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Akward (448 KP) rated The Grizzled in Tabletop Games
May 26, 2018
Cooperation is great (3 more)
Difficulty is spot on
Small and can easily be carried around
Nothing like any other game
The Grizzled was a sleeper hit in our group. I bought it expecting us to play a few games and then put it on the shelf. But we were pleasantly surprised at how great of an experience it was.
The game is cooperative, and has the difficulty just right. You do t want a game that you win on your first try, but you also don't want something impossible. We were really happy to have the challenge of losing our first few games,
The game is further enhanced by its size. It can easily be carried in a purse. This has led to a lot of impromptu games that would be impossible with a bigger game.
The game is cooperative, and has the difficulty just right. You do t want a game that you win on your first try, but you also don't want something impossible. We were really happy to have the challenge of losing our first few games,
The game is further enhanced by its size. It can easily be carried in a purse. This has led to a lot of impromptu games that would be impossible with a bigger game.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Overcooked Gourmet Edition in Video Games
Dec 22, 2017
So much fun
This is exactly the kind of game that I love and is reminiscent of games like Diner Dash, Cooking Craze etc available on portable devices.
It is possibly the most frustratingly fun game I've ever played. Although one player is possible and it's alright to try and play on your own, multiplayer/couch co-op is where this game excels. Playing this with your other half could be a risky move, but it provides hours of entertainment and an excuse to be able to boss them around in a kitchen! It isn't just a free for all, you have to work together and figure out a strategy as the game gets harder, so it really encouraged cooperation (Although could also result in arguments).
The graphics aren't the best but it more than makes up for it with hours of multiplayer fun.
It is possibly the most frustratingly fun game I've ever played. Although one player is possible and it's alright to try and play on your own, multiplayer/couch co-op is where this game excels. Playing this with your other half could be a risky move, but it provides hours of entertainment and an excuse to be able to boss them around in a kitchen! It isn't just a free for all, you have to work together and figure out a strategy as the game gets harder, so it really encouraged cooperation (Although could also result in arguments).
The graphics aren't the best but it more than makes up for it with hours of multiplayer fun.
Solomon Wendt (30 KP) rated The Big Book of Madness in Tabletop Games
May 5, 2019
Cooperation (3 more)
Spell Casting
Some randomization
Multiple Difficulties
Small cards (1 more)
Unclear rules/mechanics
This game is made by iello games, makers of Mountains of Madness and King of Tokyo. It is about student magicians that feel they aren't learning enough in their classes and decide to sneak into a library to learn new spells. There, they find a grimoire that contains monsters and accidentally releases them. They must work together to defeat the monsters and seal the book, learning from the books around them to learn new spells and collect elements to cast the spells, all while trying not to give into madness.
The game mechanics feature deck building, spell casting, cooperation, and some randomization of spells available and monsters to defeat. There are schools of magic related to the four elements; air, earth, fire, and water. Each element has two magician students that specializes in that element for a total of 8 different characters, each with their own special ability. There are four decks of spells, again related to the elements, that is randomized during set up, changing what spells are available game to game. Similarly, the monsters you must face are randomized, so the chance of having the same exact game as another is rare. The gameplay remains consistent, though.
Over the course of 6 rounds, players work together to defeat monsters. It is a pure cooperation game. No one has any secret objective and should communicate with other players. Games of this fashion, such as Pandemic, tend to end up having one or two people make all the decisions for the group. It my many plays of the game, I have only had that happen once or twice. The variation in spells, magicians, and elements usually make a player uniquely helpful to the group, allowing players to choose how they want to build their character. Although each magician has an elemental alignment, you can choose to focus on different elements and spells and are not limited to one type of role. Each element of magic has a different role to deal the challenges players face, meaning a good balance can be very beneficial. However, due to the randomization, it is possible either the spells or the monsters leave one of the elements non-essential, but that is fairly uncommon.
Overall, the game is very enjoyable and can be played multiple times with different variations. The difficulty can be adjusted if ot feels it is too hard or easy. My group that plays about once a week are clearing the 2nd difficulty 50% of the time and haven't cleared it with a variation yet. It can be a challenge and has elements of luck and strategy. It is a fun game to play with friends, especially because it is cooperative, and I would recommend adding it to your collection.
The game is 2-5 players and runs 60-90 minutes. It is family friendly and a great game for those who love magic fandoms such as Harry Potter.
The game mechanics feature deck building, spell casting, cooperation, and some randomization of spells available and monsters to defeat. There are schools of magic related to the four elements; air, earth, fire, and water. Each element has two magician students that specializes in that element for a total of 8 different characters, each with their own special ability. There are four decks of spells, again related to the elements, that is randomized during set up, changing what spells are available game to game. Similarly, the monsters you must face are randomized, so the chance of having the same exact game as another is rare. The gameplay remains consistent, though.
Over the course of 6 rounds, players work together to defeat monsters. It is a pure cooperation game. No one has any secret objective and should communicate with other players. Games of this fashion, such as Pandemic, tend to end up having one or two people make all the decisions for the group. It my many plays of the game, I have only had that happen once or twice. The variation in spells, magicians, and elements usually make a player uniquely helpful to the group, allowing players to choose how they want to build their character. Although each magician has an elemental alignment, you can choose to focus on different elements and spells and are not limited to one type of role. Each element of magic has a different role to deal the challenges players face, meaning a good balance can be very beneficial. However, due to the randomization, it is possible either the spells or the monsters leave one of the elements non-essential, but that is fairly uncommon.
Overall, the game is very enjoyable and can be played multiple times with different variations. The difficulty can be adjusted if ot feels it is too hard or easy. My group that plays about once a week are clearing the 2nd difficulty 50% of the time and haven't cleared it with a variation yet. It can be a challenge and has elements of luck and strategy. It is a fun game to play with friends, especially because it is cooperative, and I would recommend adding it to your collection.
The game is 2-5 players and runs 60-90 minutes. It is family friendly and a great game for those who love magic fandoms such as Harry Potter.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated The Mean Season (1985) in Movies
Feb 10, 2021
The Killer Calls
The Mean Season- is a great suspense thiller.
The plot: After reporting on the murder of a teenage girl, journalist Malcolm Anderson (Kurt Russell) is contacted by the killer (Richard Jordan) known as the "Numbers Murderer," who offers exclusive information about the deaths. With the cooperation of the police, who tape the killer's phone calls, Malcolm agrees and soon becomes famous. Jealous of the attention the journalist is receiving for his coverage, the Numbers Murderer kidnaps Malcolm's girlfriend, Christine (Mariel Hemingway).
The film was named after the term of the same name that refers to a pattern of weather that occurs in Florida during the late summer months. In order to achieve accuracy for the scenes that take place in the busy newsroom, the filmmakers used Miami Herald reporters as on-set consultants and extras and shot in the actual newsroom as opposed to recreating it on a soundstage.
Its a great crime thriller.
The plot: After reporting on the murder of a teenage girl, journalist Malcolm Anderson (Kurt Russell) is contacted by the killer (Richard Jordan) known as the "Numbers Murderer," who offers exclusive information about the deaths. With the cooperation of the police, who tape the killer's phone calls, Malcolm agrees and soon becomes famous. Jealous of the attention the journalist is receiving for his coverage, the Numbers Murderer kidnaps Malcolm's girlfriend, Christine (Mariel Hemingway).
The film was named after the term of the same name that refers to a pattern of weather that occurs in Florida during the late summer months. In order to achieve accuracy for the scenes that take place in the busy newsroom, the filmmakers used Miami Herald reporters as on-set consultants and extras and shot in the actual newsroom as opposed to recreating it on a soundstage.
Its a great crime thriller.
Daniel Bowman (5 KP) rated Forbidden Island in Tabletop Games
Jun 28, 2019
Race time and a booby-trapped island to find lost treasures!
I bought this game as an intro to strategy tabletop gaming for my kids. Our first game was a win, but the second ended in tears as the island defeated us.
It didn't stop us though. We still play it and have learned how to apply strategies to help each character meet objectives quickly.
We are considering other games in the franchise, but now the kids are hooked on gaming and we're trying new types.
Well worth the money for adventure and strategy for even seasoned players. The scaled difficulty and multiple characters make strategy and replay a must. The more people playing, the more the game seems to adapt.
Maybe not the best intro to new gamers, but it worked for us!
It didn't stop us though. We still play it and have learned how to apply strategies to help each character meet objectives quickly.
We are considering other games in the franchise, but now the kids are hooked on gaming and we're trying new types.
Well worth the money for adventure and strategy for even seasoned players. The scaled difficulty and multiple characters make strategy and replay a must. The more people playing, the more the game seems to adapt.
Maybe not the best intro to new gamers, but it worked for us!
David McK (3188 KP) rated Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) in Movies
Jan 8, 2023
Wakanda Forever!
In late 2020 the actor Chadwick Boseman died, after a long - and private - battle with cancer, aged 43.
He was the original Black Panther.
That meant there was a lot of talk at the time about what Marvel was going to do: re-cast, or not?
The answer was 'not', with a pre-credits sequence in this movie dealing with his (and the characters off-screen) passing, before the usual Marvel logo montage concentrates solely on him.
His on-screen sister Shuri then takes the lead for the rest of this movie, ably supported by on-screen mum Angela Bassett, as the nation of Wakanda struggles to accept his passing and as the rest of the world start looking for their own supplies of Vibranium, encroaching on a secret underwater civilization who then also approach Wakanda with a threat couched as an offer of cooperation.
The loss of T'Challa is felt throughout the movie, with Shuri railing against his passing and unable to accept what has happened for the most part of it, right up until the (somewhat moving) very final scenes of the film.
He was the original Black Panther.
That meant there was a lot of talk at the time about what Marvel was going to do: re-cast, or not?
The answer was 'not', with a pre-credits sequence in this movie dealing with his (and the characters off-screen) passing, before the usual Marvel logo montage concentrates solely on him.
His on-screen sister Shuri then takes the lead for the rest of this movie, ably supported by on-screen mum Angela Bassett, as the nation of Wakanda struggles to accept his passing and as the rest of the world start looking for their own supplies of Vibranium, encroaching on a secret underwater civilization who then also approach Wakanda with a threat couched as an offer of cooperation.
The loss of T'Challa is felt throughout the movie, with Shuri railing against his passing and unable to accept what has happened for the most part of it, right up until the (somewhat moving) very final scenes of the film.
Lindsay (1693 KP) rated Digger Does It All (Not Really!) in Books
Dec 5, 2021
Digger Does it all (Not Really) is an excellent book to teach children about cooperation and teamwork. This book focuses on Digger. Will he do it all? Digger learns that he can't do everything at the construction site, but he has his talents.
Will he learn that it is okay for others to do what is best for them? He does not need to boast about doing everything himself but be himself. Will his friends at the construction site show him or let him know that he should do what he is talented at. They can work together.
Children will love reading this book. They will also enjoy looking at the pictures. The age is three years old and higher, but I feel it could be two years and up. I have a cousin that will love this book, and he will be turning two soon.
I love how the binding and book are on thick boards; You turn the pages, and it is decent. The plot of the story is excellent for all children. They will learn what will happen if someone is boastful and tries to do everything. They will know it best to be themselves. The parent can teach their children if they so choose.
Will he learn that it is okay for others to do what is best for them? He does not need to boast about doing everything himself but be himself. Will his friends at the construction site show him or let him know that he should do what he is talented at. They can work together.
Children will love reading this book. They will also enjoy looking at the pictures. The age is three years old and higher, but I feel it could be two years and up. I have a cousin that will love this book, and he will be turning two soon.
I love how the binding and book are on thick boards; You turn the pages, and it is decent. The plot of the story is excellent for all children. They will learn what will happen if someone is boastful and tries to do everything. They will know it best to be themselves. The parent can teach their children if they so choose.
Akward (448 KP) rated Sea of Thieves in Video Games
Jul 22, 2018 (Updated Jul 22, 2018)
Graphics look great (1 more)
Cooperative
The entire game is a grind (2 more)
Player-vs-player interactions
Basically requires exactly 4 people
Rediculously Not Fun
This game is very, very bad for two reasons:
The entire game is a grind. The quests are all "go get this chicken" or "go kill this one guy." In order to complete the quests, you'll need to sail to a nearby island. But even sailing is a grind. Getting from one place to another requires 1 person steering, 1 person manning the sails, and 1 person on the map. At first, the cooperation is fun, but it gets old very quickly. Once you have completed the quest, you'll be rewarded with roughly 400 gold. Even the cheapest upgrades cost 8000 gold.
That brings us to the other killer: player interaction. While you are completing that quest, you had better hope that you don't run in to another player. Because that other player can easily sink your ship, killing those chickens that you just spent 15 minutes getting. This is likely fun if you are the attacker, but is aggressively unfun if you are the person who just lost an hour's worth of quest progression.
This game is not worth $40. You will be bored after 2 or 3 hours (if you even make it that long, there is no tutorial). It might be worth downloading if you have Gamepass, but even then I do not think that it is worth the space on your hard drive.
By the way, this is the first 1-star review I have ever given on Smashbomb. When I say this is the worst game I've ever played, I mean it.
The entire game is a grind. The quests are all "go get this chicken" or "go kill this one guy." In order to complete the quests, you'll need to sail to a nearby island. But even sailing is a grind. Getting from one place to another requires 1 person steering, 1 person manning the sails, and 1 person on the map. At first, the cooperation is fun, but it gets old very quickly. Once you have completed the quest, you'll be rewarded with roughly 400 gold. Even the cheapest upgrades cost 8000 gold.
That brings us to the other killer: player interaction. While you are completing that quest, you had better hope that you don't run in to another player. Because that other player can easily sink your ship, killing those chickens that you just spent 15 minutes getting. This is likely fun if you are the attacker, but is aggressively unfun if you are the person who just lost an hour's worth of quest progression.
This game is not worth $40. You will be bored after 2 or 3 hours (if you even make it that long, there is no tutorial). It might be worth downloading if you have Gamepass, but even then I do not think that it is worth the space on your hard drive.
By the way, this is the first 1-star review I have ever given on Smashbomb. When I say this is the worst game I've ever played, I mean it.
ClareR (5572 KP) rated The City of Tears (The Burning Chambers #2) in Books
Feb 6, 2021
The story of Minou and Piet continues, starting with their idyllic lives in Puivert: Minou is the chatelaine, and Piet has returned from fighting for the Huguenot cause. They have two children: Marta, a precocious little girl, and their baby son Jean-Jacques. As a family they decide to travel to Paris for the wedding of the Catholic Marguerite de Valois (the King’s sister) and the Protestant Henri of Navarre (the first Bourbon King of France - and I never know whether to think of the biscuit or the drink whenever I hear the word ‘Bourbon’ 🤷🏼♀️). Their union is hoped to end the religious wars in France.
But of course nothing goes to plan. Cardinal Valentin is there in his role as the Duke of Guise’s confessor, and he’s out for revenge. The St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre tears Minou and Piet’s family apart so that it is forever changed.
I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say that Minou and Piet end up in Amsterdam. In Amsterdam their is a peaceful change in power from Catholic to Protestant. It’s interesting to see how their lives change, and how they are able to live in relative peace and cooperation with their Catholic friends and neighbours. It’s no less exciting than The Burning Chambers though. The family’s adventures take them back to France and in to more danger.
I loved all of the historical detail, and the thoughts and beliefs around religion at this time - and I cannot wait to read the next TWO books in this series! I’m hooked!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for this serialisation - it was outstanding!
But of course nothing goes to plan. Cardinal Valentin is there in his role as the Duke of Guise’s confessor, and he’s out for revenge. The St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre tears Minou and Piet’s family apart so that it is forever changed.
I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say that Minou and Piet end up in Amsterdam. In Amsterdam their is a peaceful change in power from Catholic to Protestant. It’s interesting to see how their lives change, and how they are able to live in relative peace and cooperation with their Catholic friends and neighbours. It’s no less exciting than The Burning Chambers though. The family’s adventures take them back to France and in to more danger.
I loved all of the historical detail, and the thoughts and beliefs around religion at this time - and I cannot wait to read the next TWO books in this series! I’m hooked!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for this serialisation - it was outstanding!
BookInspector (124 KP) rated From the Shadows in Books
Sep 24, 2020
The main characters in this novel are detective Monica and social worker Michael. I really enjoyed the way the author developed these two characters throughout the book. Monica is a single mother who is trying her best to be a good mum and a good detective. She is an interesting character with a very distinctive appearance. Michael had his own issues in the past, but at the moment his main goal is to find his client Nichol, who suddenly disappeared, and he is the only one who cares enough to find him. While Monica is dealing with dead teenagers, Michael is launching his own investigation into finding the missing boy. The case gets more tangled and complicated, so Monica and Michael start working together to solve it all.
I really liked this cooperation and teamwork between these two characters, they compliment each other. The narrative was fast paced and full of twists and turns. Sometimes I used to feel, that Michael’s wish to find Nichol was too repetitive, it made him look a little boring at times. I really enjoyed the multiple perspectives, especially the killer’s parts. It was visible that man is absolutely out of his mind, but still, very amusing to read.
I enjoyed the writing style of this novel, the suspense was very well kept, and overall delivery of the plot is very intriguing. The chapters are quite short, and the whole book was a really quick read for me. The ending was quite unexpected, but at the same time quite disappointing. I was expecting something more. So, to conclude, This is a really good thriller, filled with layered characters and plot. I really enjoyed it, and I hope you will give this book a try and enjoy it as much as I did. 🙂
I really liked this cooperation and teamwork between these two characters, they compliment each other. The narrative was fast paced and full of twists and turns. Sometimes I used to feel, that Michael’s wish to find Nichol was too repetitive, it made him look a little boring at times. I really enjoyed the multiple perspectives, especially the killer’s parts. It was visible that man is absolutely out of his mind, but still, very amusing to read.
I enjoyed the writing style of this novel, the suspense was very well kept, and overall delivery of the plot is very intriguing. The chapters are quite short, and the whole book was a really quick read for me. The ending was quite unexpected, but at the same time quite disappointing. I was expecting something more. So, to conclude, This is a really good thriller, filled with layered characters and plot. I really enjoyed it, and I hope you will give this book a try and enjoy it as much as I did. 🙂