the fight! Lemron can now place power tokens on any space where they have armies present, rather than just existing fortress spaces. This is huge. But most bonkers of all, Basil now wins the entire game, no matter what round it is, no matter what player count it is, simply by destroying one army! Will you dare fight Basil? These variable powers bring not only incredible variety to the game, but also bucket loads of fun! I have loved exploring the variations of fighting with and against each of these, in multiple player counts and combinations. It makes every game feel different, and adds huge character to the game. Often a game will come down to one final battle for one powerful fortress. You need to plan ahead and make sure you have the right armies in the right place, with the right battle cards in hand. There can be some luck to this, but also a lot of planning, and when it pays off, it feels great. Games are surprisingly fast. Two-player games can be done in under 30 minutes. And I have had a four-player game last under forty too. Obviously, this depends on the players at the table, but ultimately, you play four cards each round, the actions are often pretty fast, and you won't have battles every round. Making the battle conquer and recovery round sometimes instant. I predict this game will be a huge success at both Kickstarter and retail levels, and would encourage anyone who enjoys a competitive, fast, fun-filled area-control game to check this one out.