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RPGMP3 (211 KP) rated Bears vs Babies in Tabletop Games
Apr 20, 2018
Cool Idea (1 more)
Monsters Eating Babies
Can Get Frustrating (1 more)
Winner Is Usually Obvious Very Early
You Get To Build Monsters (And Eat Babies)
I Kickstartered this game when it was released despite not really loving Exploding Kittens beyond the art and the concept. The large draw was that I did not have any other game in my collection that I could pet and stroke when I was stressed and who doesn't like building monsters?
To be honest, this is a decent game with some strategy elements. The main issue is that the winner generally becomes evident early on in the game when they take a large number of points and wipe out everyone else's monsters and it become difficult for everyone else to catch up if the leader plays to obstruct.
The art is cute and sometimes rather disturbing, especially in the NSFW expansion (which should certainly not be used with kids at the table unless you want some deep and terrible conversations about schlongs). The monsters you make are funny and you can get a little attached to them. Sadly, that is a bad strategy as they can be wiped out in the Baby War at any point when someone provokes one of the baby armies and they kill everyone.
One of the biggest frustrations with this game is that sometimes you get to a point where you have nothing but legs and nothing else. All you want is a head or a cool body to attach all your legs to. You don't want to waste a turn diving in the discard for a head so you keep drawing more legs until you can hardly hold all your cards. At the end of the game you realize the Dave has all the heads and you hate him. Screw you, Dave!
Overall, its OK, You won't play it all the time, but it can be fun with a beer in the right crowd.
To be honest, this is a decent game with some strategy elements. The main issue is that the winner generally becomes evident early on in the game when they take a large number of points and wipe out everyone else's monsters and it become difficult for everyone else to catch up if the leader plays to obstruct.
The art is cute and sometimes rather disturbing, especially in the NSFW expansion (which should certainly not be used with kids at the table unless you want some deep and terrible conversations about schlongs). The monsters you make are funny and you can get a little attached to them. Sadly, that is a bad strategy as they can be wiped out in the Baby War at any point when someone provokes one of the baby armies and they kill everyone.
One of the biggest frustrations with this game is that sometimes you get to a point where you have nothing but legs and nothing else. All you want is a head or a cool body to attach all your legs to. You don't want to waste a turn diving in the discard for a head so you keep drawing more legs until you can hardly hold all your cards. At the end of the game you realize the Dave has all the heads and you hate him. Screw you, Dave!
Overall, its OK, You won't play it all the time, but it can be fun with a beer in the right crowd.
Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated Healing Love in Books
Feb 27, 2019
Where do I begin with this review? No words justify the amount of feels I felt with this book. It is absolutely an amazing read. From heartache and pain to smiles and hope, Ms. Slattery stitches together a novel that will not soon leave the reader's soul. You close the book and reflect on the story and the characters and their faith long into the night. It's forever in my heart, that's for sure!
I have never been on a mission trip but I know of people that have. They come home with stories that will leave you in tears, sometimes from happiness, sometimes from sadness. Ms. Slattery filled this book with such detail that you can't help but feel as if you, the reader,were right there in the center of the mission trip. Watching Brooke along side of Ubaldo really kept me hooked on the story. I loved both of their characters so much. I felt their emotions and their faith as if they were my own. When they came to terms with what God had in store for the two of them, together, I really felt it deep in my soul!
Ms. Slattery has taken on a wonderful theme for this book. Finding love in an unexpected place with an unexpected person, learning of that our plan isn't always His plans, and seeking redemption along the way, really makes for a fantabulous book! I can not simply give this incredibly moving novel a measly 5 star rating. It is beyond that. It is deserving of 5 thousand stars, if you want my opinion. This book, and all it has to offer, will suck you in, cacoon you into it's pages and leave you breathless and in awe of Ms. Slattery's work. Bravo, Jennifer Slattery! Bravo! <a href="http://cafinatedreads.com/book-review-healing-love-by-jennifer-slattery/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Cafinated Reads</a>
I have never been on a mission trip but I know of people that have. They come home with stories that will leave you in tears, sometimes from happiness, sometimes from sadness. Ms. Slattery filled this book with such detail that you can't help but feel as if you, the reader,were right there in the center of the mission trip. Watching Brooke along side of Ubaldo really kept me hooked on the story. I loved both of their characters so much. I felt their emotions and their faith as if they were my own. When they came to terms with what God had in store for the two of them, together, I really felt it deep in my soul!
Ms. Slattery has taken on a wonderful theme for this book. Finding love in an unexpected place with an unexpected person, learning of that our plan isn't always His plans, and seeking redemption along the way, really makes for a fantabulous book! I can not simply give this incredibly moving novel a measly 5 star rating. It is beyond that. It is deserving of 5 thousand stars, if you want my opinion. This book, and all it has to offer, will suck you in, cacoon you into it's pages and leave you breathless and in awe of Ms. Slattery's work. Bravo, Jennifer Slattery! Bravo! <a href="http://cafinatedreads.com/book-review-healing-love-by-jennifer-slattery/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Cafinated Reads</a>
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Azul in Tabletop Games
Jun 12, 2019
We are late to the game. Almost always. I mean, we BUY new games. We watch videos on them to learn. We then digest the rulebook and teach it to whomever is interested in playing with us. Then we play. Sometimes we can only get a few games in and we have to decide their fate in our collection after just a play or two or three. But then there are games that our wives buy us for Christmas that wasn’t even on our list, but she was on the publisher’s website buying a different game that WAS on our list, but thought this game was pretty so she decided to buy it for us (as well as the cute little expansion) and then decides she wants to play it and it turns out to be a really great game that we enjoy playing a whole bunch.
Uh. Sometimes I get too excited introducing a game. We are talking about Azul. O.G. Azul.
Ok, so you are supposed to be building a fancy tiled wall in Portugal. I think. The game comes with these fancy Starburst (not a sponsor) looking bakelite pieces – if you have played Hive you know the ones – and they are very colorful and cute. Everyone gets their own player board and score tracking cube. Then the game is afoot.
The player with the most points at the end of the game wins. Standard. I’m not going to go into the entirety of a rules explanation. Instead, I’m going to give you my review.
After having played it a dozen times or more, I absolutely love it. It is by far my favorite abstract strategy game that I have played. The components are fun to play with, the rules are light – most players can grasp the concept and gameplay – and it’s quick enough that you can play multiple games in a row if you so choose.
That said, we at Purple Phoenix Games give it a 24 / 24.
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2018/11/30/azul-review/
Uh. Sometimes I get too excited introducing a game. We are talking about Azul. O.G. Azul.
Ok, so you are supposed to be building a fancy tiled wall in Portugal. I think. The game comes with these fancy Starburst (not a sponsor) looking bakelite pieces – if you have played Hive you know the ones – and they are very colorful and cute. Everyone gets their own player board and score tracking cube. Then the game is afoot.
The player with the most points at the end of the game wins. Standard. I’m not going to go into the entirety of a rules explanation. Instead, I’m going to give you my review.
After having played it a dozen times or more, I absolutely love it. It is by far my favorite abstract strategy game that I have played. The components are fun to play with, the rules are light – most players can grasp the concept and gameplay – and it’s quick enough that you can play multiple games in a row if you so choose.
That said, we at Purple Phoenix Games give it a 24 / 24.
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2018/11/30/azul-review/
The Marinated Meeple (1853 KP) rated Flick Chess in Apps
Jun 12, 2019
Satisfying pull back and flick knocking pieces off the board (3 more)
Fun to upgrade when you knock other pieces off.
They have the engine built of a great little game, they just need to add more to the boards, and eliminate some "loop holes" which can lead to insta-kills.
Looking forward to more content
I don't feel like I'm playing against people.... more like bots with people names (1 more)
There is a chance of a first shot kill, which means the other player doesn't get a turn.
This Game is more fun than it should be, but it needs much more to it....
So it looks fun; I'll download it and try it is my manta..... this one fit the bill... you and an opponent face off flicking your pieces at each other trying to knock the other persons king off the board. there are moving blocks and wall behind that you have to navigate. Sometimes the blocks move easily and all off the board, and other times you have to hit them a number of times to get them to move. There seems to be about 12 or so different boards. I'm up to level 43, but the opponents don't seem to get better.... which I think maybe I'm playing a bot, and it's just giving hem different names. That said, it's still a perfect "Zen Out" game, you kinda care, and there is strategy, like playing billiards with combo shots and such. But you also don't really care of something goes wrong, and it's very satisfying when you pull off the trick shot. There's also the chance to upgrade your pieces when that piece knocks another off the board and that is satisfying as well. Sometimes I just play to eliminate every other piece before I take the king. You can also earn different colored pieces as you progress up the levels. There is also a section which isn't finished and says coming soon, which leads me to believe it's got more up it's sleeve.... I'd hope so.
Merissa (12943 KP) rated When The Devil Wants In in Books
Jan 30, 2018
When The Devil Wants In by Cate Ashwood & J.H. Knight
When the Devil Wants In is a story that tells of John, a man firmly in the closet in his home town in the deep South. He lives next door to his very religious parents, and everyone thinks that he and his best friend, Chloe, will be married one day. Chloe is the only one who knows that John is gay, and provides his cover. Matt is the newbie to this police force, but is an experienced office from San Francisco. Matt wasn't in the closet, but feels it may be appropriate for Magnolia Ridge.
John is only supposed to be in his late twenties, but somehow came across as being a LOT older. As for Matt, it was hard to pin an age on him. Sometimes he seemed young, sometimes old. Although this story is told from both of their perspectives, it was hard to find much sympathy for John, and I have no idea why. There didn't seem to be much of a bond between the two of them until the end of the story. As for the mystery, there was a lot of build up, but the ending left me wanting more. Although we got the who, the how and why were never really discussed. There was no idea of what had happened to make the person 'snap' at that time.
Apart from that, the story was well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The story was interesting, with a great cast of characters. For anyone who wanted a M/M Mystery, then I would definitely recommend this. Just because I found it slightly unsatisfying at the end doesn't mean everyone will!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
John is only supposed to be in his late twenties, but somehow came across as being a LOT older. As for Matt, it was hard to pin an age on him. Sometimes he seemed young, sometimes old. Although this story is told from both of their perspectives, it was hard to find much sympathy for John, and I have no idea why. There didn't seem to be much of a bond between the two of them until the end of the story. As for the mystery, there was a lot of build up, but the ending left me wanting more. Although we got the who, the how and why were never really discussed. There was no idea of what had happened to make the person 'snap' at that time.
Apart from that, the story was well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The story was interesting, with a great cast of characters. For anyone who wanted a M/M Mystery, then I would definitely recommend this. Just because I found it slightly unsatisfying at the end doesn't mean everyone will!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Dumb House: (Scottish Classics) in Books
Mar 15, 2018
This book was nothing like what I thought it would, and for that reason, it disappointed me.
I believed this novel was going to be a creepy, man-holds-children-captive kind of story, but unfortunately it wasn’t. This was far more intelligent, with lots of complex writing than I had expected, and due to that, I couldn’t really get into it. I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed so I feel like a lot of this book went over my head.
There’s no doubt about it, our narrator is one of the most terrifying and disturbed narrators I’ve ever come across, and thanks to my love for the macabre, this made reading his story sometimes enjoyable. When he was simply recalling his actions in the here and now, I was interested, but when he got into his ramblings about his ideas on testing the innateness of language, my mind moved onto different things. Hence it taking me almost a week and a half to read 204 pages.
Burnside is an incredibly beautiful writer, it doesn’t surprise me to see he’s a poetry writer as well as a fiction writer. I’m always one to praise an author for their poetic prose, but sometimes things get a little too complex for me and all meaning is lost on me. This happened a lot throughout reading The Dumb House.
In terms of the story, this wasn’t exactly what I had hoped it would be. It was very slow to get anywhere, and even when we did get to learning his experiment on his children, that whole section was equally slow-moving. It didn’t feel like an awful lot happened other than several uncomfortable sex scenes and some horrifying violence.
Unfortunately, this one didn’t do it for me, which is a shame, because I was so looking forward to reading it. I suppose if you love intelligent fiction that is reasonably ambiguous, this might be great for you. I personally like a book that challenges my mind, but this one went too far for me.
I believed this novel was going to be a creepy, man-holds-children-captive kind of story, but unfortunately it wasn’t. This was far more intelligent, with lots of complex writing than I had expected, and due to that, I couldn’t really get into it. I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed so I feel like a lot of this book went over my head.
There’s no doubt about it, our narrator is one of the most terrifying and disturbed narrators I’ve ever come across, and thanks to my love for the macabre, this made reading his story sometimes enjoyable. When he was simply recalling his actions in the here and now, I was interested, but when he got into his ramblings about his ideas on testing the innateness of language, my mind moved onto different things. Hence it taking me almost a week and a half to read 204 pages.
Burnside is an incredibly beautiful writer, it doesn’t surprise me to see he’s a poetry writer as well as a fiction writer. I’m always one to praise an author for their poetic prose, but sometimes things get a little too complex for me and all meaning is lost on me. This happened a lot throughout reading The Dumb House.
In terms of the story, this wasn’t exactly what I had hoped it would be. It was very slow to get anywhere, and even when we did get to learning his experiment on his children, that whole section was equally slow-moving. It didn’t feel like an awful lot happened other than several uncomfortable sex scenes and some horrifying violence.
Unfortunately, this one didn’t do it for me, which is a shame, because I was so looking forward to reading it. I suppose if you love intelligent fiction that is reasonably ambiguous, this might be great for you. I personally like a book that challenges my mind, but this one went too far for me.
Sensitivemuse (246 KP) rated Baby Teeth in Books
Jun 15, 2018
Creepy kid....
This was such a good book I stayed up until 2am to finish it. Even then I couldn’t go back to sleep because I was floored!
What really makes a huge impact in this book were the characters and the tension created between all of them. A beautifully created house wasn’t so lovely on the inside and what you think is a lovely happy family is really not what it seems.
The plot itself was good. You follow the points of view of Hanna and Suzette. Hanna. Oh my goodness. All you can think of how is it possible that she can be such a horrid rabid creature who does whatever it takes to push Suzette to her limits. Her actions are shocking and it’s hard to believe she’s could be this sweet little girl (or at least to Alex she is). You are constantly guessing what she might have. A psychological disorder? Or is there something more malicious out there? (ie: paranormal).
At times you feel for Suzette. She’s at her limit and she tries to justify Hanna’s actions, blaming herself at times because she thinks it’s due to her lack of being a mother. Now I can understand how she can lash out and snap sometimes at Hanna but sometimes I thought her behavior went too harsh and it didn’t help matters, in fact it escalated and made it worse. There were times when she got whiny and it’s hard to sympathize with any side at this point (Although you could sympathize for Alex as he’s caught in the middle of this ordeal).
This book may not be for everyone, it’s definitely chilling to see a child act like this. Again you have to wonder if there’s something much darker underlying her behavior. I loved the ending, it was so perfect for this book. Definitely recommended for those that want a chilling novel where kids run amok. Keep in mind some parts can be pretty disturbing.
What really makes a huge impact in this book were the characters and the tension created between all of them. A beautifully created house wasn’t so lovely on the inside and what you think is a lovely happy family is really not what it seems.
The plot itself was good. You follow the points of view of Hanna and Suzette. Hanna. Oh my goodness. All you can think of how is it possible that she can be such a horrid rabid creature who does whatever it takes to push Suzette to her limits. Her actions are shocking and it’s hard to believe she’s could be this sweet little girl (or at least to Alex she is). You are constantly guessing what she might have. A psychological disorder? Or is there something more malicious out there? (ie: paranormal).
At times you feel for Suzette. She’s at her limit and she tries to justify Hanna’s actions, blaming herself at times because she thinks it’s due to her lack of being a mother. Now I can understand how she can lash out and snap sometimes at Hanna but sometimes I thought her behavior went too harsh and it didn’t help matters, in fact it escalated and made it worse. There were times when she got whiny and it’s hard to sympathize with any side at this point (Although you could sympathize for Alex as he’s caught in the middle of this ordeal).
This book may not be for everyone, it’s definitely chilling to see a child act like this. Again you have to wonder if there’s something much darker underlying her behavior. I loved the ending, it was so perfect for this book. Definitely recommended for those that want a chilling novel where kids run amok. Keep in mind some parts can be pretty disturbing.
Sheridan (209 KP) rated Slime Rancher in Video Games
Oct 9, 2018
Fun & Creative (4 more)
Colourful Graphics
Leisurely Gameplay
Relaxing to Play
Beautiful Worlds
Game Mechanics are sometimes a little screwy (2 more)
Lose Inventory when you get 'Knocked Out'
Only 4 Inventory Slots & can only carry one stack of a particular item
An Adorable Adventure
The playing of this game came about when my 8 yr old wanted to watch me play a game on the Xbox, my usual FPS range of games obviously not being suitable for her to watch, I dug this one out of my digital game pile. I've got to say, this is a pretty awesome game. It's cute, it's fun and it allows you to get creative. As you play you open up new areas using Slime Keys, and each one is just - *so* pretty. In each of these areas you have the opportunity to catch new slime breeds, work through new challenges, and find treasure. I recommend opening up the Slime Science area of the map as soon as you can because this allows you to make gadgets that make your Ranching life tons easier. As it's not an overly expensive game, the mechanics are a little screwy sometimes, especially with the jet pack and that can become frustrating, and if you get knocked out by falling in the Slime Sea or being attacked by Feral Slimes you lose everything in your inventory and you lose a day (which means the slimes in your Ranch get grumpy if they run out of food). The only other thing I found super annoying was you only have 4 inventory slots and can only carry one stack of a particular item (so if you have 50 Carrots, you can't carry any more even if you have open slots), if you're exploring away from your Ranch you run out of space *really* fast. Overall, the game is fun and relaxing to play - with the exception of a few minor issues. I would recommend if you enjoy chilled out games or just want a break from your regular playing style :)
Roxanne (13 KP) rated Life Before Death in Books
Nov 14, 2018
<b>4 Stars!</b>
I must say that I very much enjoy reading these sort of books, I find them incredibly moving and sometimes even life changing.
Life Before Death by Colin Fry happens to be one of those books that just turned me into a blubbering mess!
I would recommend this book to all of those who are interested in spirituality and the paranormal...and to those who may have lost close family members or friends and need a place of comfort and solace. I personally found this book to be very moving in the sense that it teaches you to remain positive in certain situations and to forgive in order to move on in your life before it is too late.
This book is very different compared to his other books as it deals more with life BEFORE death rather than focusing on the spirit world...so if you would prefer to read more about the authors psychic connections then I would say read one of his other books instead of this one. I myself prefer a book more focused on the after life which made me knock a star off of this one, not because it is a bad book in any way but because I would prefer some of his other work. He does document a small amount of his readings, however, it is not the book's main focus. Fry talks about some of the little things we could do in order to enrich our lives and to follow our dreams.
Once I finished this book I was deep in thought reflecting about my own life which is why I recommend buying a copy of this book to keep so you can keep referring back to it time and time again. I understand how easy it is to get wrapped up in the negativity of life sometimes, this is one of those books that may help you to focus on some positive aspects.
I must say that I very much enjoy reading these sort of books, I find them incredibly moving and sometimes even life changing.
Life Before Death by Colin Fry happens to be one of those books that just turned me into a blubbering mess!
I would recommend this book to all of those who are interested in spirituality and the paranormal...and to those who may have lost close family members or friends and need a place of comfort and solace. I personally found this book to be very moving in the sense that it teaches you to remain positive in certain situations and to forgive in order to move on in your life before it is too late.
This book is very different compared to his other books as it deals more with life BEFORE death rather than focusing on the spirit world...so if you would prefer to read more about the authors psychic connections then I would say read one of his other books instead of this one. I myself prefer a book more focused on the after life which made me knock a star off of this one, not because it is a bad book in any way but because I would prefer some of his other work. He does document a small amount of his readings, however, it is not the book's main focus. Fry talks about some of the little things we could do in order to enrich our lives and to follow our dreams.
Once I finished this book I was deep in thought reflecting about my own life which is why I recommend buying a copy of this book to keep so you can keep referring back to it time and time again. I understand how easy it is to get wrapped up in the negativity of life sometimes, this is one of those books that may help you to focus on some positive aspects.
Merissa (12943 KP) rated Two-Faced in Books
Dec 17, 2018
I received this book from Mark My Words Publicity in return for a fair and honest review.
We rejoin Caity and Eric as they go through their first year at college. Not only does Caity have the usual stresses of college - completely opposite roommate, disliking certain teachers, frat parties, etc - but she also has to cope with her ability to "de-mask" people. She is trying to have a 'normal' life but sometimes the mask will take over and she will do what she thinks is right, even if sometimes it isn't.
She is getting more used to being able to handle her ability but there is friction between herself and Eric as he struggles to understand and appreciate her ability. On the one hand, he accepts and relies on what she has to say she has seen 'behind the mask' but only when it suits him. He doesn't want to have his illusions shattered when it is about someone he likes, respects or cares about.
This is the start of a tumultuous time for them both as they try to figure out who is doing what, who is saying what, how something could be happening as well as dealing with a suddenly rocky relationship and helping their friends too.
This is the second story in the Masks series and you will need to read book 1 first but I can highly recommend both books. I turned the first page of both books and was immediately sucked into Caity's world as she deals with her ability and friends alike. It was really good to see 'old' friends in Two-Faced and to see how they have progressed during the time we've been gone.And that is how the books feels. Like it's real, like these characters are friends that you know and care about.
Excellently written and well-paced building up to the climax, I really can't recommend this highly enough.
We rejoin Caity and Eric as they go through their first year at college. Not only does Caity have the usual stresses of college - completely opposite roommate, disliking certain teachers, frat parties, etc - but she also has to cope with her ability to "de-mask" people. She is trying to have a 'normal' life but sometimes the mask will take over and she will do what she thinks is right, even if sometimes it isn't.
She is getting more used to being able to handle her ability but there is friction between herself and Eric as he struggles to understand and appreciate her ability. On the one hand, he accepts and relies on what she has to say she has seen 'behind the mask' but only when it suits him. He doesn't want to have his illusions shattered when it is about someone he likes, respects or cares about.
This is the start of a tumultuous time for them both as they try to figure out who is doing what, who is saying what, how something could be happening as well as dealing with a suddenly rocky relationship and helping their friends too.
This is the second story in the Masks series and you will need to read book 1 first but I can highly recommend both books. I turned the first page of both books and was immediately sucked into Caity's world as she deals with her ability and friends alike. It was really good to see 'old' friends in Two-Faced and to see how they have progressed during the time we've been gone.And that is how the books feels. Like it's real, like these characters are friends that you know and care about.
Excellently written and well-paced building up to the climax, I really can't recommend this highly enough.