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Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Holi: Festival of Colors in Tabletop Games
Apr 16, 2022
I absolutely love a beautiful game. Being a gamer, I have seen and played many gorgeous games. However, the first time I set up Holi: Festival of Colors (just Holi from here), both my 5 year old son and my slightly older mother-in-law both commented on how awesome it looked setup on the table. It has been a while since I last was so impressed by the sheer glamour of a game – and I only have the base retail version! I HAVE to get my hands on an upgrade pack or something… Just checked. I’ll have to buy the Deluxe version. Okay, placing order.
Holi is an abstract, area control, card-driven action selection (akin to Onitama) game for two to four players. In it, players are attendees at the Holi Festival and the goal is spread their favorite color onto the plaza and other players in order to increase their joy (earn VP). The winner is the player who is best able to throw their color and score joy, all while enjoying the festival!
To setup, the game owner will assemble the three-tiered board and place the appropriate sweets tokens on their spaces. The score track and Rivalry cards are set nearby so all can see. Each player receives their color’s player markers (in four delightful animal shapes), color tokens, color cards, and a helper card. The first player receives the cool lotus flower (I think) marker and the game may begin!
Holi is played over a series of turns, and continues until every player has either run out of color tokens or color cards to play. Each turn, players will take one to three actions in any order, with only one action being absolutely mandatory. This is the Throw Color action. In order to Throw Color, the active player will choose a color card from their hand of three cards to play. On these cards are indications of where a player’s marker/piece/animeeple must be located and the spaces near it to throw color tokens on the board. These color cards are reminiscent of those found in Onitama, where players may only move to specific spaces based on card grid iconography. Players will be littering the squares of the play area with their color tokens as well as attempting to hit other players’ animeeples with their color.
Players may also optionally Move at any point during the turn. This is an easy one: players may Move to any space on the current level of the board they are on, except any space inhabited by an opponent’s animeeple. These spaces could already contain sweets tokens, which can be collected by the player, or even color tokens. When a player lands in a space with their own color token, they take it back to their supply to be used again. However, landing on an opponent’s color token causes the active player to also take it into their supply, thus scoring the opponent points at the end of the game.
Finally, a player, if in a space surrounded on four edges by color tokens, may Climb Up to the next higher level. Players on the middle level will score 2 joy (VP) at the end of the game for each color token placed, while tokens on the top level will score 3 joy. Care should be taken when throwing color on the upper levels, because should an empty space reside on the level below where the token has been placed, the token will fall through to the lower level! Therefore, only color tokens will only remain placed on higher levels when another token is blocking its fall below it.
Once all players have played their cards and thrown their color tokens, the game is over and the score is tallied. 1 point is earned for each color token on the bottom level, 2 points for the middle level, and 3 points for tokens on the upper level. Players score 2 more points for each of their color tokens that found their way into opponents’ supplies. Remember those sweets tokens that players were collecting? Players will score 5 points for every player that has less sweets tokens at the end of the game. If playing with the Rivalry cards, points are also scored for any of their special circumstances (ie color tokens scoring 4 instead of 3 on the top level, or hitting opponents with colors score 2 points immediately instead of the normal 1 point, or even 10 bonus points to the player with the most color tokens on the bottom level). The player with the most points at the end of this scoring phase wins the game!
Components. I kind of already made my point about this game being a flat out stunner on the table. I will sing its praises from here to India and then back again. I normally acknowledge the artist(s) on a game once I open it for the first time, but seeing that this is a total Vincent Dutrait masterpiece, I just had to see which other games of his I own. I have made my claims in the past for my favorite board game artists and I had not included Dutrait. No more. This is brilliant and just a wonderful experience throughout. The components are all great, and that multi-layered board? I mean, come on! The intricacies found throughout and within this box are immeasurable, and I will surely be adding the Deluxe version to my collection.
Holi is a game I can pull out with almost any person or group of people and feel confident that it will give an extremely satisfying experience. The rules are relatively simple, and games are very quick. This is not a filler, but runs so smoothly and briskly that one may miscategorize it as such. The options of movement are so unrestricted, and having the ability to craft spatial situations with the cards in your hand to allow only your animeeple to climb up to the next level is just delicious. Speaking of, the sweets tokens, and really ALL of the components, are just so cute and well-illustrated. I really am finding it difficult to point out any flaws in this game. Every time I have played it I have simply had the best time with my opponents. Yeah, there’s some minor take that, but it’s all in good fun, and if you know anything about the actual celebration of Holi, participants relish coming home just covered head to toe in paint, colored water, and other colorful materials. It’s a great theme that shines through, and I look forward to each of my coming plays.
Currently, eight games we have published reviews for have earned the Golden Feather Award. At the time of this writing, I know one other will be joining that list soon, and now Holi will as well. So that is 10 total games over the 495 we have published and are sitting in queue to be published. That said, it is no surprise, I’m sure, that Holi has earned its spot among the best we have played, and I am incredibly relieved that I was able to grab a copy when I did. This will remain a favorite of mine for many years, I know it. If you are like me and appreciate an amazing production value with a comparably wonderful game underneath, then you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy of Holi as soon as you can. Or come play my copy with me. I will always be up for a play.
Holi is an abstract, area control, card-driven action selection (akin to Onitama) game for two to four players. In it, players are attendees at the Holi Festival and the goal is spread their favorite color onto the plaza and other players in order to increase their joy (earn VP). The winner is the player who is best able to throw their color and score joy, all while enjoying the festival!
To setup, the game owner will assemble the three-tiered board and place the appropriate sweets tokens on their spaces. The score track and Rivalry cards are set nearby so all can see. Each player receives their color’s player markers (in four delightful animal shapes), color tokens, color cards, and a helper card. The first player receives the cool lotus flower (I think) marker and the game may begin!
Holi is played over a series of turns, and continues until every player has either run out of color tokens or color cards to play. Each turn, players will take one to three actions in any order, with only one action being absolutely mandatory. This is the Throw Color action. In order to Throw Color, the active player will choose a color card from their hand of three cards to play. On these cards are indications of where a player’s marker/piece/animeeple must be located and the spaces near it to throw color tokens on the board. These color cards are reminiscent of those found in Onitama, where players may only move to specific spaces based on card grid iconography. Players will be littering the squares of the play area with their color tokens as well as attempting to hit other players’ animeeples with their color.
Players may also optionally Move at any point during the turn. This is an easy one: players may Move to any space on the current level of the board they are on, except any space inhabited by an opponent’s animeeple. These spaces could already contain sweets tokens, which can be collected by the player, or even color tokens. When a player lands in a space with their own color token, they take it back to their supply to be used again. However, landing on an opponent’s color token causes the active player to also take it into their supply, thus scoring the opponent points at the end of the game.
Finally, a player, if in a space surrounded on four edges by color tokens, may Climb Up to the next higher level. Players on the middle level will score 2 joy (VP) at the end of the game for each color token placed, while tokens on the top level will score 3 joy. Care should be taken when throwing color on the upper levels, because should an empty space reside on the level below where the token has been placed, the token will fall through to the lower level! Therefore, only color tokens will only remain placed on higher levels when another token is blocking its fall below it.
Once all players have played their cards and thrown their color tokens, the game is over and the score is tallied. 1 point is earned for each color token on the bottom level, 2 points for the middle level, and 3 points for tokens on the upper level. Players score 2 more points for each of their color tokens that found their way into opponents’ supplies. Remember those sweets tokens that players were collecting? Players will score 5 points for every player that has less sweets tokens at the end of the game. If playing with the Rivalry cards, points are also scored for any of their special circumstances (ie color tokens scoring 4 instead of 3 on the top level, or hitting opponents with colors score 2 points immediately instead of the normal 1 point, or even 10 bonus points to the player with the most color tokens on the bottom level). The player with the most points at the end of this scoring phase wins the game!
Components. I kind of already made my point about this game being a flat out stunner on the table. I will sing its praises from here to India and then back again. I normally acknowledge the artist(s) on a game once I open it for the first time, but seeing that this is a total Vincent Dutrait masterpiece, I just had to see which other games of his I own. I have made my claims in the past for my favorite board game artists and I had not included Dutrait. No more. This is brilliant and just a wonderful experience throughout. The components are all great, and that multi-layered board? I mean, come on! The intricacies found throughout and within this box are immeasurable, and I will surely be adding the Deluxe version to my collection.
Holi is a game I can pull out with almost any person or group of people and feel confident that it will give an extremely satisfying experience. The rules are relatively simple, and games are very quick. This is not a filler, but runs so smoothly and briskly that one may miscategorize it as such. The options of movement are so unrestricted, and having the ability to craft spatial situations with the cards in your hand to allow only your animeeple to climb up to the next level is just delicious. Speaking of, the sweets tokens, and really ALL of the components, are just so cute and well-illustrated. I really am finding it difficult to point out any flaws in this game. Every time I have played it I have simply had the best time with my opponents. Yeah, there’s some minor take that, but it’s all in good fun, and if you know anything about the actual celebration of Holi, participants relish coming home just covered head to toe in paint, colored water, and other colorful materials. It’s a great theme that shines through, and I look forward to each of my coming plays.
Currently, eight games we have published reviews for have earned the Golden Feather Award. At the time of this writing, I know one other will be joining that list soon, and now Holi will as well. So that is 10 total games over the 495 we have published and are sitting in queue to be published. That said, it is no surprise, I’m sure, that Holi has earned its spot among the best we have played, and I am incredibly relieved that I was able to grab a copy when I did. This will remain a favorite of mine for many years, I know it. If you are like me and appreciate an amazing production value with a comparably wonderful game underneath, then you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy of Holi as soon as you can. Or come play my copy with me. I will always be up for a play.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated The Bloody Inn in Tabletop Games
Feb 12, 2022
It’s cliche to post a game review like this so near to Halloween, so I will probably hold off on that. However, what a perfect game to go along with the macabre tone of the Halloween season! Get this: you and your family own a motel in a small town where many travelers stop to rest. You are strapped for cash, so what is a logical step in achieving wealth? Of course! Murdering and robbing your customers upon their stays! No? Not a typical business model? Unsustainable? Pfft. You just aren’t robbing the right customers…
The Bloody Inn is a card-drafting, hand management, horror game of recruiting accomplices and having them carry out dastardly deeds to secure the most money at the end of the game. In it, players take on the roles of one of the inn’s staff members and control pawns in their evil schemes in order to swindle and kill for mountains of francs (it’s set in France, pre-Euro).
To setup, place the main board on the table, give each player the components of their color choice, two Peasant cards, a 10 franc (f) check, and a player aid card. The “traveler deck” is assembled and shuffled per the rules, and placed on the Entrance side of the board. Players choose one room to place a key token in their color, and several gray neutral key tokens are placed in other rooms. Unsuspecting travelers will be staying in these rooms each night. Per the rules, the greediest player is given the first player card and the mischief may begin!
The Bloody Inn is played over several rounds, and each round has players completing three phases: Welcome Travelers, Player Actions, and End of Round. Players will Welcome Travelers to signify the start of the round by the first player drawing one card from the deck at a time and choosing in which room they will be placed.
After Travelers have been welcomed and turn in for the evening, the second phase may begin: Player Actions. In turn order players will be able to perform two actions each round. Players may choose from five different actions, and actions can be repeated for the second action of the round. Players may Bribe a Guest by discarding cards from hand equal to the printed value on the target card’s front. Initially all players simply employ the two starter Peasants, so Bribing is only performed on cards that show a value of 0-2. When a player Bribes a guest, they essentially spend cards from hand to recruit the new guest to their employ. These new employees (accomplices) are then available to be used on future actions. One or two Peasants may also be Bribed from the bistro, adding to a player’s hand of usable human resources.
A player may instead choose to Kill a Guest by similarly discarding the appropriate number of accomplices and adding the freshly-slain guest to their tableau, face-down. The card backs feature a coffin with their “rank” (action number) printed on it. Corpses normally cause no issues, but they will need to be buried under an Annex in order to collect the money in their pockets. Players may use an action to Build an Annex by discarding the appropriate number of accomplices and using a card from hand to build and staff the Annex. Annexes can be used for the action printed on the card bottom, and/or as a housing for corpses, with the Corpses being sent to any player’s Annex via the Bury a Corpse action. Discard the requisite number of accomplices to bury a corpse, and avoid suspicion from the Law.
If none of these actions are attractive to the player, or if they simply wish, they may instead Pass and launder money from the village notary. To do this, either reduce the number of francs from the Wealth Track on the main board in order to gain a 10f check, or turn in a check for 10f on the Wealth Track.
Once all players have taken their two actions, the End of Round is performed. Firstly, if any Travelers remain belonging to the Police type (signified by pistol icons on the top of the card), they will conduct an investigation, finding any unburied corpses. Should a corpse be found in this way, the owning player will need to pay 10f for the local undertaker to dispose of the body respectfully. This not only costs the player 10f, but also the amount of money that could have been gained if they had only buried them or dealt with the Police traveler prior. Next, the Travelers who remain all wake up feeling refreshed and leave the inn by being placed in the discard pile. Once the board has been cleared of all Travelers, accomplices must be paid their wages for their help. For each accomplice in hand, the players must pay 1f from the Wealth Track.
Play continues in this fashion until the main Traveler deck has been depleted twice. Then, players add up their francs and the player with the most in francs and checks is the winner, and just the greatest little murderer/robber/briber in all the land!
Components. This game really has a modest amount of components, but they are all similarly great quality. The main board acts as the inn’s room display, the Wealth Track, AND the bistro (where Peasants are discarded, as opposed to being placed in the normal discard pile). I love when components pull double or triple duty. That said, the player aids not only remind the players of the phases and actions from which they may choose, but it also provides the player with a starter Annex that can be used to bury their first corpse! HOW COOL IS THAT?! However, the greatest thing that stands out in regards to the components is the overall look and feel of the game. The character artist for this one is Weberson Santiago, and he has also illustrated games such as the new Quest (the new version of The Resistance: Avalon), Coup, and the new Whirling Witchcraft. I adore his art style, even though I shouldn’t. My typical preference of character art is semi-realism (like that of Kwanchai Moriya), but this style is really unique and perfectly applied to the theme. Great matchup of artist and game here. I do have one silly wish for this game: PLEASE change the player colors. I mean, I am so tired of having the choice between red, blue, green, and yellow. Take a Cue from my good friend Scott Brady and use one of the more interesting color choices. I mean, even to fit in with the theme here a more appropriate palette could include a brown, black, orange, and yellow or something. Be bold!!
I knew right away that this was a great game for me. Yes, the theme is super dark and macabre, which is rare for me to enjoy, but I would only play this with adults anyway so I am unbothered by it. However, the puzzle that lies within this box is one that I thoroughly enjoy solving every round. What I neglected to mention up top is the fact that when actions are taken (Bribing, Killing, Building Annexes, and Burying Corpses) if you happen to have certain card types in hand, then the cost of discards is reduced by the number of cards present. For example, if I were to Bribe a Police card from the rooms in my first action, they have an affinity for killing (messed up, I know) and will thus help me to perform a Kill action on the next turn by reducing the number of accomplices I would need to discard for that action. Side benefit: by taking the Police Travelers off the board, they then will not perform their investigations in the morning.
Another aspect I truly enjoy about The Bloody Inn is that many cards have that dual-purpose mechanic I appreciate. The player aid is also an Annex. Brilliant! Many of the Annex cards can also offer one-time or recurring powers. It’s just so satisfying to grab cards that can combo well with each other in order to fulfill your evil plans. Every card is important, and when they can offer more than one benefit, I am a happy gamer.
I cannot express how happy I am to have decided to purchase this one. I have seen the BGG ratings and rankings, but always thought I wouldn’t like it due to its very adult theme, but boy was I wrong! This is one of the best games I have played recently and I hope to even bling it out a bit, maybe even with new player colors like I suggested earlier. Laura and my wife were able to join me for this one and they agree with me – this one is excellent and definitely worth consideration into anyone’s collection. Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a dastardly 15 / 18. Yeah, it’s perfect for Halloweentime, but also for ANY time. If you are looking for something a little grim and grisly with lighter rules and lots of interesting choices, you need to check out The Bloody Inn. Grab lots of Police cards and go on a killing spree for me!
The Bloody Inn is a card-drafting, hand management, horror game of recruiting accomplices and having them carry out dastardly deeds to secure the most money at the end of the game. In it, players take on the roles of one of the inn’s staff members and control pawns in their evil schemes in order to swindle and kill for mountains of francs (it’s set in France, pre-Euro).
To setup, place the main board on the table, give each player the components of their color choice, two Peasant cards, a 10 franc (f) check, and a player aid card. The “traveler deck” is assembled and shuffled per the rules, and placed on the Entrance side of the board. Players choose one room to place a key token in their color, and several gray neutral key tokens are placed in other rooms. Unsuspecting travelers will be staying in these rooms each night. Per the rules, the greediest player is given the first player card and the mischief may begin!
The Bloody Inn is played over several rounds, and each round has players completing three phases: Welcome Travelers, Player Actions, and End of Round. Players will Welcome Travelers to signify the start of the round by the first player drawing one card from the deck at a time and choosing in which room they will be placed.
After Travelers have been welcomed and turn in for the evening, the second phase may begin: Player Actions. In turn order players will be able to perform two actions each round. Players may choose from five different actions, and actions can be repeated for the second action of the round. Players may Bribe a Guest by discarding cards from hand equal to the printed value on the target card’s front. Initially all players simply employ the two starter Peasants, so Bribing is only performed on cards that show a value of 0-2. When a player Bribes a guest, they essentially spend cards from hand to recruit the new guest to their employ. These new employees (accomplices) are then available to be used on future actions. One or two Peasants may also be Bribed from the bistro, adding to a player’s hand of usable human resources.
A player may instead choose to Kill a Guest by similarly discarding the appropriate number of accomplices and adding the freshly-slain guest to their tableau, face-down. The card backs feature a coffin with their “rank” (action number) printed on it. Corpses normally cause no issues, but they will need to be buried under an Annex in order to collect the money in their pockets. Players may use an action to Build an Annex by discarding the appropriate number of accomplices and using a card from hand to build and staff the Annex. Annexes can be used for the action printed on the card bottom, and/or as a housing for corpses, with the Corpses being sent to any player’s Annex via the Bury a Corpse action. Discard the requisite number of accomplices to bury a corpse, and avoid suspicion from the Law.
If none of these actions are attractive to the player, or if they simply wish, they may instead Pass and launder money from the village notary. To do this, either reduce the number of francs from the Wealth Track on the main board in order to gain a 10f check, or turn in a check for 10f on the Wealth Track.
Once all players have taken their two actions, the End of Round is performed. Firstly, if any Travelers remain belonging to the Police type (signified by pistol icons on the top of the card), they will conduct an investigation, finding any unburied corpses. Should a corpse be found in this way, the owning player will need to pay 10f for the local undertaker to dispose of the body respectfully. This not only costs the player 10f, but also the amount of money that could have been gained if they had only buried them or dealt with the Police traveler prior. Next, the Travelers who remain all wake up feeling refreshed and leave the inn by being placed in the discard pile. Once the board has been cleared of all Travelers, accomplices must be paid their wages for their help. For each accomplice in hand, the players must pay 1f from the Wealth Track.
Play continues in this fashion until the main Traveler deck has been depleted twice. Then, players add up their francs and the player with the most in francs and checks is the winner, and just the greatest little murderer/robber/briber in all the land!
Components. This game really has a modest amount of components, but they are all similarly great quality. The main board acts as the inn’s room display, the Wealth Track, AND the bistro (where Peasants are discarded, as opposed to being placed in the normal discard pile). I love when components pull double or triple duty. That said, the player aids not only remind the players of the phases and actions from which they may choose, but it also provides the player with a starter Annex that can be used to bury their first corpse! HOW COOL IS THAT?! However, the greatest thing that stands out in regards to the components is the overall look and feel of the game. The character artist for this one is Weberson Santiago, and he has also illustrated games such as the new Quest (the new version of The Resistance: Avalon), Coup, and the new Whirling Witchcraft. I adore his art style, even though I shouldn’t. My typical preference of character art is semi-realism (like that of Kwanchai Moriya), but this style is really unique and perfectly applied to the theme. Great matchup of artist and game here. I do have one silly wish for this game: PLEASE change the player colors. I mean, I am so tired of having the choice between red, blue, green, and yellow. Take a Cue from my good friend Scott Brady and use one of the more interesting color choices. I mean, even to fit in with the theme here a more appropriate palette could include a brown, black, orange, and yellow or something. Be bold!!
I knew right away that this was a great game for me. Yes, the theme is super dark and macabre, which is rare for me to enjoy, but I would only play this with adults anyway so I am unbothered by it. However, the puzzle that lies within this box is one that I thoroughly enjoy solving every round. What I neglected to mention up top is the fact that when actions are taken (Bribing, Killing, Building Annexes, and Burying Corpses) if you happen to have certain card types in hand, then the cost of discards is reduced by the number of cards present. For example, if I were to Bribe a Police card from the rooms in my first action, they have an affinity for killing (messed up, I know) and will thus help me to perform a Kill action on the next turn by reducing the number of accomplices I would need to discard for that action. Side benefit: by taking the Police Travelers off the board, they then will not perform their investigations in the morning.
Another aspect I truly enjoy about The Bloody Inn is that many cards have that dual-purpose mechanic I appreciate. The player aid is also an Annex. Brilliant! Many of the Annex cards can also offer one-time or recurring powers. It’s just so satisfying to grab cards that can combo well with each other in order to fulfill your evil plans. Every card is important, and when they can offer more than one benefit, I am a happy gamer.
I cannot express how happy I am to have decided to purchase this one. I have seen the BGG ratings and rankings, but always thought I wouldn’t like it due to its very adult theme, but boy was I wrong! This is one of the best games I have played recently and I hope to even bling it out a bit, maybe even with new player colors like I suggested earlier. Laura and my wife were able to join me for this one and they agree with me – this one is excellent and definitely worth consideration into anyone’s collection. Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a dastardly 15 / 18. Yeah, it’s perfect for Halloweentime, but also for ANY time. If you are looking for something a little grim and grisly with lighter rules and lots of interesting choices, you need to check out The Bloody Inn. Grab lots of Police cards and go on a killing spree for me!
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Destinies in Tabletop Games
Jan 29, 2022
I can recall so many instances of my board game purchases being based on either the designer, artist, or publisher. Surely I am not alone here. Josh will probably always be a Stonemaier Games fanboy. Laura has aligned herself with Daily Magic Games and Button Shy Games. While I am a big fan of the Valeriaverse, I think my current preferences put me on teams Weird Giraffe Games, Blue Orange Games, and Lucky Duck Games. Speaking of the latter, LDG have come through with some seriously excellent hybrid app-driven games that just wow me every single time. I was definitely a hybrid game naysayer when the first Chronicles of Crime came out, but the more I play them, the more I appreciate the accomplishments. Destinies has now come along to me and it has been some time since I have been this jazzed to play a game over and over and over and over.
Destinies is a hybrid app-driven adventure board game for one to three players. In it, players will be choosing their characters and how to play them, along with the path of their individual destinies across several campaign scenarios. When playing multiplayer, the player who completes their destiny first will win. When playing solo (which is also amazing), the player wins when they successfully complete their destiny.
DISCLAIMER: We are using the Kickstarter version of the game. We do have the expansions from the KS campaign, but will not be using those for this review. Also, we do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rule book, but will describe the overall game flow and major rule set so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth rules, you may purchase a copy from the publisher directly or from your FLGS. -T
Usually I list out the steps to setup a game in this section, but there are so many little items and steps to be taken that I will simply show you, the reader, how a scenario may look once setup. The app will instruct players how to create their character’s stats and which map tiles should be placed out initially. Typically, though, each player will receive a player board, Destiny card (with their character headshot on one side and their Destiny choices on back), two main dice, three effort dice, and one gold coin. Once setup, the app will drive the story along and the players will be rolling dice and making choices in order to win the game or scenario.
Each player will be given their Destiny card with two distinct Destiny paths on the backside. These paths correlate with the current scenario, and the player will be able to choose one of the two given paths to help move their games forward. However, sometimes players will switch their Destiny mid-game due to several factors including successes on previous tasks or current inventory. The only way to win the game is to complete a Destiny, so staying on track is paramount in this open sandbox game – it is incredibly easy to become sidetracked and lose sight of specific tasks to be performed.
Each turn a player may move to a new tile, to previously-explored tiles, or points of interest on specific map tiles. These points of interest could be unique characters to be visited, or more general spaces on the tile represented by tokens. Sometimes visiting a POI (point of interest) will have the player rolling dice to complete tests, initiating trade with the POI NPC, revealing information about their distinct Destiny, or even issuing side quests. Players take their chances by visiting a POI because only one may be visited on a turn. Once a player has moved and visited a POI, their turn is over and the next player’s turn begins.
The most interesting aspect of this game is the experience tracker and results of tests. Player stats are divided between Intelligence, Dexterity, and Power (Strength for my D&D readers). These stats are constantly in flux due to tests and experience, and levels range from 1-12+ on the player board. A player will roll both main dice and any effort dice they wish on each test, and the total result is compared to the discs present on the main player board. One success is counted for each disc’s value equal to or below the rolled result. For example, if the roll is a 6, and the player has a disc on 3 and another on 6 the player counts two successes. Effort dice add values to the rolled result, and one side of these dice depict a star, which counts as one success. Throughout the game players will be moving their skill marker tokens (discs) up and down the tracks. Sometimes this is due to a test being failed or succeeded, but sometimes experience tokens are earned. A player may improve their skill levels by two total values on the tracks for each experience token discarded. Players may choose which tracks, and may maximize their character’s skill or spread out the experience across multiple skills.
Play continues in this fashion of referencing the app for story and plot items, players working toward completing their Destinies, and adventuring across the land rolling tests and improving skills until one player finishes their Destiny and wins the game!
Components. As always, I am going to be honest here by stating I believe that Destinies packs the box with the best components I have seen in a game. The multi-layered insert is perfectly formed and well-thought out, all the cardboard tokens are super-thick, the dice are so fun to handle and roll, the cards and other components feature incredible artwork, and did I mention there’s about a thousand minis in this game? I am reluctant to even call some of these things minis as they are large and in charge for SURE. I have zero complaints or comments on the components present in Destinies. Lucky Duck knocks it out of the park once again. Incredible.
I actually backed this one on Kickstarter just because it comes from Lucky Duck Games. I had played Chronicles of Crime and loved it, and just wanted to try something different but using a similar system. Typically I don’t keep up with the comments and updates to a game I have backed because I enjoy being surprised by the product that arrives at my door. Destinies was certainly a surprise to me, and I have been kicking myself in the butt for not getting it to the table the very first day I received it.
Destinies is my favorite Lucky Duck Games title, and that is saying a ton, as I rave about every game of theirs I have played. I hope you all back me up here, and if you haven’t yet tried this one, I hope you visit your closest friend or board game cafe that owns it. The tutorial scenario is great, and the campaign scenarios have been awesome so far. Okay, yes, when I first played it with Laura, my wife made several comments about it being a 3 hour game, but once that first one is completed, the subsequent plays run much smoother.
What I love so much about this is how indefinitely expandable it is. Most of the components are multi-use (akin to all the character cards in the Chronicles of Crime games), and can be used in campaign after campaign. The drawbacks I see for this, though, is any sort of waning interest in it forcing designers to abandon plans to create more scenarios. Could a new scenario pack be an acceptable expansion versus a large expansion box with oodles of new components and minis? I think so, but I am no designer. Could the Millennium Series treatment be given to Destinies? Absolutely! This system does not need to be played in a medieval fantasy world. It could be molded to almost anything, and that gives me excited shivers over the future of this game.
If you are anything like me and have now embraced the hybrid gaming trend, I highly recommend Destinies. I plan to also review all the expansions in the near future, so do look out for those, but please do yourself a giant favor and pick up Destinies. The excellent storytelling, great components, and just amazing fun helps Purple Phoenix Games give this one a perfectly deserved 12 / 12, and a Golden Feather Award! I can’t stop thinking about it and how I would play it differently next time, and hopefully after I have played through the expansion material I will be able to restart from the very beginning with different characters and choices. It’s a sign of a great game when I can’t stop thinking about it, and I do believe Destinies currently is knocking at the door of my Top 10 Games of All Time. No, it’s there. It’s totally there. TOP 10 BABY!!
Destinies is a hybrid app-driven adventure board game for one to three players. In it, players will be choosing their characters and how to play them, along with the path of their individual destinies across several campaign scenarios. When playing multiplayer, the player who completes their destiny first will win. When playing solo (which is also amazing), the player wins when they successfully complete their destiny.
DISCLAIMER: We are using the Kickstarter version of the game. We do have the expansions from the KS campaign, but will not be using those for this review. Also, we do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rule book, but will describe the overall game flow and major rule set so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth rules, you may purchase a copy from the publisher directly or from your FLGS. -T
Usually I list out the steps to setup a game in this section, but there are so many little items and steps to be taken that I will simply show you, the reader, how a scenario may look once setup. The app will instruct players how to create their character’s stats and which map tiles should be placed out initially. Typically, though, each player will receive a player board, Destiny card (with their character headshot on one side and their Destiny choices on back), two main dice, three effort dice, and one gold coin. Once setup, the app will drive the story along and the players will be rolling dice and making choices in order to win the game or scenario.
Each player will be given their Destiny card with two distinct Destiny paths on the backside. These paths correlate with the current scenario, and the player will be able to choose one of the two given paths to help move their games forward. However, sometimes players will switch their Destiny mid-game due to several factors including successes on previous tasks or current inventory. The only way to win the game is to complete a Destiny, so staying on track is paramount in this open sandbox game – it is incredibly easy to become sidetracked and lose sight of specific tasks to be performed.
Each turn a player may move to a new tile, to previously-explored tiles, or points of interest on specific map tiles. These points of interest could be unique characters to be visited, or more general spaces on the tile represented by tokens. Sometimes visiting a POI (point of interest) will have the player rolling dice to complete tests, initiating trade with the POI NPC, revealing information about their distinct Destiny, or even issuing side quests. Players take their chances by visiting a POI because only one may be visited on a turn. Once a player has moved and visited a POI, their turn is over and the next player’s turn begins.
The most interesting aspect of this game is the experience tracker and results of tests. Player stats are divided between Intelligence, Dexterity, and Power (Strength for my D&D readers). These stats are constantly in flux due to tests and experience, and levels range from 1-12+ on the player board. A player will roll both main dice and any effort dice they wish on each test, and the total result is compared to the discs present on the main player board. One success is counted for each disc’s value equal to or below the rolled result. For example, if the roll is a 6, and the player has a disc on 3 and another on 6 the player counts two successes. Effort dice add values to the rolled result, and one side of these dice depict a star, which counts as one success. Throughout the game players will be moving their skill marker tokens (discs) up and down the tracks. Sometimes this is due to a test being failed or succeeded, but sometimes experience tokens are earned. A player may improve their skill levels by two total values on the tracks for each experience token discarded. Players may choose which tracks, and may maximize their character’s skill or spread out the experience across multiple skills.
Play continues in this fashion of referencing the app for story and plot items, players working toward completing their Destinies, and adventuring across the land rolling tests and improving skills until one player finishes their Destiny and wins the game!
Components. As always, I am going to be honest here by stating I believe that Destinies packs the box with the best components I have seen in a game. The multi-layered insert is perfectly formed and well-thought out, all the cardboard tokens are super-thick, the dice are so fun to handle and roll, the cards and other components feature incredible artwork, and did I mention there’s about a thousand minis in this game? I am reluctant to even call some of these things minis as they are large and in charge for SURE. I have zero complaints or comments on the components present in Destinies. Lucky Duck knocks it out of the park once again. Incredible.
I actually backed this one on Kickstarter just because it comes from Lucky Duck Games. I had played Chronicles of Crime and loved it, and just wanted to try something different but using a similar system. Typically I don’t keep up with the comments and updates to a game I have backed because I enjoy being surprised by the product that arrives at my door. Destinies was certainly a surprise to me, and I have been kicking myself in the butt for not getting it to the table the very first day I received it.
Destinies is my favorite Lucky Duck Games title, and that is saying a ton, as I rave about every game of theirs I have played. I hope you all back me up here, and if you haven’t yet tried this one, I hope you visit your closest friend or board game cafe that owns it. The tutorial scenario is great, and the campaign scenarios have been awesome so far. Okay, yes, when I first played it with Laura, my wife made several comments about it being a 3 hour game, but once that first one is completed, the subsequent plays run much smoother.
What I love so much about this is how indefinitely expandable it is. Most of the components are multi-use (akin to all the character cards in the Chronicles of Crime games), and can be used in campaign after campaign. The drawbacks I see for this, though, is any sort of waning interest in it forcing designers to abandon plans to create more scenarios. Could a new scenario pack be an acceptable expansion versus a large expansion box with oodles of new components and minis? I think so, but I am no designer. Could the Millennium Series treatment be given to Destinies? Absolutely! This system does not need to be played in a medieval fantasy world. It could be molded to almost anything, and that gives me excited shivers over the future of this game.
If you are anything like me and have now embraced the hybrid gaming trend, I highly recommend Destinies. I plan to also review all the expansions in the near future, so do look out for those, but please do yourself a giant favor and pick up Destinies. The excellent storytelling, great components, and just amazing fun helps Purple Phoenix Games give this one a perfectly deserved 12 / 12, and a Golden Feather Award! I can’t stop thinking about it and how I would play it differently next time, and hopefully after I have played through the expansion material I will be able to restart from the very beginning with different characters and choices. It’s a sign of a great game when I can’t stop thinking about it, and I do believe Destinies currently is knocking at the door of my Top 10 Games of All Time. No, it’s there. It’s totally there. TOP 10 BABY!!
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Wrong Side of Goodbye (Harry Bosch #19) in Books
Dec 24, 2017
Another excellent entry in a great series
Harry Bosch is retired from his days as a detective with the LAPD, but certainly not from his days investigating crime. Bosch is working for himself, as a private investigator on a referrals only basis, and he's also a reservist with a small police department with a limited budget in San Fernando Valley. When Bosch gets word that a new client, Whitney Vance, wants to hire him, he can't help but be intrigued. Vance is a billionaire and heir to a fortune via his family's company, Advance Engineering. The aging man wants Bosch to track down a supposed heir: when Vance was in college, he had a fling with a young Mexican woman, and believes she had a child. If so, somewhere out there could be a heir to Vance's vast fortune (besides his eager, greedy board). Vance swears Bosch to secrecy, as no one associated with Advance Engineering and the board would be too keen to hear about someone standing in the way of their potential fortune. Meanwhile, in his work at the police department, Bosch is helping his colleagues track down a serial rapist. The suspect seems to be getting more and more bold; can they stop him before he strikes again?
Picking up a Harry Bosch book is always like coming home again, and this one was no exception. Bosch is a well-loved, nuanced, and wonderful character. He is complex and well-written, and I will forever be saddened when Connelly stops writing about him, or Bosch decides to stop investigating crime. I sincerely love him dearly. This novel is Bosch and Connelly at their best: a well-plotted mystery novel backed by Bosch's backstory and ruminating. Bosch is amusing, stubborn, and familiar, and he's also wonderful at his job.
Connelly does an excellent job of telling the tale with Bosch's two disparate cases (Vance and the Screen Cutter rapist); neither seem to overshadow the other, and you don't get confused with both threads going on simultaneously. Both are interesting cases, and Bosch is torn finding time to devote to each, much as the reader is. The story features appearances from Bosch's daughter and Mickey Haller (Bosch's half-brother, and a key character in the Lincoln Lawyer series), which is always fun, too. I was very intrigued by both of Bosch's cases, and Connelly kept me guessing until the end. I find it amazing that he's managed to keep Bosch so relevant and in the game all this time, but I suppose that's a testament to Bosch's skill (and Connelly's).
Overall, this isn't some amazing beyond words mystery, but it's just so well-done, with its dual cases, and features such a wonderful character, that I really loved it. If you haven't read any of Connelly's books, I highly recommend them. I started at the beginning with the Bosch series and certainly didn't regret it. But you could always start with this one, too.
Picking up a Harry Bosch book is always like coming home again, and this one was no exception. Bosch is a well-loved, nuanced, and wonderful character. He is complex and well-written, and I will forever be saddened when Connelly stops writing about him, or Bosch decides to stop investigating crime. I sincerely love him dearly. This novel is Bosch and Connelly at their best: a well-plotted mystery novel backed by Bosch's backstory and ruminating. Bosch is amusing, stubborn, and familiar, and he's also wonderful at his job.
Connelly does an excellent job of telling the tale with Bosch's two disparate cases (Vance and the Screen Cutter rapist); neither seem to overshadow the other, and you don't get confused with both threads going on simultaneously. Both are interesting cases, and Bosch is torn finding time to devote to each, much as the reader is. The story features appearances from Bosch's daughter and Mickey Haller (Bosch's half-brother, and a key character in the Lincoln Lawyer series), which is always fun, too. I was very intrigued by both of Bosch's cases, and Connelly kept me guessing until the end. I find it amazing that he's managed to keep Bosch so relevant and in the game all this time, but I suppose that's a testament to Bosch's skill (and Connelly's).
Overall, this isn't some amazing beyond words mystery, but it's just so well-done, with its dual cases, and features such a wonderful character, that I really loved it. If you haven't read any of Connelly's books, I highly recommend them. I started at the beginning with the Bosch series and certainly didn't regret it. But you could always start with this one, too.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Wrong Side of Goodbye (Harry Bosch #19) in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Harry Bosch is retired from his days as a detective with the LAPD, but certainly not from his days investigating crime. Bosch is working for himself, as a private investigator on a referrals only basis, and he's also a reservist with a small police department with a limited budget in San Fernando Valley. When Bosch gets word that a new client, Whitney Vance, wants to hire him, he can't help but be intrigued. Vance is a billionaire and heir to a fortune via his family's company, Advance Engineering. The aging man wants Bosch to track down a supposed heir: when Vance was in college, he had a fling with a young Mexican woman, and believes she had a child. If so, somewhere out there could be a heir to Vance's vast fortune (besides his eager, greedy board). Vance swears Bosch to secrecy, as no one associated with Advance Engineering and the board would be too keen to hear about someone standing in the way of their potential fortune. Meanwhile, in his work at the police department, Bosch is helping his colleagues track down a serial rapist. The suspect seems to be getting more and more bold; can they stop him before he strikes again?
Picking up a Harry Bosch book is always like coming home again, and this one was no exception. Bosch is a well-loved, nuanced, and wonderful character. He is complex and well-written, and I will forever be saddened when Connelly stops writing about him, or Bosch decides to stop investigating crime. I sincerely love him dearly. This novel is Bosch and Connelly at their best: a well-plotted mystery novel backed by Bosch's backstory and ruminating. Bosch is amusing, stubborn, and familiar, and he's also wonderful at his job.
Connelly does an excellent job of telling the tale with Bosch's two disparate cases (Vance and the Screen Cutter rapist); neither seem to overshadow the other, and you don't get confused with both threads going on simultaneously. Both are interesting cases, and Bosch is torn finding time to devote to each, much as the reader is. The story features appearances from Bosch's daughter and Mickey Haller (Bosch's half-brother, and a key character in the Lincoln Lawyer series), which is always fun, too. I was very intrigued by both of Bosch's cases, and Connelly kept me guessing until the end. I find it amazing that he's managed to keep Bosch so relevant and in the game all this time, but I suppose that's a testament to Bosch's skill (and Connelly's).
Overall, this isn't some amazing beyond words mystery, but it's just so well-done, with its dual cases, and features such a wonderful character, that I really loved it. If you haven't read any of Connelly's books, I highly recommend them. I started at the beginning with the Bosch series and certainly didn't regret it. But you could always start with this one, too. 4.5 stars
Picking up a Harry Bosch book is always like coming home again, and this one was no exception. Bosch is a well-loved, nuanced, and wonderful character. He is complex and well-written, and I will forever be saddened when Connelly stops writing about him, or Bosch decides to stop investigating crime. I sincerely love him dearly. This novel is Bosch and Connelly at their best: a well-plotted mystery novel backed by Bosch's backstory and ruminating. Bosch is amusing, stubborn, and familiar, and he's also wonderful at his job.
Connelly does an excellent job of telling the tale with Bosch's two disparate cases (Vance and the Screen Cutter rapist); neither seem to overshadow the other, and you don't get confused with both threads going on simultaneously. Both are interesting cases, and Bosch is torn finding time to devote to each, much as the reader is. The story features appearances from Bosch's daughter and Mickey Haller (Bosch's half-brother, and a key character in the Lincoln Lawyer series), which is always fun, too. I was very intrigued by both of Bosch's cases, and Connelly kept me guessing until the end. I find it amazing that he's managed to keep Bosch so relevant and in the game all this time, but I suppose that's a testament to Bosch's skill (and Connelly's).
Overall, this isn't some amazing beyond words mystery, but it's just so well-done, with its dual cases, and features such a wonderful character, that I really loved it. If you haven't read any of Connelly's books, I highly recommend them. I started at the beginning with the Bosch series and certainly didn't regret it. But you could always start with this one, too. 4.5 stars
Russell Evans (179 KP) rated Tyrants of the Underdark in Tabletop Games
Feb 24, 2020 (Updated Feb 24, 2020)
Interesting deck building mechanics (3 more)
Several different viable strategic options
Quick paced, easy to learn to play
Great artwork on cards
A quick paced game of fantasy deck building strategy, skilfully mixed with area control
This game mixes up a couple of game genres, but it balances them really well. I brought this game as my teenage son is a D&D fan and we have played it many times now. We’ve enjoyed it, so we also brought the expansion decks – which, for me, is always the sign of a good game. The game is pretty easy to learn, and once you have the grasp of the game mechanics, the turns flow smoothly and quickly. A 3 player game takes us just over an hour to play.
A brief overview of the Game
Each player controls a Drow house in the Underdark, competing to take control by getting the most Victory Points at the end of the game. Victory points are gained from various sources, for example, controlling locations on the board, assassinating your rivals troops, card abilities, cards owned in your deck or promoted.
Each turn the player draws cards from their own deck that determine what they can do in their turn. There are several different strategies you can pursue to try and win – subterfuge, violence, using spies, gathering a powerful deck etc. You can use influence that you gain in the game to buy new cards from the communal market to expand your deck and buy new minions with a range of different abilities. Random card drawers in the market can be frustrating when your opponents get the card you want straight after your turn, but that’s the nature of the game. Some of the cards can seem super–powered but there are several of these, so we find it balances out overall.
The promotion mechanic is rather interesting - it gives you the dilemma of promoting a card to gain increased victory points but means that the card (and its abilities) aren’t available for you to use for rest of the game. Do you hang on to it a bit longer to use that awesome ability and risk the game ending before you can promote that card for loads more victory points?
There are 4 decks included in the base game; Drow, Dragons, Elementals and Demons and they all play very differently. You use a mix of 2 decks each game, so that adds a bit of variety and re-playability. (Add in the 2 from the expansion for a bit more – Aberrations and Undead.)
Also worth mentioning; the artwork on the cards is nice and the board is good too.
I think Tyrants of the Underdark is a very enjoyable game and it gets a solid 9/10. I just wish there were some more expansions for it.
A brief overview of the Game
Each player controls a Drow house in the Underdark, competing to take control by getting the most Victory Points at the end of the game. Victory points are gained from various sources, for example, controlling locations on the board, assassinating your rivals troops, card abilities, cards owned in your deck or promoted.
Each turn the player draws cards from their own deck that determine what they can do in their turn. There are several different strategies you can pursue to try and win – subterfuge, violence, using spies, gathering a powerful deck etc. You can use influence that you gain in the game to buy new cards from the communal market to expand your deck and buy new minions with a range of different abilities. Random card drawers in the market can be frustrating when your opponents get the card you want straight after your turn, but that’s the nature of the game. Some of the cards can seem super–powered but there are several of these, so we find it balances out overall.
The promotion mechanic is rather interesting - it gives you the dilemma of promoting a card to gain increased victory points but means that the card (and its abilities) aren’t available for you to use for rest of the game. Do you hang on to it a bit longer to use that awesome ability and risk the game ending before you can promote that card for loads more victory points?
There are 4 decks included in the base game; Drow, Dragons, Elementals and Demons and they all play very differently. You use a mix of 2 decks each game, so that adds a bit of variety and re-playability. (Add in the 2 from the expansion for a bit more – Aberrations and Undead.)
Also worth mentioning; the artwork on the cards is nice and the board is good too.
I think Tyrants of the Underdark is a very enjoyable game and it gets a solid 9/10. I just wish there were some more expansions for it.
Peter Shephard (2822 KP) rated Merchants Cove in Tabletop Games
Jun 4, 2021
Great range of character options (4 more)
Single player option
Great looking board and pieces
Expansions are great
Every character is like playing a different subgame
Great and Varied game
I backed this on Kickstarter, with the Oracle, Dragon Rancher and Inn Keeper expansions. Over the course of our first evening playing, my wife and I had 1 game of learning the rules, then another three games fairly quickly.
The pieces (ships, meeples, and individual gaming boards) are fantastic (although a couple are a little fiddly/weak) and every single character has their own flavour and type of sub-game;
The Alchemist makes potions by drawing marbles, firstly from a bag, then from a "decanter" (echoes of Quacks of Quiddlingberg)
The Blacksmith makes weapons and armour from dice rolls and combos in furnaces (not quite Yahtzee)
The Captain sails her fleet of ships to go fishing and treasure hunting using a spinning compass mechanism (can't put my finger what this reminds me of)
The Chronomancer (a great Back to the Future nod) travels through time portals to get pieces of technology, using a slide-and-shift board (like a mini Labrynth)
The Dragon rancher (believe it or not) hatches, raises and sells dragons; a couple of mechanics which work well together (even if one is shovelling poop) but not really like a game I've played
The Innkeeper is a great sub-sub-game; he can only sell drinks at one point, but he can put people up in his Inn which gives a bonus. A little bit of prediction work, but not like a other game I can think of.
The Oracle uses a scatter/dish for her fetishes and dice, and this limits what she can do - but I'd say she has the most varied scope of games (dots, predictions, and a few others)
The aim of the game is to be the Merchant who makes the most money, without attracting too much Corruption. Each game is played over three days, and each day has a limited amount of time. Each task the characters do has a different amount of time-cost - it might take 1h to brew potions, but it takes 2h to get ingredients from the decanter and prepare the potions. At several points each day, random Adventurers are drawn from the bag, and put into the travelling ships, as chosen by the drawer. However, there are also rogues who take up space and don't buy anything!
My only real complaint with the game is the comparatively long set up (5-10 minutes seems to be our average) for a 30-45m play time for 2 players - but it is really worth it. If/when this goes to retail, I'd say every gaming group who enjoys a combination of resource management, meeple and worker placement, and beautiful set-piece games, should give this a try.
The pieces (ships, meeples, and individual gaming boards) are fantastic (although a couple are a little fiddly/weak) and every single character has their own flavour and type of sub-game;
The Alchemist makes potions by drawing marbles, firstly from a bag, then from a "decanter" (echoes of Quacks of Quiddlingberg)
The Blacksmith makes weapons and armour from dice rolls and combos in furnaces (not quite Yahtzee)
The Captain sails her fleet of ships to go fishing and treasure hunting using a spinning compass mechanism (can't put my finger what this reminds me of)
The Chronomancer (a great Back to the Future nod) travels through time portals to get pieces of technology, using a slide-and-shift board (like a mini Labrynth)
The Dragon rancher (believe it or not) hatches, raises and sells dragons; a couple of mechanics which work well together (even if one is shovelling poop) but not really like a game I've played
The Innkeeper is a great sub-sub-game; he can only sell drinks at one point, but he can put people up in his Inn which gives a bonus. A little bit of prediction work, but not like a other game I can think of.
The Oracle uses a scatter/dish for her fetishes and dice, and this limits what she can do - but I'd say she has the most varied scope of games (dots, predictions, and a few others)
The aim of the game is to be the Merchant who makes the most money, without attracting too much Corruption. Each game is played over three days, and each day has a limited amount of time. Each task the characters do has a different amount of time-cost - it might take 1h to brew potions, but it takes 2h to get ingredients from the decanter and prepare the potions. At several points each day, random Adventurers are drawn from the bag, and put into the travelling ships, as chosen by the drawer. However, there are also rogues who take up space and don't buy anything!
My only real complaint with the game is the comparatively long set up (5-10 minutes seems to be our average) for a 30-45m play time for 2 players - but it is really worth it. If/when this goes to retail, I'd say every gaming group who enjoys a combination of resource management, meeple and worker placement, and beautiful set-piece games, should give this a try.
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