Twinkle Twinkle

• Designer: Ammon Anderson
• Publisher: Allplay
• Players: 1-4
• Age: 10+
• Time: 30 minutes
• Amazon affiliate link:  https://amzn.to/4nkxsQ8
• Played with review copy provided by publisher

In the tile-laying game Twinkle Twinkle, you’ll fill your star chart with clear plastic tiles, trying to connect constellations, build belts of asteroids, collect comets, pick up planets, and study them with satellites. Take care with those pesky black holes – unless you have a perfect spot for them, of course. Constellations, asteroids, comets, planets, and black holes all score differently! With 10 modular scoring conditions in the box, you can mix and match for 32 different setups. Whoever finds their highest score in the stars wins.  The game features an optional scoring app that allows you to point your phone at the board and watch it magically tally up your points!

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The Brain

• Designer:Peter Juergensen 
• Publisher: Play to Z
• Players: 1-4
• Age: 12+
• Time: 15 minutes
• Played with review copy provided by publisher

The Brain consists of one or more attempts to solve a puzzle, with 1-4 players continuing to try until they give up or succeed. You are not allowed to communicate with each other during play. Will you manage to clear all the cards with logic, deduction, counting, and a little bit of luck? Try it on every level until you succeed!   On your turn, you must place a card from your hand in the middle of the table, perform the corresponding action, then draw a card from the deck. If all cards in your hand have been played and the draw pile is empty, you win — but as soon as there is a predetermined number of cards on the table at the end of a turn, you all lose. If this happens, you can discuss how to do better next time, then try again!

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Akropolis: Pantheon

• Designer: Jules Messaud
• Publisher: Gigamic
• Players: 1-4
• Age: 8+
• Time: 45 minutes
• Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/4u8kNmg
• Played with review copy provided by publisher

The time for rivalries is over! At the height of their glory, the once-opposing Cities now join forces to build a grand Capital together and honor the gods. Erect splendid Divine Altars dedicated to the protectors of the Capital, and let its aura shine throughout the ancient world. Managing Stones, coordinating placements, and anticipating Challenges are essential to achieving collective victory. 

Akropolis Pantheon is a cooperative expansion for the game Akropolis. The base game is required to play. The Architects’ goal is to work together to construct the Capital and achieve the highest possible score by using the best strategy. You must therefore join forces and play cooperatively.

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Rascally Rabbits

• Designer: Ta-Te Wu
• Publisher: Sunrise Tornado
• Players: 2-6
• Age: 10+
• Time: 30-45 min
• Played with review copy provided by publisher

Rascally Rabbits is a lighthearted yet strategic trick-writing game for 2 to 6 players. Mischievous bunnies are sneaking into gardens to snatch veggies, but only the cleverest plans will succeed! Each round, players receive a unique garden card showing a different arrangement of numbers from 1 to 16, then secretly customize parts of it to meet their goals.

At the start of each trick, the lead player chooses a crop (suit), and others must follow if they can. The highest number in the lead crop wins the trick and becomes the next lead. If a player matches both the crop and number exactly, they collect a bunny—a bonus that can score points later.

The round ends after 13 tricks or when one player has won seven. Players score points for winning tricks and for accurately predicting their total at the start of the round. Even players who win zero tricks can still earn points based on the bunnies they’ve gathered throughout the game.

After three rounds, the player with the most points from bids, tricks, and bunnies is crowned the most rascally rabbit of all!

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