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Jordan Looks Back at Pokemon Master Trainer

4/25/2017

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Published by Hasbro
Designed by Koichi Ooyama, Bill Sabram
# of players 2 - 6
Ages 7 and up

1 hour


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     Gotta catch em' all! In this 1999 gem, your goal is to collect the best Pokemon you can of the initial 151, head to the Indigo Plateau and challenge the reigning elite trainer. All players play the part of Ash and will proceed thru most of the major areas that were explored in the original cartoon and game.


Components
     Lots and lots of cardboard tiles and chips. Every single Pokemon is represented by a circular cardboard tile. (Back in the day that meant 151 not, like, 8000.) The cards and tiles have held up well given that the game is almost 20 years old. However, it should be mentioned that in that time it was only played about 5 times. Each player is represented by a plastic figure of Ash Ketchum. So, apparently, we are all him? Or maybe only one of us is the real Ash and this is one of those who-is-the-real-one-I-guess-we-assume-it-was-the-winner scenarios?


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Gameplay
      Each play starts with one of the six starting Pokemon. These starting Pokemon are weak which is expressed by having a low fighting number. The players roll dice at the start of their turn and move forward, until later in the game when they have the option of circling back to try and get more and better Pokemon. Most spaces involve trying to catch a Pokemon via dice rolling and using a Pokeball. Other spaces involve acquiring item cards, healing your Pokemon or various other bonuses or penalties. Item cards have a variety of effects like temporarily boosting your combat power, Pokeballs that help catch Pokemon or healing Pokemon. Most cards can be held onto and played when you choose, although some must be played immediately.

      As the players progress thru the game, the Pokemon they are acquiring grow increasingly powerful. Many of them are evolutions of ones available earlier in the game. It is advantageous to collect entire “sets” of a Pokemon's evolutions as having sets equates to an advantage in combat. Throughout the game, players frequently fight each other and the game itself can only be won by defeating the final elite trainer. (controlled by a fellow player)

       In a “Pokebattle” each player selects their Pokemon, rolls a die and reveals what (if any) bonus cards were played, facedown, at the beginning of combat. All these numbers are added up and the player with the highest total is the winner. The losing Pokemon is “knocked out” and cannot be used again until revived.

      When players are strong enough, they may enter the Indigo Plateau. That is where the final trainer will be and additional strong Pokemon can be acquired. The final trainer is one of four elite or Gary Oak, selected randomly. If you defeat your opponent, you win. If you lose, you are booted off the island until you qualify for re-entry.


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Final Thoughts (Tl;DR)

      Monopoly + Pokemon (Original Gameboy) Very little meaningful choices are to be made in this game. So, strategically, not a lot is going on. The game does do a decent job of embracing it's theme. You really do feel like you are traveling thru the world of Pokemon, trying to catch em' all and be the very best.

      I don't know how much fun this game would be unless you were a Pokemon fan. And lets face it, there cant be many more of those around. This game was the result of a time when Pokemon was very popular... huh? What's that, Taco? ...an app?

 .. It cant be that huge ... seriously?... It's been 20 years!... 1.5 billion?

        Alrighty, never mind. It appears we have, somehow, gone full circle where anything functional with “Pokemon” slapped on the side will sell. The game is still ok and the newest generation of kids will probably get a kick out of it. I played it while sneaking a Zima, just like 1999.


Jordan rates Pokemon Master Trainer a total of...
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Rating 6 of 10


Pros:
*Sticks to theme
*takes an hour or less


Cons:
*very light on strategy
*less fun for non-pokefans



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Jordan Knows Games review of... Mythe

3/20/2017

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Published by LudiCreations & Passport Games Studio
Designed by Koji Malta
# of players 2 - 5
Ages 6 and up
20  minutes
Review Copy provided for this review.

​
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    The peaceful kingdom of Mythe is suddenly raided by the evil red dragon and his monster companions! The red dragon has taken away the golden Sacred Cheese, the symbol of the kingdom’s prosperity and unity, and the fate of the kingdom is in peril. The brave young heroes of Mythemust now set out on a desperate journey to the dragon’s castle and recover the Sacred Cheese! 


Components
    This game is super cute. It comes in a standard, but colorfully illustrated, small box. When I opened it, my wife was sitting right next to me. “Ooh, it's cute.” she immediately cried. The artwork is delightful. The cards are large and thick. The little 3D pop-up board elicited another slight squeal from my wife. The board, while cute, is a tiny point of irritation when you are trying to get it to lay flat.


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Gameplay
     The gameplay is very, very simple. Each space on the board has 1, 2, or 3 dots on it. Correspondingly, the cards in the deck have a 0, 1, 2, or 3. In order to move into a space you need a total card value sufficient to enter the space. (Two cards with a “1” on them can gain you entry to a “2” space.) You can pass into additional spaces if you have enough extra points for it. 

    You acquire cards with a “push your luck” card picking dynamic. Each player has cards in their hand which they do not use on their turn. At the start of your turn you draw a card, unseen, from any other player's hand and put it in front of yourself, face-up. You may do this as many times as you like until you decide to stop or you draw an obstacle card. (I didn't mention those. If you draw one, your turn ends instantly.)

    Assuming you didn't draw an obstacle card, you may use your points to move forward on the board. Spaces occupied by a player do not count as spaces and are skipped by other players. So, although moving forward can seem arduous. 

    Regardless of whether you drew an obstacle card or managed to move, your turn is over. The cards you used go into your hand and you then give whichever cards you want to whatever players you want.
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    There are only ten spaces. The last one has the dragon on it. The player who reaches that last space with the dragon wins. However, you cannot enter the dragons space unless you have, in your hand, one of the three legendary items: They are cards with a numerical value like any other, but they have a picture of a sword, a shield or a fairy. This is the only instance in the game where a card is played from the hand.
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Final Thoughts (Tl;DR)
    I am a firm believer that if a product delivers what was promised, it is a success. When Taco handed me this game to review, I was a little unhappy. I know it's become my place to review more family and casual-oriented games. But still, it's a game for little kids!

    But its a good one. It could be accurately described as an introduction to card drafting. There is definitely some strategy at play, especially if you are playing against someone who is weighing their moves carefully. You have to decide what cards to hold onto (which are the cards they may end up drawing from you) and which ones to force others to hold. You also have to try to intuit who you should take cards from. 

    And, in case I didn't gush about it enough, the game is adorable. My niece and nephew (12 and 10 years old) enjoyed it plenty. Best of all, the little characters move on their own! Wait... no. That was John Daly I was drinking. (Arnold Palmer with vodka. I told them it was lemonade.) For what it is Mythe is great.


Jordan gives Mythe a rating of...
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8 out of 10

Pros:
*So cute
*Actually has strategy
*Small box travels well 

Cons:
 *Kids game wont appeal to many
*Not sure about replay value
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Jordan Knows Games... Armadora Review

2/23/2017

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Published by Blue Orange Games
Designed by Christwart Conrad and Tony Rochon
# of players 2 - 4
Ages 8 and up
30  minutes
​

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      True to their reputation, the Dwarves have amassed large hordes of gold in the land of Armadora. The region has, therefore, become a highly coveted land for Elves, Orcs, Goblins and Mages who are all now assembling their respective forces. Let the siege of Armadora begin! Position your troops and raise the barricades, but make no mistake because a single error can undermine your entire strategy!
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Gameplay
    Armadora is a 2-4 player area control game. Your objective is to claim the biggest portion of the dwarven gold mines. Each turn, you will choose to either place one of your tokens facedown to claim territory or place a palisade to divide existing territories in two. The player with the highest strength in each territory wins its gold at the end of the game. The player with the most gold wins. 

    The gameplay is fairly simple. It reminds me of Othello, Mancala or Go. There are, however, a few elements that complicate matters. The tokens you place facedown each have a number on them, 1 thru 5. Since they remain facedown during the game, you are forced to speculate how much strength other players have invested in what areas. 

    The placing of the palisades is much more strategic than it looks. When the game starts, the entire board is one zone. Little by little, as the game progresses, the board gets chopped up into smaller territories. This completely changes the impact of the tokens and the outcome of the game. At one point, my brother was convinced that I had placed my strongest token in a certain spot near two big gold mines. He then spent a couple turns isolating that token into irrelevance with his palisades. He was wrong and that ended up being a real waste of resources for him.
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    When the game ends, all the numbered tokens are turned face up and it is determined who has the most strength in each territory. The winner of a territory gets all the gold of that territory. The player with the most gold wins.
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Final Thoughts (Tl;DR)
    Armadora possesses good strategy, much more so according to the skill of your opponents. It is not complicated, but it is still an open competition and therefore plenty challenging. 

    Still, in this world of games that are bursting with both personality and solid gameplay, Armadora delivers one and not the other. I didn't mind playing one bit, but I can play other games that have all the same fundamentals and lots of flair, as well. It does get better sipping on a fine Mexican Anejo.
Jordan Gives Armadora a rating of...
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7 out of 10

Pros:
*Small box is good for travel
*Solid, no frills quick strategy
*Good value ($14)

Cons:
 *Gameplay lacks unique or addictive qualities

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Jordan Knows Games... Meteor review

11/14/2016

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2016 English Mini Meteor Edition (*Review Copy)
Published by: Mayday Games
# of Players: 1 to 6
Designed by: Mike Young
Ages 13 & Up
Game Time: 6 Minutes


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    In five minutes, a meteor storm will impact Earth, unless you can work together to blast the meteors into oblivion! Work cooperatively; pooling resources and launching rockets to obliterate the impending threat, or cockroaches will inherit the planet.

No pressure – its just the fate of the world.
Gameplay
      In Meteor, you are trying to destroy a field of meteors that are heading to earth. The meteors are represented by face down Meteor cards. Although you do not know exactly how powerful the meteors are, the back of the cards shows you roughly how powerful each one is. (They typically range in power from 1 to 5) Hitting a card with a rocket will flip it and reveal its exact traits. (some have special effects) If the rocket is not as powerful as the meteor, it has no effect. If it is too powerful, the meteor is destroyed but all the remaining ones are propelled faster towards Earth. (The round ends, immediately.) The only really good outcome is to hit the meteor with the exactly correct amount of force. Yes, in most cases, this means launching a weak, preliminary rocket at the meteor.

       Meteor is played in 5 real-time one minute rounds. There are no individual player turns. Many aspects of the game depend on the number of players. The number of meteors, number of starting cards and number of cards drawn during the game all rely on how many are playing. More players receive less cards each, less players get more. Players can either build rockets to launch at the meteors or build new techs to give you helpful abilities. This is done by simply placing the desired rocket or tech card in front of you. Each rocket or tech has a build cost and if, at any time, the required cards are played on it, it's done! The resource by which everything is built is energy cards. There are 4 types of energy; chemical, fuel, atomic and electric. Any player can play one of their own energy cards on someone else's building project. Yes, if you have an awesome card to play and totally don't have the resources to build it, you can put it out there and hope others can finish it.

       There are many special effect meteors, techs, random power cards (to make the game easier) and challenge cards. (to make the game harder) I am not going to get into the specifics here. There are even different rule variations you may choose to play by.

       One additional action that is available to players is the “retrofit”. If you can lay in front of you 4 matching or sequential rockets or 4 matching or non-matching energies, everyone gets to draw some cards. Again, like rockets and techs, anyone can contribute to building a set of this kind. This mechanic clearly exists as a means of getting rid of useless cards and moving forward.

      If you can blow up the last meteor before round 5 ends, you win. Between each round players get to draw more cards. The rounds are timed by your own timing device. I'm not going to lie, I don't like that. I know we all have smartphones; But still, how much does a plastic hourglass cost. Especially considering that timing is a central element of the game.




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Final Thoughts (Tl;DR)

      Meteor has a funny learning curve. Its not that complicated, but in the first few plays, its seems impossible and people don't tend to have fun. I found that, among more casual gamers, roughly half decided they didn't really like the game by the time they were getting any good at it. This is a problem because the game ostensibly is geared towards more casual gamers. Veteran gamers will pick the game up quickly. But they are less likely to be playing in the first place.

    The difficulty is all over the place. Sometimes, things go so well that winning is practically automatic. Other times, you get crushed. Those games inevitably involve a table of mopey people, staring at someone's cell phone waiting for the next round (and ultimately the game) to end. Still, once everyone “gets it” the game plays like it is supposed to: Fast games that allow many plays in one sitting. The fact that you can play again right away makes it not so bad when you lose. Indeed, for some, this makes them want to take another stab at it.

      Meteor is best geared towards gamers looking for something easy and fast to play when they don't want to get sucked into a more serious game. For obvious reasons, I didn't have time to mix up any really good cocktails. I just took swigs of “Henry's Hard Ginger Ale” when I could and that worked out fine.



Jordan gives Meteor a rating of...
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7 out of 10

Pros:
+Unique gameplay
+Excellent replay value
+Fast, short unpredictable games


Cons:
-Inconsistent difficulty
-Some get turned off early



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Jordan Knows Games... Mow Money Review

9/21/2016

1 Comment

 
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Published by Mayday
Designed by Matt Saunders
# of players 2 - 6
Ages 10 and up
45+ minutes


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       Welcome to Walkerville, a landscaper's paradise of green grass and lush yards. The mayor of Walkerville is looking for the best landscaping company to care for all the cities luxuriant parks. He will be awarding the lucrative contract to the company with the best reputation and they will have the opportunity to rake in Mow Money for years to come!

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Gameplay
   In Mow Money, each player plays a new landscaping company competing to build the best reputation. So, while getting money is important, it is primarily a means to an end. You need money to buy better mowers and purchase “bid cards”. Bid cards are necessary to bid on jobs. They have different values on them and each job requires a certain number of bid cards to be played. The lowest bidder on a job will get it and those who do not win the job get their cards back. Of course, they will only be paid the amount they bid and it is entirely possible to bid so low that you lose money. (In other words, you paid more for the bid cards than you got paid.)

    The job cards each state a required number of bid cards and show a number of reputation points that will be awarded. (Victory points) Bigger jobs require more bid cards and award more points. Each round a series of jobs are made available. The number of jobs per turn is based on the number of players. The total number of jobs for the game is also based on the number of players and the game ends when the jobs run out.

    Each player can bid on two jobs. The bid cards are laid face down with a token that indicates which job is being bid on. The token itself is also played face down. So no one knows who is bidding on what or how much.
   
    You can also upgrade your mower which allows you to get better bid cards. The better bid cards are necessary to take on bigger, more prestigious jobs. Also, if you feel that you cannot beat other players in bidding or you fail at a bid, you get to do an “odd job” to at least make some money. The “odd jobs” merely consist of turning in matching sets of bid cards for more money than you paid for them. Sometimes, a lot more. This is nice because it should enable everyone to remain at least somewhat competitive even if they have had some bad luck.


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 Final Thoughts (Tl;DR)
I really thought this game was going to suck. Maybe it was the high-school level art, the uninteresting theme or the creator's bio at the back of the rule book. (Spoiler alert: He worked with lawn mowers. He also thinks you want to know more about that.) I started to imagine that the game would not only be boring but also not even functional.

    I was wrong. Mow Money works. It has well thought out rules. It is simple, but not simplistic. At its core, its a blind bidding game that requires resource management. It feels true to its theme as you do feel like you are running a small business competing against others doing the same. Is that exciting, though? I'm not sure. It is fun to play and I'd be “in” if you asked me. But I'm not exactly chomping at the bit. We play games to leave the real world behind, if only for a little while. Who wants to cut grass when you can be blowing up aliens or some other rad thing? Definitely buy it if you or a friend own a landscaping business. Also, Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy is a natural beer to have with it. I can heartily attest to that.


Jordan gives Mow Money a score of...
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7 out of 10

Pros:
+The theme works
+Good replay value
+Simple, but unpredictable

Cons:
-Competent, but uninspired gameplay
-Boring theme
-Art

1 Comment

Jordan knows... XCOM: The Board Game

6/13/2016

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Published by Fantasy Flight Games
Designed by Eric M Lang
# of players 1 - 4
Ages 14 and up
Playtime: 90 minutes


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    Placed in command of the elite military organization known as XCOM, you and your friends must find some means to turn back an escalating alien invasion. As UFOs appear in orbit and worldwide panic threatens to undermine national governments, the game’s free companion app and its push-your-luck dice rolling mechanics immerse you deep in the tension and uncertainty of a desperate war against an unknown foe.

                                                                                You are humanity’s last hope…

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Components

     Overall components quality is excellent. Fantasy Flight tends to have good miniatures.

       This game has many plastic miniatures. Unlike a lot of other games out there, the minis do not have skinny parts that are destined to break off. They look good and aren't going to break. The cardboard chits and tiles seem to hold up well. Everything fits pretty easily into the box.

       Of course, the game has one very special component: Your own tablet running the app. The game cannot be played without the XCOM app. Its available for Apple and Android. It is compatible with a lot of devices and seems very stable. I feel strange making this next complaint about a board game. The app's music and sound effects get a little stale.

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Gameplay
       XCOM is rather special in that each player has a unique role to play. Each role has totally different responsibilities. The Squad Leader manages the soldiers. The Chief Scientist researches better tech for everyone. The Commander manages everyone's resources and assigns interceptors to the UFO's. The Central Officer actually uses the app, communicates with the other players and assigns the satellites.

         Another different element in the game is that it has a phase of each turn that is timed. And I mean rigidly timed. In some cases, you have just a few seconds to make a decision. It is very intense and adds an original layer to the game. The first couple of times you do the timed phase you can feel a little lost, but the app does a good job of keeping you on track and you get used to the flow rather quickly.

         So this is the way the game plays out; At the beginning of each turn is the “Timed” phase. The app, in real-time, tells you what resources you have and presents you with various challenges. You have to decide, immediately, how you are going to handle these challenges. You are presented with a mission, enemies attacking your base, UFOs flying over continents and available technologies for study. Each of these things must be assigned a certain amount of resources by different players. (“A Muton and a Floater have entered the base? I'm assigning one Heavy and one Assault to handle it!”) There is even a player who has to manage the problem of players allocating too many resources to their problems. (“Taco, stop putting so many fighters out there. We don't have the money, I'm telling the CO to pull one of them back!)

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      The other phase of each turn is the “Resolution” phase. This is not timed. The players each get to see how their decisions panned out. Each task is resolved by dice rolling. The more resources that were allocated to each one, the easier they will be to complete. What typically happens is that players are forced try to complete tasks with less, sometimes way less, than they are comfortable with. At the end of the turn, you tell the app what successes and failures you had and get ready for the next turn.

      If you and your friends get too good at the game, you can adjust the difficulty. I feel this helps the replay value. Also, there are slightly different scenarios that you can play and I feel that also cuts down on repetitiveness.


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Final Thoughts (Tl;DR)
      The foremost question in many peoples minds when looking a this game is: Does having an app really enrich the game or is it just a gimmick? I am pleased to say that the app works well with the game. The game's creators managed to integrate an app into a board game in a way that is both original and feels natural.
Having different roles for each player makes you feel like a real team. And subjecting your friends to the timed phase will lead to some very entertaining and chaotic results. The Moscow Mules I was pounding didn't hurt, either. I am a bit of a sucker for co-op games, but I liked XCOM a lot and I'd be happy to play with my friends anytime.
 

Jordan gives XCOM: The Board Game a rating of...
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 Rating 9 of 10

Pros:
*Frantic in a fun way
*Can increase difficulty
*Great team dynamic

Cons:
*App audio gets old.


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Jordan knows ... Castles of Mad King Ludwig

5/16/2016

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Published by Bezier
Designed by Ted Alspach

# of players 1 - 4

Ages 13 and up

90 minutes


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    In the tile-laying game Castles of Mad King Ludwig, players are tasked with building an amazing, extravagant castle for King Ludwig II of Bavaria...one room at a time. You see, the King loves castles, having built Neuschwanstein (the castle that inspired the Disney theme park castles) and others, but now he's commissioned you to build the biggest, best castle ever — subject, of course, to his ever-changing whims. Each player acts as a building contractor who is adding rooms to the castle he's building while also selling his services to other players.

Components
   Overall components quality is good. This game is comprised of all tiles and they are reasonably well-constructed. They come in lots of different shapes and colors, so sorting through them can be a bit of a pain. If you find yourself really loving this game, there are third-party component organizers available that can help with that. Taco got the Broken Token Insert that works nicely for the game and it's expansion.


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Gameplay
     In this game, each player starts with a simple foyer tile. One player takes on the role of the Master Builder, and that player sets prices for a set of rooms that can be purchased by the other players, with him getting to pick from the leftovers after the other players have paid him for their rooms. When a room is added to a castle, the player who built it gains castle points based on the size and type of room constructed, as well as bonus points based on the location of the room. When a room is completed, with all entrance-ways leading to other rooms in the castle, the player receives one of seven special rewards.

     So, while each player is basically trying to build his best castle, you are interacting with each other. You don't directly affect other player's castles, but you do affect what rooms they may have access to and how much they will cost them.

     After each purchasing round, a new player becomes the Master Builder who sets prices for a new set of rooms. After several rounds, the game ends, then additional points are awarded for achieving bonus goals, having the most popular rooms, and being the most responsive to the King's demands, which change each game. Whoever ends up with the most castle points wins.

     The devil is in the details when it comes to those bonus points. The there are a ton of bonus points to be had and they are scored in many ways. The points that have been scored up to the end of the game are, essentially, only the first half of the story. In my opinion, this can create a little bit of a problem if some players are more committed to predicting the exact outcome in the final turn of the game. Whereas other players may be content to score as much as they can and let the game end.


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Final Thoughts (Tl;DR)
     Castles of Mad King Ludwig has some similar elements from Suburbia, also by Bezier Games, also designed by Ted Alspach. You are building something and there are tiles, score track, market track, when you build a tile, you get points for the tile and for how it interacts with other tiles already built. This game, however, seems somewhat more well-liked.


     People really seem to latch on to the castle building theme. There will be inevitable conversations about how quirky your castle is. “Why is your castle almost all kitchen?” “Because shut up, I get hungry.”  It is definitely a calculating game, though. As I brought out, some players can get rather bogged down. While others will just enjoy building their castle. It's got fun. It's got thinking. It paired nicely with the oatmeal stout I had that night.

Jordan gives Castles of Mad King Ludwig a rating of...
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8 out of 10


Pros:
*Great Theme
*Good replay value


Cons:
*Complicated scoring system



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Jordan Knows Games... review of Nations Dice Game

2/1/2016

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Published by Lautapelit.fi and Asmodee NA
Designed by Rustan Hakansson
# of players 1 - 4
Ages 14 and up

15 minutes per player


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      Nations:The Dice Game is a dice-driven variant of the civilization building game Nations. As in the original game, every player strives to build the mightiest and most successful civilization, each on their respective game board. Familiar features include civilian and military buildings, advisers, colonies, and wonders. The available buildings are defined by the players' dice, and the resources they "produce". Advisers, colonies and wonders give points and chips that may once per turn be exchanged for rerolls or resources. Nations: The Dice Game is a game for 1-4 players that takes 10-15 minutes per player and shares many similar concepts with the civilization-building game Nations while still offering its own challenges.


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Components
When an established publisher makes a spin-off to a popular game, you expect the overall component quality to be good. And it is. Nations the Dice Game is mostly tiles and dice. The cardboard tiles are good quality and feel like they will not wear out anytime soon. The dice are your standard quality. There are also chits, they are also cardboard. I suppose I wish they were plastic or metal. So, while the quality is good, I feel like they could have used more premium materials. The artwork is taken directly from Nations:The Board Game. That's certainly appropriate, although it is a bit bland.


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 Gameplay
      You can play with 1 to 4 people. That's right, the game has a solo mode. The game is played in four rounds. You win by having the most culture (victory points) at the end of the game. Bonus points are awarded by the tiles you have built.

      On your turn, you roll your dice and that establishes what resources are available to you this turn. You use your resources to purchase tiles that strengthen your nation. The tiles may give you more dice to roll next turn. They may give you money, which can be used as any resource. They can even give you the ability to re-roll dice. Some tiles, Wonder Tiles, don’t do anything but give you more points at the end of the game.

      The different colored dice that you can purchase have different specialties. So a certain colored die may not be able to provide all types of resources, but what it does provide, it gives in greater quantity. This, coupled with the ability to re-roll, gives you some control over the resources you are producing and, subsequently, what you can buy.

     The tiles that are available to buy each round vary from one game to the next. They are purchased from a collective pool. This puts each player very directly in competition with one another for what they are going to buy. The tiles also get better from one round to the next. This is nice because it means that, even if a player has done really well in the first half of the game, others players will still have a shot at newer, better tiles. So, most people still feel very much in the game.


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Final Thoughts (TL:DR)
     Nations + Yahtzee = Nations: The Dice Game.
In the last few years we have seen a few popular, well-established games coming out with dice-rolling equivalents. By and large, they have been well received and I like them. They promise to condense the original game into something a little easier and faster to play. That is exactly what is happening with Nations. It captures the essence of the original Nations. Some may complain that the game trades some strategy away and in it's place leaves some randomness. I disagree. I believe that you just need to figure that into your strategy. This is a fun game that still has enough depth to satisfy more serious gamers. If you liked Nations at all, this is a no-brainer as a “lighter” alternative. If you haven't, well, it's still worth a shot. I’d be happy to play, anytime. It paired nicely with a Martini. (heavy on the olives)


Jordan gives Nations: The Dice Game a score of...
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8 out of 10

Pros:
+ Still strategic, but not overly heavy
+ Fast Gameplay
+ Balanced

Cons:
- Dice give element of chance that may turn off some
- Game can be dry at times
- The art is bland

0 Comments

Jordan Knows Games previews ... House Rules

1/25/2016

1 Comment

 
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Prototype copy (print & play)
Published by: self-published by designer Eric Williams
# of Players: 3-6


       House Rules is a battle royale card game, where your goal is to be the last person standing when the dust clears. Players use weapons of all shapes and sizes to try to best their opponents, while struggling to survive the barrage of attacks from other players. Players will also have the opportunity to change the rules as the game goes and make up their own cards. 
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 Components     
     The version of the game that was played was on regular paper. I can not explain what the quality of the components because of this. In the finished game, the cards will be dry erasable. This allows you to make your own cards and change them as you see fit. Sounds great, but I cant tell you how it plays out.
The cards do not have a lot of art. What little they have is appropriate if a little generic. It seems possible that this may be expanded upon in the final version. The game does have fun card names. “My 'Giant Magnifying Glass' (attack 6) destroys your 'Life Sized Michelle Obama Cutout' (attack 4)” Again, in the finished version, you will be able to add to this.



Gameplay
     The purpose of the game is to be the last player standing. If someone plays an attack card against you and you have no cards to defend yourself, you are out.
The gameplay is very simple. There are three types of cards: weapons (cards with numbers on them), special action cards and rule cards.

      Weapon Cards: You may lay one weapon card per turn. You may lay it down as a defense card. Attackers must attack defense cards before attacking the player. Alternatively, you may play a weapon card in attack. You would then select an opponent's defense card to attack. If the attacking card is not equal to or higher than the defending one, the attack fails and is discarded. If it is equal or higher, both cards go away.

      Rule Cards: You may play one rule card on your turn. It modifies the way the game plays. Sometimes they completely change the game, sometimes they barely change anything or can be just for entertainment purposes. (“Players who check their phone must discard a card.”) Only three rules can be in play at once. The oldest rule gets eliminated when a new one is introduced. This plays very similar to rule cards in Fluxx.

      Special Action Cards: These cards can be played absolutely anytime (like when you are being attacked) and in any number. They have unique effects spelled out on the card. Some cancel an attack, others destroy a defense card, another doubles an attack or defense and so on.

Final Thoughts (TL:DR)
     I haven't been exactly raving so far so let me say this; House Rules is simple and fun. The “make your own cards” feature is innovative and we did not get a chance to explore that aspect of the game heavily. In many other ways, this game has been done before.

      It feels like that copy of Mille Bornes that was at my aunt's house growing up or the copy of Uno that we had in the camper up north. It will certainly stave off boredom. House Rules can be explained and taught very easily. House Rules is a filler game to play quickly with anyone. This is not a game to make a game night around, but it could serve as a small course during a family game night. If you enjoy light family card games then you will enjoy House Rules and the ability to make/change the cards.


Jordan gives House Rules a rating of...
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5 out of 10

Pros:
+ Compact
+ Dry Erasable cards will add lots of customization

Cons:
- Feels generic

1 Comment

Jordan Knows Games reviews Rum & Bones

12/28/2015

0 Comments

 
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Published by Cool Mini or Not
Designed by Michael Shinall
# of players: 2 (3-6 variants)
Ages 14 and up
Playtime: 1 hour


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       Rum & Bones is a miniatures board game where 2 to 6 players control pirate crews engaged in fierce combat. Inspired by MOBA style video games, the game pits two pirate factions against each other. With their ships locked in combat, the crew and heroes attempt to board the enemy ship to disable it.

     The ships’ crews are made up of single-minded constantly replenishing mobs that charge headlong across the gangplanks to attack key features on the enemy ships. To turn the tide of battle, players must use their Heroes and their unique abilities.  


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Components
     Cool Mini or Not (CMoN)is very reliable when it comes to components. The plastic figures are very detailed and a little delicate because of it. Aside from that, the board, cards and tiles are sturdy.

     CMoN has gone “all in” creating a full back story and lore. Although no one will likely read it, this probably is to help justify all the expansion sets. I'm not complaining. The artwork is great, pirate-y and zombie-ish. They made sure to keep the theme front and center. The instruction book is good. There is a lot of ground to cover and they do a good job.

     This is another good-luck-getting-it-all-back-in-the-box games. On top of that, there is all the expansion sets that add characters. So acquiring some additional storage on your own may be necessary or your a magician that can make it all fit.

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 Gameplay
     This game kind of hangs its hat on the fact that it is meant to be similar to a style of video game called MOBAs. For those of you who don't know what that means, its not really that important. For those of you who do, you probably have a burning question on your mind. Let me answer it: Yes, Rum and Bones is just like League of Legends. Just. Like. It.

     Lets get into what that means. The two ships are parked next to each other with 3 gangplanks joining them. On each ship there are 3 spawn points from which a never-ending supply of mindless minions charge across to the other ship and are in perpetual battle with the minions from the other ship. All attacking is based off of dice rolling.

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      The only unique characters are the ones that the players control. At the beginning of the game, each side selects 3 of such heroes. Heroes never die. They are only knocked out of action for a time and respawn. They are much stronger than the minions and have special attacks and abilities specific to that hero alone. The overall idea of the game is that the heroes turn the tide of the battle. There are various key points on the enemy's ship that, if you can reach them and destroy them, will give your side a permanent advantage, or incur a lasting penalty on the enemy.


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      A couple of very strong monsters can appear that are not affiliated with either side. The Kraken and the Sea Dragon indiscriminately launch punishing attacks on any who come near. If you can destroy them, you will be well rewarded. In fact, the game cannot continue when the Kraken is out as he is parked between the 2 ships. And yes, they can even end up attacking each other. Another fun objective is trying to destroy your enemy's cannon. Each side has a deck mounted cannon that they can actually fire on any square they want, even a sea monster.

     The game ends when 3 objectives have been destroyed (the monsters count) As mentioned, downing objectives tends to give you a permanent advantage. So, there can be a little bit of a snowball effect. If your enemy has knocked out 2 and you have only gotten 1 or none at all, it is unlikely you will be able to turn things around, but it is possible.

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       We haven't gotten into the specifics of many of the rules and I do not think we need to. While the rules seem complicated at first, it all starts to make sense pretty quickly in the larger context of the game. Although the game is marketed as 2-6 players, it is inherently a “Team A vs Team B” game and best as a 1 on 1. If you are going to play with more, you need an even number.

    Rum and Bones is a more “old school” game in the sense that, sometimes, even if you employ a good strategy, a bad roll of the dice or draw of the cards can ruin you. Losing like that tends to leave a bad taste in your mouth. Of course, taking a risk and having it pay off certainly feels good.


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Final Thoughts (Tl:DR)

   Rum and Bones is a  lovechild of a tabletop miniatures game and League of Legends. It is not really that tough to learn to play, for gamers anyways. Obviously, this is not a casual or party game. The game is basically a duel and, although its possible to play with more,  team play isn't really the focus of the game.

     You don't tend to have close finishes. With each success, you get stronger and this encourages a “snowball” effect. Still, Rums and Bones is pretty fun to play. (Especially if you drink rum while playing it!) With the expansion sets, you will have a lot of pretty unique characters to choose from. The theme, artwork and lore all add to the fun. I recommend Rum and Bones and look forward to the expansions and future game plays.  (Taco Editor note: he is just upset I keep beating him)


Jordan gives Rum & Bones a rating of...
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8 out of 10


Pros:
+ Feels like a classic board game or MOBA style video game
+ Plays in about an hour
+ Expansion heroes add to freshness of the game
+ Pirate Theme
+ Dice and Abilities are balanced

Cons:
- High cost if you decide to get all the extras
- One side can snowball to victory
- Hard to find/expensive kickstarter exclusives
- Need Expansions if you want variety

0 Comments
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