Matt Carlson: Gen Con 2021 – S to W

Posted on October 24, 2021 by Matt J Carlson

The Gen Con 2021 boardgaming blog is over, it’s time to sit back and enjoy a cup of tea… Earl Grey, Hot, if you please. When write these up, I rip out pages of my notebook as I winnow down the publishers. As I write this, the notebook is getting pretty scraggly. No worries, next year will be a new notebook! For now, here’s what I’ve scavenged from the pages that have not yet been torn away…

If I’ve recorded any errors on dates, publishers, titles, (and spelling), I’m going to blame you for reading them.. Gotcha there, you didn’t expect that, did ya?…

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Matt Carlson: Gen Con 2021 – M to R

Posted on October 23, 2021 by Matt J Carlson

You thought it was over? I wish! I’ve got more Gen Con 2021 (yeah, that thing a month ago) content to throw your way. Today, it’s publishers M to R. Why go all the way to R? Because then I can show off the nifty animated gif I made…

If I’ve recorded any errors on dates, publishers, titles, (and spelling), let’s just keep that between us. No one else needs to know...

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Dale Yu: Review of Geisha’s Road

Posted on October 23, 2021 by Dale Yu

Geisha’s Road

  • Designer: Eros Lin & Jerry K Chiang
  • Publisher: EmperorS4
  • Players: 2
  • Age: 8+
  • Time: 20 minutes
  • KS link – https://lihi1.cc/MOoKK/rv
  • Played with review copy provided by Taiwan Boardgame Design (TBD)

geishas-road

Geisha’s Road is a sequel to the highly acclaimed Hanamikoji.  This game is another 2p only design, still focused on the world of the Japanese Geisha.  In this game, you try to help the five geisha gain status, and if you have enough influence over them, you will also get credit for their success.

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Dale Yu: Review of Hanamikoji and 7 mini expansions 

Posted on October 22, 2021 by Dale Yu

Hanamikoji and 7 mini expansions 

  • Designer: Kota Nakayama
  • Publisher: EmperorS4
  • Players: 2
  • Ages: 10 and Up
  • Time: 15 Minutes
  • Times Played: at least 12 times with review copy provided by Taiwan Boardgame Design (TBD)

hanamikoli

Hanamikoji, which was originally released in Japan under the name 21 Flowers back in 2016. Since then, there has been a US version (released at GenCon 2018) by Deep Water Games.  Though I don’t have much room in my schedule for 2p games, this one has made the cut as a keeper in this very slim genre in my collection.  I am looking at this title again because there is an upcoming Kickstarter campaign for a sequel, and I was sent a bundle of the two games to play.

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ANKH: GODS OF EGYPT – FIRST IMPRESSIONS by Simmy Peerutin

Posted on October 21, 2021 by Dale Yu

ankh

Author: SIMMY PEERUTIN

Ankh: Gods of Egypt

Designer: Eric Lang

Publisher: CMON

In Ankh players represent Gods whose goal is to gain enough Devotion to become the supreme God of Egypt. They do this by building monuments dedicated to themselves and engaging in conflict with other Gods to dominate regions. To build monuments the Gods need to sacrifice Followers, and Followers are also used to increase the Gods Ankh powers. Continue reading →

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Dale Yu – Review of Ubongo 3D

Posted on October 20, 2021 by Dale Yu

Ubongo 3D

  • Designer: Gzegorz Rejchtman
  • Publisher: Kosmos
  • Players: 1-4
  • Age: 8+
  • Time: 25 minutes
  • Played on review copy provided by Thames & Kosmos

ubongo 3d

I first was exposed to this game back in 2009,  bringing home the humongous box (nearly a full cube) from Essen. Ubongo was one of the first puzzle games that really caught my eye, and I thought that the change to a 3D puzzle might be interesting.  As it turns out, interesting isn’t the right descriptive term – it might be better to say impossible.  I found that I had a hard time solving the puzzles in this game.   I wasn’t the only one who felt this way, and as a result, my original copy of the game eventually hit the trade/sale pile.  

Now in 2021, Kosmos has released an updated version, now in a more traditional sized box.  Though it doesn’t explicitly say it, I think that this is a reprint of Ubongo 3D Family (first out in Germany in 2019).  This version has slightly more puzzles, but also in a slightly easier distribution. Continue reading →

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