Search
Search results
New York Travel Guide (Offline Maps) NYC - mTrip
Travel and Lifestyle
App
9/10 in WIRED’s App Guide - Selected as an Honoree in the Webby Awards - Featured in CNN’s 50...
San Francisco Travel Guide (Offline Maps) - mTrip
Travel and Lifestyle
App
9/10 in WIRED’s App Guide - Selected as an Honoree in the Webby Awards - Featured in CNN’s 50...
Budapest Travel Guide (with Offline Maps) - mTrip
Travel and Lifestyle
App
9/10 in WIRED’s App Guide - Selected as an Honoree in the Webby Awards - Featured in CNN’s 50...
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Kingdomino: Age of Giants in Tabletop Games
Sep 7, 2021 (Updated Sep 29, 2021)
In the expansion review series, we take a look at a game expansion to discuss whether it is a necessary purchase/addition to one’s collection.
This breakdown is for the super popular tile-laying game Kingdomino and its Age of Giants expansion.
Included in this strangely-dimensioned-box-when-compared-with-its-base-game is a plethora of components. Most notably are components to include a fifth player (brown this time) and a very large domino dispenser. Also included are six gianteeples, 17 Challenge Tiles, and a scorepad.
The giants can be found in the art on certain dominoes and their footprints are found on other dominoes. When drawing and adding a tile featuring a giant to your kingdom you must also place a gianteeple upon the domino. This giant is attracted to crowns, so it will cover up (and thus nullify for scoring) one of the crown icons in your kingdom. Dominoes with giant footprints will award the player with the ability to reassign a gianteeple from the placer’s kingdom to an opponent’s kingdom, covering a crown in the process.
The 17 Challenge Tiles that are included in this expansion help players to hone in on a certain strategy when placing terrain dominoes. At setup two of the 17 tiles are revealed and will dictate extra bonus points at game end for all players who satisfy their iconography. Some will award bonus points for having certain terrain types in the kingdom, while others will award points having no crown icons on any dominoes at all! There are several types of Challenge Tiles to explore each game.
Age of Giants is an excellent expansion that includes a lot of thoughtful components and rules. I especially enjoy the domino dispenser and I always like being able to add more players to my games. So for those points alone I would add this expansion. However, the Challenge Tiles are very interesting, especially for players who suffer from not having specific goals to attain whilst playing. Similarly, the addition of the giants and their footprint dominoes are a nice touch, but secondary to me, oddly.
Does this mean I recommend everyone to go out and purchase this expansion post-haste?
Official recommendation: No, this is not a must-buy at all. Everything included within this expansion is great, and adds something to the original Kingdomino, but unless you are needing components for a fifth player, or really enjoy the idea of the Challenge Tile, the rest is really fluff to help pimp out your game. Yes, the domino dispenser is awesome and handy, but not necessary. Yes, it’s cool to be able to send giants to neighboring kingdoms to mess with your opponents, but I don’t think Kingdomino needed that. So, I am torn with this recommendation, but I am thankful I have it in my collection for my first few points.
This breakdown is for the super popular tile-laying game Kingdomino and its Age of Giants expansion.
Included in this strangely-dimensioned-box-when-compared-with-its-base-game is a plethora of components. Most notably are components to include a fifth player (brown this time) and a very large domino dispenser. Also included are six gianteeples, 17 Challenge Tiles, and a scorepad.
The giants can be found in the art on certain dominoes and their footprints are found on other dominoes. When drawing and adding a tile featuring a giant to your kingdom you must also place a gianteeple upon the domino. This giant is attracted to crowns, so it will cover up (and thus nullify for scoring) one of the crown icons in your kingdom. Dominoes with giant footprints will award the player with the ability to reassign a gianteeple from the placer’s kingdom to an opponent’s kingdom, covering a crown in the process.
The 17 Challenge Tiles that are included in this expansion help players to hone in on a certain strategy when placing terrain dominoes. At setup two of the 17 tiles are revealed and will dictate extra bonus points at game end for all players who satisfy their iconography. Some will award bonus points for having certain terrain types in the kingdom, while others will award points having no crown icons on any dominoes at all! There are several types of Challenge Tiles to explore each game.
Age of Giants is an excellent expansion that includes a lot of thoughtful components and rules. I especially enjoy the domino dispenser and I always like being able to add more players to my games. So for those points alone I would add this expansion. However, the Challenge Tiles are very interesting, especially for players who suffer from not having specific goals to attain whilst playing. Similarly, the addition of the giants and their footprint dominoes are a nice touch, but secondary to me, oddly.
Does this mean I recommend everyone to go out and purchase this expansion post-haste?
Official recommendation: No, this is not a must-buy at all. Everything included within this expansion is great, and adds something to the original Kingdomino, but unless you are needing components for a fifth player, or really enjoy the idea of the Challenge Tile, the rest is really fluff to help pimp out your game. Yes, the domino dispenser is awesome and handy, but not necessary. Yes, it’s cool to be able to send giants to neighboring kingdoms to mess with your opponents, but I don’t think Kingdomino needed that. So, I am torn with this recommendation, but I am thankful I have it in my collection for my first few points.
Debbiereadsbook (1454 KP) rated Ascendant (The Made Ones Sage #3) by Vicki Stiefel in Books
Jun 10, 2022
a fitting end, the best one!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 3 in The Made Ones Saga and cannot be read as a stand alone book. You NEED to read book one, Changed, and book 2, Altered, before this one. Not only will it give you Kit and Bree’s stories, it will fill in the questions to the answers that are given here!
Sybi is the third sister and her story is a little different, having been kept in stasis for some time. Kestrel knows she is his, but given his genetic make up, and what happened to him before, he is reluctant to fully bond with Sybi. But he has to, to get them out of a pickle!
Kestrel’s full story isn’t made clear for quite some time, and I wanted it sooner cos I’m greedy like that! Also, Sybi’s is quite drawn out, and I got a little frustrated at times with Mother Tree and her cryptic clues!
Kes and Sybi’s relationship kinda gets lost in the plans for the battle to bring the Alchemists down, though, and I really wanted more of them two, dealing with their feelings for the other and what it all means.
That said, I really thought this was a fitting ending and I bloody loved it! Best of the three!
I loved how all three sisters knew that they had to defy their mates, but also that said mates KNEW that they would. I loved that the entire planet comes together to stop Fukkes and thwart his plans to take over Earth.
It’s dark in places, when they discover to what extent Fukkes has been experimenting on the people of Eleutia. It’s emotional, when the three sisters are fully reunited. It’s a bit amusing: the sisters way they defy their mates made me giggle a time or two! There is some smexy times between Sybi and Kes, but it does get a bit lost.
I do feel, though, (and ya’ll know I’m ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL about the book feelings) that this is NOT the end. Yes, they’ve saved Eleutia from Fukkes, and the Overseers have apologised for not keeping a tighter reign on him, and the Clans have come together, and the female birth rate is already increasing, but Mother Tree is growing, and Marie grows, and what the chuffing heck does that mean! Marie was the youngest sister who died when she was ten ( I think!) on Earth so how can she be growing??? Questions, people! I’m left with unanswered questions!
So, do I gotta beg for another visit to this world and the people in it? Cos I will, you know! I’ll get down on my knees if needed (might need a lift back up though!)
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is book 3 in The Made Ones Saga and cannot be read as a stand alone book. You NEED to read book one, Changed, and book 2, Altered, before this one. Not only will it give you Kit and Bree’s stories, it will fill in the questions to the answers that are given here!
Sybi is the third sister and her story is a little different, having been kept in stasis for some time. Kestrel knows she is his, but given his genetic make up, and what happened to him before, he is reluctant to fully bond with Sybi. But he has to, to get them out of a pickle!
Kestrel’s full story isn’t made clear for quite some time, and I wanted it sooner cos I’m greedy like that! Also, Sybi’s is quite drawn out, and I got a little frustrated at times with Mother Tree and her cryptic clues!
Kes and Sybi’s relationship kinda gets lost in the plans for the battle to bring the Alchemists down, though, and I really wanted more of them two, dealing with their feelings for the other and what it all means.
That said, I really thought this was a fitting ending and I bloody loved it! Best of the three!
I loved how all three sisters knew that they had to defy their mates, but also that said mates KNEW that they would. I loved that the entire planet comes together to stop Fukkes and thwart his plans to take over Earth.
It’s dark in places, when they discover to what extent Fukkes has been experimenting on the people of Eleutia. It’s emotional, when the three sisters are fully reunited. It’s a bit amusing: the sisters way they defy their mates made me giggle a time or two! There is some smexy times between Sybi and Kes, but it does get a bit lost.
I do feel, though, (and ya’ll know I’m ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL about the book feelings) that this is NOT the end. Yes, they’ve saved Eleutia from Fukkes, and the Overseers have apologised for not keeping a tighter reign on him, and the Clans have come together, and the female birth rate is already increasing, but Mother Tree is growing, and Marie grows, and what the chuffing heck does that mean! Marie was the youngest sister who died when she was ten ( I think!) on Earth so how can she be growing??? Questions, people! I’m left with unanswered questions!
So, do I gotta beg for another visit to this world and the people in it? Cos I will, you know! I’ll get down on my knees if needed (might need a lift back up though!)
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Ford v Ferrari (aka Le Mans '66) (2019) in Movies
Nov 4, 2019
Ice Cream
Le mans 66 aka Ford v Ferrari (the extended cut) is a blistering thrill ride equally perfect for both petrol heads and casual car lovers alike. I wont lie I was so excited to see this movie as I cant remember the last time I saw a trully great race movie and ill tell you now Le mans 66 does not disappoint. Primarily a film about pride, jealousy, ego, power and the need to be first and while the movie handles all that stuff perfectly it still manages to pack in so much more too. The art of driving, building/manufacturing, selling and owning cars is frequently and subtley liked to both war and sex in many diffrent ways but what it mostly boils down to is beating the other guy and looking good while doing it. Power is also portrayed perfectly and seeing how essentially its the little guys putting in all the work while the big men in charge reap all the rewards, fame and profit is trully disheartening but ever so relatable too. Story is constantly intresting starting slow and methodical letting you take in all the scenery and character depth before pushing you over the edge and giving you all its got, its trully exciting stuff and the attachment you gain for the main characters this way is thrilling by its self alone. Never ever predictable the film seems to swerve every time you think you know the route it will take always keeping you on the edge of your seat. Sound design is the best ive experienced all year with every tire rip, exhaust pop, speed barrier break, and narrow miss tearing though your ears and booming in your chest really putting you inside these beast machines. Visually its so god damn clean too and I kid you not I have no idea if all the effects are cgi or practical its that slick, with transitions that are immaculate making the racing scenes feel full of tension, danger and anxiety. Matt damon is solid as usual but it christian bale that really knocks it out the park here as a talented man who only strives to impress himself who would give up everything in a heart beat just to with his family (infact I think my favorite perfomance of his). Honestly this movie blew me away its thrilling, intresting, emotional, engaging, rewarding and the main characters are layerd each with thier own drive and goals. I simply can not recomend it enough and the only fault is my own for not seeing it in imax.
Covet Me (Banger Triolgy #2)
8.5
Rate It
Book
She wants a sexy summer fling. He wants more. And he won’t stop until he gets it. NOTE: This...
The Constant Princess (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #6)
8.4
Rate It
Book
"I am Catalina, Princess of Spain, daughter of the two greatest monarchs the world has ever...
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Beatdown: Streets of Justice in Tabletop Games
Nov 12, 2019
Ever wanted to be a street level thug? Or the hero that fights said thugs? I haven’t really. But! I did used to love playing the Street Fighter games growing up. Now, you cannot Hadouken in real life (right?) and take out E. Honda, but you CAN fight thugs in the street… if you really wanted. You know what? I’m just gonna stick to fighting via card play. Wanna help?
Beatdown: Streets of Justice is a cooperative, push-your-luck, fighting card game that pits you and your team of heroes against waves of thugs and a boss fight. As it is cooperative, the players win by beating the boss (typically in the third wave of fights), or lose by being all knocked out. Silly heroes.
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, each player takes a player mat, chooses a hero to play, and takes the dice of matching color to use during the game. Shuffle all the different decks of cards and place them on the table within easy reach of all players. The Attacks deck will include the base attack cards plus all cards that match the players in the game (like Invicta’s attack cards if she is in the game). Place tiny clear cubes on your starting health, as well as the starting health for the thugs you will be fighting in Wave 1, and you are ready to play!
Beatdown: Streets of Justice (or just Beatdown from now on) is played over three waves of fights where the heroes will play cards and do their fighting and then the bad guys will take their turns to fight. Generally, play will go like this: on a player’s turn they will play a card from their hand or one blindly from the top of the Attack deck. This is the opening to their “combo.” The Attack cards will typically have a damage amount and a combo rating number. In order to play more cards to the combo, the player will need to roll their d10 and roll a number equal to or higher than their accumulated combo rating (the little numbers showing in the green arrows of cards played + the green arrow number on the hero card). A combo can continue as long as the player can roll higher than their combo rating, but a failed roll doesn’t necessarily mean c-c-c-combo breaker, but rather that the hero has left themselves open for attack by the thugs. I won’t go into any more detail on fighting, as the rules are a little complex and I will let you discover those for yourselves.
After the heroes have taken all their turns, if thugs are still on the battlefield, they will now take their fighting turns. Flip over an Enemy Attack card from the deck for each enemy and resolve it against the heroes. Each baddie will make their attacks and if heroes are still conscious another round of the wave will begin. New thugs do not enter play, as they only populate at the beginning of a Wave. The thugs are no joke, and the bosses are even rougher. Can you be defeated? Yes. I was defeated in my first game. Can you be revived? Yes. Between Waves the players can participate in a Shopping Phase where they can use trophies (the cards of enemies they have defeated) to purchase health back, revive a fallen hero, or purchase a revealed Loot card to help in future fights. Play continues in this fashion for three Waves until the heroes complete the Boss Wave (by defeating all enemies) or all the heroes are knocked out.
Components. I have some good news and bad news here. Good news first. The dice are great. The tiny clear cubes are… tiny and clear. And they are just fine. The cards are good quality, as are the cardboard mats and tokens. The card layout is good too. The bad news: the rulebook is a little confusing for the first couple read-throughs and the art style does nothing for me. I appreciate the way the rules are very informal and make several chuckle-worthy jokes, but I feel like it could flow different and more efficiently. Similarly, in an industry where art can really make a good game great, this one is lacking. It’s really a shame, because everything else about the game is really good quality. The iconography is… fine, but the character art in-game is an issue I have with this.
Beatdown is actually a really decent game once you are playing. The rulebook needs work, and the art needs an update, but those grievances aside, Beatdown is an enjoyable experience at the table. I usually play pretty conservatively in push-your-luck games, but I went all out with this one and was more often than not rewarded handsomely for it. If your group enjoys cooperative, push-your-luck, fighting, card games give this one a look. Just don’t pay attention to the character art. This all said Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a 6 / 12. Improve the rulebook and art and that rating improves.
Beatdown: Streets of Justice is a cooperative, push-your-luck, fighting card game that pits you and your team of heroes against waves of thugs and a boss fight. As it is cooperative, the players win by beating the boss (typically in the third wave of fights), or lose by being all knocked out. Silly heroes.
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, each player takes a player mat, chooses a hero to play, and takes the dice of matching color to use during the game. Shuffle all the different decks of cards and place them on the table within easy reach of all players. The Attacks deck will include the base attack cards plus all cards that match the players in the game (like Invicta’s attack cards if she is in the game). Place tiny clear cubes on your starting health, as well as the starting health for the thugs you will be fighting in Wave 1, and you are ready to play!
Beatdown: Streets of Justice (or just Beatdown from now on) is played over three waves of fights where the heroes will play cards and do their fighting and then the bad guys will take their turns to fight. Generally, play will go like this: on a player’s turn they will play a card from their hand or one blindly from the top of the Attack deck. This is the opening to their “combo.” The Attack cards will typically have a damage amount and a combo rating number. In order to play more cards to the combo, the player will need to roll their d10 and roll a number equal to or higher than their accumulated combo rating (the little numbers showing in the green arrows of cards played + the green arrow number on the hero card). A combo can continue as long as the player can roll higher than their combo rating, but a failed roll doesn’t necessarily mean c-c-c-combo breaker, but rather that the hero has left themselves open for attack by the thugs. I won’t go into any more detail on fighting, as the rules are a little complex and I will let you discover those for yourselves.
After the heroes have taken all their turns, if thugs are still on the battlefield, they will now take their fighting turns. Flip over an Enemy Attack card from the deck for each enemy and resolve it against the heroes. Each baddie will make their attacks and if heroes are still conscious another round of the wave will begin. New thugs do not enter play, as they only populate at the beginning of a Wave. The thugs are no joke, and the bosses are even rougher. Can you be defeated? Yes. I was defeated in my first game. Can you be revived? Yes. Between Waves the players can participate in a Shopping Phase where they can use trophies (the cards of enemies they have defeated) to purchase health back, revive a fallen hero, or purchase a revealed Loot card to help in future fights. Play continues in this fashion for three Waves until the heroes complete the Boss Wave (by defeating all enemies) or all the heroes are knocked out.
Components. I have some good news and bad news here. Good news first. The dice are great. The tiny clear cubes are… tiny and clear. And they are just fine. The cards are good quality, as are the cardboard mats and tokens. The card layout is good too. The bad news: the rulebook is a little confusing for the first couple read-throughs and the art style does nothing for me. I appreciate the way the rules are very informal and make several chuckle-worthy jokes, but I feel like it could flow different and more efficiently. Similarly, in an industry where art can really make a good game great, this one is lacking. It’s really a shame, because everything else about the game is really good quality. The iconography is… fine, but the character art in-game is an issue I have with this.
Beatdown is actually a really decent game once you are playing. The rulebook needs work, and the art needs an update, but those grievances aside, Beatdown is an enjoyable experience at the table. I usually play pretty conservatively in push-your-luck games, but I went all out with this one and was more often than not rewarded handsomely for it. If your group enjoys cooperative, push-your-luck, fighting, card games give this one a look. Just don’t pay attention to the character art. This all said Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a 6 / 12. Improve the rulebook and art and that rating improves.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated The Signal (2014) in Movies
Apr 30, 2018
Meh
Three college students get more than what they bargained for when they try to track down a computer genius that hacked their computers and end up fighting for their lives instead.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 5
Characters: 4
The characters harbored no depth whatsoever. As a result there was never a point in the film where I cared about what happened to any of them. They were stale, moving about the film aimlessly. The only time they were remotely interesting was towards the end and I won't spoil why.
Not only did they bore me, they infuriated me at the same time. The decision-making of main character Nic (Brenton Thwaites) was just maddening. How he repeatedly found himself in the same perilous situations blew my mind. At one point, I remember saying, "At this point, you deserve what happens." You know it's going to be a long film when the main character can't win you over.
Cinematography/Visuals: 8
Conflict: 4
While there are some points of intrigue, the film seems to bumble along for the most part with much ado about nothing. You recognize that there is a mystery unfolding, but the terrible character development didn't help to raise my level of caring. The two action sequences that are worthwhile don't redeem the film as a whole.
Genre: 4
I love sci-fi. There are too many films to count that have helped shape the genre. When it comes to sci-fi, this ranks towards the bottom of the barrel for me. There are no real points of connection that gave it the spark it needed to capture my interest. The true sci-fi elements come too little too late.
Memorability: 7
Pace: 5
Watching this film is like watching a baby trying to walk, but not quite as cute. You're waiting for the film to collapse at any moment due to its shaky foundation and then you get to a point where you say, "Just be done already." After about the fourth or fifth eyeroll, I was beyond ready for the film's conclusion.
Plot: 3
Just dumb. Do I need to expand on this? The story has enough holes to make swiss cheese jealous. Sure, things became less confusing as the story progressed, but the answers given were beyond far-fetched. I think a stronger story overall is what could have turned the tides of the entire film.
Resolution: 6
From a visuals standpoint, the ending was pretty cool. From a justifiable and satisfaction-level standpoint? Going to take a hard pass. I won't spoil the ending, but I'll just say the payoff is far from worth it. Interesting yes...but incomplete.
Overall: 56
Even before the ending brought the film to a necessary close, there were so many points along the way director William Eubank could have tweaked to improve this film. Alas, it didnt seem to be worth his time and neither should this film be for yours.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 5
Characters: 4
The characters harbored no depth whatsoever. As a result there was never a point in the film where I cared about what happened to any of them. They were stale, moving about the film aimlessly. The only time they were remotely interesting was towards the end and I won't spoil why.
Not only did they bore me, they infuriated me at the same time. The decision-making of main character Nic (Brenton Thwaites) was just maddening. How he repeatedly found himself in the same perilous situations blew my mind. At one point, I remember saying, "At this point, you deserve what happens." You know it's going to be a long film when the main character can't win you over.
Cinematography/Visuals: 8
Conflict: 4
While there are some points of intrigue, the film seems to bumble along for the most part with much ado about nothing. You recognize that there is a mystery unfolding, but the terrible character development didn't help to raise my level of caring. The two action sequences that are worthwhile don't redeem the film as a whole.
Genre: 4
I love sci-fi. There are too many films to count that have helped shape the genre. When it comes to sci-fi, this ranks towards the bottom of the barrel for me. There are no real points of connection that gave it the spark it needed to capture my interest. The true sci-fi elements come too little too late.
Memorability: 7
Pace: 5
Watching this film is like watching a baby trying to walk, but not quite as cute. You're waiting for the film to collapse at any moment due to its shaky foundation and then you get to a point where you say, "Just be done already." After about the fourth or fifth eyeroll, I was beyond ready for the film's conclusion.
Plot: 3
Just dumb. Do I need to expand on this? The story has enough holes to make swiss cheese jealous. Sure, things became less confusing as the story progressed, but the answers given were beyond far-fetched. I think a stronger story overall is what could have turned the tides of the entire film.
Resolution: 6
From a visuals standpoint, the ending was pretty cool. From a justifiable and satisfaction-level standpoint? Going to take a hard pass. I won't spoil the ending, but I'll just say the payoff is far from worth it. Interesting yes...but incomplete.
Overall: 56
Even before the ending brought the film to a necessary close, there were so many points along the way director William Eubank could have tweaked to improve this film. Alas, it didnt seem to be worth his time and neither should this film be for yours.