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Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Cooking Customers in Tabletop Games
Feb 4, 2020
Raise your hand if you have ever worked in the food industry. Okay, I see a few hands. Now raise your hand if you have ever been so torqued by a customer that you wanted to cook them in a pie. Oh, thanks for your hand Mrs. Lovett. Good to know. Well this game is an experience of getting your money and getting out. Fastest one to do so will win, and if you have to stew a few eyeballs in the process, more power to you.
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
Cooking Customers is a card and dice game where the first player to amass $20 in “tips” will be crowned the winner. Players earn tips by serving enough meals to customers at each table. Players can receive meals by rolling them on dice, or by card manipulation. Let me explain.
To setup, place the meals (black discs) in the middle of the table for all to reach. Similarly, place all the dice nearby. These dice have three sides: FIRED, MEAL, and a blank side. Shuffle the mighty deck of cards and deal five to each player, placing the rest of the deck in the middle of the table. Finally, shuffle the Table cards and place somewhere near the other components. Players are now ready to begin!
On a player’s turn, they will first draw the topmost Table card to be placed in front of themselves. This card will show how many meals need to be served to it to be satisfied and earn tips. The Table cards will mostly just sit there in front of players collecting meal discs for the game’s duration. Once a Table card is drawn (and only one Table per player, please) the active player may then play cards from hand. A player may play one or two cards, but only one card may be played to the active player’s tableau, and only one card may be played on an opponent. Should a player not wish to play a card to anyone’s tableau, they must discard a card to the middle of the table. Then the active player will draw back to the hand size of five cards.
Cards played to other players are usually bad, Munchkin-esque cards that halt progression or just cause mayhem for their designs. I will not go into detail on these, as half the fun of this game is the Take-That of these cards. Cards played to a player’s own tableau can be a myriad choices: Cooks, Helpers, Kitchen Supplies, etc. The most important are the Cook cards. A player will need to have a Cook “hired” in front of them in order to participate in the next phase of the game: rolling dice. Players can have Helper cards (sous chefs) and Kitchen Supplies active without a Cook, but the player may not roll dice or serve meals without a Cook. Cooks and Helpers will dictate how many dice are rolled in the next phase of a turn, and rolling more dice is always better.
Once all cards have been played on a player’s turn, they may now roll the dice (though for a game with such a dark theme I say we use the “Roll Them Bones” colloquialism). When the dice are rolled, players are hoping for MEAL to show up on all dice. This is how a meal can be collected and served to the Table cards. However, if at any time all dice read FIRED then the player’s Cook is fired and they may not continue rolling dice. The Cook is discarded and play is forfeited to the next player. #cheflife amirite?
Once a Table card has all the meals it needs to be satisfied, the player may score it by flipping it over to reveal the amount in tips they have earned. Play continues in this fashion until one player has earned $20 in tips. They can then taunt the other players with their superiority.
Components. Cooking Customers is a BUNCH of cards, some painted wooden discs, and some embossed dice. The cards are good quality, the discs are good as well, and the dice are great. All the components are pretty darn good. The art, though gross at times, is really well-done (see what I did there) and kept us laughing throughout our plays.
I do have one qualm about this game: the rulebook. Though only six pages long and with lots of illustrations throughout, I found that reading it made me more confused than it should have. I did take the rulebook’s advice to go to the publisher’s website, goodenoughgames.com, and watch the rules explanation and playthrough. That helped immensely to clear up what the rulebook did to my brain.
All in all, we had a great time playing this one. We all like Munchkin, and though it is NOT Munchkin, Cooking Customers delivers a take-that dice and card game that really is worth checking out. If you are looking for something with a new theme that plays quickly and has some meat on its bones (and there), then we certainly recommend Cooking Customers. Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a hearty (food puns are too easy) 13 / 18. You can purchase a copy at goodenoughgames.com currently. While you’re there please watch the video.
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
Cooking Customers is a card and dice game where the first player to amass $20 in “tips” will be crowned the winner. Players earn tips by serving enough meals to customers at each table. Players can receive meals by rolling them on dice, or by card manipulation. Let me explain.
To setup, place the meals (black discs) in the middle of the table for all to reach. Similarly, place all the dice nearby. These dice have three sides: FIRED, MEAL, and a blank side. Shuffle the mighty deck of cards and deal five to each player, placing the rest of the deck in the middle of the table. Finally, shuffle the Table cards and place somewhere near the other components. Players are now ready to begin!
On a player’s turn, they will first draw the topmost Table card to be placed in front of themselves. This card will show how many meals need to be served to it to be satisfied and earn tips. The Table cards will mostly just sit there in front of players collecting meal discs for the game’s duration. Once a Table card is drawn (and only one Table per player, please) the active player may then play cards from hand. A player may play one or two cards, but only one card may be played to the active player’s tableau, and only one card may be played on an opponent. Should a player not wish to play a card to anyone’s tableau, they must discard a card to the middle of the table. Then the active player will draw back to the hand size of five cards.
Cards played to other players are usually bad, Munchkin-esque cards that halt progression or just cause mayhem for their designs. I will not go into detail on these, as half the fun of this game is the Take-That of these cards. Cards played to a player’s own tableau can be a myriad choices: Cooks, Helpers, Kitchen Supplies, etc. The most important are the Cook cards. A player will need to have a Cook “hired” in front of them in order to participate in the next phase of the game: rolling dice. Players can have Helper cards (sous chefs) and Kitchen Supplies active without a Cook, but the player may not roll dice or serve meals without a Cook. Cooks and Helpers will dictate how many dice are rolled in the next phase of a turn, and rolling more dice is always better.
Once all cards have been played on a player’s turn, they may now roll the dice (though for a game with such a dark theme I say we use the “Roll Them Bones” colloquialism). When the dice are rolled, players are hoping for MEAL to show up on all dice. This is how a meal can be collected and served to the Table cards. However, if at any time all dice read FIRED then the player’s Cook is fired and they may not continue rolling dice. The Cook is discarded and play is forfeited to the next player. #cheflife amirite?
Once a Table card has all the meals it needs to be satisfied, the player may score it by flipping it over to reveal the amount in tips they have earned. Play continues in this fashion until one player has earned $20 in tips. They can then taunt the other players with their superiority.
Components. Cooking Customers is a BUNCH of cards, some painted wooden discs, and some embossed dice. The cards are good quality, the discs are good as well, and the dice are great. All the components are pretty darn good. The art, though gross at times, is really well-done (see what I did there) and kept us laughing throughout our plays.
I do have one qualm about this game: the rulebook. Though only six pages long and with lots of illustrations throughout, I found that reading it made me more confused than it should have. I did take the rulebook’s advice to go to the publisher’s website, goodenoughgames.com, and watch the rules explanation and playthrough. That helped immensely to clear up what the rulebook did to my brain.
All in all, we had a great time playing this one. We all like Munchkin, and though it is NOT Munchkin, Cooking Customers delivers a take-that dice and card game that really is worth checking out. If you are looking for something with a new theme that plays quickly and has some meat on its bones (and there), then we certainly recommend Cooking Customers. Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a hearty (food puns are too easy) 13 / 18. You can purchase a copy at goodenoughgames.com currently. While you’re there please watch the video.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Master (The Gameshouse, #3) in Books
Apr 27, 2018
The third story The Master ties the other two together in the ultimate game. The final game, the Great Game. A great player, known only by the name Silver, challenges the Gamesmaster, the woman all in white behind a veil, who is in charge of the Gameshouse. The doors of the Gameshouse shut and both players use every piece they have to play a giant game of chess with the world. The winner will have the rights to the Gameshouse. The loser dies. But Silver is not a normal player. Silver has a different goal for the outcome. And when the last move comes to play, he has to make a choice. And so he leaves that choice up to the one thing he doesn’t have control over. Luck. And the world goes on.
Read my full review of the series here: http://haleymathiot.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-gameshouse.html
Read my full review of the series here: http://haleymathiot.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-gameshouse.html
Barbara (2 KP) rated Gloomhaven in Tabletop Games
May 25, 2018
Endless adventure (1 more)
Team work
The best ever up-to-4-player-Offline-Role-Playing-Game
This is easily one of the best tabletop games out there. Generally, I prefer games that does not heavily rely on the element of luck (Terra Mystica, Puerto Rico, etc), and rather rely on strategy. I find GloomHaven to be a good mix of both, it promotes good team work and understanding of players' strengths and weaknesses. The extensive content allows the game to go on and on and on for as long as you want to explore the world of GloomHaven. The scenario book makes me giddy with joy. The game also allows you to play any combination of 2, 3, or 4 player scenarios, so if you can't get all of your people together, fret not, level a character you want, or try a different one, the possibilities are endless!!
Conversations with My Father - Jack Kyle
Book
Jack Kyle was the rugby giant of his time, but he is also so much more than a sporting legend....
The Barstool Book of Sports: Stats, Stories, and Other Stuff for Drunken Debate
Andrew Daniels and Joseph Applegate
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The only sports trivia and debate book about the topics sports fans REALLY talk about at the bar The...
Billy Gibbons recommended Midnight Highway by Quinn Sullivan in Music (curated)
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Beautiful Stranger (Beautiful Bastard, #2) in Books
Sep 5, 2019
3.5 stars.
I was enjoying this for the first 60% or so but then it started to annoy me how they were dragging it all out. Why couldn't they just admit they wanted more from each other? Why couldn't they just get together?!
It took until about the 85% mark for me to get into it again and with it being on Scribd that I read this, it ended at the 91% so it was pretty close to the end when everything was working out and the HEA was within reach.
I will be reading the next book, [b:Beautiful Player|17831614|Beautiful Player (Beautiful Bastard, #3)|Christina Lauren|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1375285002s/17831614.jpg|24948167], at some point when I get back off holiday as it's part of a Reading list that I'm working through on BookLikes: http://booklikes.com/apps/reading-lists/146/books-to-fall-in-love-with
I was enjoying this for the first 60% or so but then it started to annoy me how they were dragging it all out. Why couldn't they just admit they wanted more from each other? Why couldn't they just get together?!
It took until about the 85% mark for me to get into it again and with it being on Scribd that I read this, it ended at the 91% so it was pretty close to the end when everything was working out and the HEA was within reach.
I will be reading the next book, [b:Beautiful Player|17831614|Beautiful Player (Beautiful Bastard, #3)|Christina Lauren|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1375285002s/17831614.jpg|24948167], at some point when I get back off holiday as it's part of a Reading list that I'm working through on BookLikes: http://booklikes.com/apps/reading-lists/146/books-to-fall-in-love-with
Red Otter (340 KP) rated Gaia Project in Tabletop Games
Aug 20, 2019
Gaia Project is one of the pillars of the Euro-style games. It's an iteration/retheming of Terra Mystica, changing from fantasy to sci-fi. Every player takes a faction that follows the basic rules, but each have different preferred planets, starting bonuses, and abilities. GP follows the standard tropes of Euros in there is no take-that player interaction. You can block people off, use a once-per-round action before them. But you won't be able to directly attack them of course.
Every game is different. The Round staring bonus, round scoring bonus, layout of technologies to research, and even the map differ from game to game, an improvement upon Terra mystica.
This is a game that rewards multiple playthroughs, by understanding your factions strengths, you can focus on a multitude of ways to score, ensuring that Evey path to victory is a little bit different.
Every game is different. The Round staring bonus, round scoring bonus, layout of technologies to research, and even the map differ from game to game, an improvement upon Terra mystica.
This is a game that rewards multiple playthroughs, by understanding your factions strengths, you can focus on a multitude of ways to score, ensuring that Evey path to victory is a little bit different.
Gravity's Reign
Games and Entertainment
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The classic gravity simulator returns for iOS. Curve the bullet. Hit your mark. The board is...