Well, in recent years, the genre of the Tableau Builder has been one of more popular ones. Two big hits of the past few years Faraway (2023) and Castle Combo (2024) have each recently had an expansion. Each comes in a little sachet that feels like an old-school pack of baseball cards.
If you’re unfamiliar with the base games – let me direct you to our reviews of those first:
So, each year (well, nearly each year) since 2000, I have been able to attend the Gathering of Friends – an invitational event which is unlike any other that I go to. The Friends all meet at a hotel, and pretty much spend ten days playing games, eating food, possibly drinking drinks – having a good time without much agenda. Sure, there are some business meetings and prototype pitches that happen – but for me, it’s just games. Wake up, drink coffee, play games, go to dinner, play games, go to bed. Repeat. I only get five days right now due to some IRL responsibilities – but here’s what I played…
(I used to try to do this real-time, but as I age, my ability to write late at night has waned. By the time I’m done gaming now, I’m pretty much straight to bed)
Flip 7 is back – With a Vengeance! All of the fun of the original game, plus new player interactions and special take-that cards! Flip over cards one by one without flipping the same number twice. Sound easy? Think again! This isn’t just any deck of cards… In Flip 7: With A Vengeance, there’s only one 1 card, two 2’s, three 3’s, etc., plus a bunch of special cards that can cut your points in half, steal any card, or force an opponent to draw four cards! Are you the type of player to play it safe and bank points before you bust, or are you going to risk it all and go for the bonus points by flipping over seven in a row? Press your luck meets strategy in this addictive card game where no one is ever really safe. The hard-boiled sequel to the award-winning, instant classic, Flip 7.
Players compete over four hands of ten rounds each. A round is a trick where all players, in turn, play one card from their hand. The one who played the highest card (or the lowest, depending on the Rule in play) wins the trick and takes all the cards played that round.
During the game, certain actions can break the Rule, reversing the outcome between highest/lowest trick. At the end of the game, the player who has collected the fewest cucumbers is the winner. The shifting Rule system creates constant surprises, frequent reversals, so that no two games play out the same way.
Welcome to Frosted Blooms – In the soft dawn of a Dutch spring, the last breath of winter lingers in the air, leaving a delicate frost upon the awakening fields. But beneath this shimmering chill, bold tulips begin to bloom vibrant, colorful, and full of promise.
You are one of the master gardeners, competing to create the most admired tulip garden of the season. Every choice you make, each landscape, windmill raised, and each thoughtfully arranged flowers will bring you closer to perfection. Plan with care, cultivate with style, and let your tulip tapestry shine as the pride of the lowlands!
Players compete for the most harmonious and valuable tulip garden over the course of ten rounds. In each round, they select a landscape brick to add them to their own garden, and then play a card of their hand to score points according to the pattern groups received. The enclosed spaces house workers, barns or mills that offer important bonuses at the end of the game. In addition, players can confirm goals by grouping certain elements and filling their garden. Whoever ends with the highest score wins the game!
TEMBO is the Swahili word for elephant. In this cooperative game, you lead a herd of elephants on a thrilling journey of survival across the savanna. Reaching your destination is the only way to win – yet the path is full of challenges. You will need to search out food and water, navigate shifting terrain, and avoid the fierce lions that roam the land. On your turn, play a card to either expand the savanna or move the herd forward across it. Each card has dual uses, and your position at the table determines how you can play it, creating a multi-layered puzzle for you and your team to solve. Play continues until the herd reaches its destination—or until you lose by going hungry, running out of time in the deck, or being caught by the lions. No two journeys are ever the same. Each game offers new challenges, demanding careful planning and constant communication to guide your herd safely to victory.
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