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Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Of Knights & Ninjas in Tabletop Games
Jan 23, 2020
Little-known factoid about me: I am a Knight. Not from England, and not due to my daring heroics in war, but a Knight Templar of the Grand Commandery in the York Rite of Freemasonry. Politics and conspiracy theories aside, becoming a Knight was a highlight of my life, and something I will forever treasure. And speaking of treasure and Knights Templar (read your history, kids), we all know that one of the biggest foes of the Knights in olden times were the nefarious Ninjas. Or maybe it’s just fun to think about and play a game where these factions are represented.
Of Knights & Ninjas is a card game about claiming enough treasure to ascend to kinghood and rule all the lands. You can accomplish this by sending forces to your opponents’ realms and stealing their glorious gems. The first lord to amass 10 gems will have sufficient wealth to assume the kinghood and rule all realms!
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 may be different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, but to give our readers an idea of how the game plays. If you would like to read the rulebook in full, you may visit the publisher’s website, purchase the game through the publisher, back the game through the Kickstarter campaign, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup, each player will take five gems of their preferred color in front of them. Shuffle the large deck of cards, and deal each player four cards (this rule was updated after our play-throughs). You are now ready to play!
On your turn, you will draw two cards from the deck (unless it’s the first draw of the game – that player will draw just one). You must now play a card to the table or discard a card from your hand. Cards that you can play from your hand will each have different abilities, and thankfully the designer will be providing a reference sheet for these, as there are many cards with wildly different abilities. This is also why I will not be explaining the entire rulebook.
Typically you will be able to play Fortify cards (castles, archers), Attack cards (knights, ninjas, etc), Respond cards, and Special cards (minstrels, jesters, etc). Fortify cards protect your gems from certain Attack cards, like an Archer only being able to attack another Archer, or a Dragon being able to attack a Castle – but not if an Archer is stationed there (logic). Although, a Ninja can scale a Castle wall, and a Catapult can destroy a Castle altogether (but not that pesky Archer that happens to be sitting on top)…
Attack cards are just that: they Attack. Each Attack card will show a number in a starburst icon in the upper right hand corner that signifies how many gems they are able to steal. Once an opponent is declared and an Attack card played, let’s say a 1-power Peasant, the defender may then play a card with the Respond keyword (which will also have a starburst number) to offset the number of stolen gems. If the attacker chooses, they may continue playing Attack cards against the same opponent in order to draw out all the Respond cards and come away with some sweet, sweet gems.
But maybe once all is said and done, and gems are about to change hands, another opponent plays a Special card – a Highwayman, for example. These characters will steal all the gems that are about to change hands (as if he was robbing the gem carriage en route to the new owner). But then again, perhaps yet ANOTHER opponent plays a Highwayman as well, and steals those gems a second time! You just never know when these Special cards will come out and how they may affect the best laid plans.
Play continues in this fashion until one player has amassed the 10 gems they require to win the game!
Components. Again, we were provided a prototype copy of this game, and we understand that components can change during the course of a successful Kickstarter campaign. That said, this game is a ton of cards and some plastic gem pieces. The art is stellar – cartoony, but whimsical and fun. The card layouts make sense and are very easy to read and understand. The gems are colorful and fun to play with. I only have one concern/suggestion/wish for the components here. I wish the individual card’s abilities were somehow printed on the cards themselves. That would alleviate the need for a reference sheet, but it would then detract from the cute art on the cards. So, maybe that wouldn’t be so great after all. I’m torn on that.
All in all, this game is super fun to play. It will be chaotic one moment, and strategically tense the next. Being able to whittle an opponent’s hand down to nothing and then slapping them with a King card to steal a huge chunk of gems is just so sneakily satisfying. Or sending your Ninja to infiltrate their unArchered (I know it’s not a word) Castle and slither away with the goods. Don’t get too attached to your gems, because you may find yourself without for several rounds. You can always rebuild, but make haste as your opponents will keep you down if you let them.
If you are a fan of games that are cute, fun, and relatively quick with a quirky, but light-hearted theme, then definitely check this one out.
Of Knights & Ninjas is a card game about claiming enough treasure to ascend to kinghood and rule all the lands. You can accomplish this by sending forces to your opponents’ realms and stealing their glorious gems. The first lord to amass 10 gems will have sufficient wealth to assume the kinghood and rule all realms!
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 may be different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, but to give our readers an idea of how the game plays. If you would like to read the rulebook in full, you may visit the publisher’s website, purchase the game through the publisher, back the game through the Kickstarter campaign, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup, each player will take five gems of their preferred color in front of them. Shuffle the large deck of cards, and deal each player four cards (this rule was updated after our play-throughs). You are now ready to play!
On your turn, you will draw two cards from the deck (unless it’s the first draw of the game – that player will draw just one). You must now play a card to the table or discard a card from your hand. Cards that you can play from your hand will each have different abilities, and thankfully the designer will be providing a reference sheet for these, as there are many cards with wildly different abilities. This is also why I will not be explaining the entire rulebook.
Typically you will be able to play Fortify cards (castles, archers), Attack cards (knights, ninjas, etc), Respond cards, and Special cards (minstrels, jesters, etc). Fortify cards protect your gems from certain Attack cards, like an Archer only being able to attack another Archer, or a Dragon being able to attack a Castle – but not if an Archer is stationed there (logic). Although, a Ninja can scale a Castle wall, and a Catapult can destroy a Castle altogether (but not that pesky Archer that happens to be sitting on top)…
Attack cards are just that: they Attack. Each Attack card will show a number in a starburst icon in the upper right hand corner that signifies how many gems they are able to steal. Once an opponent is declared and an Attack card played, let’s say a 1-power Peasant, the defender may then play a card with the Respond keyword (which will also have a starburst number) to offset the number of stolen gems. If the attacker chooses, they may continue playing Attack cards against the same opponent in order to draw out all the Respond cards and come away with some sweet, sweet gems.
But maybe once all is said and done, and gems are about to change hands, another opponent plays a Special card – a Highwayman, for example. These characters will steal all the gems that are about to change hands (as if he was robbing the gem carriage en route to the new owner). But then again, perhaps yet ANOTHER opponent plays a Highwayman as well, and steals those gems a second time! You just never know when these Special cards will come out and how they may affect the best laid plans.
Play continues in this fashion until one player has amassed the 10 gems they require to win the game!
Components. Again, we were provided a prototype copy of this game, and we understand that components can change during the course of a successful Kickstarter campaign. That said, this game is a ton of cards and some plastic gem pieces. The art is stellar – cartoony, but whimsical and fun. The card layouts make sense and are very easy to read and understand. The gems are colorful and fun to play with. I only have one concern/suggestion/wish for the components here. I wish the individual card’s abilities were somehow printed on the cards themselves. That would alleviate the need for a reference sheet, but it would then detract from the cute art on the cards. So, maybe that wouldn’t be so great after all. I’m torn on that.
All in all, this game is super fun to play. It will be chaotic one moment, and strategically tense the next. Being able to whittle an opponent’s hand down to nothing and then slapping them with a King card to steal a huge chunk of gems is just so sneakily satisfying. Or sending your Ninja to infiltrate their unArchered (I know it’s not a word) Castle and slither away with the goods. Don’t get too attached to your gems, because you may find yourself without for several rounds. You can always rebuild, but make haste as your opponents will keep you down if you let them.
If you are a fan of games that are cute, fun, and relatively quick with a quirky, but light-hearted theme, then definitely check this one out.
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated My Name Is Anna in Books
Nov 9, 2018
Two women – desperate to unlock the truth.
How far will they go to lay the past to rest?
My name is Anna is one of those books that captures your attention from the moment you look at its cover. Then, it drags you into a story, makes you bite your nails throughout, lifts you up in the air with the amazing writing and than smashes you back into the ground with the incredible twist at the end. Exactly what you want and need from a thriller.
The story is being told by two girls:
Anna, a girl raised with a religious mother, where everything is forbidden and everything is a sin. And when on her 18th Birthday, Anna decides to disobey her mum and go to a theme park, she feels like she has been here before. And then random events lead to her realising that she was taken away when she was a little girl. And her real name is not Anna at all…
Rosie, a girl whose big sister has been missing for fifteen years. And when the media is ready to let the story go after the fifteen years anniversary, Rosie is determined to do whatever it takes to discover the truth of what actually happened on that day at the theme park.
The first thing I noticed in this book, that makes it different than all the stories about the kidnapping is – that the plot is being revealed in the first chapters. I was not expecting to immediately know that Anna and Rosie are sisters and Anna was kidnapped as a girl, but this was stated in the first chapters in the book. I personally thought that this would be the big twist, but the twist came to be so much better than that.
I loved how you could relate to both girls, for different reasons, and how even though they were sisters, how one little moment changed their lives completely. How Anna was raised with different beliefs than Rosie, and how they grew up to be so different, but the same…
This was a great story that give you thoughts about ‘’what could’ve been…’’ and it makes you wonder – if certain things didn’t happen, would our lives be the same?
The end for me, was particularly meaningful. The last moments, the realisation, the conclusion, the story that ended, or the one that never begun, all the things we could’ve been, but are not, and all the things that we wish we could have changed, but we can’t.
If you, like me, are into kidnapping stories, amazing twists and thriller stories that take your breath away, this will definitely be the perfect book for you. This will be a hit at the beginning of 2019, and it will hit the top shelves. I know it hits my favourite shelf – for sure!
A huge thanks to Penguin Random House UK, for providing me with a hardback copy, in exchange for an honest review of this book. The opinions in this review are entirely my own, and completely unbiased.
How far will they go to lay the past to rest?
My name is Anna is one of those books that captures your attention from the moment you look at its cover. Then, it drags you into a story, makes you bite your nails throughout, lifts you up in the air with the amazing writing and than smashes you back into the ground with the incredible twist at the end. Exactly what you want and need from a thriller.
The story is being told by two girls:
Anna, a girl raised with a religious mother, where everything is forbidden and everything is a sin. And when on her 18th Birthday, Anna decides to disobey her mum and go to a theme park, she feels like she has been here before. And then random events lead to her realising that she was taken away when she was a little girl. And her real name is not Anna at all…
Rosie, a girl whose big sister has been missing for fifteen years. And when the media is ready to let the story go after the fifteen years anniversary, Rosie is determined to do whatever it takes to discover the truth of what actually happened on that day at the theme park.
The first thing I noticed in this book, that makes it different than all the stories about the kidnapping is – that the plot is being revealed in the first chapters. I was not expecting to immediately know that Anna and Rosie are sisters and Anna was kidnapped as a girl, but this was stated in the first chapters in the book. I personally thought that this would be the big twist, but the twist came to be so much better than that.
I loved how you could relate to both girls, for different reasons, and how even though they were sisters, how one little moment changed their lives completely. How Anna was raised with different beliefs than Rosie, and how they grew up to be so different, but the same…
This was a great story that give you thoughts about ‘’what could’ve been…’’ and it makes you wonder – if certain things didn’t happen, would our lives be the same?
The end for me, was particularly meaningful. The last moments, the realisation, the conclusion, the story that ended, or the one that never begun, all the things we could’ve been, but are not, and all the things that we wish we could have changed, but we can’t.
If you, like me, are into kidnapping stories, amazing twists and thriller stories that take your breath away, this will definitely be the perfect book for you. This will be a hit at the beginning of 2019, and it will hit the top shelves. I know it hits my favourite shelf – for sure!
A huge thanks to Penguin Random House UK, for providing me with a hardback copy, in exchange for an honest review of this book. The opinions in this review are entirely my own, and completely unbiased.
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The Struggle (The Vampire Diaries, #2) in Books
Feb 3, 2020
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;
#1 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2998210568">The Awakening</a> - ★★★★★
#2 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2998210684">The Struggle</a> - ★★★★★
<img src="https://diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Book-Review-Banner-8.png"/>;
<b><i>The Struggle is the continuation of the Vampire Diaries Series by L.J. Smith. The second book that features the life of popular girl Elena Gilbert and her endeavors with the mysterious vampire brothers Stefan and Damon Salvatore.</i></b>
The Struggle continues where The Awakening ends; Elena is looking to talk to Damon, knowing that he has something to do with Stefan's disappearance.
I felt like there was more action in this book, compared to the first one. It made me more engrossed with the story and I was very excited for all the twists.
Elena was obviously the main character in this book, alongside Stefan and Damon. I am not sure how I felt about Elena in this book. She seemed to ignore everyone for a while and just be her selfish self - which resulted in getting people in trouble.
On the other hand, I really loved the history of Stefan and Damon. The memories from hundreds of years ago. The author manager to portray the time very well, and I was easily transported into another world, another time... I think these scenes were definitely the favourite part of this book.
I wish we saw more chapters with Bonnie and Meredith. Even though best friends, it didn't feel like they were too involved in the story. We didn't get to know them properly and it has already been two books. I really hope book three will let us meet these two characters better.
I am happy with the book in general.
The scenes, the plot, the twists - they were all very carefully put together. Elena's love choices are opening up, letting us wonder which brother she might choose. Making us choose sides (team Damon here!). This battle between the love and hate of the two brothers definitely seems interesting.
<b>The ending was everything I was hoping for and now I can't wait for the next book. The Awakening and The Struggle were only an introduction and the real adventures are yet to begin!</b>
I recommend it to all of you that love young-adult, teen romance and vampire stories. It will keep you on your toes for sure!
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;
#1 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2998210568">The Awakening</a> - ★★★★★
#2 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2998210684">The Struggle</a> - ★★★★★
<img src="https://diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Book-Review-Banner-8.png"/>;
<b><i>The Struggle is the continuation of the Vampire Diaries Series by L.J. Smith. The second book that features the life of popular girl Elena Gilbert and her endeavors with the mysterious vampire brothers Stefan and Damon Salvatore.</i></b>
The Struggle continues where The Awakening ends; Elena is looking to talk to Damon, knowing that he has something to do with Stefan's disappearance.
I felt like there was more action in this book, compared to the first one. It made me more engrossed with the story and I was very excited for all the twists.
Elena was obviously the main character in this book, alongside Stefan and Damon. I am not sure how I felt about Elena in this book. She seemed to ignore everyone for a while and just be her selfish self - which resulted in getting people in trouble.
On the other hand, I really loved the history of Stefan and Damon. The memories from hundreds of years ago. The author manager to portray the time very well, and I was easily transported into another world, another time... I think these scenes were definitely the favourite part of this book.
I wish we saw more chapters with Bonnie and Meredith. Even though best friends, it didn't feel like they were too involved in the story. We didn't get to know them properly and it has already been two books. I really hope book three will let us meet these two characters better.
I am happy with the book in general.
The scenes, the plot, the twists - they were all very carefully put together. Elena's love choices are opening up, letting us wonder which brother she might choose. Making us choose sides (team Damon here!). This battle between the love and hate of the two brothers definitely seems interesting.
<b>The ending was everything I was hoping for and now I can't wait for the next book. The Awakening and The Struggle were only an introduction and the real adventures are yet to begin!</b>
I recommend it to all of you that love young-adult, teen romance and vampire stories. It will keep you on your toes for sure!
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Mephisto: The Card Game in Tabletop Games
Jun 18, 2019 (Updated Jun 21, 2019)
Ya done messed up and made a deal with devil. Now he requires you to harvest souls from monsters as payment in return. How will you do this? You have no weapons, no skills, and no plan. Luckily, there is a grid of powerful cards to aid you in your toils. Only one problem: you gotta stay in your lane.
DISCLAIMER: I am not intending to cover every rule in the rulebook (well, rule cards), but to give you an idea of how the game plays. -T
Mephisto is a card drafting, hand management game (with a dash of take-that) played using a grid of cards to be affected and manipulated… LIKE YOUR SOUL!! Setup is easy for a multiplayer game. Deal a hand of cards to each player, setup the main 3 x 3 grid of cards in the middle of the table with the draw deck in the center, and two corners (making a diagonal line) having random placeholder cards face-down to be unavailable for play. The reasoning is simple: where you sit at the table determines in which lane, like in bowling, you can play your cards to (if you have ever played the Adventure Time Card Wars game you will instantly be familiar) and you only have access to two cards in each lane.
You will be using your hand of cards to gain favor from Mephistopheles, to fight and kill monsters to reap their souls, to gain cards from the grid, and to activate items or spell cards for their abilities. Many cards can combo together, and several cards are multipurpose/multi-use cards that can decay every time you use them, so you must take care not to allow your powerful weapons to lose all durability before you can maximize their effectiveness. The first player to amass a total of 12 souls will gain the ultimate wish from Mephistopheles: infinite power!
Components: This game consists of a deck of cards, which are of great quality. I believe this was an earlier-than-originally-expected Kickstarter fulfillment due to switching manufacturers to an American-based company, so we Americans were able to enjoy the game sooner as a result. In any case, the cards are great. What I love about the components is the art. The art on the cards are really really cool. I love the art style employed here, and the explosive neon color scheme used. What I really wished had happened was that the colors would be alluded to on the box cover as well. Honestly, if I had never heard of this game and saw the dark dark colors and occultish logo on the box I probably would have passed it up as “not for me.” But, playing the game is much more enjoyable with a fresh and vibrant set of cards.
I made a comparison to Adventure Time Card Wars in referencing how the lanes worked in play. And honestly, the game kinda feels like ATCW with a different skin. There is some take-that, some moving cards into different lanes, and affecting different cards in the grid. Now, I am an Adventure Time fan, but I just could not get into that game. Mephisto feels familiar in that… lane… but I must like the theme more, because I would rather play Mephisto over ATCW. If you haven’t played a game using lanes like this and don’t mind a darker theme I say give it a shot. It’s small (deck of playing cards size), portable, inexpensive, and a pretty good game. Purple Phoenix Games, with guest Tony, give this one a darkened 15 / 24.
DISCLAIMER: I am not intending to cover every rule in the rulebook (well, rule cards), but to give you an idea of how the game plays. -T
Mephisto is a card drafting, hand management game (with a dash of take-that) played using a grid of cards to be affected and manipulated… LIKE YOUR SOUL!! Setup is easy for a multiplayer game. Deal a hand of cards to each player, setup the main 3 x 3 grid of cards in the middle of the table with the draw deck in the center, and two corners (making a diagonal line) having random placeholder cards face-down to be unavailable for play. The reasoning is simple: where you sit at the table determines in which lane, like in bowling, you can play your cards to (if you have ever played the Adventure Time Card Wars game you will instantly be familiar) and you only have access to two cards in each lane.
You will be using your hand of cards to gain favor from Mephistopheles, to fight and kill monsters to reap their souls, to gain cards from the grid, and to activate items or spell cards for their abilities. Many cards can combo together, and several cards are multipurpose/multi-use cards that can decay every time you use them, so you must take care not to allow your powerful weapons to lose all durability before you can maximize their effectiveness. The first player to amass a total of 12 souls will gain the ultimate wish from Mephistopheles: infinite power!
Components: This game consists of a deck of cards, which are of great quality. I believe this was an earlier-than-originally-expected Kickstarter fulfillment due to switching manufacturers to an American-based company, so we Americans were able to enjoy the game sooner as a result. In any case, the cards are great. What I love about the components is the art. The art on the cards are really really cool. I love the art style employed here, and the explosive neon color scheme used. What I really wished had happened was that the colors would be alluded to on the box cover as well. Honestly, if I had never heard of this game and saw the dark dark colors and occultish logo on the box I probably would have passed it up as “not for me.” But, playing the game is much more enjoyable with a fresh and vibrant set of cards.
I made a comparison to Adventure Time Card Wars in referencing how the lanes worked in play. And honestly, the game kinda feels like ATCW with a different skin. There is some take-that, some moving cards into different lanes, and affecting different cards in the grid. Now, I am an Adventure Time fan, but I just could not get into that game. Mephisto feels familiar in that… lane… but I must like the theme more, because I would rather play Mephisto over ATCW. If you haven’t played a game using lanes like this and don’t mind a darker theme I say give it a shot. It’s small (deck of playing cards size), portable, inexpensive, and a pretty good game. Purple Phoenix Games, with guest Tony, give this one a darkened 15 / 24.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Crimes & Capers: High School Hijinks in Tabletop Games
Jan 20, 2022
High School. While many have horrible memories of that time period of life, I personally did not have many negative experiences. However, I do remember the different cliques, and those that could and could not be trusted. So when I heard about the new Crimes & Capers series from Renegade Game Studios, and that one of the options was a high school, I knew we had to take a look at it. Come see why we enjoy it.
A popular student among many different social circles is in trouble and it is up to her friends (the players) to suss out the entire situation armed with merely small pieces of information. Each player takes on the role of one such student, and their information is vital to the overall story behind these High School Hijinks.
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 everything, but will describe the overall game flow so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth coverage, you may purchase a copy online or from your FLGS. -T
To setup, each player chooses a character, receives the corresponding booklet of information, and the padlocked locker is placed on the table. The locker contains more vital information, and it is up to the players to arrive at the correct combination to unlock it. Open the envelope entitled, “Opening Materials,” and the game is on!
Now, there is so much to this game that I wish I could relay to you, the reader, but without spoiling anything, my hands are almost literally tied. I wish I could explain what kind of information is found in each player’s materials, and what the locker contains, and even a little of the story, but in doing so I fear I would spoil at least SOMETHING. That’s not what I’m about, so unfortunately, this portion of the review will need to remain a mystery. Apologies, but it benefits you this way.
Components. Inside this box is a bunch of folios and envelopes and one of the coolest components I’ve ever seen in a game box: a fully-formed and padlocked personal locker. Yes, one could easily tear the cardboard locker apart to get to the materials inside, but what kind of monster would do such a thing? I have no problems with any of the components, and the artwork throughout is excellent.
The game itself is also incredibly solid. We really had no idea what to expect going into this one, but were pleasantly surprised with the included puzzles and deductions. There were many times when we just HAD to exchange folios and information belonging to the individual player because we just needed a second set of eyes on it. There is a lot of stuff going on in this box, and it definitely was a great time playing.
However, this game is one of those that is a one-and-done play, because once you have played through it, it is impossible to replay with the same components. Renegade Games does provide a recharge pack, of sorts, so that the game may be enjoyed by another group, but I have not checked into that, so I will not comment on it. I believe our scores are indicative of the great time we had, but the fact that we are unable to play it again, and that is both a very very cool feature, but also very saddening. We would love to be able to salvage some components and have a different scenario be made from them, but alas, we are not designers, so we have not yet figured out how.
The official recommendation here is that everyone should definitely try this one. If you are a fan of mystery games and games that have interesting themes and mechanics working together, then this is a no-brainer. Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a nostalgic 12 / 18. If it were replayable in any fashion that would not rehash the same story, this would easily earn a higher rating from us. That said, we are very much looking forward to trying the other game(s) in the series as they release. So come on back to high school and join your friends for the High School Hijinks that are certain to be a good time.
A popular student among many different social circles is in trouble and it is up to her friends (the players) to suss out the entire situation armed with merely small pieces of information. Each player takes on the role of one such student, and their information is vital to the overall story behind these High School Hijinks.
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 everything, but will describe the overall game flow so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth coverage, you may purchase a copy online or from your FLGS. -T
To setup, each player chooses a character, receives the corresponding booklet of information, and the padlocked locker is placed on the table. The locker contains more vital information, and it is up to the players to arrive at the correct combination to unlock it. Open the envelope entitled, “Opening Materials,” and the game is on!
Now, there is so much to this game that I wish I could relay to you, the reader, but without spoiling anything, my hands are almost literally tied. I wish I could explain what kind of information is found in each player’s materials, and what the locker contains, and even a little of the story, but in doing so I fear I would spoil at least SOMETHING. That’s not what I’m about, so unfortunately, this portion of the review will need to remain a mystery. Apologies, but it benefits you this way.
Components. Inside this box is a bunch of folios and envelopes and one of the coolest components I’ve ever seen in a game box: a fully-formed and padlocked personal locker. Yes, one could easily tear the cardboard locker apart to get to the materials inside, but what kind of monster would do such a thing? I have no problems with any of the components, and the artwork throughout is excellent.
The game itself is also incredibly solid. We really had no idea what to expect going into this one, but were pleasantly surprised with the included puzzles and deductions. There were many times when we just HAD to exchange folios and information belonging to the individual player because we just needed a second set of eyes on it. There is a lot of stuff going on in this box, and it definitely was a great time playing.
However, this game is one of those that is a one-and-done play, because once you have played through it, it is impossible to replay with the same components. Renegade Games does provide a recharge pack, of sorts, so that the game may be enjoyed by another group, but I have not checked into that, so I will not comment on it. I believe our scores are indicative of the great time we had, but the fact that we are unable to play it again, and that is both a very very cool feature, but also very saddening. We would love to be able to salvage some components and have a different scenario be made from them, but alas, we are not designers, so we have not yet figured out how.
The official recommendation here is that everyone should definitely try this one. If you are a fan of mystery games and games that have interesting themes and mechanics working together, then this is a no-brainer. Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a nostalgic 12 / 18. If it were replayable in any fashion that would not rehash the same story, this would easily earn a higher rating from us. That said, we are very much looking forward to trying the other game(s) in the series as they release. So come on back to high school and join your friends for the High School Hijinks that are certain to be a good time.
Merissa (12594 KP) rated Escaping Exile (Escape Trilogy #1) in Books
Oct 19, 2018
Escaping Exile (Escape Trilogy #1) by Sara Dobie Bauer
Escaping Exile is the first story in a planned trilogy. In this excerpt, we are introduced to Andrew and Edmund. Andrew is a vampire in exile on a tropical island, whereas Edmund is a ship-wrecked naturalist. We find out more about Andrew's life in a series of flashbacks, whilst Edmund recites his to Andrew. As well as a vampire to contend with, both men have to deal with sharing the island with cannibals, who are very interested in 'fresh' meat.
It is for books like this, that I wish I did half stars! I have swung from 3 to 4, and back again. Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed the story, and the backgrounds of those involved, I would have like a bit more detail of the era concerned. All that is really mentioned, all that is really needed to be mentioned on a tropical island mind you, is the clothing. However, I would like to know more about the era they both live in now, what their past home lives were like, things like that.
That being said, this was a thoroughly enjoyable story, with plenty of other details given, and plenty of chemistry between the two main characters. It was great to see Andrew's attitude changing, and the reasons for it. This finishes HFN, but don't panic, there are still two more installments to come.
A well paced story that is definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
It is for books like this, that I wish I did half stars! I have swung from 3 to 4, and back again. Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed the story, and the backgrounds of those involved, I would have like a bit more detail of the era concerned. All that is really mentioned, all that is really needed to be mentioned on a tropical island mind you, is the clothing. However, I would like to know more about the era they both live in now, what their past home lives were like, things like that.
That being said, this was a thoroughly enjoyable story, with plenty of other details given, and plenty of chemistry between the two main characters. It was great to see Andrew's attitude changing, and the reasons for it. This finishes HFN, but don't panic, there are still two more installments to come.
A well paced story that is definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Ian McCulloch recommended Raw Power by The Stooges in Music (curated)
Alex Kapranos recommended track Le Pastie de la Bourgeoisie (with Belle And Sebastian) by Belle & Sebastian in Push Barman to Open Old Wounds by Belle & Sebastian in Music (curated)
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Treasure Hunter in Tabletop Games
Jun 28, 2019
Indiana Jones. Lara Croft. Benjamin Franklin Gates. These were all great treasure hunters. All of them had to overcome incredible riddles, curses, traps, and death-craving dark places to claim their loot. In Treasure Hunter you will be searching for your treasures using mules, scarecrows, and locals in a frozen tundra, a jungle, and a volcano. So, like, exactly the same as Indy and Tomb Raider and the dude from National Treasure.
Obviously I am making light of the theme of this card drafting, set collection, hand management game from Queen Games, but it’s just so fun to imagine yourself as a genuine treasure hunter. DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES??
DISCLAIMER: There are several expansions to this game, but we are not reviewing them at this time. Should we review them in the future we will either update this review or post a link to the new material here. -T
To setup the game, shuffle the cards and the treasure tiles and place them in their respective resting spots. Place a treasure tile on the MIN and MAX sections of each terrain type on the main board. Assign three goblin tiles to their spots on the cave sections of the main board to be dealt with after your adventure round. Each player receives 15 starting gold to begin their adventure. Deal each player nine cards and you are ready to begin!
To start the game, look at the hand of cards that were dealt, choose one and pass the rest to the leftmost neighbor. This should be familiar if you have ever played any other card drafting game (like Sushi Go!, 7 Wonders, etc). Once you have your complete hand of nine cards you drafted, the hunt may begin. During you draft phase you will have already assessed the main board and decided how you would like your draft to go – do want the maximum red treasure? The minimum blue treasure? All the dogs?? Each terrain type will be scored in order from top down, so whomever has amassed the minimum number of blue values will receive the tile on the MIN section of the tundra, while they who gathered the most value in blue cards will receive the MAX tile. There are cards that can affect your values using a +/- mechanic so that you can hopefully come in the victor on your chosen field.
Once the main treasure hunt is complete and everyone has their treasure tiles, you must figuratively store your treasures in the cave. Predictably, goblins will visit your cave to try to steal your goods, so I hope you had drafted some guard dogs in the first phase of the game to protect your shinies. If not, you will be parting with some of your gold (which are ultimately VPs)! At the end of five rounds following this structure, and reversing draft direction, you flip over the main board to reveal the scoreboard where you can record your earnings (findings?) and determine victory for the greatest Treasure Hunter!
Components: this game comes with a good amount of components – just the way I like it. The main board, treasure tiles, money chits, and goblin tiles are all thick cardboard that are of great Queen Games quality. The cards are great quality too. I really like the double-sided game board that also serves as score board. Another great component collection from Queen Games!
Ok, so I really like this game a lot. I received this game from my wife, who has an uncanny ability to choose games for me that are not on my wish list, but that end up being simply wonderful (see Azul, Saboteur). I really enjoy card drafting games, and when you can go into a draft with a strategy that just is completely obliterated by someone else’s draft is unpredictable fun! So many times I have played this and just KNEW that my 2 of Red was going to win me the MIN tile. But then my opponent busts out a 3 of Red with a -2 card and snags it away from me. It can be frustrating, but it’s also just a testament to really good drafting and counter-strategy. Using the guard dogs to scare off goblins is cool, and the goblin tiles provide you with VPs too. I know it’s kinda kooky and silly, but I really enjoy this one. Richard Garfield has another hit on his hands for me, and I’m not the only one who recognizes it. Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a sneaky 14 / 18.
Obviously I am making light of the theme of this card drafting, set collection, hand management game from Queen Games, but it’s just so fun to imagine yourself as a genuine treasure hunter. DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES??
DISCLAIMER: There are several expansions to this game, but we are not reviewing them at this time. Should we review them in the future we will either update this review or post a link to the new material here. -T
To setup the game, shuffle the cards and the treasure tiles and place them in their respective resting spots. Place a treasure tile on the MIN and MAX sections of each terrain type on the main board. Assign three goblin tiles to their spots on the cave sections of the main board to be dealt with after your adventure round. Each player receives 15 starting gold to begin their adventure. Deal each player nine cards and you are ready to begin!
To start the game, look at the hand of cards that were dealt, choose one and pass the rest to the leftmost neighbor. This should be familiar if you have ever played any other card drafting game (like Sushi Go!, 7 Wonders, etc). Once you have your complete hand of nine cards you drafted, the hunt may begin. During you draft phase you will have already assessed the main board and decided how you would like your draft to go – do want the maximum red treasure? The minimum blue treasure? All the dogs?? Each terrain type will be scored in order from top down, so whomever has amassed the minimum number of blue values will receive the tile on the MIN section of the tundra, while they who gathered the most value in blue cards will receive the MAX tile. There are cards that can affect your values using a +/- mechanic so that you can hopefully come in the victor on your chosen field.
Once the main treasure hunt is complete and everyone has their treasure tiles, you must figuratively store your treasures in the cave. Predictably, goblins will visit your cave to try to steal your goods, so I hope you had drafted some guard dogs in the first phase of the game to protect your shinies. If not, you will be parting with some of your gold (which are ultimately VPs)! At the end of five rounds following this structure, and reversing draft direction, you flip over the main board to reveal the scoreboard where you can record your earnings (findings?) and determine victory for the greatest Treasure Hunter!
Components: this game comes with a good amount of components – just the way I like it. The main board, treasure tiles, money chits, and goblin tiles are all thick cardboard that are of great Queen Games quality. The cards are great quality too. I really like the double-sided game board that also serves as score board. Another great component collection from Queen Games!
Ok, so I really like this game a lot. I received this game from my wife, who has an uncanny ability to choose games for me that are not on my wish list, but that end up being simply wonderful (see Azul, Saboteur). I really enjoy card drafting games, and when you can go into a draft with a strategy that just is completely obliterated by someone else’s draft is unpredictable fun! So many times I have played this and just KNEW that my 2 of Red was going to win me the MIN tile. But then my opponent busts out a 3 of Red with a -2 card and snags it away from me. It can be frustrating, but it’s also just a testament to really good drafting and counter-strategy. Using the guard dogs to scare off goblins is cool, and the goblin tiles provide you with VPs too. I know it’s kinda kooky and silly, but I really enjoy this one. Richard Garfield has another hit on his hands for me, and I’m not the only one who recognizes it. Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a sneaky 14 / 18.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Art Therapy Colouring Book in Books
Dec 14, 2018
Doodle and colour your stress away!
See <a href="https://hazelstainer.wordpress.com/2016/02/12/art-therapy-an-anti-stress-colouring-book/">here</a>; and <a href="https://hazelstainer.wordpress.com/2016/04/01/a-middle-fingers-perspective/">here</a>; for image examples:
I was given a copy of this colouring book, Art Therapy, for Christmas a couple of years ago, before they became the latest craze. It was not until during the past half a year that I seriously got into colouring. Some people scoff and ridicule the idea that colouring can relieve stress, however, in my experience, it really can!
This particular book contains drawings from three different illustrators: Hannah Davies, Richard Merritt and Cindy Wilde; however you would not know it as all the pages are a similar style. The images range from animals, flowers and objects, to basic and complicated patterns.
With hundreds of colouring books to choose from, what makes Art Therapy, and others from the same series, different from the rest? Firstly, most of the patterns have been started for you. Some people may argue this is a negative point, yet I find it quite useful. I use the starting colours as a theme to stick to throughout the page (see above for examples). I like structure and rule following therefore this is a great book for me. Secondly, the book is split into to halves: images and patterns to colour in, and unfinished images and patterns. The second part of the book allows the owner of the book to finish the outlines of the colouring pages however they wish before colouring them in. This helps to nurture and develop illustration skills. I have not attempted these pages yet as I am moving through the book methodically (I did say I like structure and rule following!), I will post examples at a later date.
The paper quality is extremely good, a lot better than many other colouring books I have come across. Even though I do not use them (I only use pencils), this book should be suitable for felt tip pens – although I would avoid Sharpies, they go through everything!
Now the downside… it is a hardback. Not the easiest to colour in with it on your lap whilst watching television (although I manage some how). I have only completed 21 pages so far and I am already worried that it is going to fall apart. Having said that, the other day I noticed that The Works were selling a paper back version! Perhaps invest in that format if you are thinking of buying this book.
See <a href="https://hazelstainer.wordpress.com/2016/02/12/art-therapy-an-anti-stress-colouring-book/">here</a>; and <a href="https://hazelstainer.wordpress.com/2016/04/01/a-middle-fingers-perspective/">here</a>; for image examples:
I was given a copy of this colouring book, Art Therapy, for Christmas a couple of years ago, before they became the latest craze. It was not until during the past half a year that I seriously got into colouring. Some people scoff and ridicule the idea that colouring can relieve stress, however, in my experience, it really can!
This particular book contains drawings from three different illustrators: Hannah Davies, Richard Merritt and Cindy Wilde; however you would not know it as all the pages are a similar style. The images range from animals, flowers and objects, to basic and complicated patterns.
With hundreds of colouring books to choose from, what makes Art Therapy, and others from the same series, different from the rest? Firstly, most of the patterns have been started for you. Some people may argue this is a negative point, yet I find it quite useful. I use the starting colours as a theme to stick to throughout the page (see above for examples). I like structure and rule following therefore this is a great book for me. Secondly, the book is split into to halves: images and patterns to colour in, and unfinished images and patterns. The second part of the book allows the owner of the book to finish the outlines of the colouring pages however they wish before colouring them in. This helps to nurture and develop illustration skills. I have not attempted these pages yet as I am moving through the book methodically (I did say I like structure and rule following!), I will post examples at a later date.
The paper quality is extremely good, a lot better than many other colouring books I have come across. Even though I do not use them (I only use pencils), this book should be suitable for felt tip pens – although I would avoid Sharpies, they go through everything!
Now the downside… it is a hardback. Not the easiest to colour in with it on your lap whilst watching television (although I manage some how). I have only completed 21 pages so far and I am already worried that it is going to fall apart. Having said that, the other day I noticed that The Works were selling a paper back version! Perhaps invest in that format if you are thinking of buying this book.