Dale Yu: Preview of Mini Plakks

Posted on May 16, 2023 by Dale Yu

Mini Plakks is a new game coming out from Plakks, a company which has made its mark with physical dexterity games that are sports related.   The game is coming to Kickstarter in May 2023, and it is a campaign that I am watching closely.

I have been interested in Plakks in the past, but the game was always just a bit too big for me to easily take home from my European travels – and thus, the original had never been added to the collection.  Also, it was fairly familiar to a couple of other games that I own (like Fubi).

This new version is a bit smaller, and has fewer peg players as obstacles.  Yet, despite the smaller size, the game appears to be the same – flick the ball and try to get it in your opponent’s goal. Continue reading →

Posted in Kickstarter, Preview | 2 Comments

Tokyo Game Market – Spring 2023 Impressions

Posted on May 13, 2023 by Chris Wray

If you talk to old-school gamers (and we have a lot of them that write for this blog), you’ll hear lamentations about how the experience of attending Essen has changed. As the tales go, back in the day, a gamer would show up in Essen, games would be for sale with little to no prior announcement, and the quality of the games would spread via word-of-mouth. It was an adventure of discovery. People miss that.

I wouldn’t know. My first trip to Essen was in 2015. While a lot has changed since then — the last time I went in 2019 felt very different from the first time I went — even in my first couple of years there were decently detailed “previews” of what games would be available. There were a few surprises, but Essen is certainly a scripted affair in recent years. To me, that always seemed like a good thing — I like to know something about the games I’m buying.

That’s a long-winded introduction, but it is necessary for me to make a point. Today I felt that joy of discovery, the one I’ve long heard other gamers mention. Today was a ton of fun.

This is my reflection on visiting Tokyo Game Market.

Continue reading →
Posted in Convention Report, Tokyo Game Market | Tagged | 4 Comments

Two Days in Tokyo: The Lead Up to TGM Spring 2023

Posted on May 12, 2023 by Chris Wray

I few years ago, I made a list of conventions I wanted to attend, games I wanted to play, and other gaming “bucket list” items. The only item list I had not checked off was going to Tokyo Game Market. The pandemic got in the way, then work. But tomorrow morning, I’ll be at the convention. I suppose it is time to make a new list.

There are three Game Market events in Japan each year, and two of them are in Tokyo. My understanding is that the fall event is bigger, but I’m only here partially for the convention — I also want to see the sights of Tokyo — so coming this spring felt as good a time as any. I’ll do a wrap up post after the convention here for OG, then I’m doing a broader piece for Tabletop Spirit Magazine.

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Posted in Convention Report, Tokyo Game Market | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Carnegie, Heat, and Cat in the Box Win 2022 Golden Geek Awards

Posted on May 11, 2023 by huzonfirst

The results of the Golden Geek awards for the 2022 calendar year have just been announced.  The Golden Geeks give Game of the Year (GotY) awards for three categories:  Light, Medium, and Heavy.  Here are the results, together with the designers and publishers:

Light GotY – Cat in the Box: Deluxe Edition (Muneyuki Yokouchi, Hobby Japan/Bezier Games)
Medium GotY – Heat: Pedal to the Metal (Asger Granerud/Daniel Pedersen, Days of Wonder)
Heavy GotY – Carnegie (Xavier Georges, Quined Games)

The Golden Geeks gives awards for other categories as well and here are the winners for those:

2-Player Game – Splendor Duel
Artwork/Presentation – Flamecraft
Cooperative Game – Return to Dark Tower
Expansion – Dune: Imperium – Rise of Ix
Innovative – Cat in the Box
Party Game – Ready Set Bet
Print & Play – Aquamarine
Solo Game – Turing Machine
Thematic Game – Heat
Wargame – Undaunted: Stalingrad
Best Podcast – This Game Is Broken
Best Board Game App – Everdell

Congratulations to all the winners!

Posted in Reviews | Tagged | 3 Comments

Dale Yu: Review of Return of Doctor Esker’s Notebook

Posted on May 10, 2023 by Dale Yu

 Return of Doctor Esker’s Notebook

  • Designer: Dave Dobson
  • Publisher: Plankton Games
  • Players: 1+
  • Ages: 10+
  • Time: 45 minutes
  • Times played: 1, with review copy provided by Plankton Games
  • Affiliate link: https://amzn.to/3M6uQFH

From the publisher’s description: “Doctor Esker has vanished, leaving behind only a mysterious book full of puzzles written in his own hand. Nobody has cracked his cryptic codes yet. Are you up to the challenge? This fun puzzle game provides a deck of 83 cards which contain a variety of devious puzzles to solve. You can play through the puzzles solo or together with family and friends. Great for a party, a game night, or a lazy afternoon. Play time 1-3 hours. The puzzles are of many different types, none of which are standard puzzles. The puzzles use numbers, words, geometry, logic, symbols, pictures, and many other intriguing challenges. No two puzzles are alike, and you’ll need to think in many different ways to complete the entire deck. The game works equally well as a solo challenge or as a fun activity with a group. Many folks have played through a whole deck in one game night as an escape room-style event. Some people like leaving it out on a coffee table and coming back to it day after day with new insights, using it more like a tavern puzzle. Some can power through unassisted, but most have needed to use the extensive and easy-to-use online hint system, where you can get small hints or big hints tailored to whatever help you need.”

  Continue reading →

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Play – The Game Festival

Posted on May 9, 2023 by Andrea "Liga" Ligabue

From 19th to 21st of May Modena once again becomes the capital of gaming. Now in its 14th edition, Play – The Game Festival presents itself with an exceptional play offer. All Modenafiere pavilions, over 2,000 gaming tables and the participation of over 300 exhibitors and associations will offer an munique game experience with more than 600 events.

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