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A Different Way to Win: Dan Rooney's Story from the Super Bowl to the Rooney Rule
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Dan Rooney was one of the most influential sports executives of his generation, the man who...
SpellTower
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- Originally written about in The New York Times, featured in Apple Stores, heard about on NPR, and...
Legends of Atlantis: Exodus HD Premium
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"Legends of Atlantis: Exodus is an enjoyable experience from beginning to end." -- Gamezebo, 4/5...
Persian Nights: Sands of Wonders
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FANTASTIC HIDDEN OBJECT PUZZLE ADVENTURE GAME FROM THE CREATORS OF ENIGMATIS AND GRIM LEGENDS! In...
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Cleocatra in Tabletop Games
Mar 3, 2020
It is said, and now generally accepted, that Cleopatra and ancient Egyptians revered and respected cats so much that they would include them in the burial sites of pharaohs as protectors of the bodies. Cats can protect the dead from mice and snakes and the like, but I have seen cats. They probably just sat there indifferent and annoyed until they were hungry and then scavenged for food. Some protectors. In any case, I am a sucker for a punny title, and thus our relationship with Sunrise Tornado Game Studio came into being for a preview of their upcoming game Cleocatra.
In Cleocatra players are, “saving cats in the pyramids.” Once these cats are saved and the pyramids cleared (scored) inspectors can sweep through to confirm they have been cleared. While points do not equate to number of cats saved, the first player to earn 23 points will signify the final round of play.
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 will probably be 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 back the game through the Kickstarter campaign, order from your FLGS, or purchase through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup, place the score card on the table somewhere in view of all players. The score card will track, well, scoring as well as be a handy reference sheet for all. Shuffle and stack all triangular cat tiles according to the rulebook and place somewhere within reach of all players. Each player will choose a color, place their score cube on the score card, and take their matching meeples. Keep the brown inspector cubes nearby to be used in play. Per the rules, in turn order, each player will flip a tile from the stack and place one of their meeples upon it. The game may now begin in earnest!
A player will have many choices upon the start of a turn, but a turn must include two total actions: a Tile action and a Rescuer action OR two Rescuer actions. Tile actions include Scout and Search. To Scout, simply turn over the top tile from the stack and place it adjacent to an existing tile on the table. A Search action requires an unoccupied existing tile to be moved from one location to another. Similar to movement in Hive, a Search action must not cause the pyramids structure to break into pieces nor move a completely surrounded tile.
Rescuer actions include Dispatch, Team Up, and Rescue (score). When a player uses Dispatch, they place a meeple on a tile they just previously moved in the Search action. To Team Up, simply place a new meeple on a tile adjacent to another tile with one of that player’s meeples… creating a small team. When a player Rescues, they score for a meeple on a tile according to the rulebook – points are tallied based on different cat tile types being adjacent, with additional points for having team members in adjacent spaces. After a Rescue action is taken, remove the meeple from the tile that was scored and replace it with one of the brown inspector cubes. The inspectors prevent tiles from being moved on future turns until they are placed elsewhere.
Play continues in this fashion until a player has earned or surpassed 23 points. At that time, the current round finishes and the game immediately ends. The player with the most points at the end of the final tally wins and is given a pet cat as a result! Ok, our games have never ended that way, but I would totally give away my cat if I had one.
Components. Again, this is a prototype copy of the game, and it is scheduled to hit Kickstarter soon. However, the art style on this one is super cute. The other components (meeples, inspector cubes, etc) may end up being different and be better color-matched, but for a prototype, they were just fine. I have not yet seen any concept art or anything to comment on, so for components, I have little to say, other than the box art is great, as is the art for the cat tiles. So if that style continues and is stretched to the other components, this is going to be VERY cute.
This one came as a shock to me. So few components, but a lot to think about. Should I bring out a new tile or move the existing ones to create a long string of different cats to score big? Should I put out a new helper? I should put out a new helper. I think the best part about this game for me is the fact that I never really felt like any option was a poor option. I mean, you can definitely tank this one and not get much out of it, but then why play anything? Cleocatra is certainly a game that rewards you for continual plays. The more you play, the better you become. I guess that goes for anything in life, really. The rewards come to those who practice. The game is light, but not light-hearted. If you enjoy the tile movement of Hive, but bugs are too icky, try Cleocatra. If you like small games that can fit on an airplane tray but still give you a challenge, try Cleocatra. If you enjoy games with cats, try Cleocatra.
If this is your kind of game, consider backing it on Kickstarter when it launches on March 11. If you want more information, please visit the game’s website, where you can find downloadable rules and print-n-play files. Tell ’em ol Travis from Purple Phoenix Games sent ya.
In Cleocatra players are, “saving cats in the pyramids.” Once these cats are saved and the pyramids cleared (scored) inspectors can sweep through to confirm they have been cleared. While points do not equate to number of cats saved, the first player to earn 23 points will signify the final round of play.
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 will probably be 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 back the game through the Kickstarter campaign, order from your FLGS, or purchase through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup, place the score card on the table somewhere in view of all players. The score card will track, well, scoring as well as be a handy reference sheet for all. Shuffle and stack all triangular cat tiles according to the rulebook and place somewhere within reach of all players. Each player will choose a color, place their score cube on the score card, and take their matching meeples. Keep the brown inspector cubes nearby to be used in play. Per the rules, in turn order, each player will flip a tile from the stack and place one of their meeples upon it. The game may now begin in earnest!
A player will have many choices upon the start of a turn, but a turn must include two total actions: a Tile action and a Rescuer action OR two Rescuer actions. Tile actions include Scout and Search. To Scout, simply turn over the top tile from the stack and place it adjacent to an existing tile on the table. A Search action requires an unoccupied existing tile to be moved from one location to another. Similar to movement in Hive, a Search action must not cause the pyramids structure to break into pieces nor move a completely surrounded tile.
Rescuer actions include Dispatch, Team Up, and Rescue (score). When a player uses Dispatch, they place a meeple on a tile they just previously moved in the Search action. To Team Up, simply place a new meeple on a tile adjacent to another tile with one of that player’s meeples… creating a small team. When a player Rescues, they score for a meeple on a tile according to the rulebook – points are tallied based on different cat tile types being adjacent, with additional points for having team members in adjacent spaces. After a Rescue action is taken, remove the meeple from the tile that was scored and replace it with one of the brown inspector cubes. The inspectors prevent tiles from being moved on future turns until they are placed elsewhere.
Play continues in this fashion until a player has earned or surpassed 23 points. At that time, the current round finishes and the game immediately ends. The player with the most points at the end of the final tally wins and is given a pet cat as a result! Ok, our games have never ended that way, but I would totally give away my cat if I had one.
Components. Again, this is a prototype copy of the game, and it is scheduled to hit Kickstarter soon. However, the art style on this one is super cute. The other components (meeples, inspector cubes, etc) may end up being different and be better color-matched, but for a prototype, they were just fine. I have not yet seen any concept art or anything to comment on, so for components, I have little to say, other than the box art is great, as is the art for the cat tiles. So if that style continues and is stretched to the other components, this is going to be VERY cute.
This one came as a shock to me. So few components, but a lot to think about. Should I bring out a new tile or move the existing ones to create a long string of different cats to score big? Should I put out a new helper? I should put out a new helper. I think the best part about this game for me is the fact that I never really felt like any option was a poor option. I mean, you can definitely tank this one and not get much out of it, but then why play anything? Cleocatra is certainly a game that rewards you for continual plays. The more you play, the better you become. I guess that goes for anything in life, really. The rewards come to those who practice. The game is light, but not light-hearted. If you enjoy the tile movement of Hive, but bugs are too icky, try Cleocatra. If you like small games that can fit on an airplane tray but still give you a challenge, try Cleocatra. If you enjoy games with cats, try Cleocatra.
If this is your kind of game, consider backing it on Kickstarter when it launches on March 11. If you want more information, please visit the game’s website, where you can find downloadable rules and print-n-play files. Tell ’em ol Travis from Purple Phoenix Games sent ya.
Jurassic Parts
8.0
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Tabletop Game
Jurassic Parts is a small box area enclosure and set collection tile game featuring dinosaur...
Disney Magic Kingdoms
Games and Entertainment
7.0
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WELCOME TO THE MOST MAGICAL PLACE ON MOBILE! When Maleficent casts an evil spell on the Kingdom,...
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Free Guy (2021) in Movies
Aug 13, 2021
Some comedy action feels like a no-brainer really, and I do love a bit of Ryan Reynolds.
Guy is loving life in Free City, his goldfish, the amazing view from his apartment, getting to work with his best pal at the bank, it's all great. But when he meets the girl of his dreams, he starts to realise that there might be more to his world than he ever realised.
Well... this is exactly my sort of film, and yet, I'm really not feeling the excitement for it. The audience experience had me chuckling though, to my left... yawning, to my right... squeals of glee.
I think my main issue is that it felt very much like something I'd seen before. Almost instantly my brain said LEGO Movie and Truman Show, with some Ready Player One thrown in for good measure. Looking at the writers' back catalogue left no real surprises. Zak Penn wrote the screenplay for Ready Player One (one of his first credits on IMDb is for the story of Last Action Hero, and that feels like it gave some contributions too), and I had a mild recognition of bits from Matt Lieberman's Scoob and Playing With Fire.
Guy's initial evolution in the film is quite nice to watch with his days changing slightly each time. Everything then ramps up quite quickly once he steps out of his NPC programming properly for the first time... and this is where I thought I would be on board with it.
Once the video game elements kicked in I did have a bit of Easter egg spotting euphoria. Watching the background players jumping randomly, the generic but obviously named shops and locations. Much like Ready Player One, there were lots of things to discover in scenes outside of the storyline. But the style kept jumping between this "real life" video game and the video game that didn't know it was a video game. Admittedly there's a very fine line between those two realities. I did like that it replicates the way immersive play can feel when you forget that you are just playing a game, but even this, at times, felt a little forced.
As much as I love Ryan Reynolds, this wasn't a very challenging or original role for him. And just like the film overall, this felt like a mish-mash of his role that we've already seen on the big screen.
Comer's performance was great, and her online and real life personas had the subtle differences I'd expect to see... this does however, mildly highlight a slightly wider issue, and that's the stereotyping of gamers.
Computer nerds and gamers living in their mum's basements and being a little odd. That's a staple in media. Matty Cardarople's gamer, Kevin Smith's Warlock, Chris Reed's Todd Zarnecki. We love them, or we love to hate them, but it's getting a little tired.
One thing I couldn't fault the film for was the look of everything. Vibrant colours, a bit of fun with the costumes, and the effects throughout the action. It worked as a whole package, and for the most part, it balanced out the danger of the comedy getting a little too ridiculous.
I didn't overly notice an excess of IP/brand plugs, but there was one little cluster in Free Guy. One of the few things I truly enjoyed was where the Disney property merged into a fight scene towards the end. It amused me because I was expecting something like it to happen. It may have gone a smidge over the line of enjoyable, but I'm going to give it a pass. (And I do have a point that would have made this scene better, and I'm honestly disappointed that they didn't think to do it.)
I had been hoping that Free Guy would be a 4 star film, but I don't think I could give it more than a 3. It's watchable, but I don't feel any great need to own it or hunt it down before it's streaming. That being said, I am going to see it again. In the same vein as Ready Player One and 1917, I've watched it for the story, now I'm going back for the background detail.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2021/08/free-guy-movie-review.html
Guy is loving life in Free City, his goldfish, the amazing view from his apartment, getting to work with his best pal at the bank, it's all great. But when he meets the girl of his dreams, he starts to realise that there might be more to his world than he ever realised.
Well... this is exactly my sort of film, and yet, I'm really not feeling the excitement for it. The audience experience had me chuckling though, to my left... yawning, to my right... squeals of glee.
I think my main issue is that it felt very much like something I'd seen before. Almost instantly my brain said LEGO Movie and Truman Show, with some Ready Player One thrown in for good measure. Looking at the writers' back catalogue left no real surprises. Zak Penn wrote the screenplay for Ready Player One (one of his first credits on IMDb is for the story of Last Action Hero, and that feels like it gave some contributions too), and I had a mild recognition of bits from Matt Lieberman's Scoob and Playing With Fire.
Guy's initial evolution in the film is quite nice to watch with his days changing slightly each time. Everything then ramps up quite quickly once he steps out of his NPC programming properly for the first time... and this is where I thought I would be on board with it.
Once the video game elements kicked in I did have a bit of Easter egg spotting euphoria. Watching the background players jumping randomly, the generic but obviously named shops and locations. Much like Ready Player One, there were lots of things to discover in scenes outside of the storyline. But the style kept jumping between this "real life" video game and the video game that didn't know it was a video game. Admittedly there's a very fine line between those two realities. I did like that it replicates the way immersive play can feel when you forget that you are just playing a game, but even this, at times, felt a little forced.
As much as I love Ryan Reynolds, this wasn't a very challenging or original role for him. And just like the film overall, this felt like a mish-mash of his role that we've already seen on the big screen.
Comer's performance was great, and her online and real life personas had the subtle differences I'd expect to see... this does however, mildly highlight a slightly wider issue, and that's the stereotyping of gamers.
Computer nerds and gamers living in their mum's basements and being a little odd. That's a staple in media. Matty Cardarople's gamer, Kevin Smith's Warlock, Chris Reed's Todd Zarnecki. We love them, or we love to hate them, but it's getting a little tired.
One thing I couldn't fault the film for was the look of everything. Vibrant colours, a bit of fun with the costumes, and the effects throughout the action. It worked as a whole package, and for the most part, it balanced out the danger of the comedy getting a little too ridiculous.
I didn't overly notice an excess of IP/brand plugs, but there was one little cluster in Free Guy. One of the few things I truly enjoyed was where the Disney property merged into a fight scene towards the end. It amused me because I was expecting something like it to happen. It may have gone a smidge over the line of enjoyable, but I'm going to give it a pass. (And I do have a point that would have made this scene better, and I'm honestly disappointed that they didn't think to do it.)
I had been hoping that Free Guy would be a 4 star film, but I don't think I could give it more than a 3. It's watchable, but I don't feel any great need to own it or hunt it down before it's streaming. That being said, I am going to see it again. In the same vein as Ready Player One and 1917, I've watched it for the story, now I'm going back for the background detail.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2021/08/free-guy-movie-review.html
Kaysee Hood (83 KP) rated A Game of Thrones in Books
Oct 3, 2017
Direwolves (2 more)
Strong women
Dragons
Lannisters (1 more)
Good people die
What other readers have said about this fantasy book when it comes to how great it is is true. A Game of Thrones is an epic tale of good versus evil, men choosing between honor or peace, and women between family or duty. This story sets on different paths, feeding pieces of the plot to you, and slowly comes together in expected and unexpected ways. From each one information is learned on what is coming and what is occurring. You learn of life, death, betrayal, and war. Clues are riddled out at possible outcomes. Truths and lies are spoken.
Why are men missing from the Wall? Was Jon Arryn truly murdered? What is happening in the North? Will the last of House Targaryen come for their birthright? Who will live? Who will die?
Why are men missing from the Wall? Was Jon Arryn truly murdered? What is happening in the North? Will the last of House Targaryen come for their birthright? Who will live? Who will die?
Farming Evolution
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Farming Evolution is the latest farm simulator 3d game which provides the best experience for...