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Kingdomino
7.9
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Tabletop Game
In Kingdomino, you are a Lord seeking new lands in which to expand your kingdom. You must explore...
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Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Boy Band Builder: The Card Game in Tabletop Games
Dec 21, 2021
When researching and requesting games to review and preview, I sometimes need to clarify my stance on certain things. Perhaps my thoughts on climate change, or my interest in European door decorations, or, in this case, my preferences on the era of boy bands past which we recently (and thankfully) have evolved. I was assured that my distaste for the music genre would not negatively influence my enjoyment of this game. After my plays, I must agree.
Boy Band Builder (BBB from here out) is a card drafting and band-building game for two to four players. In it, players are band managers tasked with creating the next big group of talented and attractive boys, with the winner of the game being they who earn the most money from assembling the best band and playing the most lucrative gigs.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a copy of this game for the purposes of this review. This is a retail copy of the game, so what you see in these photos is exactly what would be received in your box. I do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rulebook, but will describe the overall game flow and major rule set so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth rules, you may purchase a copy online or from your FLGS. -T
To setup, separate the cards by type and shuffle each stack independently. The Gigs deck is placed on the table with four Gigs displayed from the top of the deck. The Artists and Star decks are placed on the table and each player is dealt three Star cards to start the game. It is now setup and managers are ready to build bands… of boys!
BBB is played over a series of rounds, where each player will take two actions each turn. These actions are Audition, Draw Star Cards, Play a Star Card, and Do a Gig. When a manager Auditions boys for the band, they draw the top three Artist cards, choose one to add to their band, and then discard the rest to the bottom of the deck. The cost to add the boy to the band is shown in the upper right hand corner and represents the number of Star cards to be discarded from hand. Artists are added to band (tableau) and ready to begin rehearsing. At least, I hope they are rehearsing.
Additionally, the active manager may Draw Star Cards to increase their hand. Simply draw two Star cards from the top of the deck. Alternatively, the manager may choose to Play a Star Card for its stats by slipping the card under a boy to increase his level of Pipes, Moves, Heat, or Cool stats (check out the photo below where I went hard on buffing Old Frank).
Finally, if the boy band members currently possess the appropriate amount of stats, the manager may choose to Do a Gig. They choose one of the face-up Gigs cards, take it to their score pile (assuming they possess the correct type and number of stats), and then do a little dance to celebrate a completed Gig. To signify the end of their turn, the active manager draws a Star card and passes to the next player. The game ends once the appropriate number of Gigs have been completed by a manager, as detailed in the rules per number of players. The manager with the highest total of money earned from Gigs cards is the winner, and receives all the Grammy nominations afforded to them.
Components. This is a bunch of cards in a tuckbox. The cards are all fine, but the true hero here is the artwork. I cannot express how much I appreciate the decision to keep the art style modern, and the faces blank. I believe it is mostly due to the fact that all of us who were not in boy bands were all a bit jealous of those who were, but I will publicly state that my official opinion is because these boys don’t really need faces. Body language speaks volumes, and the art style reflects that extremely well. Mad props from me on the artwork.
The gameplay here is very intuitive, even though I had a couple questions that were not made clear in the rulebook. You need Star cards in order to buff Boys so they can do Gigs, and making sure that your band has all the right stats to complete the more profitable Gigs. I believe the game lasts an appropriate amount of time; it does NOT overstay its welcome, which is a huge thing for a filler game such as this. I do wish there were more off-the-wall characters like Old Frank and Lil’Hop, and I also wish the Star cards’ backgrounds were a little more interesting to look at, but the game ultimately looks good and plays well too. There are a few extra surprises to be found in the game that I will let our readers discover, including some Take That card that can hinder opponents.
Boy Band Builder can be super quick and competitive, or can be more leisurely and relaxed. This is a great thing for a cute little card game, and though the theme is something with which I am not at all enamored, a love for boy bands is not required to enjoy Boy Band Builder. I can see myself breaking this out with the right people, but I don’t necessarily foresee having this on stand-by for every game night. If you are in the market for a uniquely-themed card game you can chair dance while playing, then check out Boy Band Builder. It can be found on the Amazon store by clicking this link. Enjoy!
Boy Band Builder (BBB from here out) is a card drafting and band-building game for two to four players. In it, players are band managers tasked with creating the next big group of talented and attractive boys, with the winner of the game being they who earn the most money from assembling the best band and playing the most lucrative gigs.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a copy of this game for the purposes of this review. This is a retail copy of the game, so what you see in these photos is exactly what would be received in your box. I do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rulebook, but will describe the overall game flow and major rule set so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth rules, you may purchase a copy online or from your FLGS. -T
To setup, separate the cards by type and shuffle each stack independently. The Gigs deck is placed on the table with four Gigs displayed from the top of the deck. The Artists and Star decks are placed on the table and each player is dealt three Star cards to start the game. It is now setup and managers are ready to build bands… of boys!
BBB is played over a series of rounds, where each player will take two actions each turn. These actions are Audition, Draw Star Cards, Play a Star Card, and Do a Gig. When a manager Auditions boys for the band, they draw the top three Artist cards, choose one to add to their band, and then discard the rest to the bottom of the deck. The cost to add the boy to the band is shown in the upper right hand corner and represents the number of Star cards to be discarded from hand. Artists are added to band (tableau) and ready to begin rehearsing. At least, I hope they are rehearsing.
Additionally, the active manager may Draw Star Cards to increase their hand. Simply draw two Star cards from the top of the deck. Alternatively, the manager may choose to Play a Star Card for its stats by slipping the card under a boy to increase his level of Pipes, Moves, Heat, or Cool stats (check out the photo below where I went hard on buffing Old Frank).
Finally, if the boy band members currently possess the appropriate amount of stats, the manager may choose to Do a Gig. They choose one of the face-up Gigs cards, take it to their score pile (assuming they possess the correct type and number of stats), and then do a little dance to celebrate a completed Gig. To signify the end of their turn, the active manager draws a Star card and passes to the next player. The game ends once the appropriate number of Gigs have been completed by a manager, as detailed in the rules per number of players. The manager with the highest total of money earned from Gigs cards is the winner, and receives all the Grammy nominations afforded to them.
Components. This is a bunch of cards in a tuckbox. The cards are all fine, but the true hero here is the artwork. I cannot express how much I appreciate the decision to keep the art style modern, and the faces blank. I believe it is mostly due to the fact that all of us who were not in boy bands were all a bit jealous of those who were, but I will publicly state that my official opinion is because these boys don’t really need faces. Body language speaks volumes, and the art style reflects that extremely well. Mad props from me on the artwork.
The gameplay here is very intuitive, even though I had a couple questions that were not made clear in the rulebook. You need Star cards in order to buff Boys so they can do Gigs, and making sure that your band has all the right stats to complete the more profitable Gigs. I believe the game lasts an appropriate amount of time; it does NOT overstay its welcome, which is a huge thing for a filler game such as this. I do wish there were more off-the-wall characters like Old Frank and Lil’Hop, and I also wish the Star cards’ backgrounds were a little more interesting to look at, but the game ultimately looks good and plays well too. There are a few extra surprises to be found in the game that I will let our readers discover, including some Take That card that can hinder opponents.
Boy Band Builder can be super quick and competitive, or can be more leisurely and relaxed. This is a great thing for a cute little card game, and though the theme is something with which I am not at all enamored, a love for boy bands is not required to enjoy Boy Band Builder. I can see myself breaking this out with the right people, but I don’t necessarily foresee having this on stand-by for every game night. If you are in the market for a uniquely-themed card game you can chair dance while playing, then check out Boy Band Builder. It can be found on the Amazon store by clicking this link. Enjoy!
The Bloody Inn
8.0
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Tabletop Game
France 1831: In a remote corner of Ardèche, the little village of Peyrebeille sees numerous...
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Party Bandimals in Tabletop Games
Oct 8, 2019
Band geeks. We all were bullied as kids. Walking to/from school with our super uncool instrument cases in our hands. All throughout our schooldays knowing that we were near the bottom of the popularity barrel. Then something happens. We become adults, join a band, sell merchandise, and all of a sudden it’s cool to be in a band and everyone wants to hang out. None of this has anything to do with the game I’m previewing right now, but this is a PSA – treat your band kids well so they can flourish and grow and become invincible bad-asses that seriously rock.
Party Bandimals is a card game where players are band managers looking to fill out their respective musical groups that feature anthropomorphic animals playing musical instruments. Each turn players are trying to boost their own bands with wicked rad band members while simultaneously subbing in the uncool members to their opponents’ bands.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. As this is a preview copy of the game, I do not know if the final rules or components will be similar or different to what we were provided. -T
A game of Party Bandimals takes place over a series of rounds. The first player to amass a band whose total strength equals or exceeds 11 (net). Each animal card has a number printed in the upper left hand corner indicating its strength, be it positive or negative. Positive numbered cards are played to your band tableau and negative cards to an opponent’s band – thus lowering their total strength score.
To setup shuffle the cards and deal three to each player. Any player that has received any cards with the “Play when drawn” icon must discard those and draw up to three. You are now ready to play.
On your turn you draw up to four cards and then play a card from your hand. Any card drawn with the “Play when drawn” icon (see “Bob” above) will be played immediately. Otherwise, you may choose any card in your hand to be played. These could be band members or other events. Some cards are designed to be played as reaction cards to other opponents’ plays and can be played out of turn. That’s it! The rules and game play are very light, and games are very quick.
Components: This is a card game. Mine came in a tin, though I do not know if that is the plan for when the game goes retail or as result of a successful Kickstarter campaign. The cards are good quality, and the art on them is very cool. The names are sometimes hilarious and the art reflects that as well. Each character has a personality, and some are even inspired by the designer’s friends and family. I didn’t see any trumpet playing Travis cards, so maybe that’s in the works…
So here are my thoughts on Party Bandimals. It’s a really quick game with some interesting decisions and LOTS of take that. I mean, you’re trying to put a band together of the sickest entertainers out there, but so are your opponents. You are pawning off the bad musicians on your friends opponents and keeping all the good musicians. It really works well when you want a super quick filler with a great theme, fun art (I mean, look at lil Elanor up there on that harmonica solo), and grudges to be formed. If your group likes take that games, or at least don’t get all bent out of shape, then you should check out Party Bandimals. It’s quick, fun, and has a great theme. What more do you want, people???
Party Bandimals is a card game where players are band managers looking to fill out their respective musical groups that feature anthropomorphic animals playing musical instruments. Each turn players are trying to boost their own bands with wicked rad band members while simultaneously subbing in the uncool members to their opponents’ bands.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. As this is a preview copy of the game, I do not know if the final rules or components will be similar or different to what we were provided. -T
A game of Party Bandimals takes place over a series of rounds. The first player to amass a band whose total strength equals or exceeds 11 (net). Each animal card has a number printed in the upper left hand corner indicating its strength, be it positive or negative. Positive numbered cards are played to your band tableau and negative cards to an opponent’s band – thus lowering their total strength score.
To setup shuffle the cards and deal three to each player. Any player that has received any cards with the “Play when drawn” icon must discard those and draw up to three. You are now ready to play.
On your turn you draw up to four cards and then play a card from your hand. Any card drawn with the “Play when drawn” icon (see “Bob” above) will be played immediately. Otherwise, you may choose any card in your hand to be played. These could be band members or other events. Some cards are designed to be played as reaction cards to other opponents’ plays and can be played out of turn. That’s it! The rules and game play are very light, and games are very quick.
Components: This is a card game. Mine came in a tin, though I do not know if that is the plan for when the game goes retail or as result of a successful Kickstarter campaign. The cards are good quality, and the art on them is very cool. The names are sometimes hilarious and the art reflects that as well. Each character has a personality, and some are even inspired by the designer’s friends and family. I didn’t see any trumpet playing Travis cards, so maybe that’s in the works…
So here are my thoughts on Party Bandimals. It’s a really quick game with some interesting decisions and LOTS of take that. I mean, you’re trying to put a band together of the sickest entertainers out there, but so are your opponents. You are pawning off the bad musicians on your friends opponents and keeping all the good musicians. It really works well when you want a super quick filler with a great theme, fun art (I mean, look at lil Elanor up there on that harmonica solo), and grudges to be formed. If your group likes take that games, or at least don’t get all bent out of shape, then you should check out Party Bandimals. It’s quick, fun, and has a great theme. What more do you want, people???
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Disney Villainous in Tabletop Games
Jan 6, 2020
I am a sucker for a great theme. Or themes that turn the game around. Such is the case with Disney Villainous. Not often does a game allow you to play AS the bad guys against the good guys. That premise is interesting to me, and as I saw this release last year, I just knew I had to have it. Now that I have played it several times, with and without the first expansion, what do I have to say about it? Read on.
Disney Villainous (“Villainous” from here on) is a card game that pits players against each other in a race to complete individualized objectives to win the game. Players are in direct competition with each other and have devices to employ to spoil the plans of their competitors. Can Maleficent place out curses on all the lands in her realm before Hades can have three Titans storm on Mount Olympus? Can Prince John attain 20 power before either of them win the game? Such is Villainous.
DISCLAIMER: This game has a few standalone expansions now, with more on the way I’m sure. We are using components from the base game as well as the first expansion, “Wicked to the Core,” for this review. Should we decide to review the expansions as standalone games, we will link to the new material here. Furthermore, I do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rule book, but will describe the overall game flow and major rule set so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth rules, you may purchase a copy from the publisher directly or from your FLGS. -T
To setup, each player will choose a big bad to play. Each character comes equipped with a colored pawn, a realm board with four locations, a deck of cards with matching pawn colored backs, a Fate deck with white back, and a playbook with tips on how to play that character. Also give every player a reference card that details the actions available. Shuffle each deck separately, give the starting player zero power from the cauldron, the second player one power, the third player two power, etc. Each player draws a hand of four colored back cards. Begin the game with the pawns on the leftmost location on the realm board and you are now ready to play.
Play works thusly: move your pawn to any unlocked location, complete any or all actions available at the location, draw your hand back up to four, next player. You MUST move on your turn, unless a card allows you to stay at your current location on your next turn. Once moved, the location will either show two or four options for actions. These could include play a card, activate a card, discard a card, gain power tokens, move an item or ally, move a Hero card, vanquish a Hero, or play cards from an opponent’s Fate deck. Some actions are self-explanatory (gain power tokens, et al), but some require further explanation.
Some cards will have an activation symbol displayed on them. This means that a pawn has to have been moved to a location with an activate card symbol, and the player must pay to activate the card for its special abilities. Easy. Moving an item, ally, or Hero typically means physically moving the cards from one location to another adjacent location. This is important for some villains’ objectives: cards need to enter play in one location but travel to another as part of the win condition. When a villain moves to a location with the Fate symbol, they will choose an opponent, look at the top two cards of their Fate deck, and choose one card to play and one card to discard. These are especially devious and can greatly hinder the player’s progress. In addition, when a Fate card resides on a realm board it covers the top symbols of a location, thus nullifying the player’s ability to use these symbols on future turns. Using the vanquish symbol requires a Hero to have been played on your board, and having enough strength in allies and items to meet or overcome the Hero’s strength. Heroes and any allies/items used in the fight are then all discarded to the appropriate discard piles.
Play continues in this manner until one player has achieved their victory condition.
Components. I have good and bad news. Good news first. The components are absolutely fabulous! Those pawns. SOOOO good. Each is a somewhat abstracted figure of the villain, but with some concrete callbacks and recognizable features. They are just so dang fun to handle and play with. I think the cards are good quality, but I forgot what they feel like outside of the sleeves I put mine in. The board components are great, the cauldron is flimsy, unnecessary, and unwieldy when putting back in the box, especially if you have one or more expansions. I have not found a decent way to put everything back in one box, so I am resigned to having both boxes with me every time I want to play. That’s the bad. I also have put all my sleeved cards into plastic deck boxes in the main game box along with the cauldron. Everything else gets put in the expansion box. I hope a better storage solution is on the horizon along with future expansions…
So as you can see from our rating graphic on top that we are spread out on this one. I love it, but I don’t see it ever breaching my Top 10 list. It does have a tendency to overstay its welcome with all the Fate cards making it more and more difficult to win the game. Once a player seems to be near winning every other player gangs up, or seems to when I have played. I get that it may come off as a negative, and the play length as well, but it’s all part of villains out-villaining each other. While Josh rated it as a three and may not ever willingly ask to play it, I have it at a five because I think it’s a great game with a wonderful theme, amazing components, and tons of expandability. With that, we at Purple Phoenix Games give Disney Villainous a boding 16 / 24. If you are a big Disney fan, can live with the Take That, and want something that looks incredible on the table, pick it up.
Disney Villainous (“Villainous” from here on) is a card game that pits players against each other in a race to complete individualized objectives to win the game. Players are in direct competition with each other and have devices to employ to spoil the plans of their competitors. Can Maleficent place out curses on all the lands in her realm before Hades can have three Titans storm on Mount Olympus? Can Prince John attain 20 power before either of them win the game? Such is Villainous.
DISCLAIMER: This game has a few standalone expansions now, with more on the way I’m sure. We are using components from the base game as well as the first expansion, “Wicked to the Core,” for this review. Should we decide to review the expansions as standalone games, we will link to the new material here. Furthermore, I do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rule book, but will describe the overall game flow and major rule set so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth rules, you may purchase a copy from the publisher directly or from your FLGS. -T
To setup, each player will choose a big bad to play. Each character comes equipped with a colored pawn, a realm board with four locations, a deck of cards with matching pawn colored backs, a Fate deck with white back, and a playbook with tips on how to play that character. Also give every player a reference card that details the actions available. Shuffle each deck separately, give the starting player zero power from the cauldron, the second player one power, the third player two power, etc. Each player draws a hand of four colored back cards. Begin the game with the pawns on the leftmost location on the realm board and you are now ready to play.
Play works thusly: move your pawn to any unlocked location, complete any or all actions available at the location, draw your hand back up to four, next player. You MUST move on your turn, unless a card allows you to stay at your current location on your next turn. Once moved, the location will either show two or four options for actions. These could include play a card, activate a card, discard a card, gain power tokens, move an item or ally, move a Hero card, vanquish a Hero, or play cards from an opponent’s Fate deck. Some actions are self-explanatory (gain power tokens, et al), but some require further explanation.
Some cards will have an activation symbol displayed on them. This means that a pawn has to have been moved to a location with an activate card symbol, and the player must pay to activate the card for its special abilities. Easy. Moving an item, ally, or Hero typically means physically moving the cards from one location to another adjacent location. This is important for some villains’ objectives: cards need to enter play in one location but travel to another as part of the win condition. When a villain moves to a location with the Fate symbol, they will choose an opponent, look at the top two cards of their Fate deck, and choose one card to play and one card to discard. These are especially devious and can greatly hinder the player’s progress. In addition, when a Fate card resides on a realm board it covers the top symbols of a location, thus nullifying the player’s ability to use these symbols on future turns. Using the vanquish symbol requires a Hero to have been played on your board, and having enough strength in allies and items to meet or overcome the Hero’s strength. Heroes and any allies/items used in the fight are then all discarded to the appropriate discard piles.
Play continues in this manner until one player has achieved their victory condition.
Components. I have good and bad news. Good news first. The components are absolutely fabulous! Those pawns. SOOOO good. Each is a somewhat abstracted figure of the villain, but with some concrete callbacks and recognizable features. They are just so dang fun to handle and play with. I think the cards are good quality, but I forgot what they feel like outside of the sleeves I put mine in. The board components are great, the cauldron is flimsy, unnecessary, and unwieldy when putting back in the box, especially if you have one or more expansions. I have not found a decent way to put everything back in one box, so I am resigned to having both boxes with me every time I want to play. That’s the bad. I also have put all my sleeved cards into plastic deck boxes in the main game box along with the cauldron. Everything else gets put in the expansion box. I hope a better storage solution is on the horizon along with future expansions…
So as you can see from our rating graphic on top that we are spread out on this one. I love it, but I don’t see it ever breaching my Top 10 list. It does have a tendency to overstay its welcome with all the Fate cards making it more and more difficult to win the game. Once a player seems to be near winning every other player gangs up, or seems to when I have played. I get that it may come off as a negative, and the play length as well, but it’s all part of villains out-villaining each other. While Josh rated it as a three and may not ever willingly ask to play it, I have it at a five because I think it’s a great game with a wonderful theme, amazing components, and tons of expandability. With that, we at Purple Phoenix Games give Disney Villainous a boding 16 / 24. If you are a big Disney fan, can live with the Take That, and want something that looks incredible on the table, pick it up.
Paul Kellett (118 KP) rated The 7th Continent in Tabletop Games
Jun 9, 2019
Great art, map looks brilliant as it builds up as you explore (2 more)
Massive amount of gameplay
Great open world adventure
Roguelike - could be frustrating to have to restart especially on the longer curses (1 more)
A lot of cards, sorting them after a game is a bit of a faff
A Cool Adventure Survival game
7th Continent is an amazing and ambitious adventure / exploration game that is a lot more challenging than it appears.
On the surface, it looks like a card version of a choose your own adventure book, exploring and revealing a whole island as you find clues to lift a curse.
When you start playing however, you reveal a very tight card management and action optimization game that can be very unforgiving. This is both a great thing or a frustrating one depending on your view.
If you just want a light exploration game more like a CYOA book, or struggle finding card combos and optimal actions, this game might not be for you.
However, if you want a deeper game that rewards careful planning and finding the synergy between cards, 7th Continent is a rewarding experience.
The premise is simple - explore the island and try to find the right clues to lift a curse, one of several to choose from.
You start with an action deck of 35+ cards which also functions as your party's health. Everything you do requires you to discard cards from the deck. There is a big push your luck element here as every action requires a certain number of stars in order to succeed and every action card contains a varying number of stars. Do you play safe and draw more cards to minimise risk but drain more health or do you draw less and hope you succeed.
Every time you draw action cards, you can choose one to keep in your hand. These can be skills to help you control the deck or items you can build to make exploration and encounters easier.
You will find hunting spots along the way where you might find food to eat and replenish your action deck by returning cards from the discard pile but be warned, hunting also has it's own risks.
The action deck also contains 6 curse cards. These do nothing initially except reduce the chance of succeeding an encounter but, once all your action cards are discarded, you shuffle the discard pile and start drawing from that. If you ever draw a curse card from the discard, it's game over.
This is where the meat of the game is. You need to balance drawing cards and exploring the island with finding beneficial combos and cunning tricks to replenish the action deck. You won't be able to investigate every nook and cranny on the island in one game but, because of the roguelike nature, while you don't carry over any items between games, you can use your knowledge of the island to make your progress quicker. The more you play, the more familiar you get with the island and you know where to go to hunt, what things are worth looking at and what you should avoid.
The curses themselves are varied and play anywhere from 3 to 30 hours! This is great as it means there is a ton of play time but also a point of frustration as having to restart from the beginning after getting 10 hours into a curse can really put people off.
On the whole, I love it. 7th Continent really captures the feel of Jules Verne, HG Wells and that era of fiction. The way the map cards align seamlessly to reveal a complete landscape looks fantastic on the table and I enjoy the old school option of drawing maps and taking notes as I play.
I certainly recommend giving this game a try if you can.
On the surface, it looks like a card version of a choose your own adventure book, exploring and revealing a whole island as you find clues to lift a curse.
When you start playing however, you reveal a very tight card management and action optimization game that can be very unforgiving. This is both a great thing or a frustrating one depending on your view.
If you just want a light exploration game more like a CYOA book, or struggle finding card combos and optimal actions, this game might not be for you.
However, if you want a deeper game that rewards careful planning and finding the synergy between cards, 7th Continent is a rewarding experience.
The premise is simple - explore the island and try to find the right clues to lift a curse, one of several to choose from.
You start with an action deck of 35+ cards which also functions as your party's health. Everything you do requires you to discard cards from the deck. There is a big push your luck element here as every action requires a certain number of stars in order to succeed and every action card contains a varying number of stars. Do you play safe and draw more cards to minimise risk but drain more health or do you draw less and hope you succeed.
Every time you draw action cards, you can choose one to keep in your hand. These can be skills to help you control the deck or items you can build to make exploration and encounters easier.
You will find hunting spots along the way where you might find food to eat and replenish your action deck by returning cards from the discard pile but be warned, hunting also has it's own risks.
The action deck also contains 6 curse cards. These do nothing initially except reduce the chance of succeeding an encounter but, once all your action cards are discarded, you shuffle the discard pile and start drawing from that. If you ever draw a curse card from the discard, it's game over.
This is where the meat of the game is. You need to balance drawing cards and exploring the island with finding beneficial combos and cunning tricks to replenish the action deck. You won't be able to investigate every nook and cranny on the island in one game but, because of the roguelike nature, while you don't carry over any items between games, you can use your knowledge of the island to make your progress quicker. The more you play, the more familiar you get with the island and you know where to go to hunt, what things are worth looking at and what you should avoid.
The curses themselves are varied and play anywhere from 3 to 30 hours! This is great as it means there is a ton of play time but also a point of frustration as having to restart from the beginning after getting 10 hours into a curse can really put people off.
On the whole, I love it. 7th Continent really captures the feel of Jules Verne, HG Wells and that era of fiction. The way the map cards align seamlessly to reveal a complete landscape looks fantastic on the table and I enjoy the old school option of drawing maps and taking notes as I play.
I certainly recommend giving this game a try if you can.
Dune: A Game of Conquest and Diplomacy
Tabletop Game
Take part in one of the most famous science-fiction stories of all time. Dune: A Game of Conquest...
Glass Road
8.0
Rate It
Tabletop Game
Glass Road is a game that commemorates the 700-year-old tradition of glass-making in the Bavarian...
BoardGames UweGames IndustryGames 2013Games
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Monster Stomping: Heroes in Tabletop Games
Dec 15, 2020
Godzilla. King Kong. Goldar. Large monsters that terrorize cities. We’ve all seen ’em. They’ve kicked in our schools, workplaces, and neighborhood parks. Luckily, even greater heroes are around to save the day and protect our livelihoods with their amazing superpowers. What, just my neighborhood? Oh. Well, get ready to play a game based on my neighborhood superhero and the kaijus that wreak havoc and bring devastation everywhere they tread.
Ok, so I don’t have these monsters and superheroes in my area. I wish we did. In any case, Monster Stomping: Heroes is a card game of building heroes to protect your city and also building monsters to attack other cities. The first player to have six City Defense cards in their tableau will win!
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I do not know for sure if the final components will be any different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, as there are just too many. You are invited to download the rulebook, back the game through the Kickstarter campaign, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup, each player will receive one monster body card, one hero body card, and one city card to be placed in front of them on the table. The remaining setup cards can be placed back in the box. The remaining cards will be shuffled to create the large draw deck. Each player is dealt five cards from this deck to create their hand and the game may now begin!
On a player’s turn they will have a choice of three actions to take: Play, Discard Your Hand, or Attack! When the active player decides to Play they will first draw cards to increase their hand to six cards. Next they may play a card face-up on the table. These cards are Monster Powers, Hero Powers, or City Defense cards. Both Monster and Hero Powers are mix-and-match body parts that add value to the Attack phase. City Defense cards are placed around the city card. Six of these are needed to win. After one of these three card types are played to the table the player may also play a blue-bordered Special Card. The Special Cards could allow players to view the contents of an opponent’s hand, or skip a player’s turn, or even discard a City Defense card.
A player may dislike their hand of cards and wish to Discard Your Hand any number of cards. Once done the player will draw back up to six cards and then discard one to return to the hand limit of five cards.
If the active player is feeling lucky or particularly surly they may Attack! another player’s city. During an Attack! the attacking player and defending player will both roll 1d6. The result of the die roll is then added to any bonuses afforded them from their built Monster (attacker) or Hero (defender). At this time any involved player may play a Combat card from their hand to tip the scales of battle. These will either add or subtract values from the Monster or Hero, or block the Monster altogether, or even switch a player’s Hero and Monster values during the battle. The winning attacker then steals one of the defender’s City Defense cards and places it in their own city. The winning defender will receive the Morale Boost meeple to earn a +1 to their hero the next time they are attacked.
Once the active player has completed their turn play continues to the next player until a sixth City Defense card has been placed. When this happens the next player is allowed one more turn to either earn their sixth City Defense card or thwart the previous player by causing them to lose their sixth card. Play continues in this fashion until one player is the ultimate winner and completely defends their city!
Components. Again, this is a prototype copy of the game and I do not know if these will be updated in any fashion in the final copy. That said, we were provided a box with 2d6, a Morale Boost meeple, and a bunch of cards. The dice are fine and can be switched out with prettier ones if you prefer (I might), and the meeple is an interesting shape and excellent orange color. The cards are matte finished and the art on them is pretty good. The layout of the cards is easy to use. In fact, the layout of the cards (especially the Special and Combat cards) are incredibly reminiscent of the cards in Munchkin.
Actually, the entire time I was playing Monster Stomping: Heroes I could not help but feel like I was playing a better version of Munchkin. It is essentially the same game: the winner has to get to six City Defense cards (10th level in Munchkin), uses cards to debilitate opponents (same in Munchkin), creates better toons in front of themselves (same in Munchkin), and has the additional ability of a helper to aid in battle (same in Munchkin). Let me reiterate that this game is a BETTER version of Munchkin, even though it is extremely similar.
What I really like about this one is the quick play that can be had and the ability to be played by two players. Since I’m comparing it to Munchkin now, a game of Munchkin can easily take a frustrating two or more hours to complete. I say frustrating because all players end up simply ganging up on their opponents at the end just trying to prevent them from winning. While the same is partially true in Monster Stomping, there are only six cards to be collected before becoming the winner and some players may become untouchable at times due to their impressive Monster or Hero-building skills. Another aspect I truly appreciate and enjoy here is that the game can be played with only two players, while Munchkin requires at least three. That may not seem like a huge difference, but if I can play a game at home with my wife without having to add house rules or other ways to doctor up the rules, then I am a much happier man.
I enjoy building the different characters in the game and seeing what kind of abomination I end up with at game’s end. This is much more personal preference for me because building a character in Munchkin is handled much the same way, but differently. For those who have played Munchkin, I am sure you understand.
So all in all, if you are a closet fan of Munchkin and want to protect your gamer cred, you certainly need to check out Monster Stomping: Heroes. It will give you all the good parts of Munchkin but filter out the underwhelming or over-stuffed feelings. It plays quickly, and gives players lots of options to build their characters. The game is easy to teach and learn, and you may even wish to play several games in a row. While I have compared this to Munchkin quite a bit, Monster Stomping: Heroes is its own game and offers several differences to players. If you have been looking for a Munchkin replacement, I may have found it for you. You’re welcome.
Ok, so I don’t have these monsters and superheroes in my area. I wish we did. In any case, Monster Stomping: Heroes is a card game of building heroes to protect your city and also building monsters to attack other cities. The first player to have six City Defense cards in their tableau will win!
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I do not know for sure if the final components will be any different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, as there are just too many. You are invited to download the rulebook, back the game through the Kickstarter campaign, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup, each player will receive one monster body card, one hero body card, and one city card to be placed in front of them on the table. The remaining setup cards can be placed back in the box. The remaining cards will be shuffled to create the large draw deck. Each player is dealt five cards from this deck to create their hand and the game may now begin!
On a player’s turn they will have a choice of three actions to take: Play, Discard Your Hand, or Attack! When the active player decides to Play they will first draw cards to increase their hand to six cards. Next they may play a card face-up on the table. These cards are Monster Powers, Hero Powers, or City Defense cards. Both Monster and Hero Powers are mix-and-match body parts that add value to the Attack phase. City Defense cards are placed around the city card. Six of these are needed to win. After one of these three card types are played to the table the player may also play a blue-bordered Special Card. The Special Cards could allow players to view the contents of an opponent’s hand, or skip a player’s turn, or even discard a City Defense card.
A player may dislike their hand of cards and wish to Discard Your Hand any number of cards. Once done the player will draw back up to six cards and then discard one to return to the hand limit of five cards.
If the active player is feeling lucky or particularly surly they may Attack! another player’s city. During an Attack! the attacking player and defending player will both roll 1d6. The result of the die roll is then added to any bonuses afforded them from their built Monster (attacker) or Hero (defender). At this time any involved player may play a Combat card from their hand to tip the scales of battle. These will either add or subtract values from the Monster or Hero, or block the Monster altogether, or even switch a player’s Hero and Monster values during the battle. The winning attacker then steals one of the defender’s City Defense cards and places it in their own city. The winning defender will receive the Morale Boost meeple to earn a +1 to their hero the next time they are attacked.
Once the active player has completed their turn play continues to the next player until a sixth City Defense card has been placed. When this happens the next player is allowed one more turn to either earn their sixth City Defense card or thwart the previous player by causing them to lose their sixth card. Play continues in this fashion until one player is the ultimate winner and completely defends their city!
Components. Again, this is a prototype copy of the game and I do not know if these will be updated in any fashion in the final copy. That said, we were provided a box with 2d6, a Morale Boost meeple, and a bunch of cards. The dice are fine and can be switched out with prettier ones if you prefer (I might), and the meeple is an interesting shape and excellent orange color. The cards are matte finished and the art on them is pretty good. The layout of the cards is easy to use. In fact, the layout of the cards (especially the Special and Combat cards) are incredibly reminiscent of the cards in Munchkin.
Actually, the entire time I was playing Monster Stomping: Heroes I could not help but feel like I was playing a better version of Munchkin. It is essentially the same game: the winner has to get to six City Defense cards (10th level in Munchkin), uses cards to debilitate opponents (same in Munchkin), creates better toons in front of themselves (same in Munchkin), and has the additional ability of a helper to aid in battle (same in Munchkin). Let me reiterate that this game is a BETTER version of Munchkin, even though it is extremely similar.
What I really like about this one is the quick play that can be had and the ability to be played by two players. Since I’m comparing it to Munchkin now, a game of Munchkin can easily take a frustrating two or more hours to complete. I say frustrating because all players end up simply ganging up on their opponents at the end just trying to prevent them from winning. While the same is partially true in Monster Stomping, there are only six cards to be collected before becoming the winner and some players may become untouchable at times due to their impressive Monster or Hero-building skills. Another aspect I truly appreciate and enjoy here is that the game can be played with only two players, while Munchkin requires at least three. That may not seem like a huge difference, but if I can play a game at home with my wife without having to add house rules or other ways to doctor up the rules, then I am a much happier man.
I enjoy building the different characters in the game and seeing what kind of abomination I end up with at game’s end. This is much more personal preference for me because building a character in Munchkin is handled much the same way, but differently. For those who have played Munchkin, I am sure you understand.
So all in all, if you are a closet fan of Munchkin and want to protect your gamer cred, you certainly need to check out Monster Stomping: Heroes. It will give you all the good parts of Munchkin but filter out the underwhelming or over-stuffed feelings. It plays quickly, and gives players lots of options to build their characters. The game is easy to teach and learn, and you may even wish to play several games in a row. While I have compared this to Munchkin quite a bit, Monster Stomping: Heroes is its own game and offers several differences to players. If you have been looking for a Munchkin replacement, I may have found it for you. You’re welcome.
