Tag: Boardgames

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GAMING

A Gaming Holiday Hangover – The Gamer in me GL-22

It’s sooo tempting to play what’s new!

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During the holidays there’s ample opportunity to play any number of games.  If you are a dedicated gamer like me then you probably received a couple new games as gifts.  Your friends were off from school or work so it was the perfect time to go online and coordinate some Destiny boss runs, or get together for a Board game night.  You probably played more games over the last couple of weeks than you had the last couple of months before.  Now that you have been sufficiently spoiled you can’t help but want to keep playing.  You probably have a new favourite.  Like the next Season of your favourite show on Netflix you can’t wait to binge play it.  Of course what happens when you quickly finish that current Season on Netflix?  You suffer a form of withdrawal when it’s over.  Nothing else you watch seems worthy.  Well even though games don’t suddenly end.  Playing too much of a favourite game can quickly render it unplayable.  I don’t care how much you love a particular game.  If you don’t give it a rest every once in a while you’ll quickly tire of it.

Like it or not it pays to switch genres

Different types of games require different skills.  Games can excite our imagination, fuel our competitive nature, challenge our intellect, and at times totally surprise us.  Of course most of all they’re entertaining.  Most of us excell at one or two particular types of games.  Focus on only the ones that you are best at, and you limit how entertaining games can be.  I’m not a big fan of First Person Shooters, but there have been a few that I actually loved when I tried them.  Some people wouldn’t even consider playing a Racing simulation style game.  Then you sit them down, and have them try out your gaming steering wheel, and they become hooked.  I’ve known people who dismissed Board games as a child’s distraction.  Then I talked them into playing a game of Roborally after a few beers, and they couldn’t stop playing until they finally passed out.  It might surprise you what games will surprise and entertain you.  So as much as you love the new game you got on Christmas.  Don’t keep playing it until you hate it.  Play something totally different every now and then.  Even if it doesn’t totally thrill you.  It will make going back to your favourite game that much more satisfying.

Don’t bully your buddies

Just because you are still available after Christmas doesn’t mean that your friends are.  For many this time of year is getting into their slow time at work.  The big sales are coming to an end.  The winter weather shuts down a lot of the outdoor activities and industry.  Even the Real estate, and home improvement markets slow down.  If this is a slow time for you?  It won’t be long before you are going stir crazy wishing you had a few more friends to game with.  Don’t message all of your gaming friends like a pyramid scheme direct marketer.  Your Best shot of getting a few friends together to play some games is to just let everyone know that you are available.  Trust me, just because they might be busy most of the time doesn’t mean that they aren’t interested in blowing off a little steam by having a games night.  When they have a free night, they’ll be happy to know that at least you are definitely available.  As long as you make a habit of showing up when invited.  You will probably receive enough invitations to to keep your gaming addiction under control.

As much as I hate winter, so do a lot of other people.  Staying indoors is the perfect excuse to try a few new games so get gaming!

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GAMING

The Dos & Don’ts of Family Gaming – The Gamer in me GL-21

YOU’VE BEEN WARNED

Many of us will be spending a lot of time with our families over the holidays. The more time you spend with them the greater the chance that you will end up playing a few games.  Family Gaming can be absolutely great. Beware of making the classic mistakes that can turn a fun night into a warzone.

PROPER GAME SELECTION

Picking the right game to play with your family is key to having a successful day. There are an endless amount of choices so choosing the right game might not be as easy as you think. You can’t just open a pack of cards, and be done with it. Or can you? Card Games are a classic favourite with many families. A single deck of cards can provide hours of entertainment. So many different games can be played requiring minimal set up, and a rereading of the rules generally isn’t necessary. Everyone remembers how to play, and quite a few of the games require a fair amount of luck to win. The luck factor is very important. It means that one family member is unlikely to win every game. Well there you have it then. Cards are the perfect family game. Well hold on for a second. Not every card game is appropriate for a family get together.

Card Game Dos & Don’ts

As popular as Poker has become over the last decade. Suggesting that the family play Poker together over the holidays is a seriously bad idea. Everyone has a different amount of expendable income. Some people can afford to play Poker and lose. There are those that winning is really the only option. By suggesting a game of Poker you are essentially saying that you have money to burn, or you are arrogantly confident in winning. You also effectively exclude anyone who is feeling the holiday pinch in the wallet. Christmas is an expensive time for many. Don’t be a tool, and ask your family to gamble. If your family is familiar with four handed Euchre I would suggest that as maybe the perfect substitute. Four handed Euchre is played as two teams of two so you win or lose together. That also allows you to occasionally switch up the teams so stronger players can be paired up with weaker players creating balance. There is a bit of bluffing in Euchre. If you play to ten points like most people then you can put something trivial as a prize on the outcome. Winner gets a larger slice of pie, or the losers have to give a candy cane to the winners for each point they lost by. Whatever you decide Euchre provides the right combination of competition and friendly fun.

Board Game Dos & Don’ts

If your family prefers to play Board games. Choosing the right Board game is absolutely critical. Unlike Card games which are easy to pack up, or simply switch to another game if the current game your playing isn’t enjoyable. Board Games can require a lot of set up, a fair amount of time to play, and in some cases additional time to relearn the rules. I’m sure that most of you have started at least one game of Monopoly that never got finished. The same can probably be said about Risk. A quick note about Risk, don’t ever play Risk with an odd number of people. Doing so practically guarantees that an alliance will be created at some point in order to crush the individual that got off to a good start. This usually results in a lot of swearing, and in extreme cases a trip to the medicine cabinet. Keep a fair amount of Advil, and possibly some Band-Aids if you intend to play Risk. I’ve finished a few games of Monopoly in my lifetime, and I consider that to be one hell of an achievement. It takes an incredible amount of dedication, and patience from all involved to actually finish a game of Monopoly. Instead of Board games that require a lot of patience, strategy, and who knows how long to play. Choose games that are much shorter, and contain a random element like Snakes and Ladders, or Sorry. If you are from a family full of dedicated gamers then I would suggest bringing a cooperative Board game to play. That way you can all win or lose as a team. It also allows the most serious gamers to take on a greater role, and the occasional gamers to feel involved. Basically everybody wins. If you are unfamiliar with cooperative games I would suggest that you read my https://cobelife.com/competitive-or-cooperative-the-gamer-in-me-gl-20/

Video Game Dos & Don’ts

For many gamers it’s all about technology now. It doesn’t matter if you are a PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo fan. There are great games on all the different platforms that can be enjoyed by many. A favourite of mine that’s perfect for family occasions is the PlayStation Playlink game That’s You! Up to six people can play at once, and instead of using traditional game controllers each player uses an application on their cellphone. The game itself is very simple. The Players are presented with an example and each Player votes for which Player the example is most like. If you vote with the majority you earn points. For a more detailed review of That’s You check out my  https://cobelife.com/the-gamer-in-me-gl-8-thats-you/  Now on the flipside there are many games you should avoid. Honestly there’s too many to list, but the majority fall in to two categories; First Person Shooters, or Competitive Fighting Games. Seriously avoid the Call of Duty, Mortal Kombat, and Halos of the video gaming worlds. Unless you want your family get together to be filled with trash talk, and a potential fight. Certain Sports games like Madden or FIFA fall under the Don’ts column as well. Do yourself a favour and take turns playing classic side scrollers, or racing simulators. Those games can be as much fun to watch as they are to play.

VIRTUAL REALITY IS HERE!

I’ll tell you where it isn’t though. At your family get together. If you were hoping to see your sister trip over her gift basket then play VR. If you would prefer to pretend that you aren’t with your family at all then play VR. If you were were hoping to see someone get disoriented and vomit well then set up the Virtual Reality. I’m sure you see what I’m getting at. Virtual Reality with the family is a huge Don’t! Maybe in a few years as the technology improves things will change, but for right now just no.

Hopefully my warnings, and suggestions will help make your family occasion that much better. All the best!

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Competitive or Cooperative? – The Gamer in me GL-20

How things have changed

(Cobe Life has recently switched to a new Subscription service.  I strongly advise current Subscribers to resubmit their follow request)

All of us grew up playing games.  Some of us played Sports.  Many of us played Board games.  A few of us were early adopters of Video games.  Practically everyone played Card games.  I could go on and on but one thing is for sure.  I played them all.  I didn’t just play them though.  I played to win!  You see the one thing that was similar about all of the games I played was that they included an opponent.  Another person, a few other individuals, or another team that I had to beat.  This was one of the main things about games that made them appealing to me.  You had a quantifiable way to determine if you were better than someone else.  I was naturally competitive so I tended to win more often than I lost.  Which made playing games one of my favourite things to do.  But what if you were somebody that lost most of the time?  Well fortunately for them Video games increased in popularity, and quality as a direct result.  Home Video game consoles turned gaming into a solitary affair.  Eventually though people began to miss the connection with others they used to have playing games.  But how could they get past the inherent competitiveness of it?  Along came the current generation of cooperative games.  Games that allow a group of people to play together to achieve a common goal.  You either win as a team, or all of you lose collectively.  It creates a sense of equality that wasn’t present in the games we played as kids.

Congratulations for coming out

It’s commonplace for children’s sports leagues to give every player a trophy at the end of the season.  The reason for this is to prevent anyone from feeling less accomplished than anyone else.  Some leagues no longer keep score during games.  That way there is no winner or loser.  Everyone is considered an equal success for having played.  Do agree with this new way of thinking?  No I don’t, not at all.  That’s a whole nother article though, and I won’t go into it now.  I’ll just summarize it by saying it’s wrong to make someone feel inept, but it’s equally wrong to marginalize someone else’s talent.  I’ll leave it at that.  Cooperative games make this new way of thinking unnecessary.  The best games require multiple disciplines, and innovative thinking to succeed.  In this way they can appeal to many different people.  Probably one of the best examples of this is Escape Rooms.  I’ve played Escape Rooms that required athleticism, manual dexterity, trivia knowledge, and of course puzzle solving.  Just imagine the group of people that would be required to work together as a team to be victorious in that particular Room.  Schools should be working towards incorporating extra curricular activities similar to Escape Rooms if they are concerned about all participants feeling valuable.

Kitchen table battleground

Cooperative Board games, and Card games have turned what used to be the family Kitchen table battleground into a friendly cooperative affair.   My family played cards when I was a kid, and I could probably give lessons on how to play competitive Crazy 8s, Hearts, or Euchre.  A particularly brutal night of cards could lead to me receiving a couple of days of the silent treatment.  It also meant that the next family game night wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.  What if we were playing a cooperative game instead?  If I won it meant we all won.  No more jealousy or resentment, just celebration.  Games like Escape, Curse of the Temple or if you are feeling really adventurous and have a few hours Gloomhaven are great games to play that require real teamwork to win.  The best part is losing only makes the group more determined to win next time, and winning becomes addictive because of the group celebration.  You won’t have to wait long no matter what the result was before you get together to play again.  I’ve become a real fan of cooperative games because I can approach playing them in a far more relaxed manner.  My competitive instincts are still there, but the anxiety that usually goes along with it is gone.  I still want to win, but I don’t need to.  If you have played anything at a competitive level you’ll know what I mean.  The other major bonus that comes with playing cooperative games is finding others to join you is much much easier.  Trust me, there was a time that finding someone to play me head to head at Magic the Gathering required a tournament entry.  Cooperative games are here to stay, and I am really glad that they are.  If you haven’t played one yet.  I suggest that you give one a try.

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GAMING

Top 8 Gifts for Gamers 2017 – The Gamer in me GL-16

Christmas is just around the corner

Before it’s too late, and you find yourself fighting your way through other desperate shoppers one week before Christmas.  Never mind the hour it took you to find a parking spot at your local shopping center.  Do yourself a favour, and get your holiday shopping over and done with now.  Here’s a few great ideas for the hardcore Gamer on your Christmas list.

1 – Playstation VR bundle

The next evolution in gaming is Virtual Reality.  PS4 leads the way with their Playstation VR system.  Provided you already own a PS4.  This is still the most affordable way to get into true Virtual Reality gaming.  If you haven’t tried it, I suggest you do.  It will blow your mind.

2 – Imperial Assault Heart of the Empire

Any of you that read my The Gamer in me posts are well aware of how impressed I am with Star Wars Imperial Assault.  The new full Campaign expansion takes your heroes to Coruscant to battle with classic characters like Emperor Palpatine and Darth Maul.  How can you resist that!

3 – Miniatures Storage Box

This is something that every tabletop miniatures Gamer can fully appreciate.  Sure we love to display all of our fully painted miniatures.  You know what we love more though?  Actually taking them over to our friend’s place, or local Game store and playing with them.  A handy carrying case makes transporting your favourite figs so much easier.

4 – Wireless Gaming Headset

This falls into the gift for both of you category.  How many times have you had to ask your kids, or significant other to lower the volume on the TV?  A high quality Gaming Headset allows you to get some much needed peace and quiet, while the Gamer in your house can play until the coffee runs out.  You are welcome for the idea.

5 – 4K UHD high speed Game Screen

Depending on where the TV ends up.  This can qualify as a gift for both of you as well.  Who doesn’t want a brand new Ultra High Definition TV?  I’m considering buying another one for the bathroom so you know I’d welcome one for Christmas.  Movies look great on a high end TV, but videogames can look phenomenal.  Just go buy one for yourself, and tell your significant other that it’s for them.  You can thank me later.

6 – Card Game collector Albums

For years I played many of the most popular Collectible Card Games.  I honestly couldn’t have enough Collectors binders.  This is one of the gifts that you can spend a lot, or a little on.  Trust me the Collectible Card Gamer on your Christmas list will be happy with a custom collector’s binder, or a generic card binder.

7 – Simulator Gaming chair

This is quite simply the ultimate gift for the Gamer that you know that loves racing games.  Get them a copy of Gran Turismo, a high quality gaming wheel, and this chair.  Just be prepared to not see them until Spring, maybe.  As much as I would love to have one of these.  I don’t think my marriage would survive it.  Although it would probably be fine if I got two! Hmmm?

8 – Couch Slipcover

After picturing yourself setting lap records on Laguna Seca in your brand new Gaming chair.  The last item on my list is a Slipcover?  You are going to have to trust me on this one.  The living room couch takes a ridiculous amount of abuse when there are Gamers in the house.  It’s the only piece of furniture in my living room that is beat up.  A simple Slipcover adds some much needed comfort, protection, and washable solution when the stains inevitably happen.  This is really a gift for everyone, but give it to the Gamer.  They will most definitely understand your reasoning.

Have a truly happy Christmas

I hope this helps you narrow down your Christmas list.  Here’s to hoping that you get exactly what you were hoping for as well.

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Imperial Assault review – The Gamer in me GL-14

A great Design

I’ve been playing board games for a long time.  One thing that I can say for sure is that Game Design has significantly improved.  I use to find major flaws with almost every game I purchased after a few times playing.  The percentage of games that are brutally unbalanced, or contain game breaking elements are far lower now.  Imperial Assault is no exception.  I’ve read other people’s reviews, and comments about Campaign balance issues.  After playing through the game a number of times.  I can assure you that their opinions are unfounded.  The concern is most commonly about one side (Rebels or Imperials) gaining a significant advantage by winning too many missions in a row, and gaining an insurmountable advantage.  With proper Strategy, no advantage is insurmountable if you focus on the objectives.  Another aspect that is overlooked by most is that in order to win, the only mission that matters is the last one.  Every other mission only helps determine which path you take to get there.  I’ve also come across discussions on the Forums about assembling super groups of Rebel Heroes.  Trust me there is no such thing.  As the Imperial player there will be some missions that provide you with a predetermined Imperial units load out that can significantly limit your chances of success.  Of course there are other missions that provide you with the freedom to select the best possible group of units to defeat the Rebels.  In this way Campaigns involving equally skilled players rarely feel unbalanced.  Fantasy Flight Games have done an excellent job of making each and every character feel unique, and equally important.  Of course there are characters like Gideon from the Core set that can combine with others to create powerful effects.  This in no way makes other characters feel insignificant.

Unpredictable turn sequence

An interesting departure from the majority of RPG style dungeon crawler games is Imperial Assault’s Turn sequence.  Instead of all the Rebel Players playing their turn, then the Imperial player taking theirs.  Each Character or unit takes their turn alternating between the Rebels and Imperials.  The order isn’t predetermined by initiative or any other means.  Each side selects which unit they would like to activate next after the opponent has completed their last activation.  This makes choosing which unit to use next, and how to use them quite similar to Chess.  Although the game is character driven.  Rebel Players will be upgrading, and levelling up their Heroes as the Campaign progresses.  Imperial Assault is first and foremost a Strategy based Board Game.  Resource management, time management, character formations, and even sacrificing characters play an important role.  The simplest of Actions could be the difference between winning or losing a mission.  All of these elements combined make for a very enjoyable game to play.

Is it Star Wars?

There are many games on the market that are based upon existing storylines.  Whether they are video game adaptations, movie adaptations, literary adaptations, or historical adaptations.  A recognizable background story can make a game appeal to a far greater number of people.  Obviously Star Wars is recognizable by most people.  The Star Wars universe is so well known that it places an even greater importance on creating something that feels authentic.  Well Fantasy Flight Games have done an excellent job of making each mission in Imperial Assault feel like a scene out of one of the movies.  The Rebels always seem to be out numbered.  Whenever they do appear to gain the upper hand.  A powerful Imperial character like Darth Vader shows up to wreck the day.  The sense of urgency that you feel throughout the majority of Star Wars films. The Rebels always seem to be running out of time.  That is also well represented in an Imperial Assault Campaign.  You might expect to see many of the most popular characters early and often in an Imperial Assault Campaign.  To be honest it’s what I expected the first time I played the game.  Well you would be wrong.  The Imperial Assault Campaign system does a good job of placing the importance on the Players Heroes, but still having your favourite characters from the movies be a factor.  This effectively helps keep everyone interested, and adds an additional element of excitement when a famous character from the Star Wars universe makes an appearance.

Conclusion

If you are a fan of the Star Wars universe, or just a fan of strategic dungeon crawler style Board Games.  Imperial Assault would make a great addition to your game collection.  As far as Campaign based Board Games go.  Imperial Assault has become my absolute favourite.  Although there are quite a few expansions, and character packs available.  Imperial Assault is perfectly playable with only the Core set.  If you have three or four friends that you can get together with on a regular basis.  Do yourself a favour and pick up a copy of Imperial Assault.  You won’t be disappointed.

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Boardgames are back The Gamer in me GL-11

Disconnected

I’m old enough to remember a time when the kids in my neighborhood would decide where to meet that evening on the bus ride home.  Maybe we would all get together at the local baseball diamond, or meet up at my place to play pond hockey in the winter.  Sometimes just a couple of us would go to a friend’s house to play video games, or board games.  You see we weren’t all connected to one another by Smart phones.  We didn’t have Facebook, or Instagram to immediately find out what everyone else was up to.  You couldn’t just sign in to your cellphone Game account, Xbox account, or Playstation account to play a game over the internet with a friend.  You had to go out of your way to see a friend, play a game together, or just find out what they were up to.  The irony of it all is that the more we try to become connected through technology.  The more disconnected we have become. The art of conversation has suffered.  They say that a picture is worth a thousand words.  Well we as a digital society have begun to rely on it.  Why take the time to describe something that happened to you.  When you can just snap a picture or shoot a short video of it. It’s all so very convenient, but there’s something missing.  Something each and every one of us naturally craves.

A sense of sharing and togetherness

The most fun I’ve ever had playing a video game is with three friends offline.  The game was called Champions: Return to Arms for the PS2.  If you are unfamiliar with the game, it’s very similar to Diablo.  The graphics weren’t especially great.  Like Diablo it was basically a loot and character advancement style of game.  What made it great wasn’t the game. It was the shared experience, and teamwork it required to succeed.  All four of us together in my living room enjoying the game as a team.  If one of us made a hilarious mistake.  We all laughed together.  If we beat a level boss.  We all celebrated the victory together.  I didn’t snap a picture, or shoot a short video so my friends could laugh, or celebrate after the fact.  You see that’s what is missing.  The shared moment.  Outside of Sports, there isn’t much that we need to do together anymore.  It’s for this reason that there has been such a huge resurgence in Board Games.

Innovation

How different are today’s video games from the ones we played 5 years ago?  The graphics are a little bit better, and more people can play together online than before, but that’s about it.  There aren’t too many video games these days that really surprise me.  That isn’t the case with Board Games.  Every year a new take on an old genre pops up.  Board Games used to be very linear.  Every time you played the game, how it progressed was the same.  Now you have games that randomly create the board as you play it.  Some games require you to build a card deck before you begin, while others have you build a deck during the game.  There are even games that are played with each other cooperatively, as opposed to against each other competitively.  It doesn’t matter what your interests are, there is a Board Game for everyone.  Even if you aren’t much of a Gamer.  Chances are that you will really enjoy yourself the next time you get together to play a Board Game.   You know why?  It’s because you will be with friends sharing the experience.

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The Gamer in me GL-10 Best Imperial Assault Allies & Villains

Imperial Assault

The first thing I should tell you is that I only play the Campaign version of Star Wars Imperial Assault.  So my picks for my favourite Allies and Villains are solely based on their usefulness in a Campaign.  I’ve also kept my personal feelings about each character based on their role in the movies separate from my analysis.  If I hadn’t then Boba Fett, and Han Solo would have made the list.

There’s a school of thought when it comes to adding Allies to your Rebel group that the associated Threat cost is too high.  Well the Allies I’ve chosen as my Top 3 are well worth the cost, and very resilient if played correctly.  My Top 3 Villains have such an interesting affect on the game that I can’t imagine playing a full Campaign without the inclusion of at least one of them.

Top 3 Allies


R2-D2 & C-3PO:  This should be the first Ally pack you buy as soon as you purchase the Twin Shadows expansion.  The first thing that stands out is their built-in abilities to keep them around.  R2-D2 defends with a White Die but because of his LUCKY ability, a blank result is treated as a total miss.  R2-D2 can also take an action to heal 1 damage.  C-3PO has the COWER ability which allows you to reroll a Defence Die as long as you are adjacent to a friendly figure.   If you are playing C-3PO correctly then there will be an adjacent figure.  For their relatively low Threat costs R2-D2 & C-3PO are definitely worth recruiting as Allies.


Leia Organa:  This should be the first Ally pack you buy as soon as you purchase the Return to Hoth expansion.  Her Surge ability AGGRESSIVE NEGOTIATIONS  can be enough to win some Missions on her own.  Used correctly her BATTLEFIELD LEADERSHIP ability can help you maximize the damage dealt by your strongest character.  Even the Imperial’s strongest characters have a hard time dealing with five focused attacks in a turn.  For 8 Threat cost Leia Organa is well worth it considering her game breaking abilities.


Lando Calrissian:  This should be the first Ally pack you buy as soon as you purchase the Bespin Gambit expansion.  Didn’t like what you rolled on either Attack or Defence?  Use Lando’s RESOURCEFUL ability to select one of your Dice to reroll.  That particular Die doesn’t have the value you need?  Use Lando’s GAMBIT ability to select a different Die first.  Trust me when I tell you that Lando will give the Imperial Player fits.  Add in his Surge ability to both Stun targets, and become Hidden.  Lando can be a very difficult Ally for the Imperials to deal with.

Top 3 Villains


Hired Guns: As inexpensive Imperial units go.  The Hired Guns are one of my favourites.  It’s all about the PARTING SHOT ability.  Getting that extra attack in when a Hired Gun is defeated can really mess with the the Rebels plans.  That extra little bit of damage can add up over time.  For only 4 Threat the Hired Guns can really slow down the Rebels.  Useful for missions that have a short time limit.


ISB Infiltrators: Once again I’m selecting regular units as opposed to a key character for the Imperials.  I believe that there’s strength in numbers when it comes to playing the Imperials.  Something of note with the ISB Infiltrators is that although they only deploy 2 units.  Their COORDINATED RAID ability essentially provides them with one additional attack.  Being able to become Hidden as a Surge ability makes them a little more resilient than regular Stormtroopers.  It’s when you are able to deploy their elite version that things get really interesting.  The elite ISB Infiltrators surge ability DEADLY can really cause problems for the Rebels.  Negating a Dodge turns one White Defence Die into almost nothing.  Pick your targets right, and you’ll have the Rebels running for cover.


Jawa Scavenger:  This is hands down my absolute favourite Villain pack.  First of all I am a fan of Jawas.  So it’s nice to see them represented so well.  Their diminutive size, and tendency to hide in the shadows is why they were given the TAKE COVER ability.  Although they only attack with two yellow dice.  The built-in +2 Accuracy, with an additional +2 Accuracy from Surge available means that they can fire from a decent distance away.  The elite Jawa Scavenger also gains the HAGGLE surge ability which can really ramp up the Threat level if the dice are in your favour.  If it goes unchecked for a couple turns.  The Jawa Scavenger can help the Imperials bring in some Big baddies right quick.  The Jawa Scavenger is best used in missions where the Rebels are busy with objectives, or seemingly have larger fish to fry.

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The Gamer in me GL-9 Top 5 Board games for Game night

When four friends get together to play Boardgames

You have set aside one night a week for a few friends to come over.  The kitchen table has been cleared.  You have a bag of dice, and tokens at the ready.  There is a full bowl of chips, and another couple extra bags “just in case”.  The fridge is full of beer.  Not a single one of your friends can say that you weren’t prepared.  There’s only one more thing you need.  The Games!  Which Games should you have to make sure this night is a success?  Well here’s my Top 5 games to complete the perfect Game night.

Betrayal at House on the Hill

If your play group isn’t too large.  This is probably the best Board game you can play with three or four people.  Up to six people can play but I found four to be the absolute best.  The premise of the game is simple.  You and a few others are exploring a haunted house.  Each character in the game is reminiscent of a typical horror movie character.  That alone is entertaining enough.  The real thrill of playing the game is that the evil presence in this house will eventually take control of one of the characters.  At that point the Player who is in control of that character becomes the antagonist.  Until this point the Players have just been exploring the House, which reveals itself one tile at a time.  As soon as a Player becomes the antagonist, the winning conditions for that scenario are revealed to both the antagonist, and the remaining Players.  If you are worried about replay value, don’t be.  Betrayal at House on the Hill has 50 scenarios!

Roborally

If you have read my previous gaming posts.  Then you know that Roborally is one of my favourite games of all time.  You don’t need to be an Uber Gamer to play it.  Honestly anyone who comes to your Game night will enjoy this game.  So on nights when your friends bring someone else along with them.  Someone who maybe isn’t well versed in some of the more challenging Games to play.  Roborally is probably the best choice.  Another great thing about Roborally is that it can be played by up to 8 people so when those impromptu large play groups happen.  You can be ready.  Read my full review to see why this is my all time Favourite Board game.  The Gamer in me GL-5

Ticket to Ride

One of the most popular topics for Board games recently has been trains.  Whether it’s about Running a train company, traveling by train, or building tracks between destinations.  Train games have become a mainstay.  The best of these is definitely Ticket to Ride.  Great for groups of 3-5 Players.  Ticket to Ride is another game that’s relatively simple to learn.  The Strategy required to win at Ticket to Ride is knowing when to go all out, and when to play it safe. For a game that you can teach someone to play in about 10 minutes.  Ticket to Ride has a lot of routes to victory, and limitless replayability.

Imperial Assault

Why is Imperial Assault on this list?  Hmmm, let me count the reasons.  1- it’s set in the Star Wars universe.  If you aren’t a fan of Star Wars, well #### you.  2- it’s essentially a Sci-Fi version of the best dungeon crawler Descent by Fantasy Flight Games.  If you haven’t played Descent, well #### you.  3- it comes with what should be a 36 hour Campaign perfect for 3-5 people.  If you aren’t into Campaign games, well #### you.  4- it’s a currently supported title with expansions coming out regularly, so replayability isn’t a problem.  If you aren’t a fan of games that require expansions, well #### you.  Other than that, it’s possibly one of the most addictive games ever made.

Clue

I probably surprised most of you with this one.  The original classic Game of limited information is still one of the absolute best games to play with a group of friends.  I’ve heard people say that once you have figured out the basic Strategy to Clue, it’s only a matter of time before you know who did it, with what, and where.  I don’t disagree.  Anyone who has played Clue enough times knows this.  That’s why very few people I play with have the patience to wait until they have figured it out 100%.  As the solution begins to become clearer.  Each Player begins to worry that somebody else will figure out the final solution before them.  So what tends to happen is that Players make educated guesses.  At my house, if you guess wrong you pitch in double for Pizza.  The eventual winner gets their Pizza for free.  If it’s been a while since the last time you played Clue?  Do yourself a favour, and get a few friends together to play a game.  You won’t be disappointed.

Categories
GAMING

The Gamer in me GL-5

A Board game review by Cobe

Lets begin with one of my favourites

The internet is chock full of reviews from many different sources of newer games.  So I’m going to begin with one of my absolute favourites.  This game has been around for many years, but still remains as the board game I play most often.  The game was designed by Richard Garfield of Magic the Gathering fame.  It was originally released in 1994 by Wizards of the Coast.  It was subsequently rereleased in 2005 after Hasbro acquired Wizards of the Coast, under the Avalon Hill label.  Like all things Richard Garfield, there is a fair amount of calculation that went into the creation of this game.  If you don’t know what it is by now.  Chances are good that you’ve never played it.  If that’s the case, then I’m about to open your eyes to something truly special.

The name of the game is Roborally.  A game that requires a little bit of luck, a very adaptive Strategy, the ability to quickly plan ahead, and the right amount of ruthlessness in order to win.

The blurb on the box reads

As one of several supercomputers in a fully automated widget factory, you have it made.  You are brilliant.  You are powerful.  You are sophisticated. You are BORED.  So enjoy a little fun at the factories expense!  With the other computers, you program factory robots and pit them against each other in frantic, destructive races across the factory floors.  Be the first to touch the flags, in order, and you win it all: the honor, the glory, the grudging respect of the other computers. But first you have to get your robot past obstacles like gaping pits, industrial lasers, moving conveyor belts and, of course, all the other robots!

Personally I find it a little more fun to imagine myself as the Robot.  In a race across the factory trying to reach that final checkpoint to escape.  Most everyone I’ve introduced this game to has preferred to see it the same way.  It starts with the Robot character pieces.  They resemble something right out of a Pixar film.  The character Game cards don’t make it any easier.  A lot of work went into making all of them appealing.

The Robots

As previously stated the point of the game is to maneuver your Robot through the Factory.  Whichever Robot reaches all of the checkpoints first wins.  Alternatively you can also win by being the last Robot standing.  I have both won, and lost that way also.  There are a number of Game boards, and checkpoints included with the game.  How many of each you choose to use is entirely up to the Players.  This guarantees that no two games of Roborally are the same.  It also allows you to control the length, and difficulty of the game to a certain extent.  Very few games have that degree of flexibility, while maintaining a replayability equal to any other game.  If you enjoy your first game of Roborally.  You’ll enjoy it each, and every time you play it always.

Maneuvering your Robot around the Factory floor isn’t as easy as rolling dice.  It is limited by the placement of program cards. Each card is set up by you at the very beginning of a turn. Then each card is revealed one by one, and it’s instructions are followed.  These program cards are what really contribute to the chaos, and strategy of the game.

Zoom Bot is ready to roll
Forward 1, and slide 1 down with the Conveyor belt
Move 3 ahead
A quick left turn
3 more spaces forward, but the wall stops him at two!
One last right turn, and Zoom Bot is only 3 spaces from the checkpoint.

Anticipating what your opponents will do when your Robots are in close proximity to each other is key to winning at Roborally.  Knowing when to run, stay put, or go on the offensive can be the difference.  Robots can also earn upgrades during the course of a game.  Taking full advantage of these upgrades can significantly change the way you play.  Not only do they enhance your Robot.  In some cases they can strike enough fear in your opponents that a path to victory opens up.

Power Ups

Lastly the Factory itself can be used to gain an advantage.  Hazards can become helpful if used correctly.  You can push an opponent’s Robot into Factory lasers.  You can guide your Robot on to Conveyor Belts that carry it toward the checkpoint.  There are ways to take advantage of every space on the board if you think quick enough.

All in all Roborally is a game I would encourage everyone to play.  Even if you aren’t a fan of Board games.  Roborally has a comedic quality that makes it fun for everyone.  If you are a fan of Strategy games that reward you for out thinking your opponents?  Then you will absolutely love Roborally.

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