
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Fort in Tabletop Games
Jul 27, 2021
Fort is a hand management, deck-building game with a follow mechanic for two to four players. In it, players are assuming the roles of everyday kids trying to build their forts, play with their toys, and eat pizza with their buddies. The winner of the game is they who is able to score the most victory points (VP) at the end of the game, which can end in one of three different fashions.
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 every single rule included in the rulebook, 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 online or from your FLGS. -T
To setup, each player chooses a player color and takes all items belonging to them, including the Best Friends cards from the stack. Every other component is then separated by type and cards shuffled. Per the rules, some decks of cards will only have a certain amount on the table, whereas the main deck of kid cards is always used. Each player will draw eight kid cards from the deck to add to their Best Friends and shuffle them. They will also place their score markers on the 0 space of the Victory Track board. Randomly determine the starting player and give them the coveted First Player card, and the game may now begin!
Fort is played in turns, with each turn consisting of five phases (the first phase is skipped on the first turn). The first phase is Cleanup. To Cleanup, the active player takes all kid cards remaining in their Yard and places them in their own discard pile. Next, the active player will Play a kid card from their hand. On each card is a space for up to two actions to be taken: the public action on top and the private action on bottom. The player may complete both, but MUST complete at least one of the actions in its entirety. If using the public action of the card, then other players at the table may also follow the action by discarding one card of the matching suit of the card originally played. However, the leader (active player) may also play additional cards from their hand, of the same suit, in order to boost the effects of the actions. Followers may not. These actions include gaining “stuff” (pizza and toys) to be placed in their Stuff area or backpack, trashing cards in their hands, or gaining VP.
After the players have Played cards, the next phase is Recruit. The active player may choose any kid card that exists in the Park (the space underneath the Victory Track that is always full of kids), another player’s Yard (the space above the player’s main board that they neglected to play with their previous turn), or they may simply draw a kid card blindly from the Park deck. These kids are sent directly to the discard pile to be drawn on a later turn.
Finally, phases four and five end a player’s turn. Phase four is Discard, where the active player will discard all their Best Friends, kid cards they played this turn, and recruited kids. The kid cards leftover that were not used are sent to the player’s Yard above their main boards to possibly be stolen by another player during their Recruit phase. After Discarding, the final phase is Draw, where the active player will draw another hand of five cards to prepare to follow other players and to prepare for the next round. Fort continues in this fashion of each player taking turns and following others’ actions until one player earns 25 VP on the track, any player increases their Fort to level 5, or the Park deck becomes empty. All players will finish their turns so that they all have played an equal amount of turns, and then the players total their scores to crown the winner!
Components. This game has super great components. The little pizza and toys bits are awesome, the double-layered boards are cool, and the art is amazing as well. If it looks familiar in style, it’s because you have seen this art on Root, Oath, and Vast, among others. I love it so much and it is a perfect match for this theme. I really have little negative to say about Fort except that I wish the player colors were different. The orange and yellow are a little close in hue, and the brownish/olive is drab. Everything else, though, *chef’s kiss.
It is probably no surprise why I love this one. Deck-building has long been one of my favorite mechanics, and I have always enjoyed the follow mechanic found in Tiny Epic Galaxies and Villages of Valeria. Mix those up with much more going on and an excellent theme and it’s definitely a big time winner for me. I think what puts me over the edge here is that cards can be used for a couple different actions, and they can be boosted with the right strategies. Get your deck in order to really maximize each turn and the game opens up for you. Several times I have been able to focus my deck and really pound some powerful abilities, but it certainly doesn’t always work out for me, especially when others catch on to what I am doing and hate-draft me into other tactics.
If you are into a fresh new look at deck-building and enjoy more wacky themes, as I do, then I urge you to check out Fort. Officially, Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a playful 5 / 6, but even though it probably won’t break into my Top 10, I do think it will come to the table more often than most games in my Top 10. So should I reconsider my Top 10? Hmm. Anyway, Fort is awesome and everyone I have played with seem to agree with me. So grab a copy or two for yourself. Heck, the gift-giving season is fast approaching, and I know these fit very well under trees and other significant symbols of festivities…

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Darren (1599 KP) rated Ready or Not (2019) in Movies
Sep 3, 2019
Story: Ready or Not starts on what should be Grace’s (Weaving) greatest day, her wedding day to Alex (O’Brien) which will put her into the famous gaming family Le Domas. With the wedding at Alex’s family home, she is welcomed by the likes of his brother Daniel (Brody), his father Tony (Czerny) and his mother Becky (MacDowell).
The family has an unusual tradition of playing a randomly selected game, which can be a simple game like chess, but tonight Grace selects Hide and Seek, a game which means the whole family will hunt her down before dawn, being a race for her to survive.
Thoughts on Ready or Not
Characters – Grace is a woman that was raised through the foster system, now she has met the love of her life in Alex and is hoping to be part of a family for the first time in her life. Like most people she is nervous on her wedding day, eager to impress her new family too, but nothing will prepare her for the night, where she must learn to fight to survive when her new family is hunting to capture her. Alex is the man that is going to marry Grace, he has become distant from his family, but knows the traditions that must be followed, he doesn’t give everything away to Grace, knowing it will scary her away, though he doesn’t want to get involved in everything once the game starts. Daniel is Alex’s brother, he hates being part of the family, he wants nothing to do with the game, but reluctantly agrees to play along with little to no enthusiasm, being one of the few people that will help Grace. Tony is the father of the household, he has made the family bigger that ever and wants to continue the traditions that were bought upon the family, he will do anything to make sure the tradition is upheld. We do meet other members of the family including Becky the wife of Tony, mother of the boys, her daughter Emilie alone with the spouses Fitch who will get the most laughs in the film and Charity.
Performances – Samara Weaving kills it in the leading role, first she puts up a fight, secondly, she gives us natural looking reactions to everything that is going on. Adam Brody gives us a strong performance that makes us want to be like his character in this situation. Mark O’Brien is strong, but doesn’t reach the levels of the fellow stars of the film. Henry Czerny is fun through this film, he starts welcoming, turns psychotic and soon becomes a loose cannon as things get out of control, Henry makes us want to see more from his character through this film.
Story – The story here follows a woman that is getting married, only to learn that her wedding night is going to have a twist, she must play a game with the family, with this being a extreme, hide and seek, in a battle for life. This is a story that takes the most important day in anybody’s life and turns it into a nightmare, which will see Grace needing to fight to survive against a family that will do anything to hunt her down to continue having their fame and fortune. It does show how the rich will do anything to get away with something big in their lives, even murder, while it does show us just how games can be turned into something bigger than just a board game.
Horror/Mystery – The horror in the film does come from the gore that we do see, both towards Grace and to other innocent victims in the game, one scene involving a hand is extremely difficult to watch. The mystery in the film does look at how the family is acting, like what will happen if they don’t win.
Settings – The film is set in one location, the giant mansion of the Le Domas, this shows how many different potential hiding spots we could see and how much she is playing on away ground.
Special Effects – The effects in the film are brutal to see, it is mostly all the injuries being inflicted through the film, as mentioned before the hand sequence is one that will make most wince.
Scene of the Movie – How to use a crossbow.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – We do get a lot of time jumps here, considering this is taking place over about seven hours.
Final Thoughts – This is an entertaining humour filled horror that will keep you on the edge of your seat seeing if Grace will make it out alive and just what will happen next.
Overall: Fun survival horror.

Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Tokaido in Tabletop Games
Jun 12, 2019
DISCLAIMER: The photos showing game play reflect components from the Collector’s Edition, as they are upgraded from the traditional retail copy. There is no affect on game play, the components are just nicer. -T
I don’t recall another board game on the market, as of today 1/9/2019, that has been able to recreate some of the intuitive mechanisms that Tokaido provides its players. So okay, envision one of those looooong car rides as a kid in the stuffy old car full of suitcases with your parents. Boring, right? That’s NOT Tokaido!
NOW, Imagine one of the most thrilling trips across Japan – where you get to see the sights, experience the extensive shopping, eat great delicacies, and yes, even take a dip in a sultry hot spring! THAT is Tokaido! It is an immersive vacation in a box. So, how does it all work…
In Tokaido, you take on the persona of a Japanese tourist, a.k.a cute, very detailed, little meeples (or minis). From the start you are on a race, albeit not in a complete hurry, to have the most fulfilling vacation across Japan. Here’s the catch: go too fast and you will miss out on all the wonderful opportunities Japan has to offer, as well as victory points. Your goal in Tokaido is to stay just ahead of the other players, yet to visit as many places as possible. Each location provides you with some sort of benefit on your vacation. It may be a beautifully drawn panoramic picture of the landscape (something T.I.M.E Stories would later copy), a visit to a knickknack shop, a dip in a hot spring, some delicious looking hand-rolled sushi, or even a reverent donation to a beautifully ornate temple (highest donation equals BIG victory points later on). All of these items in your collection will reap you some sort of reward in the form of victory points at the end of the game. How you coordinate your collection is VERY important. Simply jumping from space to space will NOT get you delicious sweets like in Candy Land. It’s about timing your moves just right so that you are able complete that entire panoramic landscape, or eat just enough of the right food to satisfy your taste buds.
Seems simple, right? It is! That is the best part. New gamers in your group will gravitate toward the simplistic nature to which the game lends itself. In my gaming groups it has even lead to multiple plays! Experienced gamers will enjoy the delicate artwork and creative mechanics. Because the gameplay is so centered around the mechanic of, “don’t get too far ahead of your neighbor but stay just ahead of them,” it truly feels like you are on the T.V. show “The Greatest Race”. It is a very simple, but clever and excitement-driven concept. With that said, it can be played in under an hour, even with 4 players. Tokaido provides so much gameplay in one simple box, but yet allows you to have a little time left in your game night to still play that heavy Euro afterward. That’s a huge plus in my book, and one reason why it is ranked so high for me. That, and well, those cute little meeples (or minis) get me every time!
I really hope you give this one a try. It is a nice and relaxing experience that lends itself to quick gameplay, immersive theme, and excellent artwork. I hope your trip across Japan will truly be as rewarding as mine was! Ganbarou!! (Good luck!)
Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a relaxing 13 / 18 (Laura has not played it yet).
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/01/11/tokaido-review/

Brumpolarbears (22 KP) rated Village Attacks in Tabletop Games
Jun 18, 2019
Set within the depths of a particularly immense castle, you and your fellow villains must defend your home from the local villagers who are laying siege to your home in an effort to exorcise your evil from the world.
Although the villagers themselves may be weak, they aren’t alone. Hunters and heroes from across the world have come to lend sword, shield and gun to rid the world of your taint.
The castle interior is constructed using a modular tile system made up from beautifully illustrated game tiles that allow for near limitless combinations and layouts. The villagers will attempt to reach the heart of the castle and destroy it, but they must be stopped! Only by slaying enough villagers and breaking their morale will you be able to drive them from your home for good.
The brainchild of two friends, Adam Smith and Mike Brown of Grimlord Games, an independent developer of tabletop games, Village Attacks uses custom dice to control the outcome of your turn. Dice results can be used to move your monster, activate your abilities, purchase traps, defend yourself from incoming attacks and even be stored for the next round.
Each monster possesses their own unique abilities that they are able to level up by slaying villagers and completing objectives. Monsters are categorised into types, which can affect how they interact with the enemy forces. Hunters and Town Heroes deal extra damage to monsters that match their types, creating another level of strategy and planning.
I had the opportunity to give Village Attacks a whirl at UK Games Expo and I really did fall in love with it. I’m a sucker for a good miniature and this has plenty of options, particularly if you backed the Kickstarter. While the game itself comes with a lot of components (see the list below), it’s fairly quick to get into. Once the heroes and hunters take to the board, that’s when things really start to heat up. This one is certainly going on the wish list.

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Justin Taylor (59 KP) rated Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) in Movies
Oct 29, 2018
Too be honest I wasn't crazy about a Jumanji sequel especially after the late great Robin Williams passed away. But they did some things good and some things not so good so I'll start with the good first
1. It does something fresh with the original so in case you haven't seen it spoiler warning the board game we all know and love turned into a video game which is something I was kinda expecting but I wasn't surprised and it was nice seeing it getting updated for a new generation
2. The characters in the Jumanji world are hilariously entertaining with props particularly to Karen Gillan and Jack Black..they bring it in this movie and they had me laughing my butt off. Not totally saying that the Rock and Kevin Hart weren't funny either but they all are great
3 the action sequences are awesomely executed and exciting as it should be. Nothing more to say.
Now for the bad
1. Elephant in the room, the plot, ok so getting stuck in a video game is something that's been done to death but they do something creative with it but at the end of the day it's the exact same plot of the first movie.
2. The villains pretty much meh, he's your standard I'm gonna take what I want and no one can stop me type villain and yes in case your wondering his last name is van pelt.
3. Speaking of homages to the first movie don't expect too much outside of a couple of references including a name drop of Williams character from the original movie it has nothing to do with the first movie so it's like a standalone sequel and a soft reboot which means the events of the original still exist but they're pretty much making some retcons.
Overall I didn't hate this movie, I laughed at anything but I think if u take ur nostalgia glasses off and watch it with a new point of view youll enjoy it also this movie did something right because its getting a sequel next year