Gameblog

Category: Reviews

  • Nile DeLuxor

    I was offered a review copy of Nile DeLuxor from Minion Games. Since I really like the original Nile, I was quick to take the offer. This new edition takes a good game and makes it even better. What’s different? Proper box. Nothing too large, but the cards fit in, even sleeved. Good insert. Proper…

  • Sturgeon

    Sturgeon isn’t named after Sturgeon’s law (90% of everything is crud), but the name is appropriate. Actually, this small game from Minion Games and designer Russell Brown is about fish. Players try to get two sturgeons on their side of the lake, but that requires patience and careful build-up of fish. Overview of the rules…

  • Flash Duel

    I got a review copy of Flash Duel, a two-player combat game by David Sirlin. The game is a card game version of the classic fighting games like Street Fighter, with characters done in similar style. The base of the game is however more abstract and mathematical. A familiar game in new form Actually, Flash…

  • Shopping and building: Tori preview

    Designer Kimmo Sorsamo sent me a copy of his latest game Tori. I still haven’t tried his previous game, Epäillyt, which is a murder mystery in 1930’s Helsinki. Let’s just say that one didn’t get a very good reception among board game hobbyists and I doubt I could convince my friends to give it a…

  • Atlantic Triangle

    Mindwarrior Games is a new Finnish board game development house and Atlantic Triangle is their first game, done in cooperation with Tactic. It’s a sleek-looking game on the topic of triangular trade, which means the players are actually slave traders! Not a very politically correct theme, but it’s fairly abstract. However, there are actual slave…

  • Samarkand: Routes to Riches

    I missed the original Age of Scheme. Thus I was rather glad it got reprinted by Queen Games as Samarkand: Routes to Riches. It’s not just a pretty reprint like Chicago Express was, but rather a conversion of a demanding auction game to a German family game. Gone are the auctions, say hello to randomly…

  • WYPS

    I’ve been playing WYPS recently. It’s a new abstract game that combines word game with a connection game. It’s like The Game of Y, except the pieces have letters on them and must form words. The goal is the same: connect all three sides of the triangular board with a chain of your pieces. While…

  • Zombie Apocalypse — with trains

    We’ve been moving and I’ve been otherwise busy, so I’ve had to skip each board game club meeting in November. Now I was finally able to make it and we got to play the game that’s been right on top of my “want to play” list. Age of Steam — The Zombie Apocalypse. Even the…

  • First impression of Toledo

    This week’s game session started with Toledo, as I had just received a review copy of the game (it’s been published in Finnish by Lautapelit.fi). This Martin Wallace game is about the steel and swords of Toledo: players must collect materials, make swords and present them to the emperor. There’s a road, which the players…

  • Miksi juuri Mäntsälä…?

    I asked for a review copy of Fits, but Amo provided me with a copy of Miksi juuri Mäntsälä…? instead. Well, that’s an interesting game, too. It’s the Finnish version of Ausgerechnet Buxtehude. These games owe their existence to Anno Domini. In Anno Domini, players must put events in correct chronological order. These games add…