Category: More about games

  • Ropecon 2014

    First day of Ropecon – the largest non-commercial game event in Europe – done. The con got an interesting twist last year, when I decided to involve my now eight-year-old son. Now we’re here again. We’ve focused on board games, as the other program of the con has been somewhat uninteresting (or unsuitable for him). He’s eight,…

  • Rallyman

    I saw Rallyman being played couple of years ago, and finally got a used copy for myself (actually the very same copy I saw back then). This seems like an interesting racing game. I’m not a huge fan of the genre, but this one seems interesting, and of course being a Finn, the rally theme…

  • For the Crown

    This review is based on a review copy, kindly offered by Victory Point Games. The game: For the Crown (second edition) by Jeremy Lennert, published by Victory Point Games in 2012. Elevator pitch: Chess meets Dominion: a game of Chess, where you start with just a king and build up your army using a simple deck-building mechanism. What’s in the box? A slipcase…

  • Abluxxen / Linko

    The game: Abluxxen by Wolfgang Kramer and Michael Kiesling, published by Ravensburger in 2014. The international edition is called Linko. Elevator pitch: Card game filler where you steal cards from other players in order to get rid of the cards in your hand.  What’s in the box? In the small, though not as small as it could…

  • Zeppeldrome

    Zeppeldrome is currently looking for funding at Kickstarter. I got a review copy, and finally got it on the table. The review is a bit rushed; I’ve only played two two-player games so far, but since the topic is current and I’m not sure if I have time to play the game again before the…

  • Machi Koro

    The game: Machi Koro by Masao Suganuma, published by Grounding in 2012. The name means something like “Dice town”. Elevator pitch: Catan resource production distilled into a 30-minute filler game. Roll dice to produce money, use money to buy your way to victory. What’s in the box? The smallish box contains cards, cardboard coins and two dice. Everything looks really…

  • Carcassonne: South Seas

    The game: Carcassonne: South Seas, by Klaus-Jürgen Wrede, published by Hans im Glück in 2013. Elevator pitch: First game in the Carcassonne Around the World series: an independent Carcassonne game set in the South Seas, featuring familiar Carcassonne game play with novel scoring system. What’s in the box? Usual Carcassonne-size box contains tiles, meeples, wooden resource tokens (clam shells, bananas,…

  • Nations

    The game: Nations, by Rustan Håkansson, Nina Håkansson, Einar Rosén and Robert Rosén, published by Lautapelit.fi in 2013. Elevator pitch: Lead your nations from ancient times to industrial age, gaining glory and power while you’re at it. Through the Ages streamlined. What’s in the box? Large box has two central boards and player boards (thin cardboard, not actual boards), hundreds of cards…

  • Dragi Drache

    The game: Dragi Drache, by Christoph Cantzler and Anja Wrede, published by Ravensburger in 2012. Elevator pitch: A ball floats in an air jet, and the goal is to blow it so it falls in the right place on the board. Most accurate blower wins. What’s in the box? The tall box contains a large battery-operated air…

  • Die kleinen Drachenritter

    Another German children’s game, so far with no English edition and no attention whatsoever on BGG. The Finnish edition is called Junior Lancelot. The game: Die kleinen Drachenritter by Marco Teubner, published by Huch & Friends in 2012. Elevator pitch: A stacking game, where you try to climb a wall by piling cardboard objects on top of each…