One of the wonderful things of being a board game reviewer are the fun non-game things that sometimes end up in the house as well.  I thought I’d take a minute to show off some of these other promotional items.

Bezier Games Plushie Cat

First up is the regular sized Cat from Cat in the Box Deluxe Edition; this one has been named “Pooh”.  This sturdy plushie has huge unblinking eyes, which admittedly can be super creepy at times.  I have two of these wonderful toys, and they have made a home on the headboard of my bed.  As my wife and I get ready for bed, we often toss the stuffed animals at each other, and being the super-adult person that I am, I named this one Pooh.  Just so I could cackle with glee as I fling Pooh at my wife.

As a game accoutrement, the plushie makes a great addition to the game table.  Unlike a real feline companion, it won’t try to eat any of the brilliant game pieces nor will it walk over the board or cards and move anything.  Just like a real cat, though, it is more than happy to find a box and sit in it.  There is certainly truth to those words “if it fits, I sits”.

Pooh is pretty good for cuddling, though admittedly maybe a bit on the smaller side.  The nearly-prehensile tail also gets in the way.  However, given that it must have some sort of wire running down the length of the tail, the owner of said cat can have hours of enjoyment shaping and reshaping the tail into ever-changing forms.

The Cat has proven to be quite durable – it has been found hiding in game boxes, under tables, and sometimes set up to stare at your sleeping self.  Which can admittedly scare the bejeezus out of you if you wake up in the middle of the night and turn to find these huge creepy eyes staring at you.

That being said, when the cat is sitting on your desk, it looks so darn cute, even when it is threatening you with a giant pair of shears.  (It was practicing for the Shears’ Catalog unticketed event at Gen Con this year).

Interestingly, the cat is not currently available for sale on the Bezier website – but I can state that I saw them at their Gen Con booth – so you can always head there to buy one.  You could also instead go for a Bezier wolf – https://beziergames.com/collections/all-games/products/lyin-werewolf-plush

I don’t have an affiliate link for the cat, but if you go to the Gen Con stand (3035), tell them that the Opinionated Gamers sent you there, and maybe Ted will add it to my next Royalty statement. :)

Thunderworks Games Cartographer’s Tonic

Did you know that Thunderworks Games not only makes great games but they also have their own line of hot sauces?!  I was amazed to see a display of these at their Gen Con booth, and I had to give one a try.

They actually had two different varieties available, but sadly my picture from the show didn’t turn out so I can’t tell you what the other one is.  I haven’t yet figured out how to incorporate this sauce into an actual game of Cartographers, but it has made a huge improvement on this fairly bland boxed Red Beans and Rice we had for dinner yesterday…

Cartographer’s Tonic is labeled as a Garlic Hot Sauce, and I can say that this subtitle is at least two-thirds true!  It is quite garlicky, and this is the main thrust of the flavor profile.  The sauce starts out mostly garlic, and then slowly progresses to a very mild heat.  I’d not have complained if the subtitle was “Garlic Warm Sauce”.   Though I don’t have a Scoville meter, I’d guesstimate that this one comes in around 300-500 Scoville units – similar to Louisiana Hot sauce which is about the mildest hot sauce I have around.  Heck, I think that Mark Jackson might even be able to get this one down!  (For reference, Texas Pete is around 750, Cholula is 1000 units and Tabasco is around 5000).  

That being said, the flavor profile is really quite nice, and I did find it to be a very nice flavor enhancer.  The heat definitely did not override the other flavors in the mouthful, and I’m looking forward to adding it to other dishes that maybe want a bit more depth to the flavor profile without an overwhelming addition of heat.  I can see this in a chili in my future…

The expiration date is clearly printed on the bottle, in a nice contrasting light blue font.  The player aid (aka Nutritional Facts) is in a nice bold uniform font that you’ll surely recognize from other grocery items.  I am happy to announce that this is likely classified as a low calorie food.  While it can play up to 30, the solo usage seemed just fine in my initial go-round with this sauce.

I will note that the rules were not included with my bottle of hot sauce, and there was no QR code to download a video on how to use it.  Relying upon my vast life experience of similar bottles in the genre, we guessed how to unwrap it and apply it to various food items and body parts.  Otherwise, the components were great.  The black safety wrapping at the top was pleasingly perforated and came off easily in one swift pull.   It’s rare to see such attention to detail in these game related food items, and it was truly rewarding to see the entire protective cover come off with such ease and in such a visually pleasing spiral shape on the countertop.

Finally, I will note that newbies to this sauce should be aware of the fairly large aperture in the bottle.  While you will likely not be overwhelmed by the heat should you add more than you wanted to your food; the garlic profile is quite strong, and it could be possible that you over-garlic something.  Just be careful when you apply.  (There really should have been an online FAQ for this at the Thunderworks site!)

It’s a bit on the mild side for my tastes, but there is a time and a place for this sauce – and it will be nice to have something to offer to folks who don’t like it as hot.  You can pick these up at the Thunderworks stand, #1363.

Until your next appointment,

The Gaming Doctor