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New Game Stuff (5/3/2013)

May 032013

Life is full of tough questions. Paper or plastic? With or without cheese? Red pill or blue pill?

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Pig or dog?

The correct answer to the latter question is actually both. And, luckily, when you buy a copy of Pick-a-Dog and Pick-a-Pig you get both. When combined with each other, these games go from 2-5 players to 6-8 players, blending matching and dexterity games together no matter which version you play. A grid of cards sits in the center of the table, each with five attributes noted on them. Players also have a single card in their hand. Once the game has begun, everyone tries to grab a card with at least four similar attributes, adding it to their hand and continuing from there. The game stops when one player has no more cards to grab. As one can imagine this game plays well with family members or friends plus a bottle of scotch.

Is your tower protected?

Not exactly a new game, but one we’ve just gotten back in stock, Batt’l Kha’os is a tile laying game with some fighty bits thrown in. Players attempt to take control of various tower tiles laid across the table by placing their own army tiles around it. Each tile intersection point is then totaled up for the amount of humans vs. orcs and whoever has the most takes the corner. Once all four corners around a tower are calculated, whoever has the most corners (orcs or humans) takes control of the tower. Though it leaves some letters out of its title, Batt’l Kha’os combines the best of Carcassonne and Pocket Battles.

Nathan Fillion has charmed television, comics, and cinema, but now he’s setting his sights on the world of board gaming. Castle: The Detective Card Game transformers the comedy and mystery of the hit television series into a clue solving card game. Players take control of a key character from the show in order to piece together the clues and figure out who the murderer is. Players can choose to compete in episode mode, finding only one killer to win the game, or season mode, playing through a range of episodes and murderers to see who has solved the most by the end.

In the middle of all this complicated gaming hooha, let me throw in a quick shout-out to the newest Data Pack for the Netrunner LCG from Fantasy Flight. Humanity’s Shadow includes the standard assortment of sixty new cards to be incorporated into the base game. Download them into your hand right now.

Tear down your quarantine signs, put aside your rifles, and lay down your machetes, and come out of your reinforced basements because it’s time for the first Zombicide expansion to arrive. Although, as this expansion, Walk of the Dead (see what they did there?), contains twenty-four additional zombie miniatures, you may still want to guard your brain. There are also twelve spawn cards include so that these figures can be introduced into the game. Stay close, lock and load, and make sure to wear a helmet.

Ahoy, maties, it be Catan: Pirates and Explorers!

The newest expansion for the hit Catan game series, Pirates and Explorers, like Cities and Knights, Seafarers, and Traders and Barbarians before it, adds new mechanics to the already popular ones from Settlers of Catan. Bridging the gap between Catan and Seafarers, Pirates and Explorers starts players out on one island, searching for resources and settlers to build and pilot a sailing vessel to another island. Once there, players discover a range of new resources to continue building and growing. This version of the game comes packed with five original scenarios to keep the gameplay fresh and original.

And, because of time and all that stuff, the last three items tonight will be presented in image only. They do say pictures speak louder than words, right?

Okay, maybe a few words.

There’s Ugg-Tect, a cooperative game where players have to act like cavemen while instructing each other on how to build a prehistoric building. There are also inflatable clubs included.

Two RPG softcovers also release this weekend.

One, for Call of Cthulhu (Atomic-Age Cthulhu), providing a 50s era setting for Cthulhuian mystery and murder with a nuclear backdrop.

And, two, the newest addition to the Only War Warhammer 40K RPG, Hammer of the Emperor.

New Game Stuff (4/19/2013)

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Apr 192013

Restock is the magic word for this week’s New Game Stuff.

Above all else is the return or revenge or attack of the X-Wing miniatures game. After having been out of print for a limited time, all of the wave two ships are back in stock. That’s the Tie Infiltrator, the Millennium Falcon, the A-Wing, and the Slave I. And they’re just in time, too, because this Sunday brings the first Star Wars X-Wing League Play day up at the store. So choose whether you support the Rebel Alliance or the Empire then come knock some ships out of the stars in some head-to-head battle. Sign-up will begin at noon and play will commence shortly after.

After selling out swiftly last week, Dixit Quest has returned from whatever magical land this game hails from. For those who’ve been awaiting the return of Dixit 2, this is your chance. Dixit Quest is an eighty-four card expansion for the base Dixit game, adding a gallery’s worth of psychedelic, gorgeous artwork to this Apple-to-Apples-esque party game. If you’re not familiar with Dixit, then allow me to inform you. Play revolves around players taking turns offering descriptive words, sounds, or phrases, then everyone who didn’t lays down a full-art card which they feel best encompasses the description. From there, everyone chooses the card they think the person who offered the descriptor laid down. Points are awarded based on who is correct and incorrect. An extremely well illustrated game, Dixit is fun for the whole family.

Magazines are supposed to have gone the way of the dodo, but here’s a brand new one in the tradition of Dungeon and Dragon Magazine called Gygax Magazine. As they say in the forward, the name of the publication was chosen out of respect to the originator of the RPG and as a statement of the traditional approach the magazine is going to take to its content. The first issue of this nostalgic treat features stories about “The Future of Tabletop Gaming,” “The Cosmology of Role-Playing Games,” and “DMing for Your Toddler.” A system-neutral play setting is also included, being Gnatdamp a tiny hamlet in the middle of a swamp, full of rowdy cutthroats. Come reminisce with issue #1 of Gygax Magazine.

And, finally, a moment of Warhammer 40K zen featuring (the late arriving; thanks Games Workshop) the XV88 Tau Broadside Battlesuit. Soak it up.

New Game Stuff (2/22/2013)

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Feb 222013

We’ve trudged through the snow and ice just to bring you, dear readers, the newest installment of New Game Stuff. Okay, fair enough, it’s not that bad out now and, yes, we could have posted this from home, if need be, HOWEVER, there is new gaming stuff and we are going to tell you about it.

First up, with Magic Game Day arriving on the morrow, it’s time for the Gatecrash Event Decks to show up. For this set, the decks focus on Boros and Simic, meaning red/white and blue/red/green, respectively. The Simic Guild deck comes packed with killer green cards, like a Thragtusk and a Wolfir Silverheart, while the Boros deck includes ton of money cards, like Clifftop Retreat, Champion of the Parish, Spark Trooper, Silverblade Paladin, and more. So, lets do the math, not only can you play these competitive decks in tournaments and do well, but you’ll also make off like a bandit with all the money rares included in them.

Expand your spellcasting playbook with the Forcemaster vs. Warlord expansion set for Mage Wars. Within this set are all the spell cards, mage cards, spellbooks, markers, and rules that you’ll need to incorporate these powerhouses into your base game of Mage Wars. And, whoo boy, these two robed wizard-types are packed full of the butt-kicking. Forcemaster likes to kick other players in the face with her mind and whip them about like a ragdoll with her telekentic prowess. On the other hand, the Warlord has his minions soldier on for him while he brings the death from above with his brutal war magic. Either way, you’re going to be challenging your opponent like never before.

If you just can’t wait to see how Peter Jackson ends his Hobbit saga (or you can’t read…but then you’d probably not be looking at this), create your own ending with the second Hobbit saga expansion for the Lord of the Rings LCG game, On the Doorstep. Within this expansion are three additional scenarios that take two players across the Wilderlands, pitting them against giant spiders, Smaug, and the armies of Bolg on a cooperative journey. Of course, to topple these challenges, you’re going to need new heroes, treasures, and player cards. Luckily, you don’t have to venture across the Misty Mountains cold to find them, because they’re all contained within.

But maybe hobbits aren’t your flavor (they do have all that hair).

If not, the newest release for the Dungeon Command miniature game, Blood of Gruumsh, is chock full of Orcs for your battling pleasure. This boxset contains an entire Orc faction, ready to play directly out of the box. That means there are twelve prepainted figures depicting an owlbear, an Orc Chieftain, a wereboar, and much, much more. Or if you’re feeling random, slap your Orc faction together with a bit of Elf and Goblin and have an old fashioned D&D hoedown!

Finally, this evening we’re going to write a lot of words. But we’re going to do it in an order that turns them into a sentence. And from those sentences, we’re going to tell you the names of four fresh additions to the Pathfinder universe. First up is the Shattered Star Poster Map Folio which provides detailed maps for Varisia, Magnimar, and Kaer Maga. Next is the Animal Archive which details the fauna of the Pathfinder universe, including armor-wearing triceratops. The Snows of Summer begins a new Adventure Path known as Reign of Winter. And, finally, Pathfinder Online: Thornkeep provides GMs all the information they need to run adventures in and under Thornkeep, as well as details on the upcoming Pathfinder MMORPG.

New Game Stuff (12/14/2012)

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Dec 142012

Managing to actually beat the next Star Wars films into the world, the Fantasy Flight Star Wars RPG base set has, shockingly, arrived earlier than expected. Copying the Pathfinder Beginner Box method of release, Star Wars Edge of the Empire is also released in a beginner box format, coming with all the essentials for play. Included in the box is a quick-to-learn rule booklet that will teach anyone, even the most uninitiated roleplayer, how to play the game. Dice, pre-generated character sheets (which are ready-to-play), an adventure book, tokens, and much more are also included. Create your own galaxy far, far away by picking up this one, catch-all Beginner Box.

Maybe you haven’t heard, but there’s this movie called The Hobbit coming out this weekend. I don’t know, people are excited. In a brilliant stroke of cross-marketing, Fantasy Flight has released a new Hobbit trick-taking card game. A head-to-head battle of good versus evil, The Hobbit card game has players taking on the roles of Bilbo, Gandalf, and Thorin to take on the forces of Smaug and Bolg. Each card has its own special abilities as well as associations with good or evil, which will benefit or harm them depending on the items being attached to them. Trust me, you’re going to need something to keep you and your five friends busy while your sitting in line waiting for tickets.

In an effort to make an RPG system for every corner of the Warhammer 40K universe, the Only War Core Rulebook drops today. Focusing on the Imperial Guardsmen, Only War allows players to control any of the twelve specialties, whether that’s the powerful Heavy Gunner or the beneficial Medic. The game also supports all forms of interaction with easy-to-understand rules capable of handling conversations to mass battles. Also, by the weird possibility that you’re playing a 40K game without knowing anything about the universe, this rulebook comes with complete background details on the Imperial Guard and all their enemies.

The fire is rising, brother. And you just read that in Bane’s voice.

Though he, technically, has nothing to do with Dominare, Bane’s general revolutionary plan does share some similarities with the gameplay. It’s all about influencing the citizens of Tempest with secret backdoor dealings, underhanded treachery, and cunning. Each player controls different agents of the underworld, sending them into eight different city districts to begin spreading rumors of a conspiracy that will upset the city’s balance. In the end, its all about control and who possesses it.

Ticket to Ride continues to trek across the globe for its most recent map expansion packs, this time landing in Africa. Ticket to Ride: The Heart of Africa (beside being a minor reference to Joseph Conrad’s famous short story) features an entirely original map of the country, complete with new terrain cards which specific different track colors for different geographical regions. Players can multiply their points by using them in conjunction with particular routes. As Ticket to Ride is one of the best family games on the stands since forever, so keep it fresh and interesting for yours by picking up this new expansion.

Wares! Fine wares! Get your fine wares right here!

Continuing from Catan Histories previous releases, Merchants of Europe is the newest stand-alone Catan edition. This augmentation of the basic Settlers of Catan rules has players controlling merchants and trading posts in various cities in Europe, attempting to expand their mercantile reach ever further. Ultimately, your goal should be to recruit as many new merchants as you can in an effort to build trading posts further from your original locations and acquire different commodities (i.e. sugar, wood, sheep, etc.) for trade and sale. Along with this, players must also build trading routes over which they will need to transport their goods, hoping they’ve built them in safe areas or else have their product pillaged from under them.

New Game Stuff (12/7/2012)

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Dec 072012

Just like in an Indiana Jones movie, just when you think you’re out of the tomb, the floor collapses and you fall into bed of snakes.

Such is the concept behind the new expansion pieces for Escape. If you haven’t heard of this popular Queen Game, it’s a real-time adventurer where every player goes at the same time, attempting to collect as many the tomb’s hidden gems as they can before the clock runs out. Hitting stores after being given out as Kickstarter incentives, The Pit and Doomed are the first expansion pieces for the game. Both provide new tiles which represent additional deadly rooms in the temple. The Pit traps players down a deep hole after they’ve rolled five curses. Doomed provides two new curses and one new tile, all with exciting properties.

The only option is Zombicide.

A co-operative survival game, Zombicide is a catch-22 run amok as players must kill more zombies to earn skill points, but killing zombies only results in more zombies. The other tricky thing is that there will inevitably be more undead than you have bullets, so you’re really going to want to earn up those skill points to buy more ammo and weapons. This popular Kickstarter joins and outpaces many of the other zombie games out there. So, lock and load, folks.

All is fair in love and war. AEG‘s Love Letter is a reality dating show dropped into the Renascence. A group of eligible bachelors compete for the hand of a stunning princess who’s locked herself in the castle’s highest tower. The only way you can lay your flirtatious mojo on her is through alluring prose delivered via letter. Of course, all the other prospective suitors had the same idea, so you will have to find ways of intercepting and destroying their letters. But don’t focus all your attention on the other players as your letters can be turned to ash just as quickly. Start working on those pick-up lines, gentlemen.

The Tome of Blood is at your disposal, Lord Khorne.

The most recent hardcover edition to the Black Crusade line of Warhammer 40K RPG books details every tool you’ll need to praise the Blood God! That includes four new Heretic archetypes, plus all the weapons, armaments, and Daemon Engines to empower them. As another added bonus of pain and suffering, players of any alignment can develop Legacy Weapons and fight in Mass Combats. Along with all this carnage comes new settings like the pits of Kurse, Furia’s savage oceans, Berin and Aspodel, as well as the War Moons of Talax. Pile up those skulls, cause Khorne needs a seat.

Wallenstein is nothing like Frankenstein. Word to the wise.

It is however very much like a good game. This second edition of the game receives a rules touch up as well as the addition of two expansions for the game. As players compete for points by controlling the largest amount of land and real estate, two years pass (don’t worry, in game time only) wherein shortages of food, peasant revolts, and any number of other hardships will beset your kingdom. An interesting randomizing element is used to decide when and where these obstacles hit, that being a tower which you roll tokens down, some of which catch, some of which drop to the bottom. These tokens then decide what happens where. Players also carefully stratagize about how to use the action cards given them in order to obtain the most property.

Competing with Marvel’s Legacy Deck-Building Game, the new DC Deck Building Game lets players control one of seven famous DC characters. That means you can be Batman. Or Wonder Woman. Or Green Lantern. Each hero controls a special ability unique to them, giving them advantages toward certain card types. Those other types include superpowers, heroes, villains, equipment, and locations. During the game, each player vies cards which will assist their deck against the powers of the villains you all are fighting. For instance, you might want to be bulletproof if you’re going up against Deathstroke. Or have super speed if you need to race a bomb out into the ocean. Basically, you get to play the comics you love. Yeah, I’m picking up a copy, too.

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