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Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated The Road to Canterbury in Tabletop Games
Oct 4, 2021
I am not a sinless man. In fact, it’s been years since I’ve been to confession, and at this point I’m afraid I would be there for hours just spilling the beans. I know many pious people, but alas, I am not one. However, I do appreciate those that attempt to live that holy life. It takes a lot of guts and a lot of hard work. I guess I’m a little slothy when it comes to that, personally. Anyway, I know of the Seven Deadly Sins, Cardinal Sins, Capital Vices, or whatever you’d like to call them. In fact, I really like the movie Seven – I think it’s great! That said, let’s find out just “what’s in the box?”
The Road To Canterbury is a game of medieval hand management and area influence. In it players are false pardoners stalking the road to the city of Canterbury as pilgrims make their way there from London. As their companies run across these pardoners, they are offered the chance to purchase pardons – salvation and forgiveness for their sins. However, these pardoners are also keen to help the pilgrims along the path of sin, thus making their faux pardons worth even more money! The pardoner who ends the game with the most money will win along The Road to Canterbury.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a copy of the Impoverished Pilgrim Edition (2nd edition) 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, follow the rulebook, as there are many components to track. The main areas are the Circle of Sin mat that holds the Parson pawn, the decks area that hold the various decks of cards from which players will be drawing, and each player’s personal area where players will hide their earnings and hand of cards behind the privacy screen. Once all is setup somewhat correctly, it should look similar to the photo below. Warning: When I set this up and took the photo, I neglected to realize the red company and the map tiles were translated to the wrong spaces, so just switch those.
The Road to Canterbury is a game of rounds, and each round players will be taking similar steps: Play One Card, Redraw, Perform a Reckoning of Sin. Players will have access to three different types of cards that can be played during the Play One Card phase: Sin cards (five of which are dealt at setup), Pardon cards, and Relic cards. During this phase, the active player can play a Sin card to one of the active Pilgrims to tempt them towards committing that sin. The first time the player adds a Sin card to a Pilgrim, they place one of their corruption cubes on the matching sin on the Circle of Sin. Alternatively, they may play a powerful Relic card that offers adjustments to the rules, or has some interesting results. When a player feels that enough Sin cards of a specific type have been played on a Pilgrim, they may opt to play a matching Pardon card in order to gain precious coin to their pockets. Each Pardon card essentially pardons ALL the sins of that type on the Pilgrim, and the player then collects coins exponentially for a larger total of matching Sin cards on that Pilgrim. If the Parson is currently sitting on the matching sin, the pardoner receives extra coin for it being an especially egregious sin in the eyes of the church. Each time the Pilgrim is pardoned, the pardoner places one of their corruption cubes upon the Pilgrim.
After the active player has played their card, they must Redraw their hand back to five cards, choosing to draw from the Sin, Pardon, or Relic offerings. Some Sin cards may be drawn that are Death Approaches cards. When these surface, they are immediately attached to the Pilgrim whose color matches that of the drawn card’s border color. This essentially eats up a slot on the Pilgrim that could be used for a Sin card to be pardoned.
Once the player has redrawn cards to their hand they must next Perform a Reckoning of Sin. The active player assesses each active Pilgrim to see if they have seven or more cards attached to them. If so, that Pilgrim will perish from the “deadly” sins. Whichever player has placed the most number of corruption cubes upon the Pilgrim is considered present at time of death and will receive credit for the sending to the heavens. They move one of the cubes upon the Pilgrim to the first space on the map tile, earning bonus points and a Last Rites token. Last Rites may be performed immediately to take another turn, or may be held until the end of the game for a 3 VP bonus per token. The most interesting aspect of a Pilgrim dying is the fact that their card now becomes a permanent placeholder underneath their company’s colored banner. So the next Pilgrim to enter play for that company will need only six additional cards to kick the bucket, and so on.
Play continues in this fashion of players taking turns through their three phases. The game ends when all the spaces on the map tile are filled with cubes. Bonus points are counted, coins are added, and the player with the most money/highest score is the winner! The best temptress and pardoner this side of Yorkshire!
Components. I have no experience with the first edition of The Road to Canterbury, so unfortunately I cannot compare and contrast components. However, I have seen many photos and even checked out a review video or two. What I can say about components is that this edition has refreshed the look of nearly everything, and so much for the better. Instead of boring plain cards, there’s just a little more decoration. Not so much to be invasive or distracting, but very tasteful. The component quality throughout is quite stellar. There’s a lot of cardboard in this box, and it all looks and feels great. I do quite like the art style, even though it’s all medievall-y and too artsy for my normal preference. All in all a great quality box of game.
So like I said, I have no experience with this game prior to receiving it and playing through it now. It certainly doesn’t feel like a 10-year-old game, nor does it really feel like many of the Alf Seegert games I have played in the past. Neither of these points are bad at all, just some thoughts I had.
It should be obvious by my ratings graphic that I dig this game a lot. I have nothing like it in my collection, and I am super excited to really bring this out with different types of gamers to see how it fares (once the COVID is no longer an issue, of course). I see this being a hit with my family, who enjoys a lot of take that style games. I see this being a hit with my more thinky gamer friends, because there are just so many juicy choices to be had every turn. I can see this even being a hit with my more gateway friends, because it isn’t terribly heavy, has some humor in it, and I can see the prospect of sowing sin and killing off innocent Pilgrims being attractive to some of my more morbid friends.
For me, I love the ability to take every turn and make important decisions. I try to make every turn meaningful to my agenda, but tactical with what may be at my disposal at the time. When should I play this Relic? Why is named something ridiculous? Should I wait a while longer to pardon this sin, or should I pile on another and then pardon next turn? Ooh, but what if my opponent has the same Pardon card. Am I truly happy that this poor Wife of Bath is about to kick it? GAAHHHHH!
Now it’s no secret that I am a big fan of Dr. Seegert’s games, as I have previously reviewed Fantastiqa and Haven with very high ratings. So, I was not at all surprised that I would love this one as well. It offers so many great choices, looks great on the table, fills a unique void that was present in my collection, and can be played with various types of gamers, even though it is designed for two or three players total. Purple Phoenix Games gives this one an unapologetic 5 / 6. I don’t think it will break into my Top 10, but I certainly won’t rule it out quite yet. More plays with different types of gamers may change my mind on that statement, and I eagerly await my plateful of crow. So if you are like me in your gaming preferences, check out this version of The Road to Canterbury. Let me know how often you tend to grab Relics too, because I feel like I need to utilize them more, but it is so hard to pass up a Sin or Pardon. I Lust after them so very badly.
The Road To Canterbury is a game of medieval hand management and area influence. In it players are false pardoners stalking the road to the city of Canterbury as pilgrims make their way there from London. As their companies run across these pardoners, they are offered the chance to purchase pardons – salvation and forgiveness for their sins. However, these pardoners are also keen to help the pilgrims along the path of sin, thus making their faux pardons worth even more money! The pardoner who ends the game with the most money will win along The Road to Canterbury.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a copy of the Impoverished Pilgrim Edition (2nd edition) 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, follow the rulebook, as there are many components to track. The main areas are the Circle of Sin mat that holds the Parson pawn, the decks area that hold the various decks of cards from which players will be drawing, and each player’s personal area where players will hide their earnings and hand of cards behind the privacy screen. Once all is setup somewhat correctly, it should look similar to the photo below. Warning: When I set this up and took the photo, I neglected to realize the red company and the map tiles were translated to the wrong spaces, so just switch those.
The Road to Canterbury is a game of rounds, and each round players will be taking similar steps: Play One Card, Redraw, Perform a Reckoning of Sin. Players will have access to three different types of cards that can be played during the Play One Card phase: Sin cards (five of which are dealt at setup), Pardon cards, and Relic cards. During this phase, the active player can play a Sin card to one of the active Pilgrims to tempt them towards committing that sin. The first time the player adds a Sin card to a Pilgrim, they place one of their corruption cubes on the matching sin on the Circle of Sin. Alternatively, they may play a powerful Relic card that offers adjustments to the rules, or has some interesting results. When a player feels that enough Sin cards of a specific type have been played on a Pilgrim, they may opt to play a matching Pardon card in order to gain precious coin to their pockets. Each Pardon card essentially pardons ALL the sins of that type on the Pilgrim, and the player then collects coins exponentially for a larger total of matching Sin cards on that Pilgrim. If the Parson is currently sitting on the matching sin, the pardoner receives extra coin for it being an especially egregious sin in the eyes of the church. Each time the Pilgrim is pardoned, the pardoner places one of their corruption cubes upon the Pilgrim.
After the active player has played their card, they must Redraw their hand back to five cards, choosing to draw from the Sin, Pardon, or Relic offerings. Some Sin cards may be drawn that are Death Approaches cards. When these surface, they are immediately attached to the Pilgrim whose color matches that of the drawn card’s border color. This essentially eats up a slot on the Pilgrim that could be used for a Sin card to be pardoned.
Once the player has redrawn cards to their hand they must next Perform a Reckoning of Sin. The active player assesses each active Pilgrim to see if they have seven or more cards attached to them. If so, that Pilgrim will perish from the “deadly” sins. Whichever player has placed the most number of corruption cubes upon the Pilgrim is considered present at time of death and will receive credit for the sending to the heavens. They move one of the cubes upon the Pilgrim to the first space on the map tile, earning bonus points and a Last Rites token. Last Rites may be performed immediately to take another turn, or may be held until the end of the game for a 3 VP bonus per token. The most interesting aspect of a Pilgrim dying is the fact that their card now becomes a permanent placeholder underneath their company’s colored banner. So the next Pilgrim to enter play for that company will need only six additional cards to kick the bucket, and so on.
Play continues in this fashion of players taking turns through their three phases. The game ends when all the spaces on the map tile are filled with cubes. Bonus points are counted, coins are added, and the player with the most money/highest score is the winner! The best temptress and pardoner this side of Yorkshire!
Components. I have no experience with the first edition of The Road to Canterbury, so unfortunately I cannot compare and contrast components. However, I have seen many photos and even checked out a review video or two. What I can say about components is that this edition has refreshed the look of nearly everything, and so much for the better. Instead of boring plain cards, there’s just a little more decoration. Not so much to be invasive or distracting, but very tasteful. The component quality throughout is quite stellar. There’s a lot of cardboard in this box, and it all looks and feels great. I do quite like the art style, even though it’s all medievall-y and too artsy for my normal preference. All in all a great quality box of game.
So like I said, I have no experience with this game prior to receiving it and playing through it now. It certainly doesn’t feel like a 10-year-old game, nor does it really feel like many of the Alf Seegert games I have played in the past. Neither of these points are bad at all, just some thoughts I had.
It should be obvious by my ratings graphic that I dig this game a lot. I have nothing like it in my collection, and I am super excited to really bring this out with different types of gamers to see how it fares (once the COVID is no longer an issue, of course). I see this being a hit with my family, who enjoys a lot of take that style games. I see this being a hit with my more thinky gamer friends, because there are just so many juicy choices to be had every turn. I can see this even being a hit with my more gateway friends, because it isn’t terribly heavy, has some humor in it, and I can see the prospect of sowing sin and killing off innocent Pilgrims being attractive to some of my more morbid friends.
For me, I love the ability to take every turn and make important decisions. I try to make every turn meaningful to my agenda, but tactical with what may be at my disposal at the time. When should I play this Relic? Why is named something ridiculous? Should I wait a while longer to pardon this sin, or should I pile on another and then pardon next turn? Ooh, but what if my opponent has the same Pardon card. Am I truly happy that this poor Wife of Bath is about to kick it? GAAHHHHH!
Now it’s no secret that I am a big fan of Dr. Seegert’s games, as I have previously reviewed Fantastiqa and Haven with very high ratings. So, I was not at all surprised that I would love this one as well. It offers so many great choices, looks great on the table, fills a unique void that was present in my collection, and can be played with various types of gamers, even though it is designed for two or three players total. Purple Phoenix Games gives this one an unapologetic 5 / 6. I don’t think it will break into my Top 10, but I certainly won’t rule it out quite yet. More plays with different types of gamers may change my mind on that statement, and I eagerly await my plateful of crow. So if you are like me in your gaming preferences, check out this version of The Road to Canterbury. Let me know how often you tend to grab Relics too, because I feel like I need to utilize them more, but it is so hard to pass up a Sin or Pardon. I Lust after them so very badly.
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Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Strife: Legacy of the Eternals in Tabletop Games
Jun 12, 2019
I cannot tell you how hard it is to organize a game night with the full group. And I probably don’t have to – I’m sure you understand the struggle too. So for those times when only 2 of us are available, it’s always nice to have 2-player only games to play. But sometimes deciding on a game can cause a bit of strife…
War rages across the land as the Eternals (immortal beings) fight each other for dominance over the realm. Calling forth their chosen Champions, battle after battle is fought until one Eternal emerges victorious. Will your Champions aid you on your quest for supremacy, or will you be forced to cede to another Eternal in the end? Choose your Champions wisely, and may your legacy and power reign supreme!
Strife: Legacy of the Eternals is a competitive two-player game of perfect information – each player has an identical hand of 10 cards from which to play. At its core, Strife is like War – players simultaneously reveal their chosen card and the highest number wins that battle. Players earn Victory Points for battles won. But there’s a twist. Each card has a unique ability (Battle Ability) that, when played, can influence the total power of either your or your opponent’s card for the given turn. And that’s not all – each card also has a secondary ability (Legacy Ability) that can be used the turn after it was initially played to also influence the total power for that next turn. Strategy is key! How can you play your cards in a way that both the initial and secondary powers can benefit you? One power is immediate and one is delayed by a turn, so think carefully about how to best combo your cards/powers! Don’t forget, as a game of perfect information you also know exactly what your opponent is working with too! Use your deduction skills to determine which card they might play and figure out how to use your remaining cards to undermine their total power. The game is played over the course of 3 rounds, and the player with the most Victory Points at the end is the winner!
For a game that seems so simple, Strife actually has a steep learning curve. Every card in your hand has a unique Battle Ability AND Legacy Ability that you have to learn to successfully play. You can’t just pick this game up and play if you don’t know the powers and understand how they work. It might be a little easier to learn if there was a player reference guide for all of the powers so you could just look in one place, but there isn’t one. So I’m left flipping through all of my cards trying to find a power that I thought I saw that could maybe combo with a power on a different card. The rule sheet suggests using ONLY Legacy Abilities your first game to get a feel for the flow, which I appreciate. But when you finally add in the Battle Abilities, you have to be paying attention to 2 different powers on 2 different cards each turn and it can be confusing if you don’t fully know all of those powers.
That being said, I think this game would be great if it used ONLY a Battle Ability or ONLY a Legacy Ability. Having both just feels like too much to me. Until you understand all of the abilities, it’s hard to decide on a strategy since you don’t really know how certain powers will work with each other across different cards. I have played this game multiple times, but since I don’t play 2-player only games often, I haven’t had the opportunity to totally learn all of the powers. And if you play with someone that has never played Strife before, it feels a little unfair if YOU know the abilities and how they work while your opponent is totally in the dark. It would be a much easier game to grasp if there was only 1 power on 1 card to consider for each turn.
I got Strife from Travis when he was doing a small purge of his collection, and I can see why he was getting rid of it. It’s a part of my collection, but I can’t guarantee how long it’ll stay there. In theory, it’s a cool game. But in actual execution, it’s just a little too complicated for what I feel it should be. Give Strife a try if you want, but I don’t really think you’re missing much if you don’t. That’s why Purple Phoenix Games gives Strife a 4/12.
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/03/20/strife-legacy-of-the-eternals-review/
War rages across the land as the Eternals (immortal beings) fight each other for dominance over the realm. Calling forth their chosen Champions, battle after battle is fought until one Eternal emerges victorious. Will your Champions aid you on your quest for supremacy, or will you be forced to cede to another Eternal in the end? Choose your Champions wisely, and may your legacy and power reign supreme!
Strife: Legacy of the Eternals is a competitive two-player game of perfect information – each player has an identical hand of 10 cards from which to play. At its core, Strife is like War – players simultaneously reveal their chosen card and the highest number wins that battle. Players earn Victory Points for battles won. But there’s a twist. Each card has a unique ability (Battle Ability) that, when played, can influence the total power of either your or your opponent’s card for the given turn. And that’s not all – each card also has a secondary ability (Legacy Ability) that can be used the turn after it was initially played to also influence the total power for that next turn. Strategy is key! How can you play your cards in a way that both the initial and secondary powers can benefit you? One power is immediate and one is delayed by a turn, so think carefully about how to best combo your cards/powers! Don’t forget, as a game of perfect information you also know exactly what your opponent is working with too! Use your deduction skills to determine which card they might play and figure out how to use your remaining cards to undermine their total power. The game is played over the course of 3 rounds, and the player with the most Victory Points at the end is the winner!
For a game that seems so simple, Strife actually has a steep learning curve. Every card in your hand has a unique Battle Ability AND Legacy Ability that you have to learn to successfully play. You can’t just pick this game up and play if you don’t know the powers and understand how they work. It might be a little easier to learn if there was a player reference guide for all of the powers so you could just look in one place, but there isn’t one. So I’m left flipping through all of my cards trying to find a power that I thought I saw that could maybe combo with a power on a different card. The rule sheet suggests using ONLY Legacy Abilities your first game to get a feel for the flow, which I appreciate. But when you finally add in the Battle Abilities, you have to be paying attention to 2 different powers on 2 different cards each turn and it can be confusing if you don’t fully know all of those powers.
That being said, I think this game would be great if it used ONLY a Battle Ability or ONLY a Legacy Ability. Having both just feels like too much to me. Until you understand all of the abilities, it’s hard to decide on a strategy since you don’t really know how certain powers will work with each other across different cards. I have played this game multiple times, but since I don’t play 2-player only games often, I haven’t had the opportunity to totally learn all of the powers. And if you play with someone that has never played Strife before, it feels a little unfair if YOU know the abilities and how they work while your opponent is totally in the dark. It would be a much easier game to grasp if there was only 1 power on 1 card to consider for each turn.
I got Strife from Travis when he was doing a small purge of his collection, and I can see why he was getting rid of it. It’s a part of my collection, but I can’t guarantee how long it’ll stay there. In theory, it’s a cool game. But in actual execution, it’s just a little too complicated for what I feel it should be. Give Strife a try if you want, but I don’t really think you’re missing much if you don’t. That’s why Purple Phoenix Games gives Strife a 4/12.
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/03/20/strife-legacy-of-the-eternals-review/
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Trust Me, I'm a Doctor in Tabletop Games
Oct 13, 2020
Did you know that in olden days doctors and traveling alchemist frauds would prescribe cocaine for various illnesses and maladies? It’s true. Also were you aware that fecal transfusions could cure a multitude of sicknesses? You know, taking feces from one person and injecting it into the intestines of another can cure LOTS of bad stuff. Like excessively odorous gas expelations. Well, that one may or may not be true, but if you think you can sell that cure to your friends, you are ready to play Trust Me, I’m a Doctor.
In Trust Me, I’m a Doctor (which I guess I will just call Trust Me from here on out) players will be taking the mantles of traveling salespeople hawking their wares or old timey doctors prescribing ridiculous cures for what ails their patients. Players will be using the tried and true model of Apples to Apples with a twist to throw out their cure to the patient and hope their solution earns the vote from the patient as the best of the lot. The player with the most earned Ailments cards at the end of the game will be the winning shyster or quack this side of the Mississippi!
To setup, each player will receive a hand of Cure cards. A first patient is decided, who will flip the top card of the Ailments deck. The game can now begin in earnest. Or Earnest, if that’s the persona the patient wishes to take.
On the Ailment card will be the particular malady and one or more icons pertaining to the cures that can be played upon it. The non-patients now must choose a Cure card containing a matching icon to the Ailment and begin preparing their pitch. Once all players have submitted their Cures face-down, each quack will then explain to the patient why they must choose their particular Cure by convincing them of its success rate and process. The patient then chooses the best Cure, and the winning player will collect the Ailment card as a VP. Once the game is over the player with the most VP Ailment cards is the winner!
Components. This game is a bunch of cards. That’s it. Even the rules are printed on the backs of two cards (so really it’s one card if the rules had been printed on front and back). The cards are good quality, and I appreciate the thematic art on each card. The one issue I have with the components is the choice of font for the title of each card. I get that the game is trying to convey that old timey feeling, but the font makes each card a little different and sometimes too scrunched up for my tastes. Other than that, I dig everything else. Oh, the inside of the box is even printed, much like the Tiny Epic games. Cool decision there.
So do I enjoy this one? You know, I do. I don’t have Snake Oil, but this is similar in that you’re trying to sell your opponents on choosing your card. So, if you’re a good salesperson then you will do super well here. Unfortunately for me my father-in-law is a retired car salesman so he mops the floor with us. But I mean, check out the example in the photo above. To cure Cannibalism an appropriately played card is POWERFUL LAXATIVES. Seriously? Poop out your desire to eat other people? I mean, if you have the sales skills to pull that one off, well I applaud you. Obviously the best answer goes something like this, “The power of prayer heals all. Even your taste for others.”
Now, I just gave you a pretty PG-rated response to something that could go VERY R-rated VERY quickly. Please note: this game is NSFW and I wouldn’t play it with anyone under 18 even though the box says 12+. There are some touchy cards in there that I wouldn’t want to upset little Bobby with at family game night. All in all this is a good little game to get the party started or to break in new gamers. The Apples to Apples mechanics work well and there is enough ridiculousness to make everyone laugh, or even chortle. So check this one out if you need a little card game that will get people in the mood to game, with hints of adult-ness and impossibility thrown in for good measure. And don’t forget to suggest leeches for your game-mates that don’t enjoy this. They suck the grumpiness right outta you.
In Trust Me, I’m a Doctor (which I guess I will just call Trust Me from here on out) players will be taking the mantles of traveling salespeople hawking their wares or old timey doctors prescribing ridiculous cures for what ails their patients. Players will be using the tried and true model of Apples to Apples with a twist to throw out their cure to the patient and hope their solution earns the vote from the patient as the best of the lot. The player with the most earned Ailments cards at the end of the game will be the winning shyster or quack this side of the Mississippi!
To setup, each player will receive a hand of Cure cards. A first patient is decided, who will flip the top card of the Ailments deck. The game can now begin in earnest. Or Earnest, if that’s the persona the patient wishes to take.
On the Ailment card will be the particular malady and one or more icons pertaining to the cures that can be played upon it. The non-patients now must choose a Cure card containing a matching icon to the Ailment and begin preparing their pitch. Once all players have submitted their Cures face-down, each quack will then explain to the patient why they must choose their particular Cure by convincing them of its success rate and process. The patient then chooses the best Cure, and the winning player will collect the Ailment card as a VP. Once the game is over the player with the most VP Ailment cards is the winner!
Components. This game is a bunch of cards. That’s it. Even the rules are printed on the backs of two cards (so really it’s one card if the rules had been printed on front and back). The cards are good quality, and I appreciate the thematic art on each card. The one issue I have with the components is the choice of font for the title of each card. I get that the game is trying to convey that old timey feeling, but the font makes each card a little different and sometimes too scrunched up for my tastes. Other than that, I dig everything else. Oh, the inside of the box is even printed, much like the Tiny Epic games. Cool decision there.
So do I enjoy this one? You know, I do. I don’t have Snake Oil, but this is similar in that you’re trying to sell your opponents on choosing your card. So, if you’re a good salesperson then you will do super well here. Unfortunately for me my father-in-law is a retired car salesman so he mops the floor with us. But I mean, check out the example in the photo above. To cure Cannibalism an appropriately played card is POWERFUL LAXATIVES. Seriously? Poop out your desire to eat other people? I mean, if you have the sales skills to pull that one off, well I applaud you. Obviously the best answer goes something like this, “The power of prayer heals all. Even your taste for others.”
Now, I just gave you a pretty PG-rated response to something that could go VERY R-rated VERY quickly. Please note: this game is NSFW and I wouldn’t play it with anyone under 18 even though the box says 12+. There are some touchy cards in there that I wouldn’t want to upset little Bobby with at family game night. All in all this is a good little game to get the party started or to break in new gamers. The Apples to Apples mechanics work well and there is enough ridiculousness to make everyone laugh, or even chortle. So check this one out if you need a little card game that will get people in the mood to game, with hints of adult-ness and impossibility thrown in for good measure. And don’t forget to suggest leeches for your game-mates that don’t enjoy this. They suck the grumpiness right outta you.
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.
RPGMP3 (211 KP) rated Joking Hazard in Tabletop Games
Apr 20, 2018
Cyanide and Happiness (1 more)
Can Be Really Funny
Some Good Games, Some Dull Games
I love Cyanide and Happiness. It is awesome. So I Kickstarted this game when it came out without any hesitation. The idea is pretty simple and similar to Cards Against Humanity with pictures. Everyone has seven cards. You draw one from the pile and play as the first card, the Judge plays another card either in front or behind the first card and then everyone else plays a card to complete the comic strip. Then the Judge decides who wins.
It can be totally hilarious and I have played games where my sides have hurt from laughing. I've even cried. Sadly, I have also had games where the images just don't work and nothing is funny and it is just a bit awkward as players try to play something and fail.
That being said, it is an easy beer and pretzels game that does what it sets out to do reasonably well. If you love Cyanide and Happiness and are willing to take the risk of some dull rounds (or even whole games) then it is definitely worth adding to your collection for those games where everything just drops into place.
It can be totally hilarious and I have played games where my sides have hurt from laughing. I've even cried. Sadly, I have also had games where the images just don't work and nothing is funny and it is just a bit awkward as players try to play something and fail.
That being said, it is an easy beer and pretzels game that does what it sets out to do reasonably well. If you love Cyanide and Happiness and are willing to take the risk of some dull rounds (or even whole games) then it is definitely worth adding to your collection for those games where everything just drops into place.
Michael Adams (5 KP) rated The Grimm Forest in Tabletop Games
May 29, 2019
Simple (2 more)
Easy to grasp
Every game is different
Unpainted models (1 more)
Can get old if overplayed
Good family game
Grimm Forest is an overall great game. The age range says 14+, but I have a 6 year old who is able to play it with little to no help. The age range probably is in reference to the fable cards and some friends cards, but you honestly don't need to use them. So far, a strategy of just taking an extra resource each time you aren't building something seems to be quite effective. The built in storage is very nice, and makes cleanup a breeze. The artwork is very well done, and their customer service it's top notch as well. A charachter model broke, and they sent me a replacement right away which I received quickly.
The only negative things I have it's that I don't like painting the models/characters, so I wish they came painted (though I know some people really enjoy the painting process). Also, the gameplay can get old, but that's probably because my family couldn't put it down for the first week we had it, so many games were played.
Overall this is a great game that will stay in our family (and away from donating during spring cleaning)!
The only negative things I have it's that I don't like painting the models/characters, so I wish they came painted (though I know some people really enjoy the painting process). Also, the gameplay can get old, but that's probably because my family couldn't put it down for the first week we had it, so many games were played.
Overall this is a great game that will stay in our family (and away from donating during spring cleaning)!
HayleyLouise Billington (92 KP) rated One Night Ultimate Werewolf in Tabletop Games
Jan 6, 2020
Great game
If you like bluffing games and generally being deceitful you'll love this game.
Download the app that plays through each step of the night phase and you're away without having to endlessly read the rules.
At the start simply select on the app which cards are being played and deal them out amongst the players and place 3 in the middle, all cards must remain face down. Everyone must discretely look at their own card but do not tell anyone who you are.
When nighttime arrives the magic begins, step by step each player opens their eyes (or not depending on your card) when told to do so and performs a specific action. Once the night phase has ended everyone opens their eyes and then you have a preselected amount of time to figure out who are the werewolves. If you identify one of the werewolves correctly villagers win, if not werewolfs win.
Do you lie and try to convince your friends you were someone else or do you hope honesty is the best policy?
Me and my friends had so much fun playing this, we actually got told off by the staff at the gaming cafe for laughing too loud.
Download the app that plays through each step of the night phase and you're away without having to endlessly read the rules.
At the start simply select on the app which cards are being played and deal them out amongst the players and place 3 in the middle, all cards must remain face down. Everyone must discretely look at their own card but do not tell anyone who you are.
When nighttime arrives the magic begins, step by step each player opens their eyes (or not depending on your card) when told to do so and performs a specific action. Once the night phase has ended everyone opens their eyes and then you have a preselected amount of time to figure out who are the werewolves. If you identify one of the werewolves correctly villagers win, if not werewolfs win.
Do you lie and try to convince your friends you were someone else or do you hope honesty is the best policy?
Me and my friends had so much fun playing this, we actually got told off by the staff at the gaming cafe for laughing too loud.