Welcome back for another collection of Mini Gameplay reports, where we answer the burning question – “What Have We Been Playing?”

SEAN J:

I got to actually play some in-person games this week, including one of my all time favourites: Alien Frontiers. I recently saw someone else post about this game and I was surprised how divided the reaction was. Many people love it, but just as many decry it for being too mean. In truth, it is a game that encourages player interaction with a healthy dose of screwage. Never-the-less, I always have a lot of fun playing it! I also got to play the ridiculous pirate game Black Fleet and the new Welcome To: Las Vegas. All three were quite fun and I was happy to get a chance to play in meat space.

KIMBERLY T:

I got a new trivia game, which isn’t my favorite genre, but this one sounded like Wits & Wagers, so I took a chance. And I wasn’t disappointed! Half Truth was designed by Ken Jennings (Jeopardy fame) and Richard Garfield (RoboRally and King of Tokyo designer). At the start of each turn, a card with a question is revealed, offering players six choices. Only three of them are true. Players will guess 1, 2, or 3 of the choices and then the answer is revealed. With three rounds and a unique system of how many points a round is worth makes this game super dynamic. The main reason Half Truth works is that players can make a variety of choices each turn, playing it safe or risking for a big payout. There’s actually a lot of strategy in what you choose to do each turn. You don’t have to know all the answers to win the game.

STEVE T:

Thursday was an evening of dexterity games, with Catch the Moon, Crazy Tower, and Rhino Hero Super Battle. And on Friday I got my favourite, Star Wars Rebellion back to the table, followed by some Azul, and Cartagena.

JON-PAUL D:

In preparation for an upcoming Little Big Thumbs video piece, Milo M and I have been playing Piece of Pie from Blue Orange Games. It’s a quick-playing tile drafting game, which is often wrapped up within 15 to 20 minutes. Each player has a secret goal card, which represents their favourite slice of pie – each slice acquired in this flavour scores 1 point. In addition two public goal cards dictate the patterns that players need to create to score additional points. It offers meaningful decisions that are packed into very short timeframe, making it perfect for both gamers and non-gamers alike!

Thank you for joining us for another roundup of play reports! For more game-specific chit chat, check out Billy C’s article on Brass Birmingham, which was released on the DWP website a few days ago!