Opinionated Gamers Quick Takes 2025 – Part 1

 

We’ve started a tradition of writing a group document with very short takes on the games that we play.  Of course, you’ll not get as much info as in a full review, but as our reviews likely won’t start for awhile, you can at least get a glimpse into what we think about certain games.   The OG writers can leave their initials at the end of a comment if they want attribution…

We’ll post this to the blog every few weeks to give some thoughts on each game.   Here is the first installment on what we think about the games from Spiel 2025

  • 1975: White Christmas – Quick to learn card drafting game about rescuing people during the fall of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War (a theme I’ve never seen outside a war game). As with all Looping Game titles, this one plays bigger than the box would suggest. Interesting tactical decisions over 4 rounds. I Like It (DG)
  • A Wild Venture – a 2p game about exploring and making card combos.  The game really needs about double the number of counters that you get; we kept running out.  Some interesting card interactions, but this game felt too long for what it delivered.
  • Amanite – a game with a mushroom theme where you’re supposed to intuit or deduce the values of the six different mushrooms in the game.  You are given a bit of jumbled information at the start and then get two concrete pieces of evidence in between the 3 rounds.  Not enough to make me want to play again

Continue reading

Posted in Essen 2025, Sessions | Leave a comment

Dale Yu: Review of Ninety Nine

Ninety Nine

  • Designer: Reinhard Staupe
  • Publisher: Kendi
  • Players: 2-4
  • Age: 8+
  • Time: 30 minutes
  • Amazon affiliate link: 
  • Played with review copy provided by publisher

Ninety Nine is a race to 99 points, with players scoring for both smart card playing and smart card discarding.

Continue reading

Posted in Essen 2025, Reviews | 2 Comments

Dale Yu: Review of Tropicalia

Tropicalia

  • Designer: Phil Walker-Harding
  • Publisher: Mojito Studios
  • Players: 2-4
  • Age: 10+
  • Time: 45-60 mins
  • Amazon affiliate link: 
  • Played with review copy provided by publisher

 Even this morning, the sky is clear and the sun is high over Tropicalia Island. It is time to collect mangoes, sugar apples and coconuts and to sell them at the various markets: your little island won’t build itself! In Tropicalia, you and your opponents will send your workers to the different tiles that make up the ever-changing island of Tropicalia to collect and sell fruit. Then, you will use your earnings to purchase various elements, such as buildings and events, to add to your personal board, which will grant you bonuses and points. At the end of the game, whoever has the most valuable island wins!

Continue reading

Posted in Essen 2025, Reviews | Leave a comment

Alison Brennan: Game Snapshots – 2025 (Part 29)

I’ve recently had mixed feelings about being the gaming organiser/leader in my groups. The upside is that I ensure enjoyable gaming. The downside is that I started perceiving that friends might think it too directorial, which then got me a bit gender head-spinny. But then a girlfriend reminded me that social organisation is traditionally a female role. And I’ve been doing this forever. Oh. Of course.  Sometimes all it takes is a little re-framing with help from your friends to make everything feel right again.

Btw, Infiltraitors (below) was my 200th new game for the year. It’s been fun 😊

 

New-to-me games played recently include …

  Continue reading

Posted in Commentary | 1 Comment

Dale Yu: Review of Harvest Valley

Harvest Valley

  • Designer: Bruno Faidutti
  • Publisher: Grail Games
  • Players: 2-5
  • Age: 8+
  • Time: 15 min
  • Played with review copy provided by publisher

Harvest Valley is a farming game in which players are trying to build up their farms as their neighbors encroach on their land. There are also wild boars and crows intent on eating crops! Whose farm will be the most successful?  A card game that feels like a tile-laying game. On your turn, either place a card from the display into a grid, or build one of your farmhouses. But not everyone wants your farm to have the biggest harvest! On your turn, place a crop card or a farmhouse card on the shared grid. Once the grid is full, the game ends and the player with the highest score, wins.

  Continue reading

Posted in Essen 2025, Reviews | Leave a comment

Dale Yu: Review of Clickety Clack

Clickety Clack

  • Designer: Ralf zur Linde
  • Publisher: NSV
  • Players: 2-4
  • Age: 8+
  • Time: 25 minutes
  • Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/48Z2lFL
  • Played with review copy provided by publisher

In Clickety Clack, you score points by making dice combinations that allow you to keep moving down scoring tracks. It sounds easy enough – take a die from the pool, “click it” onto a second die, and write down the total in a row of your choice on your player board. The farther you go, the harder it will be to write more numbers — and you’re not even guaranteed to score a track!  

Continue reading

Posted in Essen 2025, Reviews | Leave a comment