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Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated It's a Wonderful World in Tabletop Games
Oct 30, 2021
When choosing board games to either play or purchase, how much importance should one put on box cover art? It is important to ME, but I lump that all in with the components and art/art style of the whole package. Why do I bring this up in the intro today? Well, I have to admit that I had really not had any interest in checking out It’s a Wonderful World until now because I judged the game by its cover, and the cover art told my brain that this would be some type of wargame. I am not entirely sure how I connected the two, but I did, and it turned me off right away. But! I was able to get this played at a local board game lounge, and boy was I wrong.
It’s a Wonderful World is a card drafting, economic, civilization building game with variable player powers (with a dash of campaign mode sprinkled on top). In it, players are attempting to build their civilization faster and better than their competitors. However, for this review, I will be playing the vanilla non-scenario solo mode.
DISCLAIMER: I was able to play this and several other games at The Table in Cookeville, TN. If you are ever in the neighborhood, check them out, and tell Nathaniel that I say hello.
To setup, put together the main board and place the round marker on Round 1. Lay out all the resources on their specific places upon the board and shuffle the deck of cards. Deal out eight stacks of five cards each and place them as mini-decks somewhere on the table. Choose a starting civilization (or just randomly choose one). The solo game is ready to play!
Typically, It’s a Wonderful World is a card drafting game, a la 7 Wonders, where players choose one card from the deck passed to them and pass it along to the next player until all cards have been drafted. In the solo mode, however, the player chooses one of the face-down mini-decks as their starting hand. Upon viewing the cards, the player may choose to place any or all of them in their Construction Area, or discard the cards for their Recycle Bonus (typically a type of resource), and/or discard two card from the mini-deck to draw five cards from the top of the main deck. From these drawn cards, the player may choose one to keep and discard all others. The kept card may be placed into the Construction Area or discarded for its Recycle Bonus resource.
Cards placed in the Construction Area require resources to be earned and placed on them in order to complete its build process. Each round the player will receive resources based on which cards have been built and placed above their starting civ card. Some cards, once completely built, will also offer more VP at game end, or supply a VP modifier.
After the first mini-deck has been played completely, the player will choose a second mini-deck and run through the same process. After this second mini-deck has been completed the round ends and play moves to the next round. Play continues in this fashion until all four rounds have been played (so all eight mini-decks). At game end the player counts up all their VP and compares it to the table in the rulebook to arrive at their final tier. My first game resulted in the rulebook calling me a Rooky. So be prepared to be humiliated by a rulebook.
Components. Aside from being bamboozled by the aggressive artwork on the cover, this is not a wargame. In fact, I very much like the artwork and the styling of this game. The cards are all laid out very well, and the iconography makes sense. The resource cubes are translucent colored (except the grayish white is opaque) and are fine quality. Overall the components are great and the art style has grown on me quite a bit.
I can see why so many people compare this to 7 Wonders. Essentially, the multiplayer game is quite similar. Card drafts (of 7 cards, no less) lead to needing resources in order to build, lead to being able to produce more resources to fuel other cards, and bonus points are awarded for having a nice card profile. Now, this being a solo review, I have to say that I much prefer It’s a Wonderful World to its forefather 7 Wonders because it comes packaged with a solo mode already in the box. This isn’t the only reason I prefer it, though. I find it easier to pick up and easier to teach to beginning gamers. Also, there is no card chaining, which seems to be a difficult concept for newer gamers to grasp initially. It’s a Wonderful World has nothing like this, and cards just work. 7 Wonders has been such a hit with my family, and I know they will greatly appreciate a more streamlined game experience with this one.
So here’s my recommendation with this one. If you are a fan of 7 Wonders but find it to be difficult to get others into it, check out It’s a Wonderful World. I feel that it is superior in many ways, and the solo mode is just icing. The solo mode gives me a great play experience, even though I typically am not a fan of games challenging you to beat your own high score. I will live with it here because the game is just so enjoyable. While 7 Wonders was my favorite game of all time for quite a while, it has since dropped out of my Top 10, and I think will be replaced entirely by It’s a Wonderful World. If your tastes are similar to mine, then do yourself a big favor and grab a copy of this one right away. It has several expansions out there, and I believe you will fall in love with drafting again. Now, where did I put my Wind Turbines…
It’s a Wonderful World is a card drafting, economic, civilization building game with variable player powers (with a dash of campaign mode sprinkled on top). In it, players are attempting to build their civilization faster and better than their competitors. However, for this review, I will be playing the vanilla non-scenario solo mode.
DISCLAIMER: I was able to play this and several other games at The Table in Cookeville, TN. If you are ever in the neighborhood, check them out, and tell Nathaniel that I say hello.
To setup, put together the main board and place the round marker on Round 1. Lay out all the resources on their specific places upon the board and shuffle the deck of cards. Deal out eight stacks of five cards each and place them as mini-decks somewhere on the table. Choose a starting civilization (or just randomly choose one). The solo game is ready to play!
Typically, It’s a Wonderful World is a card drafting game, a la 7 Wonders, where players choose one card from the deck passed to them and pass it along to the next player until all cards have been drafted. In the solo mode, however, the player chooses one of the face-down mini-decks as their starting hand. Upon viewing the cards, the player may choose to place any or all of them in their Construction Area, or discard the cards for their Recycle Bonus (typically a type of resource), and/or discard two card from the mini-deck to draw five cards from the top of the main deck. From these drawn cards, the player may choose one to keep and discard all others. The kept card may be placed into the Construction Area or discarded for its Recycle Bonus resource.
Cards placed in the Construction Area require resources to be earned and placed on them in order to complete its build process. Each round the player will receive resources based on which cards have been built and placed above their starting civ card. Some cards, once completely built, will also offer more VP at game end, or supply a VP modifier.
After the first mini-deck has been played completely, the player will choose a second mini-deck and run through the same process. After this second mini-deck has been completed the round ends and play moves to the next round. Play continues in this fashion until all four rounds have been played (so all eight mini-decks). At game end the player counts up all their VP and compares it to the table in the rulebook to arrive at their final tier. My first game resulted in the rulebook calling me a Rooky. So be prepared to be humiliated by a rulebook.
Components. Aside from being bamboozled by the aggressive artwork on the cover, this is not a wargame. In fact, I very much like the artwork and the styling of this game. The cards are all laid out very well, and the iconography makes sense. The resource cubes are translucent colored (except the grayish white is opaque) and are fine quality. Overall the components are great and the art style has grown on me quite a bit.
I can see why so many people compare this to 7 Wonders. Essentially, the multiplayer game is quite similar. Card drafts (of 7 cards, no less) lead to needing resources in order to build, lead to being able to produce more resources to fuel other cards, and bonus points are awarded for having a nice card profile. Now, this being a solo review, I have to say that I much prefer It’s a Wonderful World to its forefather 7 Wonders because it comes packaged with a solo mode already in the box. This isn’t the only reason I prefer it, though. I find it easier to pick up and easier to teach to beginning gamers. Also, there is no card chaining, which seems to be a difficult concept for newer gamers to grasp initially. It’s a Wonderful World has nothing like this, and cards just work. 7 Wonders has been such a hit with my family, and I know they will greatly appreciate a more streamlined game experience with this one.
So here’s my recommendation with this one. If you are a fan of 7 Wonders but find it to be difficult to get others into it, check out It’s a Wonderful World. I feel that it is superior in many ways, and the solo mode is just icing. The solo mode gives me a great play experience, even though I typically am not a fan of games challenging you to beat your own high score. I will live with it here because the game is just so enjoyable. While 7 Wonders was my favorite game of all time for quite a while, it has since dropped out of my Top 10, and I think will be replaced entirely by It’s a Wonderful World. If your tastes are similar to mine, then do yourself a big favor and grab a copy of this one right away. It has several expansions out there, and I believe you will fall in love with drafting again. Now, where did I put my Wind Turbines…
Dakotah Salazar (12 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled in Video Games
Jul 1, 2019
Lively graphics (2 more)
Smooth controls
Fun game modes
Too easy (2 more)
Microtransactions galore
No new courses
Strong remaster. Easy for experts.
The original CTR holds a special place in my heart. As a child, I spent countless hours on my Playstation with many characters, tracks, and secrets to unlock. It truly is an incredible gaming experience.
Which is why I had to pick this up right away. And overall, it's a decent racer, but now were in the age of photo realistic racing games such as Forza, or living in the shadow of Mario Kart still in its multiplayer experience. Crash Team Racing has potential for expansion, but I was disappointed in that it's the same experience as before.
During the races, they are fast and lively. It brings the nostalgia in the controls and smooth gameplay. The power ups and attacks are the same, but are easy to operate. It also introduces the hyper slide, which may be difficult to master at first. The tracks don't give too much leverage in utilizing this. It could also be a disadvantage because it could ruin the flow of the race. It all depends really.
As for the modes, they have plenty to choose from. Adventure Mode, Online, Time Trial, etc. I would recommend this as a party game...because I think I could give the player a strong challenge. Adventure Mode, if you are an expert at this game, is WAY TOO EASY. I placed first in almost every race not trying to brag, but it doesn't challenge the player in anyway, even in the boss battles. Unless you are in a Single Race mode, then it offers an option of difficulty.
Characters to choose from is plentiful. Even adding options to modify the character and karts are wonderful designs. It's satisfying to earn them but if you are not an online player, then HALF of those modifications are not available to you. They depend on the usage of coins, which I'm assuming you can earn or purchase if your looking to earn the mods right away.
The game is a lot of fun. But I had to critically think about what the creators had for further potential. The remasters of the three original games were wonderful, but this is a copy and paste version of the original. It amplifies the nostalgia as a high, but once you come down, it really is a hollow experience.
Which is why I had to pick this up right away. And overall, it's a decent racer, but now were in the age of photo realistic racing games such as Forza, or living in the shadow of Mario Kart still in its multiplayer experience. Crash Team Racing has potential for expansion, but I was disappointed in that it's the same experience as before.
During the races, they are fast and lively. It brings the nostalgia in the controls and smooth gameplay. The power ups and attacks are the same, but are easy to operate. It also introduces the hyper slide, which may be difficult to master at first. The tracks don't give too much leverage in utilizing this. It could also be a disadvantage because it could ruin the flow of the race. It all depends really.
As for the modes, they have plenty to choose from. Adventure Mode, Online, Time Trial, etc. I would recommend this as a party game...because I think I could give the player a strong challenge. Adventure Mode, if you are an expert at this game, is WAY TOO EASY. I placed first in almost every race not trying to brag, but it doesn't challenge the player in anyway, even in the boss battles. Unless you are in a Single Race mode, then it offers an option of difficulty.
Characters to choose from is plentiful. Even adding options to modify the character and karts are wonderful designs. It's satisfying to earn them but if you are not an online player, then HALF of those modifications are not available to you. They depend on the usage of coins, which I'm assuming you can earn or purchase if your looking to earn the mods right away.
The game is a lot of fun. But I had to critically think about what the creators had for further potential. The remasters of the three original games were wonderful, but this is a copy and paste version of the original. It amplifies the nostalgia as a high, but once you come down, it really is a hollow experience.
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RavenclawPrincess913 (253 KP) rated The Grace Year in Books
Jul 24, 2019
Title: The Grace Year ARC
Author: Kim Liggett
Read Dates: June 25th- July 3rd 2019
Why did I choose to read this book?
I chose to read this book because it was sent to me as an arc
Did I like it? I love it it's a very emotional story
Five things I liked about this book (Spoiler Warning skip to one character I disliked if you don't want spoiler's):
1. I love how the main character isn't like all the other girls.
2. I love how Michael saved her. I knew he was the one that veiled her from the beginning.
3. I love the love story between her and Ryker. I love how she ends up having his baby and she ends up being the one she dreams about.
4. I love how she helps the other Grace Year girls and the Grace Year girls in the years to come.
5. I love how she didn't judge Gertie like the others and ended up being friends with her in the end.
One character I disliked: Michael's father
Do I recommend this book? Yes, it's a very wonderful book. It's very emotional and has an unexpected turn of events and ending.
What is one similar book I think you'd like if you also love this book? Hunger Games or Divergent or Maze Runner
Questions for you:
1. Have you read this book? How'd you like it?
2. Who was your favorite character?
3. What's your favorite book and author?
Author: Kim Liggett
Read Dates: June 25th- July 3rd 2019
Why did I choose to read this book?
I chose to read this book because it was sent to me as an arc
Did I like it? I love it it's a very emotional story
Five things I liked about this book (Spoiler Warning skip to one character I disliked if you don't want spoiler's):
1. I love how the main character isn't like all the other girls.
2. I love how Michael saved her. I knew he was the one that veiled her from the beginning.
3. I love the love story between her and Ryker. I love how she ends up having his baby and she ends up being the one she dreams about.
4. I love how she helps the other Grace Year girls and the Grace Year girls in the years to come.
5. I love how she didn't judge Gertie like the others and ended up being friends with her in the end.
One character I disliked: Michael's father
Do I recommend this book? Yes, it's a very wonderful book. It's very emotional and has an unexpected turn of events and ending.
What is one similar book I think you'd like if you also love this book? Hunger Games or Divergent or Maze Runner
Questions for you:
1. Have you read this book? How'd you like it?
2. Who was your favorite character?
3. What's your favorite book and author?
Andy K (10826 KP) rated Blade Runner (1982) in Movies
Jul 24, 2019
Sci Fi Film Noir Masterpiece
When film scholars debate whether Alien or Blade Runner is director Ridley Scott's best film it is hard to make an argument against each as both are masterpieces It's funny that although they are both science fiction films, they are completely different in tone, style and action.
The art direction and cinematography are almost unmatched even under today's standards and then consider this movie is from 1982 and it is just astonishing. I won't argue with someone who says the film is slow developing or style or substance; however, I do not consider that a negative whatsoever. Consider it just another way to tell a story. Why do movies always have to follow the same formula to be considered a acceptable?
It is hard to believe the film only managed US box office of $27 million upon its original theatrical release. It's cult status was almost immediate along with the rise of home video and eventually DVD. The various cuts of the film and the vast and minor differences between them can make the meaning of the film quite different depending on how you interpret it.
The argument whether or not Deckard is a replicant could really depend on which version of the film you have seen or what you choose to believe.
Nevertheless, the film still stands the test of time as a sci fi classic and one of the most visually stunning films ever made!
The art direction and cinematography are almost unmatched even under today's standards and then consider this movie is from 1982 and it is just astonishing. I won't argue with someone who says the film is slow developing or style or substance; however, I do not consider that a negative whatsoever. Consider it just another way to tell a story. Why do movies always have to follow the same formula to be considered a acceptable?
It is hard to believe the film only managed US box office of $27 million upon its original theatrical release. It's cult status was almost immediate along with the rise of home video and eventually DVD. The various cuts of the film and the vast and minor differences between them can make the meaning of the film quite different depending on how you interpret it.
The argument whether or not Deckard is a replicant could really depend on which version of the film you have seen or what you choose to believe.
Nevertheless, the film still stands the test of time as a sci fi classic and one of the most visually stunning films ever made!