Dale Yu: First Impressions of Kilt Castle

Posted on November 17, 2016 by Dale Yu

 

Kilt Castle

  • Designer: Guenter Burkhardt
  • Publisher: Zoch
  • Players: 2-4
  • Ages: 10+
  • Time: 30-45 minutes
  • Times played: 2, with review copy provided by Zoch

kilt-castle

This year, there were two Burkhardt games that caught my eye, and each of them uses an interesting (and different) action selection mechanic.  Though Burkhardt is one of the more prolific designers, I have yet to find one of his designs as a personal favorite, though many of them are liked.  At the Zoch press event at SPIEL 2016, I had the chance to play Kilt Castle – one of the aforementioned games.

In this game, players are working together to build the towers of Kilt Castle – the ancestral home of their shared clan.  The board shows an incomplete 5×5 grid of building spaces.  Around the outer border of the board, the building action cards are placed – some of these are single colored while others have combinations of two different colors.   Each player has a supply of 16 plastic towers, with 2 of them having a “2 crest” sticker on the top and 3 having a “1 crest” sticker.   Each player also starts with 10 ducats.  The two multicolored roof tiles start next to the board. Continue reading →

Posted in Essen 2016, First Impressions | 1 Comment

Fool’s Gold

Posted on November 16, 2016 by gschloesser

Design by Joshua Balvin
Published by Passport Studios / Rock Paper Scissors Games
3 – 5 Players, 1 – 1 1/2 hours
Review by Greg J. Schloesser

fools-gold-cover

There’s gold in ‘dem ‘der hills!  Yes, there is gold…and quartz, topaz and benitoite, too!  Folks can get rich staking a claim and digging in those mountains and waters.  Of course, they are much more likely to go bust.

In the mid-to-late 1800s, gold fever caused a massive migration westward by folks seeking to strike it rich by discovering gold and other precious gems and minerals.  Some did, indeed, make a tidy fortune, but most merely subsisted or went broke.  Fool’s Gold by designer Joshua Balvin recreates–at least in part–the frenzy to discover gold and minerals in the great western regions.

The square game board rather blandly depicts a section of the west, with tracks leading from the central mining town to the hills, forest, mountains, river and lake.  Each of these locations has its own unique deck of cards with a mixture of gold, gems, hazards, false alarms and, of course, worthless silt.  There is a specific number and type in each deck, which is listed on the player aid screens.  This is important information as astute players can somewhat calculate the odds of finding gold or gems as opposed to silt.  Of course, dice and the luck-of-the-draw are involved, so luck plays a heavy role.

Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Leave a comment

Dale Yu: First Impressions of Planet Defenders

Posted on November 16, 2016 by Dale Yu

 

 

Planet Defenders

  • Designer: Wei-Min Ling
  • Publisher: EmperorS4
  • Players: 2-4
  • Ages: 10+
  • Time: 30-60 min
  • Times played: 2 with preview copy provided by EmperorS4

planet-defenders

In this new game from EmperorS4, players are trying to protect the planet from rogue robots – that used to defend our own planet.  The game board is made up of a 3×3 array of planet tiles, and on these tiles, the three active Planet Defenders are found (these are the good robots).   The three double sided control tiles are placed on the table. There is a deck of 20 Robot cards – these are the ones attacking you – which are dealt into 4 equal stacks and placed facedown at the edge of the planetary card array.  A deck of technology cards is shuffled and 4 cards are placed face-up next to that deck.  Finally, each player takes his own player board and gets 5 Battery cubes next to it. Continue reading →

Posted in Essen 2016, First Impressions | 1 Comment

Dale Yu: First Impressions of 1001

Posted on November 15, 2016 by Dale Yu

 

1001

  • Designers: David Duperret and Vincent Greco
  • Publisher: TIKI Editions
  • Players: 2-8
  • Ages: 8+
  • Time: 40-60 minutes
  • Times played: 2 in team version, with review copy provided by TIKI Editions – and once as 2p game

1001

1001 is a team game where players are split into two equal (or as close to equal) team – one for day and one for night.  Each team sits on one side of the table so that they can conspire more easily.  The board is made up of 16 tiles which are randomly arranged in the frame.  Aladdin always starts in the lower left of wherever the castle ends up on the board.  There are holes in the tiles which are then randomly filled with gems.  A Rewards board with 12 cards is also set up on the table.  This board also has the turn track on it.  Each player is given a set of vote cards (numbered 1 thru 4) and then the game begins. Continue reading →

Posted in Essen 2016, First Impressions | Leave a comment

7 Wonders Duel Pantheon (Expansion Review by Chris Wray)

Posted on November 14, 2016 by Chris Wray
  • Designers: Antoine Bauza, Bruno Cathala
  • Publisher:  Repos Production
  • Players:  2 – 2
  • Ages:  10 and Up
  • Time:  30 Minutes
  • Times Played: > 4

box-7wonders-pantheon

7 Wonders Duel Pantheon is the first expansion for 7 Wonders Duel, winner of the 2016 2-player International Gamers Award.  If you’re unfamiliar with 7 Wonders Duel, check out our review from last year, where I described Antoine Bauza and Bruno Cathala’s creation as “a tense, fast-paced, well-balanced two player game.”

Pantheon was released at Essen, generating considerable attention and coming in #4 on the final Geekbuzz list.  In recent weeks, Pantheon has made its way into North American stores.

What’s new in this expansion?  There are several small changes, such as new wonders and new cards, but these are primarily to integrate a big new gameplay element: Divinity Cards and the Pantheon Board.  Divinities provide in-game bonuses and powers to their purchaser, similar to Wonders.  In Age I, players choose which Divinities they will be able to invoke during Ages II and III.  

In short, Pantheon adds a new layer of depth to 7 Wonders Duel.  If you’re a fan of 7 Wonders Duel, Pantheon freshen it up and give you even more exciting decisions.  I’ve enjoyed my plays so far.   Continue reading →

Posted in Essen 2016, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cry Havoc (Game Review by Chris Wray)

Posted on November 11, 2016 by Chris Wray
  • Designer:  Grant Rodiek, Michał Oracz, Michał Walczak
  • Publisher:  Portal Games
  • Players:  2 – 4
  • Ages:  10 and Up
  • Time:  90-120 Minutes
  • Times Played:   3 (With 2, 3, and 4 Players)

CryHavocCover.jpg

“Cry ‘Havoc!’, and let slip the dogs of war.”

— William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar

Cry Havoc was a big hit at Gen Con 2016, selling out early in the convention and topping many hotness lists.  The buzz continued through the hobby’s big meeting in Essen, and since then, Cry Havoc has been rising steadily in the BGG ratings.

Portal Games’s latest title is, in many ways, a medium-heavy, asymmetric “men on a map” battle game, complete with the miniatures and beautiful artwork that characterize similar titles.  But unlike others in the genre, Cry Havoc has some clever Euro-style mechanics, including elements of deck building and a truly original battle system.  I’ve found the game clever, enjoying my plays at each player count, though the game shines best with four players. Continue reading →

Posted in Essen 2016, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments