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Beckie Shelton (40 KP) rated The Roanoke Girls in Books
Oct 6, 2017
This review may be a bit spoilery concerning the theme of this novel, this couldn't be helped but I've tried to be as vague as possible.
"Roanoke girls never last long around here. In the end, we either run or we die."
These were the words that originally captivated me, pulling me in and compelling me to pick up The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel.
This was quite a read, an unusual one, reminiscent of bygone authors, setting a stage of intrigue, mystery and dysfunctional family dynamics.
The secrets surrounding Roanoke are subtlely revealed early on leaving the reader highly aware of what flows beneath the seemingly normal surface.
This is a definite page-turner despite the exploration of (view spoiler)
This tale is told in two parts "Now and Then" and the storyline seamlessly hops between these two timelines.
We also get to jump briefly into the heads of each Roanoke girl that came before, which I found very enlightening, I really loved this touch and it greatly added to the storyline giving the reader an insight into what each girl was feeling deep inside her own skin.
Jane, Sophia, Penelope, Eleanor, Camilla, Allegra, Lane there is also little Emmaline but she died of a crib death as a baby.
All Roanoke girls, all carrying the same secrets down through the years, messed up heads and lives affected tragically.
The echoes of this rebounding out through each new generation.
This story is told through Lane Roanoke's point of view after her mother commits suicide and Lane comes to live with her Rich grandparents and cousin Allegra on the family estate.
This is the "THEN" portrayed in the narrative.
The "NOW" is Eleven years later when Lane returns to the family home after a frantic call from her granddad informing her that her cousin Allegra is missing.
After vowing never to return, Lane reluctantly returns home confronting secrets shes buried deep down inside.
I loved Lane as a character, she was a bit of a messed up headcase, but who can blame her.
It's obvious Lane Loved Allegra so deeply and this was the only thing, I think, her disappearing, that could have dragged her back to the bowels of Roanoke.
It was also very thought-provoking to observe Lane's former teenage toxic relationship with cooper rekindled as adults and I really did like him he had his own past baggage but really seemed to have evolved from this, unlike Lane.
I was so rooting for these two and I thought they made a great match, neither party having had it easy in life, they both deserved a bit of stability in the now.
Now Lanes connection with her grandad this was a strange one, confusing even I think to lane herself she really seemed to feel equal measures hate and love towards him.
Struggling with her mixed up emotions, greatly wanting to loathe him but feeling a strange pull, maybe because Lane feels he was the first person to actually seem to want and love her after enduring a lifetime of apathy from her mother.
As for the gran, well, What a cold selfish bitch she was.
I felt she herself held a huge role in what had been allowed to transpire, isn't it a mothers job to protect her daughters.
In this Lillian Roanoke has failed epically actually blaming her daughters instead of shielding them, she was such a cold fish only seeming to feel any affection towards her twisted husband.
Turning a blind eye and looking the other way is her game.
Surprisingly she was my least favourite character even over Myles Roanoke himself.
I think it was the whole lack of maternal anything that contributed to my dislike of her immensely.
The Roanoke Girls has so many diverse flawed individuals that all do their part in making this an enthralling page-turner.
This is a portrayal of a family that is so not right and has not been for a very long time.
It is Love expressed so wrongly and out of context that it has become a sickness consuming from the inside out devouring till nothing remains standing.
A Dysfunctional family with dark concealed secrets at his core.
So I felt the author Amy Engel did an amazing job of dealing with such an explosive subject matter. she has handled it beautifully with finesse and a great understanding of such a delicate topic. Not everyone could have done this so sensitively and without sensationalising it so Really well done.
So that's it from me folk's, I could waffle on all day about this fascinating story, but I'm going to leave it here, but before I go a trigger warning The Roanoke Girls deals with themes of incest, but bar the one small kiss it is only referred to in words not actions and it is really not graphic in its content at all, but if this is a trigger for you please do avoid.
So all that's left is for me to say Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author Amy Engel herself for providing me with an arc of The Roanoke Girls this is my own honest unbiased opinion.
Arc Reviewed By BeckieBookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9460945-bex-beckie-bookworm
"Roanoke girls never last long around here. In the end, we either run or we die."
These were the words that originally captivated me, pulling me in and compelling me to pick up The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel.
This was quite a read, an unusual one, reminiscent of bygone authors, setting a stage of intrigue, mystery and dysfunctional family dynamics.
The secrets surrounding Roanoke are subtlely revealed early on leaving the reader highly aware of what flows beneath the seemingly normal surface.
This is a definite page-turner despite the exploration of (view spoiler)
This tale is told in two parts "Now and Then" and the storyline seamlessly hops between these two timelines.
We also get to jump briefly into the heads of each Roanoke girl that came before, which I found very enlightening, I really loved this touch and it greatly added to the storyline giving the reader an insight into what each girl was feeling deep inside her own skin.
Jane, Sophia, Penelope, Eleanor, Camilla, Allegra, Lane there is also little Emmaline but she died of a crib death as a baby.
All Roanoke girls, all carrying the same secrets down through the years, messed up heads and lives affected tragically.
The echoes of this rebounding out through each new generation.
This story is told through Lane Roanoke's point of view after her mother commits suicide and Lane comes to live with her Rich grandparents and cousin Allegra on the family estate.
This is the "THEN" portrayed in the narrative.
The "NOW" is Eleven years later when Lane returns to the family home after a frantic call from her granddad informing her that her cousin Allegra is missing.
After vowing never to return, Lane reluctantly returns home confronting secrets shes buried deep down inside.
I loved Lane as a character, she was a bit of a messed up headcase, but who can blame her.
It's obvious Lane Loved Allegra so deeply and this was the only thing, I think, her disappearing, that could have dragged her back to the bowels of Roanoke.
It was also very thought-provoking to observe Lane's former teenage toxic relationship with cooper rekindled as adults and I really did like him he had his own past baggage but really seemed to have evolved from this, unlike Lane.
I was so rooting for these two and I thought they made a great match, neither party having had it easy in life, they both deserved a bit of stability in the now.
Now Lanes connection with her grandad this was a strange one, confusing even I think to lane herself she really seemed to feel equal measures hate and love towards him.
Struggling with her mixed up emotions, greatly wanting to loathe him but feeling a strange pull, maybe because Lane feels he was the first person to actually seem to want and love her after enduring a lifetime of apathy from her mother.
As for the gran, well, What a cold selfish bitch she was.
I felt she herself held a huge role in what had been allowed to transpire, isn't it a mothers job to protect her daughters.
In this Lillian Roanoke has failed epically actually blaming her daughters instead of shielding them, she was such a cold fish only seeming to feel any affection towards her twisted husband.
Turning a blind eye and looking the other way is her game.
Surprisingly she was my least favourite character even over Myles Roanoke himself.
I think it was the whole lack of maternal anything that contributed to my dislike of her immensely.
The Roanoke Girls has so many diverse flawed individuals that all do their part in making this an enthralling page-turner.
This is a portrayal of a family that is so not right and has not been for a very long time.
It is Love expressed so wrongly and out of context that it has become a sickness consuming from the inside out devouring till nothing remains standing.
A Dysfunctional family with dark concealed secrets at his core.
So I felt the author Amy Engel did an amazing job of dealing with such an explosive subject matter. she has handled it beautifully with finesse and a great understanding of such a delicate topic. Not everyone could have done this so sensitively and without sensationalising it so Really well done.
So that's it from me folk's, I could waffle on all day about this fascinating story, but I'm going to leave it here, but before I go a trigger warning The Roanoke Girls deals with themes of incest, but bar the one small kiss it is only referred to in words not actions and it is really not graphic in its content at all, but if this is a trigger for you please do avoid.
So all that's left is for me to say Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author Amy Engel herself for providing me with an arc of The Roanoke Girls this is my own honest unbiased opinion.
Arc Reviewed By BeckieBookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9460945-bex-beckie-bookworm
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Baby Dragon Bedtime in Tabletop Games
Nov 19, 2020
You know, I never really considered the childhood of dragons. I saw a version of what it COULD be whilst watching A Game of Thrones, but I’m sure not all dragons are brought up that way. In fact, it turns out that baby dragons are quite similar to my children: they never really want to go to bed. Most of the time it’s really okay, but there are moments Mommy and Daddy just need SLEEP. So when we call up to the kids to get ready for bed, they scramble to get everything cleaned up (well, in my fantasy world, anyway), and so do dragons. But they clean up their hoards of gold and treasure, whereas my kids just need to pick up four Paw Patrol figures… and that’s still too much…
In Baby Dragon Bedtime (here forward known as BDB) players will begin the game with a hand of five cards: 2xPeek, 2xGrab, and a Flip. Using these cards during the game will allow players to pick up and Peek at a card on the table, Grab one for their discard pile, or just Flip a card from face-up to face-down or vice versa. Players will be grabbing more action-type cards, Gold cards and Hoard cards, and dreaded Dust Bunnies and Chewing Gum cards.
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, give each player a deck of five starting cards with matching letters printed on the corner (A-G). Shuffle the rest of the cards (if playing with adults) and throw them on the table as shown below. Play will begin when someone counts down or says, “Go!,” or whatever signal is decided.
There are no turns in BDB in an adult game, and players are flipping over their cards from their decks to complete the actions on them. All players are playing simultaneous and games can last one minute or up to five. Anyone may stop playing at any time and “go to sleep,” thus protecting their treasure piles from negative VP cards. Once a player’s deck has run out of cards to draw they may simply flip over their deck, or give a shuffle and draw as normal. In this way a player’s hand is steadily growing, but being bogged down with dead VP (positive or negative) cards. Players may end up Grabbing more action cards and be able to do more actions going through their deck, or it may be simply comprised of VP cards and starting actions, though that seems highly unlikely. Once all players have taken the turns they wish to take, or the game ends via the Mama! card a player has played, players will add up their points from their decks and the winner may then challenge the players to another round.
The game changes a bit when playing with children or if the players wish to have a less frantic experience. In this case, instead of randomly throwing out the cards on the table, a 6×6 grid will be formed on the table and players will take turns revealing their cards from the their decks and choosing cards to Flip, Peek, or Grab. Though the game is suggested for ages 6 or 7+ I was able to have a fun time playing with my 4-year-old son (see below). In fact, BDB is now his favorite game of all time, and I’m completely cool with that. We even were able to play with his grandparents and have a good time… when he wasn’t crying because I Grabbed the Gold card he wanted.
Components. This game is a bunch of cards. They are all fine quality and feature cartoony, non-scary, and colorful dragon art. For a children’s game the art is perfect. For an adult’s game it is lacking. But, I cannot really see much that would satisfy both sides. All in all, the cards are good and should hold up to a fair amount of play. The box is packed pretty tight, though, so be careful not to damage the cards when packing back up.
Like I mentioned, I was able to play this with my 4-year-old son, and he loves it. Any true hobby game I can play with my son at that age is a winner for me. Baby Dragon Bedtime is not a strategic game, but more based on memory and luck of the draw. So if you are searching for a uniquely-themed real-time deck-builder that can be played with children AND/OR adults, then check out Baby Dragon Bedtime. It is quick and simple, and rewards players who allow the youngsters to win. Purple Phoenix Games gives this a 15 / 18 for versatility and gameplay.
In Baby Dragon Bedtime (here forward known as BDB) players will begin the game with a hand of five cards: 2xPeek, 2xGrab, and a Flip. Using these cards during the game will allow players to pick up and Peek at a card on the table, Grab one for their discard pile, or just Flip a card from face-up to face-down or vice versa. Players will be grabbing more action-type cards, Gold cards and Hoard cards, and dreaded Dust Bunnies and Chewing Gum cards.
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, give each player a deck of five starting cards with matching letters printed on the corner (A-G). Shuffle the rest of the cards (if playing with adults) and throw them on the table as shown below. Play will begin when someone counts down or says, “Go!,” or whatever signal is decided.
There are no turns in BDB in an adult game, and players are flipping over their cards from their decks to complete the actions on them. All players are playing simultaneous and games can last one minute or up to five. Anyone may stop playing at any time and “go to sleep,” thus protecting their treasure piles from negative VP cards. Once a player’s deck has run out of cards to draw they may simply flip over their deck, or give a shuffle and draw as normal. In this way a player’s hand is steadily growing, but being bogged down with dead VP (positive or negative) cards. Players may end up Grabbing more action cards and be able to do more actions going through their deck, or it may be simply comprised of VP cards and starting actions, though that seems highly unlikely. Once all players have taken the turns they wish to take, or the game ends via the Mama! card a player has played, players will add up their points from their decks and the winner may then challenge the players to another round.
The game changes a bit when playing with children or if the players wish to have a less frantic experience. In this case, instead of randomly throwing out the cards on the table, a 6×6 grid will be formed on the table and players will take turns revealing their cards from the their decks and choosing cards to Flip, Peek, or Grab. Though the game is suggested for ages 6 or 7+ I was able to have a fun time playing with my 4-year-old son (see below). In fact, BDB is now his favorite game of all time, and I’m completely cool with that. We even were able to play with his grandparents and have a good time… when he wasn’t crying because I Grabbed the Gold card he wanted.
Components. This game is a bunch of cards. They are all fine quality and feature cartoony, non-scary, and colorful dragon art. For a children’s game the art is perfect. For an adult’s game it is lacking. But, I cannot really see much that would satisfy both sides. All in all, the cards are good and should hold up to a fair amount of play. The box is packed pretty tight, though, so be careful not to damage the cards when packing back up.
Like I mentioned, I was able to play this with my 4-year-old son, and he loves it. Any true hobby game I can play with my son at that age is a winner for me. Baby Dragon Bedtime is not a strategic game, but more based on memory and luck of the draw. So if you are searching for a uniquely-themed real-time deck-builder that can be played with children AND/OR adults, then check out Baby Dragon Bedtime. It is quick and simple, and rewards players who allow the youngsters to win. Purple Phoenix Games gives this a 15 / 18 for versatility and gameplay.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated WizBang! in Tabletop Games
Aug 3, 2020
The current COVID-19 lockdown has really placed a burden on gaming with groups of 3 or more. Luckily, not all games are intended for medium or larger groups. I can sometimes game with up to 4 players but I am mostly able to game with my wife… when the kids (rarely) nap or are asleep for the night. So when I saw that WizBang! is a card dueling game for 2 players only I jumped at the chance to preview it. How did it fare for my wife and I? Keep reading.
A-la-kalhambra! A wizard’s duel has been accepted between you and your rival. Based on the whims of judges wanting displays of specific and ever-changing magic-types, you must cast a flurry of impressive spells to best your opponent. The duel will last exactly 6 rounds and the greatest spellslinger will reign supreme.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and the final components may be different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game. You are invited to download the rulebook, back the game through the Kickstarter campaign launching in August, or purchase through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
WizBang! is a two-player card dueling game akin to a mashup of War and Crazy 8s. To setup, shuffle the large deck of WizBang! cards, and deal 30 to each player. Similarly, shuffle the small deck of Extra Trick Up My Sleeve cards and deal four to each player. Roll the magic die, place it on the Round 1 section of the round tracking card and the game is ready to begin!
A game of WizBang! is short, sweet, and light on rules. Perfect for that lockdown date night. The game lasts 6 rounds, and each round consists of playing five cards. First things first – roll that magic die. Yellow is Shiny magic, green is Slimy magic, and purple is Weird magic. This means that for the duration of the round, the judges only care about the values that correspond with the rolled magic type. So if Shiny is rolled, each card played (a la War) will compare Shiny values. Highest number wins both cards to the player’s VP stack.
However, Extra Trick Up My Sleeve cards can be played at any time, and can affect either yourself or your opponent. I have included some of those below. These cards do not count for VP at game end, but can certainly shake things up quite a bit during a round. In addition to these special cards, included in the WizBang deck are several Wizard cards that change the preferred magic type for the round or just for one trick. Once all six rounds have been played players count up their VP Spell cards and majority wins! If no majority: SUDDEN DEATH round.
Components. As I mentioned previously, we were provided a prototype copy of the game, but were assured that it is very close to the final version. This game is a bunch of cards and one die. The cards are nice and a little glossy, with sometimes funny art, and even better inside jokes on them. The die is nice quality and easy to interpret which magic source is being judged. All in all the components are good.
I also stated previously that this game is quick. The box says around 10-15 minutes and that’s spot on. I can see seasoned players being able to knock out a game in 5, but for the first few games we were in that 10-15 minute range. What I like about the game is that it is quick. We were needing something to fill a short timeframe, so I broke this one out, taught it to my wife, and played through once or twice before a child needed Mommy. So it definitely fits that bill.
However, the game play itself is a little lacking. Don’t get me wrong – I would play this again, and I would even use it to help teach my son (4 years old) several gaming concepts, but without using the cheat cards. It is basically a combination of War (play a card, winner takes both) and Crazy 8s/UNO (constantly changing trumps) with a wizard duel theme. I love wizards/fantasy themes in my games, so I am still somewhat drawn to this, but ultimately, if I want to play War or Crazy 8s, I might simply break out a normal deck of playing cards to do so.
The game is not at all bad. I really want to stress this. Just for gamers, it is a bit elementary. This would be great in a library’s game collection, or for educational purposes, or even simply as a quick filler game if you want a theme for your War/Crazy 8s hankerin. Need a game for younger gamers? Yes, this. Need a quick game for grandparents or in-law nongamers? This. Don’t know what to play and you’re running out of time (happens to me OFTEN)? This. If you need something like WizBang! in your collection to fill a 2-player fantasy card game hole, definitely check this one out.
A-la-kalhambra! A wizard’s duel has been accepted between you and your rival. Based on the whims of judges wanting displays of specific and ever-changing magic-types, you must cast a flurry of impressive spells to best your opponent. The duel will last exactly 6 rounds and the greatest spellslinger will reign supreme.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and the final components may be different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game. You are invited to download the rulebook, back the game through the Kickstarter campaign launching in August, or purchase through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
WizBang! is a two-player card dueling game akin to a mashup of War and Crazy 8s. To setup, shuffle the large deck of WizBang! cards, and deal 30 to each player. Similarly, shuffle the small deck of Extra Trick Up My Sleeve cards and deal four to each player. Roll the magic die, place it on the Round 1 section of the round tracking card and the game is ready to begin!
A game of WizBang! is short, sweet, and light on rules. Perfect for that lockdown date night. The game lasts 6 rounds, and each round consists of playing five cards. First things first – roll that magic die. Yellow is Shiny magic, green is Slimy magic, and purple is Weird magic. This means that for the duration of the round, the judges only care about the values that correspond with the rolled magic type. So if Shiny is rolled, each card played (a la War) will compare Shiny values. Highest number wins both cards to the player’s VP stack.
However, Extra Trick Up My Sleeve cards can be played at any time, and can affect either yourself or your opponent. I have included some of those below. These cards do not count for VP at game end, but can certainly shake things up quite a bit during a round. In addition to these special cards, included in the WizBang deck are several Wizard cards that change the preferred magic type for the round or just for one trick. Once all six rounds have been played players count up their VP Spell cards and majority wins! If no majority: SUDDEN DEATH round.
Components. As I mentioned previously, we were provided a prototype copy of the game, but were assured that it is very close to the final version. This game is a bunch of cards and one die. The cards are nice and a little glossy, with sometimes funny art, and even better inside jokes on them. The die is nice quality and easy to interpret which magic source is being judged. All in all the components are good.
I also stated previously that this game is quick. The box says around 10-15 minutes and that’s spot on. I can see seasoned players being able to knock out a game in 5, but for the first few games we were in that 10-15 minute range. What I like about the game is that it is quick. We were needing something to fill a short timeframe, so I broke this one out, taught it to my wife, and played through once or twice before a child needed Mommy. So it definitely fits that bill.
However, the game play itself is a little lacking. Don’t get me wrong – I would play this again, and I would even use it to help teach my son (4 years old) several gaming concepts, but without using the cheat cards. It is basically a combination of War (play a card, winner takes both) and Crazy 8s/UNO (constantly changing trumps) with a wizard duel theme. I love wizards/fantasy themes in my games, so I am still somewhat drawn to this, but ultimately, if I want to play War or Crazy 8s, I might simply break out a normal deck of playing cards to do so.
The game is not at all bad. I really want to stress this. Just for gamers, it is a bit elementary. This would be great in a library’s game collection, or for educational purposes, or even simply as a quick filler game if you want a theme for your War/Crazy 8s hankerin. Need a game for younger gamers? Yes, this. Need a quick game for grandparents or in-law nongamers? This. Don’t know what to play and you’re running out of time (happens to me OFTEN)? This. If you need something like WizBang! in your collection to fill a 2-player fantasy card game hole, definitely check this one out.
Beckie Shelton (40 KP) rated The Roanoke Girls in Books
Feb 8, 2018
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com
<a href="http://s1376.photobucket.com/user/rosella1974/media/book_reviews_banner_zpsijtujdoj.png.html"; target="_blank"><img src="http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah5/rosella1974/book_reviews_banner_zpsijtujdoj.png~original"; border="0" alt=" photo book_reviews_banner_zpsijtujdoj.png"/></a>
This review may be a bit spoilery concerning the theme of this novel, this couldn't be helped but I've tried to be as vague as possible.
<p>"Roanoke girls never last long around here. In the end, we either run or we die."</p>
These were the words that originally captivated me, pulling me in and compelling me to pick up The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel.
This was quite a read, an unusual one, reminiscent of bygone authors, setting a stage of intrigue, mystery and dysfunctional family dynamics.
The secrets surrounding Roanoke are subtlely revealed early on leaving the reader highly aware of what flows beneath the seemingly normal surface.
This is a definite page-turner despite the exploration of <spoiler>incestuous family relations.</spoiler>
This tale is told in two parts "Now and Then" and the storyline seamlessly hops between these two timelines.
We also get to jump briefly into the heads of each Roanoke girl that came before, which I found very enlightening, I really loved this touch and it greatly added to the storyline giving the reader an insight into what each girl was feeling deep inside her own skin.
Jane, Sophia, Penelope, Eleanor, Camilla, Allegra, Lane there is also little Emmaline but she died of a crib death as a baby.
All Roanoke girls, all carrying the same secrets down through the years, messed up heads and lives affected tragically.
The echoes of this rebounding out through each new generation.
This story is told through Lane Roanoke's point of view after her mother commits suicide and Lane comes to live with her Rich grandparents and cousin Allegra on the family estate.
This is the "THEN" portrayed in the narrative.
The "NOW" is Eleven years later when Lane returns to the family home after a frantic call from her granddad informing her that her cousin Allegra is missing.
After vowing never to return, Lane reluctantly returns home confronting secrets shes buried deep down inside.
I loved Lane as a character, she was a bit of a messed up headcase, but who can blame her.
It's obvious Lane Loved Allegra so deeply and this was the only thing, I think, her disappearing, that could have dragged her back to the bowels of Roanoke.
It was also very thought-provoking to observe Lane's former teenage toxic relationship with cooper rekindled as adults and I really did like him he had his own past baggage but really seemed to have evolved from this, unlike Lane.
I was so rooting for these two and I thought they made a great match, neither party having had it easy in life, they both deserved a bit of stability in the now.
Now Lanes connection with her grandad this was a strange one, confusing even I think to lane herself she really seemed to feel equal measures hate and love towards him.
Struggling with her mixed up emotions, greatly wanting to loathe him but feeling a strange pull, maybe because Lane feels he was the first person to actually seem to want and love her after enduring a lifetime of apathy from her mother.
As for the gran, well, What a cold selfish bitch she was.
I felt she herself held a huge role in what had been allowed to transpire, isn't it a mothers job to protect her daughters.
In this Lillian Roanoke has failed epically actually blaming her daughters instead of shielding them, she was such a cold fish only seeming to feel any affection towards her twisted husband.
Turning a blind eye and looking the other way is her game.
Surprisingly she was my least favourite character even over Myles Roanoke himself.
I think it was the whole lack of maternal anything that contributed to my dislike of her immensely.
The Roanoke Girls has so many diverse flawed individuals that all do their part in making this an enthralling page-turner.
This is a portrayal of a family that is so not right and has not been for a very long time.
It is Love expressed so wrongly and out of context that it has become a sickness consuming from the inside out devouring till nothing remains standing.
A Dysfunctional family with dark concealed secrets at his core.
So I felt the author Amy Engel did an amazing job of dealing with such an explosive subject matter. she has handled it beautifully with finesse and a great understanding of such a delicate topic. Not everyone could have done this so sensitively and without sensationalising it so Really well done.
So that's it from me folk's, I could waffle on all day about this fascinating story, but I'm going to leave it here, but before I go a trigger warning The Roanoke Girls deals with themes of incest, but bar the one small kiss it is only referred to in words not actions and it is really not graphic in its content at all, but if this is a trigger for you please do avoid.
So all that's left is for me to say Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author Amy Engel herself for providing me with an arc of The Roanoke Girls this is my own honest unbiased opinion.
<a href="http://s1376.photobucket.com/user/rosella1974/media/af70fcc0a46c529f0d6a1b9301e40ac7--funny-reading-quotes-image_zpshi4ayvul.jpg.html"; target="_blank"><img src="http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah5/rosella1974/af70fcc0a46c529f0d6a1b9301e40ac7--funny-reading-quotes-image_zpshi4ayvul.jpg~original"; border="0" alt=" photo af70fcc0a46c529f0d6a1b9301e40ac7--funny-reading-quotes-image_zpshi4ayvul.jpg"/></a>
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
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https://www.beckiebookworm.com
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This review may be a bit spoilery concerning the theme of this novel, this couldn't be helped but I've tried to be as vague as possible.
<p>"Roanoke girls never last long around here. In the end, we either run or we die."</p>
These were the words that originally captivated me, pulling me in and compelling me to pick up The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel.
This was quite a read, an unusual one, reminiscent of bygone authors, setting a stage of intrigue, mystery and dysfunctional family dynamics.
The secrets surrounding Roanoke are subtlely revealed early on leaving the reader highly aware of what flows beneath the seemingly normal surface.
This is a definite page-turner despite the exploration of <spoiler>incestuous family relations.</spoiler>
This tale is told in two parts "Now and Then" and the storyline seamlessly hops between these two timelines.
We also get to jump briefly into the heads of each Roanoke girl that came before, which I found very enlightening, I really loved this touch and it greatly added to the storyline giving the reader an insight into what each girl was feeling deep inside her own skin.
Jane, Sophia, Penelope, Eleanor, Camilla, Allegra, Lane there is also little Emmaline but she died of a crib death as a baby.
All Roanoke girls, all carrying the same secrets down through the years, messed up heads and lives affected tragically.
The echoes of this rebounding out through each new generation.
This story is told through Lane Roanoke's point of view after her mother commits suicide and Lane comes to live with her Rich grandparents and cousin Allegra on the family estate.
This is the "THEN" portrayed in the narrative.
The "NOW" is Eleven years later when Lane returns to the family home after a frantic call from her granddad informing her that her cousin Allegra is missing.
After vowing never to return, Lane reluctantly returns home confronting secrets shes buried deep down inside.
I loved Lane as a character, she was a bit of a messed up headcase, but who can blame her.
It's obvious Lane Loved Allegra so deeply and this was the only thing, I think, her disappearing, that could have dragged her back to the bowels of Roanoke.
It was also very thought-provoking to observe Lane's former teenage toxic relationship with cooper rekindled as adults and I really did like him he had his own past baggage but really seemed to have evolved from this, unlike Lane.
I was so rooting for these two and I thought they made a great match, neither party having had it easy in life, they both deserved a bit of stability in the now.
Now Lanes connection with her grandad this was a strange one, confusing even I think to lane herself she really seemed to feel equal measures hate and love towards him.
Struggling with her mixed up emotions, greatly wanting to loathe him but feeling a strange pull, maybe because Lane feels he was the first person to actually seem to want and love her after enduring a lifetime of apathy from her mother.
As for the gran, well, What a cold selfish bitch she was.
I felt she herself held a huge role in what had been allowed to transpire, isn't it a mothers job to protect her daughters.
In this Lillian Roanoke has failed epically actually blaming her daughters instead of shielding them, she was such a cold fish only seeming to feel any affection towards her twisted husband.
Turning a blind eye and looking the other way is her game.
Surprisingly she was my least favourite character even over Myles Roanoke himself.
I think it was the whole lack of maternal anything that contributed to my dislike of her immensely.
The Roanoke Girls has so many diverse flawed individuals that all do their part in making this an enthralling page-turner.
This is a portrayal of a family that is so not right and has not been for a very long time.
It is Love expressed so wrongly and out of context that it has become a sickness consuming from the inside out devouring till nothing remains standing.
A Dysfunctional family with dark concealed secrets at his core.
So I felt the author Amy Engel did an amazing job of dealing with such an explosive subject matter. she has handled it beautifully with finesse and a great understanding of such a delicate topic. Not everyone could have done this so sensitively and without sensationalising it so Really well done.
So that's it from me folk's, I could waffle on all day about this fascinating story, but I'm going to leave it here, but before I go a trigger warning The Roanoke Girls deals with themes of incest, but bar the one small kiss it is only referred to in words not actions and it is really not graphic in its content at all, but if this is a trigger for you please do avoid.
So all that's left is for me to say Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author Amy Engel herself for providing me with an arc of The Roanoke Girls this is my own honest unbiased opinion.
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Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
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Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Gekitai in Tabletop Games
Feb 20, 2020
We have all played Chess, Checkers, Go, and even more recent abstracts like Azul, Patchwork, and Blokus, right? Most abstract strategy games are loosely themed, if themed at all, have perfect information, and offer very little luck factors. Furthermore, classic abstracts feature that familiar grid-board with moving pieces we all grew up learning with our grandparents. Right, we all have played and loved these. So when my friend posted PNP files online for his new game featuring a grid-board and pieces that move around it, I said, “Great. I just printed another PNP game and now I need to do another one!” But instead, the designer, Scott, messaged me and let me know he had a copy for me… which he hand-delivered to me at a high school concert I was attending. Then he taught it to me there.
Gekitai is an abstract strategy game with very minimal rules. The phrase, “easy to learn, but hard to master” is very overdone, but it certainly applies here. For those that are wondering, the term, “Gekitai” is Japanese for “Repel.” You will see why this nomenclature is perfect for this game soon.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. Though I know the designer personally, I will be reviewing this game as an impartial judge. -T
Normally I like to include setup instructions here in this paragraph for my reviews, so I shall do that now. To setup, place the board between the two players and give each player their eight matching pieces. In my game, they are red and black glass beads. For convenience I will refer to the red ones as apples and the black ones as 8-balls. That’s it. You’re setup to play.
The object of Gekitai is to fulfill one of two victory conditions: play until one player has three of their pieces in a row (diagonally OR orthogonally) or finish their turn with all eight of their pieces on the board. Easy, right? It most certainly is! Oh, you want the catch? Ok then, here’s the catch: while players can place any piece on any empty square, once placed the pieces will repel all other adjacent pieces away from itself. This includes their own pieces.
So let’s say you start the game and place your first 8-ball in a corner closest to you. Great opening noob. I mean move. You see, I would just place one of my apples adjacent to your 8-ball and repel it right off the board. That doesn’t mean that I have captured your 8-ball or anything like that. You would be able to use it again next turn if you like, but this is the danger of outside spaces. When repelled, a piece (your 8-ball) continues one space in the direction away from the most recently-placed piece (my apple). So diagonally if diagonal from the just-placed apple, or orthogonally otherwise. Again, this would affect all pieces that are adjacent, not just your opponent’s. Think of placing a piece as someone doing a cannonball in an infinity pool. Everyone already in the pool will get pushed away from the point of impact and may even fall out of the pool, but be able to hop back in soon.
One note about pushing other pieces. One piece can only push one other piece. Here’s what I mean. When my apple is placed near another 8-ball or apple, it repels it, right? Well, a piece may only be repelled if there is an empty space for it to go. If another apple is blocking the pathway of an affected apple or 8-ball, no movement happens. The pieces has been blocked. In this way strategy plays in integral part in Gekitai – you must always be thinking about 10 turns in the future. Play continues in this fashion until a player has achieved three-in-a-row or placed all of their pieces on the board.
Components. Again, we are playing with a PNP prototype game package. Granted, this PNP is assembled by the designer and looks WAAAY better than if I had tried to assemble it myself, so we do take that into consideration. Components aside (because unless you order a copy from the designer via Etsy in the future, you will probably download the files and play on a sheet of paper with coins or other stand-ins), this is a typical, classic abstract strategy-style game. The board can look any way you like in a 6×6 board and you can you use any bits for your game. Heck, you could even play with real apples and 8-balls. But what we were provided is excellent and looks great on the table.
But gameplay. Like I mentioned earlier, I know the designer and his family and they are wonderful people. Luckily that makes no difference here because the game itself is absolutely wonderful! My wife typically kicks my booty in all abstracts. Ok fine, usually in all games. BUT! After playing Gekitai lots with her, she has only beaten me once! When we do play it she asks for rematches several times over and I just love being able to have a go-to game for when we have a few minutes between running around with the kids. I love it. She loves it. We at Purple Phoenix Games, with an enthusiastic guest score from my wife, give Gekitai a cannonball-esque 11 / 12. We suggest you go to the BGG page where the PNP files can be printed. You will want this in your collection.
Gekitai is an abstract strategy game with very minimal rules. The phrase, “easy to learn, but hard to master” is very overdone, but it certainly applies here. For those that are wondering, the term, “Gekitai” is Japanese for “Repel.” You will see why this nomenclature is perfect for this game soon.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. Though I know the designer personally, I will be reviewing this game as an impartial judge. -T
Normally I like to include setup instructions here in this paragraph for my reviews, so I shall do that now. To setup, place the board between the two players and give each player their eight matching pieces. In my game, they are red and black glass beads. For convenience I will refer to the red ones as apples and the black ones as 8-balls. That’s it. You’re setup to play.
The object of Gekitai is to fulfill one of two victory conditions: play until one player has three of their pieces in a row (diagonally OR orthogonally) or finish their turn with all eight of their pieces on the board. Easy, right? It most certainly is! Oh, you want the catch? Ok then, here’s the catch: while players can place any piece on any empty square, once placed the pieces will repel all other adjacent pieces away from itself. This includes their own pieces.
So let’s say you start the game and place your first 8-ball in a corner closest to you. Great opening noob. I mean move. You see, I would just place one of my apples adjacent to your 8-ball and repel it right off the board. That doesn’t mean that I have captured your 8-ball or anything like that. You would be able to use it again next turn if you like, but this is the danger of outside spaces. When repelled, a piece (your 8-ball) continues one space in the direction away from the most recently-placed piece (my apple). So diagonally if diagonal from the just-placed apple, or orthogonally otherwise. Again, this would affect all pieces that are adjacent, not just your opponent’s. Think of placing a piece as someone doing a cannonball in an infinity pool. Everyone already in the pool will get pushed away from the point of impact and may even fall out of the pool, but be able to hop back in soon.
One note about pushing other pieces. One piece can only push one other piece. Here’s what I mean. When my apple is placed near another 8-ball or apple, it repels it, right? Well, a piece may only be repelled if there is an empty space for it to go. If another apple is blocking the pathway of an affected apple or 8-ball, no movement happens. The pieces has been blocked. In this way strategy plays in integral part in Gekitai – you must always be thinking about 10 turns in the future. Play continues in this fashion until a player has achieved three-in-a-row or placed all of their pieces on the board.
Components. Again, we are playing with a PNP prototype game package. Granted, this PNP is assembled by the designer and looks WAAAY better than if I had tried to assemble it myself, so we do take that into consideration. Components aside (because unless you order a copy from the designer via Etsy in the future, you will probably download the files and play on a sheet of paper with coins or other stand-ins), this is a typical, classic abstract strategy-style game. The board can look any way you like in a 6×6 board and you can you use any bits for your game. Heck, you could even play with real apples and 8-balls. But what we were provided is excellent and looks great on the table.
But gameplay. Like I mentioned earlier, I know the designer and his family and they are wonderful people. Luckily that makes no difference here because the game itself is absolutely wonderful! My wife typically kicks my booty in all abstracts. Ok fine, usually in all games. BUT! After playing Gekitai lots with her, she has only beaten me once! When we do play it she asks for rematches several times over and I just love being able to have a go-to game for when we have a few minutes between running around with the kids. I love it. She loves it. We at Purple Phoenix Games, with an enthusiastic guest score from my wife, give Gekitai a cannonball-esque 11 / 12. We suggest you go to the BGG page where the PNP files can be printed. You will want this in your collection.
Jordan Binkerd (567 KP) rated American Vampire, Vol. 6 in Books
Jul 21, 2019 (Updated Jul 21, 2019)
Not all the art works (for me) (1 more)
Adult content.... but if you made it this far in the series, that's not a surprise
Filler Anthology, but still fun...
Note: this review is transposted from my personal review blog, and so was originally written several years ago.
So, it has come to this. The sixth and latest collection of American Vampire comics. Now it’s not just my library’s slow acquisition policies holding me back, but the fact that there haven’t been any more published yet! Apparently the creators put the book on hiatus for a while, but they’ve at least started publishing again. I just have to wait for it to hit the collections….This particular collection is a couple of one-shots they put out in the meantime to keep our appetites whetted–one from the main American Vampire team, one with them letting a whole bunch of other comics creators play in their sandbox. Obviously, this review could spoil events from the previous collections.
First off, we have THE LONG ROAD TO HELL. Snyder and Albuquerque set out the story for this one together, with Albuquerque taking over to script and draw the story. Billy Bob and Jo are the Bonnie and Clyde of petty thieves, picking pockets by night to add to their stash. They’re hoping to have enough soon to cover the cost of renting a chapel, but one fateful encounter with a vampire coven recruitment team and everything changes…not for the better, I’m afraid. Jasper Miller is a young orphan, favorite target of a group of bullies. It seems that young Jasper is a very insightful young man, and some of what he knows makes these bullies very nervous, and he decides that the open road would be safer for him than the old orphanage. Vampire hunter Travis Kidd we’ve already met back in Vol. IV, and it’s good to see that he survived the ambush he willingly dove into at the end of that book. Seems to have picked up a katana somewhere in the interim too, which is always cool. Fate has these four on a collision course, and blood will be spilled by the time they reach the end of the road….
Moving on to the American Vampire Anthology, we open with the frame story by Snyder and Albuquerque. THE MAN COMES AROUND is set in 1967 as Skinner Sweet hides out in the middle of nowhere, hoping to avoid the major events he can sense just over the horizon. Seems there’s always someone trying to kill him, though…. Jason Aaron and Declan Shalvey then enlighten us as to what really happened on Roanoke Island in THE LOST COLONY. Here’s a hint, vampires were involved. We then move on to BLEEDING KANSAS, where Albuquerque puts down his pencil and takes a shot at writing the story, leaving the art to Ivo Milazzo. Set against that tumultuous time and place, Albuquerque and Milazzo set down for us a tale of what I can only assume are Henry Jones’ grandparents. Next up, Jeff Lemire and Ray Fawkes serve up a tale of terror in the frozen north with CANADIAN VAMPIRE as ex-Mountie-turned-bounty-hunter Jack Warhammer is hired to find out what happened to a German fur trading expedition missing in the wild. Becky Cloonan handles both the writing and art for GREED, starring Skinner Sweet and featuring his first encounter with those crazy folks who hail from a place called “Hollywood….” Francesco Francavilla then pulls the same trick for THE PRODUCERS, detailing the birth of a star as he makes a shady deal in exchange for fame and fortune. Gail Simone and Tula Lotay treat us to Hattie Hargrove’s origin story in ESSENCE OF LIFE, showing us just what happened to her that made her willing to screw over her best friend in the world. Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon share both the writing and artist credits for LAST NIGHT, as a lounge singer describes to a reporter the events leading up to the previous evening’s massacre at the club. Finally, Greg Rucka and JP Leon tell the tale of a dying drunk and the lowlifes who try and shanghai him in PORTLAND, 1940.
On the whole, I really enjoyed this as per the usual for this series. The writing was stellar, and the anthology format really served well for the world being depicted. As with any comics anthology, there’s a wide variety of artistic styles represented, and some of those styles I’m not really a fan of, but that’s largely a matter of taste. I could sit here and tell you that I really wasn’t a fan of Ivo Milazzo’s art on BLEEDING KANSAS (which is true), but the next guy might have loved it. I could laud Tula Lotay’s work on ESSENCE OF LIFE (also true), but the next guy may not have been a fan. That’s kind of how it works–peoples’ tastes are pretty subjective. I did enjoy getting into Hattie’s head a bit more than we were able to back when she was introduced, and Skinner Sweet’s adventures are always fun–I’ve mentioned before my weakness for antiheroes. As a historian, Roanoke’s lost colony is always a fascinating topic, and a number of the plot twists contained here were very satisfying if not always surprising. I really can’t wait for the next volume to come out so I can see the payoff to some of the plot threads being set up both here and in the teaser from the end of volume V….
CONTENT: R-rated language. Brutal, bloody vampire violence–these aren’t sparkly, angst-ridden pretty boys, these are monsters through and through. Some explicit and implicit sexual content, including what more or less constitutes a rape. No real occult content, as there isn’t a spiritual element to this version of vampirism.
Original review link: https://jordanbinkerd.wordpress.com/2014/08/15/review-american-vampire-volume-vi-by-scott-snyder-rafael-albuquerque/
So, it has come to this. The sixth and latest collection of American Vampire comics. Now it’s not just my library’s slow acquisition policies holding me back, but the fact that there haven’t been any more published yet! Apparently the creators put the book on hiatus for a while, but they’ve at least started publishing again. I just have to wait for it to hit the collections….This particular collection is a couple of one-shots they put out in the meantime to keep our appetites whetted–one from the main American Vampire team, one with them letting a whole bunch of other comics creators play in their sandbox. Obviously, this review could spoil events from the previous collections.
First off, we have THE LONG ROAD TO HELL. Snyder and Albuquerque set out the story for this one together, with Albuquerque taking over to script and draw the story. Billy Bob and Jo are the Bonnie and Clyde of petty thieves, picking pockets by night to add to their stash. They’re hoping to have enough soon to cover the cost of renting a chapel, but one fateful encounter with a vampire coven recruitment team and everything changes…not for the better, I’m afraid. Jasper Miller is a young orphan, favorite target of a group of bullies. It seems that young Jasper is a very insightful young man, and some of what he knows makes these bullies very nervous, and he decides that the open road would be safer for him than the old orphanage. Vampire hunter Travis Kidd we’ve already met back in Vol. IV, and it’s good to see that he survived the ambush he willingly dove into at the end of that book. Seems to have picked up a katana somewhere in the interim too, which is always cool. Fate has these four on a collision course, and blood will be spilled by the time they reach the end of the road….
Moving on to the American Vampire Anthology, we open with the frame story by Snyder and Albuquerque. THE MAN COMES AROUND is set in 1967 as Skinner Sweet hides out in the middle of nowhere, hoping to avoid the major events he can sense just over the horizon. Seems there’s always someone trying to kill him, though…. Jason Aaron and Declan Shalvey then enlighten us as to what really happened on Roanoke Island in THE LOST COLONY. Here’s a hint, vampires were involved. We then move on to BLEEDING KANSAS, where Albuquerque puts down his pencil and takes a shot at writing the story, leaving the art to Ivo Milazzo. Set against that tumultuous time and place, Albuquerque and Milazzo set down for us a tale of what I can only assume are Henry Jones’ grandparents. Next up, Jeff Lemire and Ray Fawkes serve up a tale of terror in the frozen north with CANADIAN VAMPIRE as ex-Mountie-turned-bounty-hunter Jack Warhammer is hired to find out what happened to a German fur trading expedition missing in the wild. Becky Cloonan handles both the writing and art for GREED, starring Skinner Sweet and featuring his first encounter with those crazy folks who hail from a place called “Hollywood….” Francesco Francavilla then pulls the same trick for THE PRODUCERS, detailing the birth of a star as he makes a shady deal in exchange for fame and fortune. Gail Simone and Tula Lotay treat us to Hattie Hargrove’s origin story in ESSENCE OF LIFE, showing us just what happened to her that made her willing to screw over her best friend in the world. Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon share both the writing and artist credits for LAST NIGHT, as a lounge singer describes to a reporter the events leading up to the previous evening’s massacre at the club. Finally, Greg Rucka and JP Leon tell the tale of a dying drunk and the lowlifes who try and shanghai him in PORTLAND, 1940.
On the whole, I really enjoyed this as per the usual for this series. The writing was stellar, and the anthology format really served well for the world being depicted. As with any comics anthology, there’s a wide variety of artistic styles represented, and some of those styles I’m not really a fan of, but that’s largely a matter of taste. I could sit here and tell you that I really wasn’t a fan of Ivo Milazzo’s art on BLEEDING KANSAS (which is true), but the next guy might have loved it. I could laud Tula Lotay’s work on ESSENCE OF LIFE (also true), but the next guy may not have been a fan. That’s kind of how it works–peoples’ tastes are pretty subjective. I did enjoy getting into Hattie’s head a bit more than we were able to back when she was introduced, and Skinner Sweet’s adventures are always fun–I’ve mentioned before my weakness for antiheroes. As a historian, Roanoke’s lost colony is always a fascinating topic, and a number of the plot twists contained here were very satisfying if not always surprising. I really can’t wait for the next volume to come out so I can see the payoff to some of the plot threads being set up both here and in the teaser from the end of volume V….
CONTENT: R-rated language. Brutal, bloody vampire violence–these aren’t sparkly, angst-ridden pretty boys, these are monsters through and through. Some explicit and implicit sexual content, including what more or less constitutes a rape. No real occult content, as there isn’t a spiritual element to this version of vampirism.
Original review link: https://jordanbinkerd.wordpress.com/2014/08/15/review-american-vampire-volume-vi-by-scott-snyder-rafael-albuquerque/
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Dragons Wild in Tabletop Games
Feb 1, 2021
Have you ever had Gamer Deja Vu? Like you know you’ve played this game before but don’t remember, or the mechanics just feel so familiar? I have it seldomly, but I still feel it at times. What I enjoy about certain games is how quick they are teach, have familiar mechanics, but also have their own twists to truly make it unique. Have I found that here with Dragons Wild?
Dragons Wild is a trick-taking game very similar to the old standard, Rummy. So like its predecessor players are trying to rid their hands of cards in order to signal the end of the game. Where this version separates is in the little details that are absent from Rummy.
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 launching February 2, 2021, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup choose a dealer and a scorer (different players). The dealer will shuffle the entire deck of cards, save for the scoring cards, and deal each player seven cards. The draw deck is placed in the middle of the table and the dealer flips the top card to create the discard pile. The scorer finds the reference score card and places the dragon token on or near the “Round 1, Score 8 per card” text. The game may now begin!
Generally, the game is played much like Rummy where players are attempting to lay down melds of cards containing either runs (1, 2, 3, 4, etc) or sets (2, 2, 2 of different suits). Once a player has a meld in front of themselves they may play their cards onto other players’ melds. Players must discard a card at the end of each turn, and play continues in this manner until a player runs out of cards.
Dragons Wild, however, adds a few twists to pump up the play of traditional Rummy. Each player will need to keep track of their point totals as they will change with each play of a card. Should a player lay a meld on Round 1 they score eight VP for each card laid. In Round 2 cards are worth seven points each. Round 3 each card is worth six points and so on until Round 8 (or more) where each card is worth just one point.
Another way in which Dragons Wild differs from its older cousin is in the buying of cards (as far as I remember – I’m no Rummy expert). On their turn the active player must draw a card from either the top of the draw deck or the top of the discard pile. However, before the active player chooses, should another player wish to buy the face-up discard card the active player decides to allow or disallow the buy. With a successful buy the buying player takes the discarded card as well as the top card of the draw deck as payment. A player may buy as many as three cards in this fashion for each new active player.
Also, Dragons Wild offers a slight rule change for Wild cards in melds. Every time I have played Rummy in my lifetime any Wild is up for grabs as long as it can be replaced with a legal card from any player’s hand on their turn. This is not the case in Dragons Wild, as only Wild cards that hang on the end of a RUN of cards may be taken, replaced, or moved to the other end by the active player.
The game ends once one player is able to rid their entire hand of cards and still have one card to discard at the end of their turn. Players then total their scores from all cards played, scoring points differently depending on the Round in which they were laid. Other players still possessing cards then subtract the NUMBER of cards still held from their entire score, not their values. The player with the most points after this scoring phase is the winner!
Components. Again, this is a prototype copy of the game, and I am completely unsure which, if any, components will be upgraded as a result of a successful Kickstarter campaign. That said, I can comment on a couple things. First, the art style. While it is not my cup of tea (dragons have tea parties, right?) I can see where others may quite enjoy its fancifulness and whimsy. The game is very colorful, and I do appreciate that quite a lot. The cards are laid out well, and each suit is a different species of fantastic beast (though I rarely knew which was which – I just paid attention to the background color in the corners of the cards mostly). So I have no real problems with the components at all, I just wish for different art. The designer was nice enough to send along a print of a purple phoenix with this copy, which is super rad of her, and it looks great. Maybe she will add them into the final version…
Gameplay is familiar, like I stated earlier, because I would think most people have played Rummy or a variation of it at some point. In fact, my family was big into Rummikub growing up, and my grandparents were big into Rummy proper. So this was somewhat nostalgic for me while also bringing a few house rules and art that is different from a boring deck of normal playing cards.
The rules are not at all difficult, so learning, teaching, and playing have not seemed to be an issue at all here. If players have all played a version of Rummy before then this one will fly pretty quickly. It is a simple, fast, and slightly unique version of Rummy that would be nice to keep around if you need to wait on another player to arrive and they are 10 minutes away, or as a palette cleanser between games. Definitely a filler game, and not at all a bad one!
If you are looking for a differently-themed Rummy replacement with a twist, I recommend checking out Dragons Wild. It’s cute, quick, and has dragons, for Pete’s sake. Consider backing the Kickstarter campaign or asking your LFGS to stock it upon release.
Dragons Wild is a trick-taking game very similar to the old standard, Rummy. So like its predecessor players are trying to rid their hands of cards in order to signal the end of the game. Where this version separates is in the little details that are absent from Rummy.
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 launching February 2, 2021, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup choose a dealer and a scorer (different players). The dealer will shuffle the entire deck of cards, save for the scoring cards, and deal each player seven cards. The draw deck is placed in the middle of the table and the dealer flips the top card to create the discard pile. The scorer finds the reference score card and places the dragon token on or near the “Round 1, Score 8 per card” text. The game may now begin!
Generally, the game is played much like Rummy where players are attempting to lay down melds of cards containing either runs (1, 2, 3, 4, etc) or sets (2, 2, 2 of different suits). Once a player has a meld in front of themselves they may play their cards onto other players’ melds. Players must discard a card at the end of each turn, and play continues in this manner until a player runs out of cards.
Dragons Wild, however, adds a few twists to pump up the play of traditional Rummy. Each player will need to keep track of their point totals as they will change with each play of a card. Should a player lay a meld on Round 1 they score eight VP for each card laid. In Round 2 cards are worth seven points each. Round 3 each card is worth six points and so on until Round 8 (or more) where each card is worth just one point.
Another way in which Dragons Wild differs from its older cousin is in the buying of cards (as far as I remember – I’m no Rummy expert). On their turn the active player must draw a card from either the top of the draw deck or the top of the discard pile. However, before the active player chooses, should another player wish to buy the face-up discard card the active player decides to allow or disallow the buy. With a successful buy the buying player takes the discarded card as well as the top card of the draw deck as payment. A player may buy as many as three cards in this fashion for each new active player.
Also, Dragons Wild offers a slight rule change for Wild cards in melds. Every time I have played Rummy in my lifetime any Wild is up for grabs as long as it can be replaced with a legal card from any player’s hand on their turn. This is not the case in Dragons Wild, as only Wild cards that hang on the end of a RUN of cards may be taken, replaced, or moved to the other end by the active player.
The game ends once one player is able to rid their entire hand of cards and still have one card to discard at the end of their turn. Players then total their scores from all cards played, scoring points differently depending on the Round in which they were laid. Other players still possessing cards then subtract the NUMBER of cards still held from their entire score, not their values. The player with the most points after this scoring phase is the winner!
Components. Again, this is a prototype copy of the game, and I am completely unsure which, if any, components will be upgraded as a result of a successful Kickstarter campaign. That said, I can comment on a couple things. First, the art style. While it is not my cup of tea (dragons have tea parties, right?) I can see where others may quite enjoy its fancifulness and whimsy. The game is very colorful, and I do appreciate that quite a lot. The cards are laid out well, and each suit is a different species of fantastic beast (though I rarely knew which was which – I just paid attention to the background color in the corners of the cards mostly). So I have no real problems with the components at all, I just wish for different art. The designer was nice enough to send along a print of a purple phoenix with this copy, which is super rad of her, and it looks great. Maybe she will add them into the final version…
Gameplay is familiar, like I stated earlier, because I would think most people have played Rummy or a variation of it at some point. In fact, my family was big into Rummikub growing up, and my grandparents were big into Rummy proper. So this was somewhat nostalgic for me while also bringing a few house rules and art that is different from a boring deck of normal playing cards.
The rules are not at all difficult, so learning, teaching, and playing have not seemed to be an issue at all here. If players have all played a version of Rummy before then this one will fly pretty quickly. It is a simple, fast, and slightly unique version of Rummy that would be nice to keep around if you need to wait on another player to arrive and they are 10 minutes away, or as a palette cleanser between games. Definitely a filler game, and not at all a bad one!
If you are looking for a differently-themed Rummy replacement with a twist, I recommend checking out Dragons Wild. It’s cute, quick, and has dragons, for Pete’s sake. Consider backing the Kickstarter campaign or asking your LFGS to stock it upon release.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated First Man (2018) in Movies
Sep 28, 2021
He captured a feeling. Sky with no ceiling.
A memorable event
I am a child of the 60’s, born in 1961. The “Space Race” for me was not some historical concept but a pervasive backdrop to my childhood. I still recall, at the age of 8, being marched into my junior school’s assembly hall. We all peered at the grainy black-and-white pictures of Neil Armstrong as he spoke his famously fluffed line before stepping onto the lunar surface. The event happened at 3:54am UK time, so clearly my recollection of “seeing it live” is bogus. (I read that the BBC stayed on air until 10:30 in the morning, so it was probably a ‘final review’ of the night’s events I saw). It is probably lodged in my memory less for the historical event and more due to the fact that there was TELEVISION ON IN THE MORNING! (Kids, ask your grandparents!)
A very personal connection. My personal copy of Waddington’s “Blast Off” board game, briefly shown in the film.
The plot
But back to Damien Chazelle‘s film. We start early in the 60’s with America getting well and truly kicked up the proberbial by the Russians in the space race: they fail to get the first man in space; they fail to carry out the first spacewalk. So the Americans, following the famous JFK speech, set their sights on the moon. It’s the equivalent of making a mess of cutting your toenails but then deciding to have a go at brain surgery. NASA develop the Gemini programme to practice the essential docking manoevers required as a precursor for the seemingly impossible (‘two blackboard’) mission that is Apollo.
But the price paid for such ambition is high.
Ryan Gosling plays Neil Armstrong as a dedicated, prickly, professional; altogether not a terribly likeable individual. Claire Foy plays his long-suffering wife Janet, putting her support for her husband’s dangerous profession ahead of her natural fears of becoming a single mother.
Review
There is obviously little tension to be mined from a film that has such a well-known historical context. Those with even a subliminal knowledge of the subject will be aware of the key triumphs and tragedies along the way. The script (by Josh Singer, “The Post“; “Spotlight“) is very well done in developing a creeping dread of knowing what is shortly to come.
Even with these inherent spoilers, Chazelle still manages to evoke armrest-squeezing tension into the space flight sequences. A lot of this is achieved through disorientating camera movements and flashing images that may irritate some but I found to be highly effective. (Did anyone else flash back to that excellent “Mission Space” ride at Epcot during the launch sequences?) This hand-held cinematography by Linus Sandgren (Chazelle’s “La La Land” collaborator) is matched by some utterly drop-dead gorgeous shots – beautifully framed; beautifully lit – that would be worthy of a Kaminski/Spielberg collaboration.
Those expecting a rollercoaster thrill-ride of the likes of “Apollo 13” will be disappointed. The film has more of the slow-and-long-burn feeling of “The Right Stuff” in mood and, at 141 minutes, some might even find it quite boring. There is significant time, for example, spent within the family home. These scenes include turbulent events of which I wasn’t previously aware: events that form the cornerstone of the film’s drama. For me, the balance of the personal and the historical background was perfectly done. I found it curious though that with such a family-oriented drama Chazelle chose to ditch completely any cuts away to the earthbound onlookers during the tense lunar landing sequence. (Compare and contrast with Ron Howard‘s masterly inter-cutting in the re-entry scene of “Apollo 13”). With the outcome foretold, perhaps such tension building was considered unnecessary? I’m not suggesting it was wrong to ‘stay in the moment’ with the astronauts, but it’s a bold directorial move.
Overall, the foolhardiness of NASA trying to do what they did with the 60’s technology at their disposal is well-portrayed. If you’ve been lucky enough, as I have, to view the Apollo 11 capsule in the National Air and Space museum in Washington you can’t help but be impressed by the bravery of Armstong, Aldrin and Collins in getting in that bucket of bolts and putting their lives on the line. True American heroes.
On that topic, the “flag issue” has generated much self-righteous heat within the US media; that is regarding Chazelle not showing the American flag being planted. This seems fatuous to me. Not only is the flag shown on the moon, but the film ably demonstrates the American know-how and bravery behind the mission. If Clint Eastwood had been directing he would have probably gone there: but for me it certainly didn’t need any further patriotism rubbed in the viewer’s face.
The turns
Are Oscar nominations on the cards for Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy? For me, it would be staggering if they are not: this film has “Oscar nomination” written all over it. I’d also certainly not bet against Foy winning for Best Actress: her portrayal of a wife on the edge is nothing short of brilliant. And perhaps, just perhaps, this might be Gosling’s year too.
Elsewhere there are strong supporting performances from Kyle Chandler (as Deke Slayton), Corey Stoll (as the ‘tell it how it is’ Buzz Aldrin) and Jason Clarke (as Ed White). It’s also great to see Belfast-born Ciarán Hinds in another mainstream Hollywood release.
For me, another dead cert Oscar nomination will be Justin Hurwitz for the score which is breathtakingly brilliant, not just in its compelling themes but also in its orchestration: the use of the eerie theremin and melodic harp are just brilliant together. I haven’t heard a score this year that’s more fitting to the visuals: although it’s early in the Oscar season to be calling it, I’d be very surprised if this didn’t walk away with the statuette.
Summary
Loved this. Damien Chazelle – with “Whiplash“, “La La Land” and now “First Man” – has hit all of three out of the park in my book. It’s not really a film for thrill-seekers, who might get bored, but anyone, like me, with an interest in the history of space exploration will I think lap it up: for this was surely the most memorable decade in space history… so far.
On leaving the cinema I looked up at the rising moon and marvelled once more at the audacity of man. My eyes then drifted across to the red dot that was Mars. How long I wonder? And how many dramatic film biographies still to come?
I am a child of the 60’s, born in 1961. The “Space Race” for me was not some historical concept but a pervasive backdrop to my childhood. I still recall, at the age of 8, being marched into my junior school’s assembly hall. We all peered at the grainy black-and-white pictures of Neil Armstrong as he spoke his famously fluffed line before stepping onto the lunar surface. The event happened at 3:54am UK time, so clearly my recollection of “seeing it live” is bogus. (I read that the BBC stayed on air until 10:30 in the morning, so it was probably a ‘final review’ of the night’s events I saw). It is probably lodged in my memory less for the historical event and more due to the fact that there was TELEVISION ON IN THE MORNING! (Kids, ask your grandparents!)
A very personal connection. My personal copy of Waddington’s “Blast Off” board game, briefly shown in the film.
The plot
But back to Damien Chazelle‘s film. We start early in the 60’s with America getting well and truly kicked up the proberbial by the Russians in the space race: they fail to get the first man in space; they fail to carry out the first spacewalk. So the Americans, following the famous JFK speech, set their sights on the moon. It’s the equivalent of making a mess of cutting your toenails but then deciding to have a go at brain surgery. NASA develop the Gemini programme to practice the essential docking manoevers required as a precursor for the seemingly impossible (‘two blackboard’) mission that is Apollo.
But the price paid for such ambition is high.
Ryan Gosling plays Neil Armstrong as a dedicated, prickly, professional; altogether not a terribly likeable individual. Claire Foy plays his long-suffering wife Janet, putting her support for her husband’s dangerous profession ahead of her natural fears of becoming a single mother.
Review
There is obviously little tension to be mined from a film that has such a well-known historical context. Those with even a subliminal knowledge of the subject will be aware of the key triumphs and tragedies along the way. The script (by Josh Singer, “The Post“; “Spotlight“) is very well done in developing a creeping dread of knowing what is shortly to come.
Even with these inherent spoilers, Chazelle still manages to evoke armrest-squeezing tension into the space flight sequences. A lot of this is achieved through disorientating camera movements and flashing images that may irritate some but I found to be highly effective. (Did anyone else flash back to that excellent “Mission Space” ride at Epcot during the launch sequences?) This hand-held cinematography by Linus Sandgren (Chazelle’s “La La Land” collaborator) is matched by some utterly drop-dead gorgeous shots – beautifully framed; beautifully lit – that would be worthy of a Kaminski/Spielberg collaboration.
Those expecting a rollercoaster thrill-ride of the likes of “Apollo 13” will be disappointed. The film has more of the slow-and-long-burn feeling of “The Right Stuff” in mood and, at 141 minutes, some might even find it quite boring. There is significant time, for example, spent within the family home. These scenes include turbulent events of which I wasn’t previously aware: events that form the cornerstone of the film’s drama. For me, the balance of the personal and the historical background was perfectly done. I found it curious though that with such a family-oriented drama Chazelle chose to ditch completely any cuts away to the earthbound onlookers during the tense lunar landing sequence. (Compare and contrast with Ron Howard‘s masterly inter-cutting in the re-entry scene of “Apollo 13”). With the outcome foretold, perhaps such tension building was considered unnecessary? I’m not suggesting it was wrong to ‘stay in the moment’ with the astronauts, but it’s a bold directorial move.
Overall, the foolhardiness of NASA trying to do what they did with the 60’s technology at their disposal is well-portrayed. If you’ve been lucky enough, as I have, to view the Apollo 11 capsule in the National Air and Space museum in Washington you can’t help but be impressed by the bravery of Armstong, Aldrin and Collins in getting in that bucket of bolts and putting their lives on the line. True American heroes.
On that topic, the “flag issue” has generated much self-righteous heat within the US media; that is regarding Chazelle not showing the American flag being planted. This seems fatuous to me. Not only is the flag shown on the moon, but the film ably demonstrates the American know-how and bravery behind the mission. If Clint Eastwood had been directing he would have probably gone there: but for me it certainly didn’t need any further patriotism rubbed in the viewer’s face.
The turns
Are Oscar nominations on the cards for Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy? For me, it would be staggering if they are not: this film has “Oscar nomination” written all over it. I’d also certainly not bet against Foy winning for Best Actress: her portrayal of a wife on the edge is nothing short of brilliant. And perhaps, just perhaps, this might be Gosling’s year too.
Elsewhere there are strong supporting performances from Kyle Chandler (as Deke Slayton), Corey Stoll (as the ‘tell it how it is’ Buzz Aldrin) and Jason Clarke (as Ed White). It’s also great to see Belfast-born Ciarán Hinds in another mainstream Hollywood release.
For me, another dead cert Oscar nomination will be Justin Hurwitz for the score which is breathtakingly brilliant, not just in its compelling themes but also in its orchestration: the use of the eerie theremin and melodic harp are just brilliant together. I haven’t heard a score this year that’s more fitting to the visuals: although it’s early in the Oscar season to be calling it, I’d be very surprised if this didn’t walk away with the statuette.
Summary
Loved this. Damien Chazelle – with “Whiplash“, “La La Land” and now “First Man” – has hit all of three out of the park in my book. It’s not really a film for thrill-seekers, who might get bored, but anyone, like me, with an interest in the history of space exploration will I think lap it up: for this was surely the most memorable decade in space history… so far.
On leaving the cinema I looked up at the rising moon and marvelled once more at the audacity of man. My eyes then drifted across to the red dot that was Mars. How long I wonder? And how many dramatic film biographies still to come?
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Quad City Killers in Tabletop Games
Jan 30, 2021
So I am going to cut right to the chase here. I am from the Quad Cities, the area of Iowa and Illinois where the Mississippi River flows East-West instead of its normal North-South. Admittedly, the name given to the area is the Greater Quad City Area and includes around 18 actual towns and cities. I have a love for my hometown and defend it to all who think we are just cornfields and unexciting. That said, when I saw a game was being produced about serial killers roaming my own stomping grounds, I knew I had to preview it.
Quad City Killers (or QCK) is a competitive game of moving around a map and eliminating points of interest by using resources from hand. Or, in actual gamespeak, stalking the streets of the QC murdering prey by using weapons, modifiers, and scenario cards to adjust the winds of chance for success.
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 ending March 5, 2021, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup place the large map (an actual map that you would find in your grandparents’ Oldsmobile) on the table. Shuffle the Prey deck and the Resources deck separately and place them in their spots on the map. Place the Heat tokens on the lowest space in each city. Keep the three dice nearby for all players’ use. Each player will choose a serial killer profile mat, a color of skull mover token, and Dexterity token to track progress. Each player will also draw five Resource cards from the deck and one Prey card to place on the board in a city along with their skull mover token. The game may now begin!
The first thing each player will do on their turn is perform a Hunt action by drawing and placing on the map the top card of the Prey deck. Most Prey are color-coded to be placed in a matching city, but some are not and may be placed in any city on the map. Next, the player may perform any three actions from the following: Hunt, Travel, Attack, Scenario, Discard.
Hunt works the same as the action performed at the beginning of each turn: draw a Prey card and place it on the board. In order to Travel to a new city the player will roll the dice. For a value of 1+ the player may travel to any city within their current state. For a value of 2+ the player may cross the Old Man to the other side (preferably using the half-finished under-construction new I-74 bridge). A player may play a Scenario card from their hand, and if it shows the Action icon they will spend one of their three actions to play and resolve it. A player may also choose to Discard two cards from their hand and replace them with cards drawn from the Resource deck for an action.
The game would not be named Quad City Killers if killing was not involved somehow. As the final option of action to be taken on a turn a player may choose to Attack a Prey card in the same city in which the player’s token resides. To Attack, the player will consult the Prey card’s printed defense value for their target number. The player will then combine any Resource cards they may have in hand with their current Dexterity score (tracked on their player mat) and the roll of the three dice. If the end result matches or exceeds the Prey’s defense value the Prey is eliminated. The player collects the Prey card for a trophy and for its Notoriety value (victory points) at game end.
Resource cards come in different flavors: Weapons, Scenarios, Modifiers, and Ego. Weapon cards are just that: weapons. They may be used once for an attempted kill and then are discarded. Scenarios may mess with opponent tactics, allow players to move Prey cards to different cities, or other various activities. Modifiers may also adjust the current Advantage enjoyed by the player or be played on a Prey card to lower its defense value. Ego cards (and also some Weapon cards) will have an M.O. icon on them and may be placed directly on the player mat. These M.O. cards offer a once-per-turn advantage for the player and are very powerful.
The game continues in this fashion of taking turns moving around the map, hunting prey and killing them, and using Resources to adjust the difficulty of the murder. Once a player has increased their Dexterity token to the end of the track the game ends and the players count up Notoriety values (VP) of all slain Prey cards to arrive at the greatest serial killer the Quad Cities has ever seen (which, being from the QC would be saying something – I don’t remember ANY serial killers here).
Components. Okay, this was a super cool game to open up in the mail. Inside the mailer box was this strange Evidence bag. I have never seen an Evidence bag in my life so I wasn’t quite sure what was inside. But when I opened it and saw it was the components for the game I immediately smiled at how cool that was to include. It certainly made an impression. Now, please remember that this is a prototype copy of the game, and the finished version will have slightly different and improved components. That said, what we were provided is very close to final quality (and better than some games I have in my collection!). The cards are all fine, the dice are dice, and the tokens are well-designed and interesting. The best component, for me, is the excellent map of the QCA. It folds/unfolds like an old map would (prior to GPS) and has my hometown right on it! Luckily I live in a suburb(?) of the Metropolitan QCA so my house is nowhere to be found on the map, but it is very strange and exciting to play a game on a map of your home.
The game as a whole is pretty good. Though the estimated time to finish the game is quoted at 90-180 minutes (and maybe with the full compliment of players), my plays with my wife were well under an hour each time. We both enjoyed the game quite a bit once we got over the whole premise of it. The theme is obviously dark and macabre, but in the end it is still just a game.
I felt very engaged for every second of the game as I watched my wife nail roll after roll during her Attack actions while I fail to manage even a roll of 2+. Yes, I am unable to roll 2+ on THREE DICE. My issues aside, the dice really do add a layer of chance (obv) that all the accounting and cardplay just will not cover. I like that. I like chance in my games, even when it goes against me. I also enjoyed having five actions from which to choose three on my turn, but I could also use the same action all three times if I wished. More options is usually good, and having more than one obvious route or strategy is a huge bonus for me.
All in all I really did enjoy this game quite a bit. Again, the theme may be off-putting for some, and I will not play this game with my children until they are probably older than the suggested 13+ but I can definitely see myself breaking this out with a group of adults who are itching for something completely different from what they are accustomed to playing. If you are like me and need something just absolutely jarring in your collection, I urge you to take a look at Quad City Killers, on Kickstarter now until March 5, 2021. Just stay out of Milan (pronounced MY-lin) and we will be fine.
Quad City Killers (or QCK) is a competitive game of moving around a map and eliminating points of interest by using resources from hand. Or, in actual gamespeak, stalking the streets of the QC murdering prey by using weapons, modifiers, and scenario cards to adjust the winds of chance for success.
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 ending March 5, 2021, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup place the large map (an actual map that you would find in your grandparents’ Oldsmobile) on the table. Shuffle the Prey deck and the Resources deck separately and place them in their spots on the map. Place the Heat tokens on the lowest space in each city. Keep the three dice nearby for all players’ use. Each player will choose a serial killer profile mat, a color of skull mover token, and Dexterity token to track progress. Each player will also draw five Resource cards from the deck and one Prey card to place on the board in a city along with their skull mover token. The game may now begin!
The first thing each player will do on their turn is perform a Hunt action by drawing and placing on the map the top card of the Prey deck. Most Prey are color-coded to be placed in a matching city, but some are not and may be placed in any city on the map. Next, the player may perform any three actions from the following: Hunt, Travel, Attack, Scenario, Discard.
Hunt works the same as the action performed at the beginning of each turn: draw a Prey card and place it on the board. In order to Travel to a new city the player will roll the dice. For a value of 1+ the player may travel to any city within their current state. For a value of 2+ the player may cross the Old Man to the other side (preferably using the half-finished under-construction new I-74 bridge). A player may play a Scenario card from their hand, and if it shows the Action icon they will spend one of their three actions to play and resolve it. A player may also choose to Discard two cards from their hand and replace them with cards drawn from the Resource deck for an action.
The game would not be named Quad City Killers if killing was not involved somehow. As the final option of action to be taken on a turn a player may choose to Attack a Prey card in the same city in which the player’s token resides. To Attack, the player will consult the Prey card’s printed defense value for their target number. The player will then combine any Resource cards they may have in hand with their current Dexterity score (tracked on their player mat) and the roll of the three dice. If the end result matches or exceeds the Prey’s defense value the Prey is eliminated. The player collects the Prey card for a trophy and for its Notoriety value (victory points) at game end.
Resource cards come in different flavors: Weapons, Scenarios, Modifiers, and Ego. Weapon cards are just that: weapons. They may be used once for an attempted kill and then are discarded. Scenarios may mess with opponent tactics, allow players to move Prey cards to different cities, or other various activities. Modifiers may also adjust the current Advantage enjoyed by the player or be played on a Prey card to lower its defense value. Ego cards (and also some Weapon cards) will have an M.O. icon on them and may be placed directly on the player mat. These M.O. cards offer a once-per-turn advantage for the player and are very powerful.
The game continues in this fashion of taking turns moving around the map, hunting prey and killing them, and using Resources to adjust the difficulty of the murder. Once a player has increased their Dexterity token to the end of the track the game ends and the players count up Notoriety values (VP) of all slain Prey cards to arrive at the greatest serial killer the Quad Cities has ever seen (which, being from the QC would be saying something – I don’t remember ANY serial killers here).
Components. Okay, this was a super cool game to open up in the mail. Inside the mailer box was this strange Evidence bag. I have never seen an Evidence bag in my life so I wasn’t quite sure what was inside. But when I opened it and saw it was the components for the game I immediately smiled at how cool that was to include. It certainly made an impression. Now, please remember that this is a prototype copy of the game, and the finished version will have slightly different and improved components. That said, what we were provided is very close to final quality (and better than some games I have in my collection!). The cards are all fine, the dice are dice, and the tokens are well-designed and interesting. The best component, for me, is the excellent map of the QCA. It folds/unfolds like an old map would (prior to GPS) and has my hometown right on it! Luckily I live in a suburb(?) of the Metropolitan QCA so my house is nowhere to be found on the map, but it is very strange and exciting to play a game on a map of your home.
The game as a whole is pretty good. Though the estimated time to finish the game is quoted at 90-180 minutes (and maybe with the full compliment of players), my plays with my wife were well under an hour each time. We both enjoyed the game quite a bit once we got over the whole premise of it. The theme is obviously dark and macabre, but in the end it is still just a game.
I felt very engaged for every second of the game as I watched my wife nail roll after roll during her Attack actions while I fail to manage even a roll of 2+. Yes, I am unable to roll 2+ on THREE DICE. My issues aside, the dice really do add a layer of chance (obv) that all the accounting and cardplay just will not cover. I like that. I like chance in my games, even when it goes against me. I also enjoyed having five actions from which to choose three on my turn, but I could also use the same action all three times if I wished. More options is usually good, and having more than one obvious route or strategy is a huge bonus for me.
All in all I really did enjoy this game quite a bit. Again, the theme may be off-putting for some, and I will not play this game with my children until they are probably older than the suggested 13+ but I can definitely see myself breaking this out with a group of adults who are itching for something completely different from what they are accustomed to playing. If you are like me and need something just absolutely jarring in your collection, I urge you to take a look at Quad City Killers, on Kickstarter now until March 5, 2021. Just stay out of Milan (pronounced MY-lin) and we will be fine.
