Saturday, May 11, 2024
Here we are again, looking at another round of gameplay reports! Let’s first check in with BoardGameGeek to see which expansions were the most played in September:
The first campaign expansion for the Marvel LCG is getting rave reviews, and clearly plenty of gamers are getting it played! Spirit Island’s latest expansion is making a big splash, but players have not forgotten about Branch & Claw, its first dose of fresh content.
Speaking of fresh content, let’s check in with our DWP writing squad to see what games they’ve all been nibbling on…
NICOLE H:
I joined a playthrough of In Too Deep from Burnt Island Games last week. I played with Josh (from Burnt Island, one of the game’s designers), Devon from GameTyrant and Alex from BoardGameCo. By some miracle (hint: Josh went in too deep!) I didn’t come last. It was terrific to try again, my first try a couple of months back was at 2 players and it was great to compare at 4 players. The KS closes Thursday evening!
SEAN J:
Like most people, I have been staying away from in-person gaming these days. However, I have been enjoying my on-going, online games of Energy Empire with JP Decosse. We get a notification when it’s our turn, and although he’s been very patient, I always take too long to make my move. I imagine it’s similar to chess by mail, but a lot faster. I always get excited when I know it’s my move!
MATTHEW R:
I finally got to play The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine, which was the 2020 Kennerspiel winner. The Crew is a co-operative trick-taking game, which appealed to me instantly because prior to getting into modern board games I played (and still do) many classic trick-taking games. It totally lived up to the hype and deserves the praise it has been getting. Sadly I was unable to play in person, but Boardgame Arena has a Beta version so we played there and chatted over Discord. One friend described it like a never ending game of The Mind, which seems apt. Using trick-taking in this new way is very interesting, as you need to think of ways to help everyone at the table, not just yourself. I can’t wait to get back to it and also introduce it to my friends who are predominantly trick-taking gamers.
STEVE T:
To get the Hallowmonth started, we’ve been watching a lot of horror movies, and thus not playing so many games around here, but yesterday my wife gave me back to back drubbings in Vampires of the Night, a delightful little dexterity game that uses magnetic repulsion to move the pieces around the board. You are a daddy vampire, kicking garlic around your castle, trying to kick it outside, and not kicking it holes in the floorboard, and onto your vampire babies alseep in the basement.
BILLY C:
It’s been a relatively light week for board games and Billy, but I did manage to play two more games of Tekhenu. I’m still trying to figure out all the complexities of that game – I often find I end with a huge surplus of resources (which is useless!) if my early game is inefficient. I’m enjoying attempting to solve this puzzle just so much. The mechanics are crisp, it rewards replays, and wow is it just so fun to accomplish the goals you set out for yourself early in the game.
JON-PAUL D:
The Quick and the Undead has hit my table a couple times now, but this past weekend I managed to bring the full complement of 6 players together to give it a go. For me, this game is 60 to 90 minutes of giggles and childish taunting, and oodles of fun! It’s a chaotic mess of repeated dice rolling, and while I have minor gripes about the iconography and board layout, the game’s playful spirit more than makes up for its shortcomings. Highly recommended for anyone who likes bluffing, trash talking, and dice chucking!
Lots of gaming excitement on our end – what’s been happening on yours? Let us know what games have hit your digital and analog tables! We’d love to hear from you, whether it be through email, social media, or a good ol’ message in a bottle.
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