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Deception (Infidelity, #3)
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It all began in Del Mar, a chance meeting with a single rule--one week only. Or did it? Lennox...
Merissa (13956 KP) rated Motion to Quash in Books
Sep 17, 2025
MOTION TO QUASH is a standalone story full of the warm fuzzies and just what I needed after reading a dark romance.
Okay, so maybe it doesn't start too well, what with a possible attempted r@pe (nothing happens), followed by a m*rder. But it does get better for Fin, I promise. He goes to his friend Kayse, who calls his friend Spencer, who calls his friend Jack. Jack says he'll help and immediately falls head over heels, determined to do everything to keep his Fin safe.
This is one of those books that gives you a break from reality, even with a contemporary setting. The thought of someone with money to burn, who wants nothing more than a relationship with you that fits perfectly, and sorts out all of your problems too, is just amazing! Saying that, I did so love Fin's moments when he commented on money, or the amount of things needed, or when he put Jack in his place.
This was a smoothly written, medium-paced story, with plenty of action, but it doesn't go too deep. Jack has a caretaking kink, so prepare yourself for someone who wants to help. I would say the main themes are hopeful and lighthearted, with Marcus providing the light entertainment.
I would love to see more from these characters, especially Kayse and Spencer, and Marcus. If you're looking for the warm fuzzies, then I can definitely recommend this one.
** Same worded review will appear elsewhere. **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 17, 2025
Okay, so maybe it doesn't start too well, what with a possible attempted r@pe (nothing happens), followed by a m*rder. But it does get better for Fin, I promise. He goes to his friend Kayse, who calls his friend Spencer, who calls his friend Jack. Jack says he'll help and immediately falls head over heels, determined to do everything to keep his Fin safe.
This is one of those books that gives you a break from reality, even with a contemporary setting. The thought of someone with money to burn, who wants nothing more than a relationship with you that fits perfectly, and sorts out all of your problems too, is just amazing! Saying that, I did so love Fin's moments when he commented on money, or the amount of things needed, or when he put Jack in his place.
This was a smoothly written, medium-paced story, with plenty of action, but it doesn't go too deep. Jack has a caretaking kink, so prepare yourself for someone who wants to help. I would say the main themes are hopeful and lighthearted, with Marcus providing the light entertainment.
I would love to see more from these characters, especially Kayse and Spencer, and Marcus. If you're looking for the warm fuzzies, then I can definitely recommend this one.
** Same worded review will appear elsewhere. **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 17, 2025
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Micah Ulibarri (79 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of STAR WARS Battlefront II in Video Games
Apr 3, 2018
Battlefront II had a lot to contend with this last year. Besides, Battlefront I being a very critically reviewed release, there was a large discussion created that could almost be referred to as a scandal concerning the loot crate system. I'm not here to talk about that. I want to review this game based on what we got.
First off, it's Star Wars. I'm a huge Star Wars fan and as such, I am always willing to buy in to anything no matter what the surrounding conversation may be. I did not buy the original game however due to it not containing a campaign or story mode. I'm usually not a big third person online shooter player so Battlefront I had nothing for me.
The story mode: I absolutely loved the story mode. The characters were originally introduced in the Battlefront: Inferno Squad novel so I was already invested in them. It involved following the continuing story of Iden Version through the end of Return of the Jedi, the 6th movie in the saga.
The plot was fun and engaging and involved not just the main character, but also scenarios in which you play as Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Kylo Ren. Thise were particularly fun because they change up the possible monotony of playing the same character, and also because they are beloved Star Wars characters.
There are also a number of different scenarios besides the basic run and gun you would expect from a third person shooter game. Sometimes there's a lightsaber involved. Also, and a particular favorite of mine: flight simulator in beloved spacecraft. The Millennium Falcon? Xwing? Bespin Cloud Car? You betcha.
The single player is what I bought the game for and I won't lie, that alone was worth my $60. I enjoyed it, it was properly challenging and it paid off even more when the additional chapters were added in December (free of charge).
The multiplayer wasn't as fun for me. I'm not very good against other players and I learned that quickly. I still jump on from time to time and play starfighters, but otherwise, my time with the game has been spent.
If it was just the single player I'd give it a 9. Total game is dropped due to me not enjoying the multiplayer so much.
First off, it's Star Wars. I'm a huge Star Wars fan and as such, I am always willing to buy in to anything no matter what the surrounding conversation may be. I did not buy the original game however due to it not containing a campaign or story mode. I'm usually not a big third person online shooter player so Battlefront I had nothing for me.
The story mode: I absolutely loved the story mode. The characters were originally introduced in the Battlefront: Inferno Squad novel so I was already invested in them. It involved following the continuing story of Iden Version through the end of Return of the Jedi, the 6th movie in the saga.
The plot was fun and engaging and involved not just the main character, but also scenarios in which you play as Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Kylo Ren. Thise were particularly fun because they change up the possible monotony of playing the same character, and also because they are beloved Star Wars characters.
There are also a number of different scenarios besides the basic run and gun you would expect from a third person shooter game. Sometimes there's a lightsaber involved. Also, and a particular favorite of mine: flight simulator in beloved spacecraft. The Millennium Falcon? Xwing? Bespin Cloud Car? You betcha.
The single player is what I bought the game for and I won't lie, that alone was worth my $60. I enjoyed it, it was properly challenging and it paid off even more when the additional chapters were added in December (free of charge).
The multiplayer wasn't as fun for me. I'm not very good against other players and I learned that quickly. I still jump on from time to time and play starfighters, but otherwise, my time with the game has been spent.
If it was just the single player I'd give it a 9. Total game is dropped due to me not enjoying the multiplayer so much.
Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated JCVD (Van Dammage) (2008) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019 (Updated Jun 22, 2019)
Jean-Claude Van Damme has pretty much always been known as a cliche action movie star. He's known for his skills in various different types of martial arts and if you haven't seen any of his films, you can pretty much figure out what they're heavy on (and more than likely light on) considering his talents. Along comes JCVD, a film that tells the story of what it's like to be a washed up action star. Between his money problems and his ongoing custody battle for his daughter with his ex-wife, Van Damme has a full plate. So he decides to travel to Belgium, his homeland, to reconnect with his parents and hopefully just get away from all the headaches that come with living a Hollywood lifestyle. Then, a simple trip to the post office turns into a nightmare as Van Damme realizes he may not be walking out of there alive.
JCVD shows a side of Van Damme that nobody has really seen before. His acting chops take center stage this time around and it's incredible how much range he actually has. He's able to showcase the fact that he has a lot more talent than fans or the moviegoing audience actually gave him credit for. There's a six minute monologue that might just be the best scene in the film. You can hear the pain in Van Damme's voice as the anguish he's going through bleeds through the words spilling from his mouth. Tears stream down his face as his face wrenches in torment. And then as quickly as the monologue begins, it ends. The scene itself, along with the way it was pulled off, is really the most memorable part of the film for me.
JCVD highlights all of the potential Jean-Claude Van Damme has as an actor. Not as an action movie star, but as a legitimate actor. Don't go into this expecting the usual bone breaking or face bashing someone may find in a film that Van Damme is usually found in. This film has a kick to it and not in the literal sense. It's an unexpected surprise that could put Van Damme back on top of his game, if played right. It could certainly do for him what The Wrestler did for Mickey Rourke. People who aren't fans of Van Damme's work will more than likely still enjoy this if they're willing to give it a chance.
JCVD shows a side of Van Damme that nobody has really seen before. His acting chops take center stage this time around and it's incredible how much range he actually has. He's able to showcase the fact that he has a lot more talent than fans or the moviegoing audience actually gave him credit for. There's a six minute monologue that might just be the best scene in the film. You can hear the pain in Van Damme's voice as the anguish he's going through bleeds through the words spilling from his mouth. Tears stream down his face as his face wrenches in torment. And then as quickly as the monologue begins, it ends. The scene itself, along with the way it was pulled off, is really the most memorable part of the film for me.
JCVD highlights all of the potential Jean-Claude Van Damme has as an actor. Not as an action movie star, but as a legitimate actor. Don't go into this expecting the usual bone breaking or face bashing someone may find in a film that Van Damme is usually found in. This film has a kick to it and not in the literal sense. It's an unexpected surprise that could put Van Damme back on top of his game, if played right. It could certainly do for him what The Wrestler did for Mickey Rourke. People who aren't fans of Van Damme's work will more than likely still enjoy this if they're willing to give it a chance.
Marylegs (44 KP) rated Station Eleven in Books
Aug 14, 2019
Station Eleven follows a number of characters affected by the disintegration of modern civilisation and society caused by a mutated flu virus which wipes out around 99% of the world wide population. Flitting back over a series of timelines, including the start of the pandemic to focus on the lives these characters had before the virus, what happened to them after this virus became apparent and beginning the destruction of the lives they knew. The story also skips into the future to see how their lives changed and how they had to adapt to their changing world. There are a number of characters to follow and as the book progresses links form between some of them, but this is not the focus of the story.
I won’t go overly into details about the characters it is best to discover them yourselves. I was pleasantly surprised by how good this book was. Receiving it as an advanced review, I didn’t really know much about the story other than it being based in a post-apocalyptic world. Upon receiving the book I was slightly put off by the blurb stating it was following a group of traveling actors and musicians and that it was trying to show how art still had a place in this post civilisation world. But don’t let this put you off, I’m glad I didn’t. Whilst the story uses the actors and musicians in this ‘Traveling Symphony’ as a point to allow cross country movement and show that some people as trying to survive but also to enrich other people’s lives, that wasn’t really what gripped me. It was the relationships this characters had made, the stories about how they used to live and what they had been forced to do in this changing world that kept me turning pages.
I would recommend this book, and I would probably re-read again and possibly try some of the authors other works. The author wrote beautifully and it never felt pretentious or like they were trying to over moralise things. If like me, you like a good end of the world, dystopian story but want something different from the general, zombies, vampires and hunger games type read, give this ago. It may surprise you, like it did me.
I won’t go overly into details about the characters it is best to discover them yourselves. I was pleasantly surprised by how good this book was. Receiving it as an advanced review, I didn’t really know much about the story other than it being based in a post-apocalyptic world. Upon receiving the book I was slightly put off by the blurb stating it was following a group of traveling actors and musicians and that it was trying to show how art still had a place in this post civilisation world. But don’t let this put you off, I’m glad I didn’t. Whilst the story uses the actors and musicians in this ‘Traveling Symphony’ as a point to allow cross country movement and show that some people as trying to survive but also to enrich other people’s lives, that wasn’t really what gripped me. It was the relationships this characters had made, the stories about how they used to live and what they had been forced to do in this changing world that kept me turning pages.
I would recommend this book, and I would probably re-read again and possibly try some of the authors other works. The author wrote beautifully and it never felt pretentious or like they were trying to over moralise things. If like me, you like a good end of the world, dystopian story but want something different from the general, zombies, vampires and hunger games type read, give this ago. It may surprise you, like it did me.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Believe Me in Books
Sep 24, 2020
The protagonist in this story is Claire, an extremely talented, but very unlucky actress. Due to the lack of green card and work, she is forced to work as a decoy in catching out cheating spouses. Until one dies. Who is the killer? Is it Claire? Is it a victim’s husband? Or is it someone else altogether? You will have to read it to figure that out! 😛
This book has a very interesting variety of characters, we have elegant and artistic actors; classy, intelligent and very poetic victim’s husband, and like always, insightful police. But the real star in this book was Claire. Her ability to transform into different characters was absolutely stunning, and I really loved that she shared how these transformations made her feel. I think it was a great insight into actor’s psyche.
The narrative always kept me on the edge. There are so many twists and deception, that you never know what to expect next. Sometimes it feels, that the plot is slowing down, but that is just a very creatively incorporated “quiet before the storm” phase. 😉 The narrative was told from a single perspective, but that was necessary to keep the suspense going, and it was fully sufficient for me. This novel discusses quite a variety of topics, such as foster families in the UK; actor’s struggles in the market; kinky sex community; mental institutions and their work methods; art, and when it becomes a danger to society; etc. Due to this wide variety, the plot didn’t have the chance to be boring for me. 🙂
I really enjoyed the writing style of this book, it was very insightful and creative. The ending was absolutely mind-blowing, it left me absolutely baffled. I had to sit down and rethink all the plot, to figure out what was real and what was the illusion. The chapters are pretty short, and once I started, they just flew by. 🙂 I liked that the setting of this book was constantly changing, that created more intrigue to me, as a reader.
So, to conclude, it is a very artistic, poetic and sophisticated psychological thriller, where suspicions and illusion plays an integral part. I absolutely loved the complexity of the characters and unexpected turns and twists, that is why, I strongly recommend to read this book, and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did. 🙂
This book has a very interesting variety of characters, we have elegant and artistic actors; classy, intelligent and very poetic victim’s husband, and like always, insightful police. But the real star in this book was Claire. Her ability to transform into different characters was absolutely stunning, and I really loved that she shared how these transformations made her feel. I think it was a great insight into actor’s psyche.
The narrative always kept me on the edge. There are so many twists and deception, that you never know what to expect next. Sometimes it feels, that the plot is slowing down, but that is just a very creatively incorporated “quiet before the storm” phase. 😉 The narrative was told from a single perspective, but that was necessary to keep the suspense going, and it was fully sufficient for me. This novel discusses quite a variety of topics, such as foster families in the UK; actor’s struggles in the market; kinky sex community; mental institutions and their work methods; art, and when it becomes a danger to society; etc. Due to this wide variety, the plot didn’t have the chance to be boring for me. 🙂
I really enjoyed the writing style of this book, it was very insightful and creative. The ending was absolutely mind-blowing, it left me absolutely baffled. I had to sit down and rethink all the plot, to figure out what was real and what was the illusion. The chapters are pretty short, and once I started, they just flew by. 🙂 I liked that the setting of this book was constantly changing, that created more intrigue to me, as a reader.
So, to conclude, it is a very artistic, poetic and sophisticated psychological thriller, where suspicions and illusion plays an integral part. I absolutely loved the complexity of the characters and unexpected turns and twists, that is why, I strongly recommend to read this book, and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did. 🙂
ClareR (6144 KP) rated The Last Thing To Burn in Books
Jan 12, 2021
The Last Thing to Burn is the first of Will Dean’s books that I’ve read, and it most definitely won’t be my last. I had to keep reminding myself to breathe throughout this book - ‘suspense’ is not a strong enough word! If I could have read through my hands covering my eyes, I would have, because you could see what was coming next , and you just couldn’t stop it from coming! And then it would be even more horrific than I thought it was going to be. I mean, Will Dean seems to be such a nice person on Twitter, his St Bernard, Bernie, is gorgeous - how can things like this even come out of his head and on to paper?!
My dad lives in Lincolnshire, and to get to where he lives (Boston), we have to drive through what seems to be miles and miles of flat farmland (filled mainly with cruciferous vegetables, if my nose remembers correctly!), so it was easy to see how hard it would be for Jane to escape. You can see for a long way - uninterrupted by hills, or indeed anything else at all! This was such a good choice of location. It was that feeling of being trapped by your environment, even though Jane wasn’t exactly locked away. Jane’s every move is monitored on CCTV when her ‘husband’ isn’t there. And if she breaks any of his rules, she is punished. Not physically - instead he takes one of her very few belongings, and burns it whilst she watches.
This is a story of abuse, imprisonment and survival. No matter how much he seeks to control her, “Jane” is free to think and remember what it was like to be free. Whilst I was reading this, that’s all I wanted for her - freedom.
I don’t know whether the phrase “I loved every minute of this book” reflects all that well on me. I mean, it’s pretty horrific. But love it I did. I’d recommend this book to anyone - and then rub my hands together, whilst cackling evilly... Ok, that is a bit weird. But really. Just read the book.
Many thanks to the Hodder and Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review.
My dad lives in Lincolnshire, and to get to where he lives (Boston), we have to drive through what seems to be miles and miles of flat farmland (filled mainly with cruciferous vegetables, if my nose remembers correctly!), so it was easy to see how hard it would be for Jane to escape. You can see for a long way - uninterrupted by hills, or indeed anything else at all! This was such a good choice of location. It was that feeling of being trapped by your environment, even though Jane wasn’t exactly locked away. Jane’s every move is monitored on CCTV when her ‘husband’ isn’t there. And if she breaks any of his rules, she is punished. Not physically - instead he takes one of her very few belongings, and burns it whilst she watches.
This is a story of abuse, imprisonment and survival. No matter how much he seeks to control her, “Jane” is free to think and remember what it was like to be free. Whilst I was reading this, that’s all I wanted for her - freedom.
I don’t know whether the phrase “I loved every minute of this book” reflects all that well on me. I mean, it’s pretty horrific. But love it I did. I’d recommend this book to anyone - and then rub my hands together, whilst cackling evilly... Ok, that is a bit weird. But really. Just read the book.
Many thanks to the Hodder and Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Ghoulash: The Game of Card Calamity in Tabletop Games
Sep 3, 2019
Ghoulash! I cannot say that word without using a Dracula-esque accent nor without my tummy grumbling (goulash is a yummy traditional Hungarian dish). Anyway, lunch time hangriness aside, Ghoulash is not a new game. In fact, the original version of Ghoulash was released in 2001 under Ghoulash Games. It is a pen-and-paper dungeon crawler for 2 players that we are reviewing as well. This game we are reviewing here is a card version prototype. So how does it play?
In Ghoulash: The Game of Card Calamity (which I will shorten to Ghoulash for the purpose of this review – even though there is the OG Ghoulash as well, I think you know what I’m talking about) players are Ghoul hunters. Ghouls are monstrous green blobsters that are coming for you. You fight them by shooting Ghoo, a purply substance, at them to exploit their weak spots and vanquish them. The first Ghoul hunter to reach 10 Victory Points (VPs) will be crowned the winner!
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. As this is a preview copy of the game, I do not know if the final rules or components will be similar or different to what we were provided. -T
To setup the game, shuffle the deck and place a 6×3 grid of cards in the middle of the table. This is the “floor” and will be the game board for the duration of the game. When the floor is out of cards (I will explain), set out a new 6×3 grid floor and continue play. Deal each hunter a hand of seven cards and you are ready to play!
Each of the face down cards that comprise the floor are opportunities for encounters. You, as a Ghoul hunter, will enter the floor from any border card. On your turn you may fill your hand up to your current hand limit – which changes based on whether you have taken wounds or not. Next you must move orthogonally onto a space that contains a card or an empty space, but you must move – or take your Action first, THEN move. If you move to a space with a card, you encounter the card. Depending on what type of card is flipped face up you will be taking cards into your hand, following Command instructions, or fighting Ghouls. When you have finished your turn it is the next hunter’s turn.
Should your flipped card reveal an Action or Special card, you simply collect the card into your hand. If the flipped card is an Battle card (which has Ghoo splats – like the ones pictured above on the far right), you must follow the Command instructions at the bottom of the card before collecting to your hand. And if it’s a Ghoul you will begin battle!
Battling Ghouls is mechanically simple, but the overall battle may not be. When you face a Ghoul its card will tell you what the strength of the monster is (the white number). It could have four, five, or six hit points (HPs). To vanquish the Ghoul you will need to play cards whose Ghoo value (splats) is equal to or greater than the Ghoul’s HP amount. From this point the other hunters can intervene in the battle by playing cards whose battle Ghoo tips the scales toward the Ghoul thus making it more difficult to defeat (a la the ganging up mechanic in Munchkin). As only one hunter may affect the battle in this way, it is the player’s cards whose strength is greater that wins the challenge. Now the original combatant must spend more Ghoo cards to overcome the super-buffed Ghoul. Should the hunter prevail they will collect the Ghoul card and display it in front of them to show the table how many VPs they have earned. If the hunter is unsuccessful in the battle, they suffer wounds in the amount of VPs that would have been awarded with a successful battle (the green dots at the bottom of the card). Wounds are reflected by cards in hand, so if a hunter suffers two wounds, their hand limit is now five instead of the original seven. Play continues in this fashion until a hunter has accumulated 10 VPs and earned victory!
Components. Per my disclaimer, the game that was sent to us is a prototype version of the completed game, so components may (and probably will) change or be improved as a result of further development, and/or a successful Kickstarter campaign. That said, I can comment only on the components that were provided to us. The game is a deck of cards in a deck box. The cards themselves are of fine quality. The art upon them is okay. Nothing too stellar, but it gets the job done. I think the art is one thing that can be improved with development. Don’t get me wrong, the art is not at all bad. Perhaps it’s the card layout or graphic design. Something with a bit more punch would be appreciated.
Our thoughts on this one are that it needs some sprucing up a bit. Yes, it is in prototype format currently, and we know that. The card design needs to be updated a bit, but the game itself was also lacking a bit. One of the major concerns we had when playing through it was the card grid of the floor. We did not use any sort of player marker, token, meeple, or anything to mark our locations, and I really think that may have helped. We just had a hard time visualizing where our hunter was in relation to the face-down cards and how many turns it would take us to travel to them. There were several times where we just guessed as to who was actually closer and they were able to encounter the card. I am unsure how to fix that without supplying a grid or some sort of tracker. We should have maybe just played with meeples or dice for position markers. Oh heck I just thought of this: we could have also placed out dice or whatever on an x and y axis to denote where floor cards should be. Ugh. Battles were run somewhat smoothly, even though there were times where I was down to one card because I had suffered so many wounds and I could not get a First-Aid Kit to save my life (literally). The battle challenges did not work with us and we were trying to find a good way to make them happen, but our minds must not have been at their peak. We weren’t quite sure if, like in Munchkin, you could just add one card to your challenge total, or if you had to commit the entire bunch of cards you wish to play. It is not clear in the rules, so we went with our guts.
Overall, this could be a good dungeon crawler type card game. The theme is good, but for us it didn’t quite click…yet. If it sounds like something you would like to have in your collection, check Kickstarter for the campaign (if Ghoulash Games decides to crowd-fund this), contact the publisher directly, or (depending on date you read this) purchase from your FLGS. Oh, and keep the Ghoo Gone away – this time Ghoo is good for your health!
In Ghoulash: The Game of Card Calamity (which I will shorten to Ghoulash for the purpose of this review – even though there is the OG Ghoulash as well, I think you know what I’m talking about) players are Ghoul hunters. Ghouls are monstrous green blobsters that are coming for you. You fight them by shooting Ghoo, a purply substance, at them to exploit their weak spots and vanquish them. The first Ghoul hunter to reach 10 Victory Points (VPs) will be crowned the winner!
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. As this is a preview copy of the game, I do not know if the final rules or components will be similar or different to what we were provided. -T
To setup the game, shuffle the deck and place a 6×3 grid of cards in the middle of the table. This is the “floor” and will be the game board for the duration of the game. When the floor is out of cards (I will explain), set out a new 6×3 grid floor and continue play. Deal each hunter a hand of seven cards and you are ready to play!
Each of the face down cards that comprise the floor are opportunities for encounters. You, as a Ghoul hunter, will enter the floor from any border card. On your turn you may fill your hand up to your current hand limit – which changes based on whether you have taken wounds or not. Next you must move orthogonally onto a space that contains a card or an empty space, but you must move – or take your Action first, THEN move. If you move to a space with a card, you encounter the card. Depending on what type of card is flipped face up you will be taking cards into your hand, following Command instructions, or fighting Ghouls. When you have finished your turn it is the next hunter’s turn.
Should your flipped card reveal an Action or Special card, you simply collect the card into your hand. If the flipped card is an Battle card (which has Ghoo splats – like the ones pictured above on the far right), you must follow the Command instructions at the bottom of the card before collecting to your hand. And if it’s a Ghoul you will begin battle!
Battling Ghouls is mechanically simple, but the overall battle may not be. When you face a Ghoul its card will tell you what the strength of the monster is (the white number). It could have four, five, or six hit points (HPs). To vanquish the Ghoul you will need to play cards whose Ghoo value (splats) is equal to or greater than the Ghoul’s HP amount. From this point the other hunters can intervene in the battle by playing cards whose battle Ghoo tips the scales toward the Ghoul thus making it more difficult to defeat (a la the ganging up mechanic in Munchkin). As only one hunter may affect the battle in this way, it is the player’s cards whose strength is greater that wins the challenge. Now the original combatant must spend more Ghoo cards to overcome the super-buffed Ghoul. Should the hunter prevail they will collect the Ghoul card and display it in front of them to show the table how many VPs they have earned. If the hunter is unsuccessful in the battle, they suffer wounds in the amount of VPs that would have been awarded with a successful battle (the green dots at the bottom of the card). Wounds are reflected by cards in hand, so if a hunter suffers two wounds, their hand limit is now five instead of the original seven. Play continues in this fashion until a hunter has accumulated 10 VPs and earned victory!
Components. Per my disclaimer, the game that was sent to us is a prototype version of the completed game, so components may (and probably will) change or be improved as a result of further development, and/or a successful Kickstarter campaign. That said, I can comment only on the components that were provided to us. The game is a deck of cards in a deck box. The cards themselves are of fine quality. The art upon them is okay. Nothing too stellar, but it gets the job done. I think the art is one thing that can be improved with development. Don’t get me wrong, the art is not at all bad. Perhaps it’s the card layout or graphic design. Something with a bit more punch would be appreciated.
Our thoughts on this one are that it needs some sprucing up a bit. Yes, it is in prototype format currently, and we know that. The card design needs to be updated a bit, but the game itself was also lacking a bit. One of the major concerns we had when playing through it was the card grid of the floor. We did not use any sort of player marker, token, meeple, or anything to mark our locations, and I really think that may have helped. We just had a hard time visualizing where our hunter was in relation to the face-down cards and how many turns it would take us to travel to them. There were several times where we just guessed as to who was actually closer and they were able to encounter the card. I am unsure how to fix that without supplying a grid or some sort of tracker. We should have maybe just played with meeples or dice for position markers. Oh heck I just thought of this: we could have also placed out dice or whatever on an x and y axis to denote where floor cards should be. Ugh. Battles were run somewhat smoothly, even though there were times where I was down to one card because I had suffered so many wounds and I could not get a First-Aid Kit to save my life (literally). The battle challenges did not work with us and we were trying to find a good way to make them happen, but our minds must not have been at their peak. We weren’t quite sure if, like in Munchkin, you could just add one card to your challenge total, or if you had to commit the entire bunch of cards you wish to play. It is not clear in the rules, so we went with our guts.
Overall, this could be a good dungeon crawler type card game. The theme is good, but for us it didn’t quite click…yet. If it sounds like something you would like to have in your collection, check Kickstarter for the campaign (if Ghoulash Games decides to crowd-fund this), contact the publisher directly, or (depending on date you read this) purchase from your FLGS. Oh, and keep the Ghoo Gone away – this time Ghoo is good for your health!
