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GEAR UP and make your engines roar for the craziest FREE MULTIPLAYER RACING EXPERIENCE! Leave your...
Death Be Blue (Terra Vane #1)
9.0
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Enforcer Field Agent Terra Vane is a human psychic who is trying to prove herself in a world where...
Firefly Adventures: Brigands and Browncoats
9.5
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Tabletop Game
Firefly: Adventures is a cooperative, mission based, skirmish-level game where the players use the...
The Drop-Dead Temple of Doom (The Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries)
10.0
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Book
A MOUTHFUL OF POISON FROG…. WHERE’S THE LAW OF THE JUNGLE? Ace detective Lee Alvarez is...
Cozy Mystery archeology Private Detective
Two Necromancers, a Dwarf Kingdom, and a Sky City (The Unconventional Heroes #4)
6.0
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Book
Two necromancers, a dwarf kingdom, and a sky city – it sounds like a prelude to mayhem, and given...
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Scooby-Doo: Escape from the Haunted Mansion in Tabletop Games
Dec 1, 2020
YES! A Scooby-Doo game! AND it’s an escape room style game? I am so fired up to play this! This was my line of thinking as I received this game in the mail. Scooby-Doo is one of my favorite cartoon shows from my youth, and name a better episode than the Harlem Globetrotters episode. I’ll wait. So with a winning design team of Jay Cormier and Sen-Foong Lim (of the excellent Belfort game) this should be a giant hit, right?
Like I mentioned, Scooby-Doo: Escape from the Haunted Mansion is an escape room style board game with the tag of, “A Coded Chronicles Game.” This is a series of similar style games coming to us from the publisher using different IPs. This review will be lots different than our others because I do not wish to provide any spoilers, so I am eliminating my typical “messy components” shot at the end. I have also smudged the entire second photo so as not to give away anything. On to the review.
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, read the rulebook, and turn to the proper paragraph number in the starting booklet. Each Mystery, Inc. character (“the gang”) has their own booklet with paragraphs and instructions inside. If you have ever played a game like Tales of the Arabian Nights you will know the style. The entry in the booklet will instruct players how to setup the first map tile and set the stage for the plot of the game.
This game features gameplay with no “turns,” so any person may choose to control a character from the gang and have them take some action. The possible actions that can be taken by the gang are: Velma may Research something, Shaggy can Eat stuff, Daphne Uses things, Scoob Smells, and Fred Investigates. Each character is assigned a single-digit number to be combined with items on the map tiles to arrive at a four-digit paragraph number. Find the number in the respective booklet and read aloud to the rest of the players. If successful, more map tiles may be added, or other things (being vague on purpose).
Should the entry not exist or instruct you to otherwise, players will need to “eat a Scooby Snack” by crossing off or reducing the total number of Snacks each time. We used another publisher’s pin to move along the track at the end of the rulebook because I didn’t feel like finding a coin.
As players progress through the game they will be presented with several challenges to figure out together. Half way through the game is a break time between Chapters 1 & 2. We were able to play this game over two nights utilizing the break.
At the end of Chapter 2 the game ends. If the players can successfully solve the case, they win! Alternately, if playing with academics, the rulebook provides a scale of VPs corresponding to the number of Scooby Snacks remaining. Whichever end-game method is chosen, the game is over and can be passed along to another household or gamer friend. That’s right, this is a one-shot escape room game. Only cheaters would go through it a second time…
Components. I cannot speak about many of the components, but I will evaluate what you see in the above photo. The rulebook and subsequent character booklets are all fine, but are curved as a result of how they sit in the box. The box itself is a strange design that you do not see with many board games. It’s not at all bad, just different. The cards are good, the map tiles are thin cardstock, and I can’t really discuss the Secret Envelopes. My biggest gripe about the game is the character standees. They are a long strip of thin stock that is folded in half, then the ends flared to make an inverted T shape. I mean, it’s fine, but this game could have done with a plastic stand for a sturdier standee to fit inside, or even basic miniatures. These standees that are included fall over all the time and when touched, even a little, flop on the table like a “professional” soccer player.
The gameplay, however, is very cool and I enjoyed my playthrough quite a bit. I very much enjoy one-shot games and despise when they ask you to destroy different components. No thanks, says me. Luckily, Scooby-Doo is able to be reset and given or sold to another person. I like that.
I also really enjoyed exploring the Haunted Mansion and trying to outwit the different challenges the game presented. This is not a particularly super difficult game to master, but will certainly give players a couple of fun hours of play with a group of animated childhood friends. For the nostalgia alone I would suggest this one, but there is also a pretty darn good game here. I have zero experience with the other Coded Chronicles Game from The Op (using The Shining), so I don’t know if I would enjoy it or not, but I loved Scooby-Doo and I adored my time with him. Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a meddling 12 / 18. If you are looking for a game you can circulate through your gamer friend network and enjoy the theme, then check out Scooby-Doo: Escape from the Haunted Mansion. It is cute, fun, and gives the ol’ noggin a workout. Also, privately message or email me and let me know if you figured out the correct ending. I did not.
Like I mentioned, Scooby-Doo: Escape from the Haunted Mansion is an escape room style board game with the tag of, “A Coded Chronicles Game.” This is a series of similar style games coming to us from the publisher using different IPs. This review will be lots different than our others because I do not wish to provide any spoilers, so I am eliminating my typical “messy components” shot at the end. I have also smudged the entire second photo so as not to give away anything. On to the review.
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, read the rulebook, and turn to the proper paragraph number in the starting booklet. Each Mystery, Inc. character (“the gang”) has their own booklet with paragraphs and instructions inside. If you have ever played a game like Tales of the Arabian Nights you will know the style. The entry in the booklet will instruct players how to setup the first map tile and set the stage for the plot of the game.
This game features gameplay with no “turns,” so any person may choose to control a character from the gang and have them take some action. The possible actions that can be taken by the gang are: Velma may Research something, Shaggy can Eat stuff, Daphne Uses things, Scoob Smells, and Fred Investigates. Each character is assigned a single-digit number to be combined with items on the map tiles to arrive at a four-digit paragraph number. Find the number in the respective booklet and read aloud to the rest of the players. If successful, more map tiles may be added, or other things (being vague on purpose).
Should the entry not exist or instruct you to otherwise, players will need to “eat a Scooby Snack” by crossing off or reducing the total number of Snacks each time. We used another publisher’s pin to move along the track at the end of the rulebook because I didn’t feel like finding a coin.
As players progress through the game they will be presented with several challenges to figure out together. Half way through the game is a break time between Chapters 1 & 2. We were able to play this game over two nights utilizing the break.
At the end of Chapter 2 the game ends. If the players can successfully solve the case, they win! Alternately, if playing with academics, the rulebook provides a scale of VPs corresponding to the number of Scooby Snacks remaining. Whichever end-game method is chosen, the game is over and can be passed along to another household or gamer friend. That’s right, this is a one-shot escape room game. Only cheaters would go through it a second time…
Components. I cannot speak about many of the components, but I will evaluate what you see in the above photo. The rulebook and subsequent character booklets are all fine, but are curved as a result of how they sit in the box. The box itself is a strange design that you do not see with many board games. It’s not at all bad, just different. The cards are good, the map tiles are thin cardstock, and I can’t really discuss the Secret Envelopes. My biggest gripe about the game is the character standees. They are a long strip of thin stock that is folded in half, then the ends flared to make an inverted T shape. I mean, it’s fine, but this game could have done with a plastic stand for a sturdier standee to fit inside, or even basic miniatures. These standees that are included fall over all the time and when touched, even a little, flop on the table like a “professional” soccer player.
The gameplay, however, is very cool and I enjoyed my playthrough quite a bit. I very much enjoy one-shot games and despise when they ask you to destroy different components. No thanks, says me. Luckily, Scooby-Doo is able to be reset and given or sold to another person. I like that.
I also really enjoyed exploring the Haunted Mansion and trying to outwit the different challenges the game presented. This is not a particularly super difficult game to master, but will certainly give players a couple of fun hours of play with a group of animated childhood friends. For the nostalgia alone I would suggest this one, but there is also a pretty darn good game here. I have zero experience with the other Coded Chronicles Game from The Op (using The Shining), so I don’t know if I would enjoy it or not, but I loved Scooby-Doo and I adored my time with him. Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a meddling 12 / 18. If you are looking for a game you can circulate through your gamer friend network and enjoy the theme, then check out Scooby-Doo: Escape from the Haunted Mansion. It is cute, fun, and gives the ol’ noggin a workout. Also, privately message or email me and let me know if you figured out the correct ending. I did not.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Toy Story 3 (2010) in Movies
Jul 25, 2019
Character-Driven Masterpiece
There aren’t a lot of movie series’ that get better with each movie, but the Toy Story franchise has definitely accomplished that. Toy Story 3 is not just the best movie of the franchise to date, but it’s also one of the greatest movies ever made. Also, before I go any further: DAMN, it feels good to be posting another review. To quote John Wick: “Yeah, I’m thinking I’m back!” But I digress…In this third installment, Andy is all grown up and the gang sets their sights on a preschool where they hope to get played with everyday for eternity.
Acting: 10
It’s almost unfair when you think about the amazing cast of the Toy Story franchise. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen as Woody ad Buzz really have a way of putting you dead in the moment. These are toys, yet, somehow, the phenomenal acting jobs truly brings them to life as sentient beings. Their pain as well as their triumphs are felt throughout.
Beginning: 10
Yet another thing this franchise has gotten down to a science. The first five minutes of the movie puts you in a grand adventure where all the toys are facing off against each other. Then the next five minutes are heartbreaking. It’s a pleasant rollercoaster that sets the story up perfectly.
Characters: 10
The gang’s all here, including Cowgirl Jessie from the last movie and her horse Bullseye. In addition to having their own flavor and personality, I can really appreciate how Buzz and Woody continue to develop as characters. Buzz continues to try and be the voice of reason while Woody relies mainly on his emotion. I really enjoyed Lotso (Ned Beatty) as well, a purple teddy who smells like strawberries and walks with a cane. If those were his only interesting quirks that would be enough, but there is so much more to appreciate about his character that I won’t give away.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
You know the visuals are at masterpiece levels when I’m marveling at a trash bag. A trash bag for God’s sake! But man the detail on this bag, the way it moved just so perfectly. I know, I’m a nutcase, but this trash bag! It’s the sheer attention to detail that blows my mind. There is another shot, and this one is probably my favorite, of Lotso stepping into the lights of a Tonka truck with his cronies to approach Buzz and the gang. The way the light hits perfectly casting shadows definitely tells me there are no shortages of geniuses at Pixar.
Conflict: 10
Entertainment Value: 10
Toy Story 3 is why I love movies. From bottom to top, it checks all the boxes. You will experience a wave of emotions and have fun the whole way.
Memorability: 10
The movie casts a memorable message about our ability to let go and move on. Watching this at different points in my life, every single time I could relate to Woody and his struggles with letting go. Oh yeah, and the film is super fun too. I can’t count the number of moments where I marveled at how this movie does things that creatively surpass the other two. Like Up, this is a movie that sticks with you long after you watch it.
Pace: 10
The longest of the three, yet it somehow feels like the shortest. There is always something exciting that’s happening. Its ebbs and flows move the story along with every single detail somehow feeling important.
Plot: 10
Watching this made me think, “Oh my goodness, they could do a hundred more of these and it would never get old.” This story stands alone and has actual plausibility…well, as toy stories go anyway. At one point, the movie moves from new adventure to crazy heist to prison break. And I’m here for all of it, every last piece.
Resolution: 10
Overall: 100
Watching a movie like this is like watching a talented gymnast perform an unforgettable routine. You know you want to give it a perfect score provided they stick the landing. Beginning, middle, and end Toy Story 3 establishes credibility as being epic and damn-near perfect. Landing stuck.
Acting: 10
It’s almost unfair when you think about the amazing cast of the Toy Story franchise. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen as Woody ad Buzz really have a way of putting you dead in the moment. These are toys, yet, somehow, the phenomenal acting jobs truly brings them to life as sentient beings. Their pain as well as their triumphs are felt throughout.
Beginning: 10
Yet another thing this franchise has gotten down to a science. The first five minutes of the movie puts you in a grand adventure where all the toys are facing off against each other. Then the next five minutes are heartbreaking. It’s a pleasant rollercoaster that sets the story up perfectly.
Characters: 10
The gang’s all here, including Cowgirl Jessie from the last movie and her horse Bullseye. In addition to having their own flavor and personality, I can really appreciate how Buzz and Woody continue to develop as characters. Buzz continues to try and be the voice of reason while Woody relies mainly on his emotion. I really enjoyed Lotso (Ned Beatty) as well, a purple teddy who smells like strawberries and walks with a cane. If those were his only interesting quirks that would be enough, but there is so much more to appreciate about his character that I won’t give away.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
You know the visuals are at masterpiece levels when I’m marveling at a trash bag. A trash bag for God’s sake! But man the detail on this bag, the way it moved just so perfectly. I know, I’m a nutcase, but this trash bag! It’s the sheer attention to detail that blows my mind. There is another shot, and this one is probably my favorite, of Lotso stepping into the lights of a Tonka truck with his cronies to approach Buzz and the gang. The way the light hits perfectly casting shadows definitely tells me there are no shortages of geniuses at Pixar.
Conflict: 10
Entertainment Value: 10
Toy Story 3 is why I love movies. From bottom to top, it checks all the boxes. You will experience a wave of emotions and have fun the whole way.
Memorability: 10
The movie casts a memorable message about our ability to let go and move on. Watching this at different points in my life, every single time I could relate to Woody and his struggles with letting go. Oh yeah, and the film is super fun too. I can’t count the number of moments where I marveled at how this movie does things that creatively surpass the other two. Like Up, this is a movie that sticks with you long after you watch it.
Pace: 10
The longest of the three, yet it somehow feels like the shortest. There is always something exciting that’s happening. Its ebbs and flows move the story along with every single detail somehow feeling important.
Plot: 10
Watching this made me think, “Oh my goodness, they could do a hundred more of these and it would never get old.” This story stands alone and has actual plausibility…well, as toy stories go anyway. At one point, the movie moves from new adventure to crazy heist to prison break. And I’m here for all of it, every last piece.
Resolution: 10
Overall: 100
Watching a movie like this is like watching a talented gymnast perform an unforgettable routine. You know you want to give it a perfect score provided they stick the landing. Beginning, middle, and end Toy Story 3 establishes credibility as being epic and damn-near perfect. Landing stuck.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Notorious (2009) in Movies
Jul 25, 2019
Story: Notorious starts with the final moments of Christopher ‘Biggie’ Wallace (Woolard) life, before he flashes back to his childhood, raised by his single mother Voletta (Bassett), getting given a chance to start making money from drug dealing where he becomes addicted to make money, until he gets busted.
At 19 he gets a chance to enter the music industry when Puffy Daddy (Luke) gives him a way to escape the life of drug dealing, however difficult it seems. When Biggie finally get the record deal, he soon becomes an international sensation grabbing the attention from another rapper Tupac Shakur (Mackie) who soon becomes a rival with deadly consequences.
Thoughts on Notorious
Characters – Christopher ‘Biggie’ Wallace was a rapper from Brooklyn, he started on the streets as a drug dealer, before showing his rapping skills that saw him become one of the biggest rap stars in the world in the 90’s, we get to see how he has to deal with his vices with women chasing his desire to have too much money. The film doesn’t show him to be a nice man, he cheats on his partners, commits crimes and gets violent when he gets upset, it is a shame for somebody with talent to be such a horrible person. Sean Puffy Combs is the man that takes a chance on Biggie even after losing his position in a record company, he had an eye for talent and knew how to make the most out of it. Tupac is a rival rapper that starts with respect, but because of his continuing side business in drugs, the tension grows and Tupac soon starts a war against Biggie which became a bigger story than any of their music. Faith is Biggie’s wife that has the talent he has though she does become the one that stays with him even if they have an abusive relationship toward each other, well that is what the film shows us.
Performances – Jamal Woolard is brilliant in this leading role, he shows the laidback style Biggie presented himself as, while showing just how easily he can snap. Derek Luke and Anthony Mackie are both strong in the supporting roles, while the rest of the cast give us strong performances too.
Story – The story here follows the life of Biggie one of the biggest rappers of the 90s that wanted to prove music could inspire change only to get drawn into a gang war with another rapper Tupac, one that made the two even more famous. We follow Biggie in and out of the music world, seeing how he was trying to escape a life of crime, but is drawn into relationship problems. The story doesn’t always paint him as a nice guy though, the way he handles the women in his life is getting into the abusive area. Otherwise this shows us how Biggie wasn’t interested in getting involved in the gang war, he just want to make honest money.
Biopic/Crime/Music – The biopic side of the film shows how Biggie was being drawn towards a life of crime or leaving it behind to become a big music sensation and how his life changed with the new, making him part of one of the biggest rap battles in history. The crime world is showing how Biggie was always trying to get out of this world and give you hope to others that are facing it. While I personally wasn’t a fan of the music involved, it will please the fans of his music.
Settings – The film is set in the backdrop Brooklyn shows where he has come from and how he wants to stay loyal to the people who supported him.
Scene of the Movie – Making the choice.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The film doesn’t show him able to treat his women with respect.
Final Thoughts – This is a biopic that showed how easily a rivalry can start within the business that could end up becoming deadly between two biggest names in the music industry.
Overall: Music biopic that defined a decade.
At 19 he gets a chance to enter the music industry when Puffy Daddy (Luke) gives him a way to escape the life of drug dealing, however difficult it seems. When Biggie finally get the record deal, he soon becomes an international sensation grabbing the attention from another rapper Tupac Shakur (Mackie) who soon becomes a rival with deadly consequences.
Thoughts on Notorious
Characters – Christopher ‘Biggie’ Wallace was a rapper from Brooklyn, he started on the streets as a drug dealer, before showing his rapping skills that saw him become one of the biggest rap stars in the world in the 90’s, we get to see how he has to deal with his vices with women chasing his desire to have too much money. The film doesn’t show him to be a nice man, he cheats on his partners, commits crimes and gets violent when he gets upset, it is a shame for somebody with talent to be such a horrible person. Sean Puffy Combs is the man that takes a chance on Biggie even after losing his position in a record company, he had an eye for talent and knew how to make the most out of it. Tupac is a rival rapper that starts with respect, but because of his continuing side business in drugs, the tension grows and Tupac soon starts a war against Biggie which became a bigger story than any of their music. Faith is Biggie’s wife that has the talent he has though she does become the one that stays with him even if they have an abusive relationship toward each other, well that is what the film shows us.
Performances – Jamal Woolard is brilliant in this leading role, he shows the laidback style Biggie presented himself as, while showing just how easily he can snap. Derek Luke and Anthony Mackie are both strong in the supporting roles, while the rest of the cast give us strong performances too.
Story – The story here follows the life of Biggie one of the biggest rappers of the 90s that wanted to prove music could inspire change only to get drawn into a gang war with another rapper Tupac, one that made the two even more famous. We follow Biggie in and out of the music world, seeing how he was trying to escape a life of crime, but is drawn into relationship problems. The story doesn’t always paint him as a nice guy though, the way he handles the women in his life is getting into the abusive area. Otherwise this shows us how Biggie wasn’t interested in getting involved in the gang war, he just want to make honest money.
Biopic/Crime/Music – The biopic side of the film shows how Biggie was being drawn towards a life of crime or leaving it behind to become a big music sensation and how his life changed with the new, making him part of one of the biggest rap battles in history. The crime world is showing how Biggie was always trying to get out of this world and give you hope to others that are facing it. While I personally wasn’t a fan of the music involved, it will please the fans of his music.
Settings – The film is set in the backdrop Brooklyn shows where he has come from and how he wants to stay loyal to the people who supported him.
Scene of the Movie – Making the choice.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The film doesn’t show him able to treat his women with respect.
Final Thoughts – This is a biopic that showed how easily a rivalry can start within the business that could end up becoming deadly between two biggest names in the music industry.
Overall: Music biopic that defined a decade.