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SYNK!
SYNK!
2021 | Card Game, Party Game
I like to think of myself as a somewhat intelligent person. I can occasionally ‘win’ a game of Jeopardy while watching on tv…..ok, so maybe it’s just during Kids Week, but that’s gotta count for something, right?! Anyway, word games and trivia have always entertained me. So when I heard about Synk! – a game that involves both of those elements – I knew I had to try it out. Does this party game really put your knowledge to the test, or does it sink to the bottom of the stack? Keep reading to find out!

Disclaimer: We were provided with a copy of SYNK! for the purposes of this review. The components you see pictured might not be the finalized version, and could change after a successful Kickstarter campaign. -L

SYNK! is a party card game in which players will be mixing their knowledge of wordplay with a bit of trivia. The game is played over a series of rounds until one player has earned a total of 3 cards to win. Here’s how you setup the game: put the deck of cards facedown within reach of all players. Yep, that’s it. How you play is a little more involved…

First thing first – pick a starting player. That person will draw a card from the deck. On said card there will be a secret word, as well as its definition. Next, the player will reveal the first letter of the secret word. All others will then think of any word that begins with that first letter. When someone thinks they’ve come up with a good option, they say, “I’ve got it!” and will take a moment to describe their word to the group – giving the definition, providing an example, relying on someone’s specific knowledge, etc. Once another player thinks they know what word is being described, they will shout out “Synk!” These two players will countdown from 3 and say their words together, in hopes that they match. If their words do indeed match, then the keeper of the secret word will reveal the next letter. The process starts again, but now players must think of words that begin with the first AND second letter of the secret word. The round continues in this fashion until a player manages to guess the secret word and Synk it with another player. They win the card, and become the next secret word keeper.


What happens if you don’t Synk with someone? Then the next letter is not revealed, and the process starts again with the same letter(s) as before. If ever the game reaches a standstill and nobody has any ideas, the secret word keeper must reveal the word’s definition. Once the definition has been read, any player can shout out “Synk!” and guess the word immediately – you only get one guess though, so make it count! That all seems great for the players, but what about the secret word keeper? There’s a twist in the game to keep them engaged too! At the end of a Synk countdown, the card keeper is allowed to guess the described word too. If their guess is correct, no new letters are revealed. And as an added bonus, if another player guesses the correct secret word, but doesn’t Synk it with someone else, the card keeper wins the round and keeps that card for themselves! Play keeps going as described until one player has collected a total of 3 cards, thus winning the game.
I know that sounds like kind of a lot, but I promise that the gameplay is pretty intuitive and simple once you get going. And actually, although the physical gameplay may be simple, Synk! stretches your brain quite a bit. At the beginning of a round, with only 1 or 2 letters revealed, coming up with words is a piece of cake! But as the round progresses and more letters are revealed, it becomes more challenging than you might think to come up with words that use those specific letters in that specific order. And remember, this is a game after all – so speed is of the essence! Think too slowly and you’ll get left in the dust. As the secret word keeper, you get off the hook a little bit, since you don’t have to come up with words. But the ability to guess another player’s word at the end of a countdown allows the card keeper to stay engaged throughout the entire game. A neat little twist that adds another layer of strategy to the game.


To touch on components – this game is literally a giant deck of cards. Again, I am not sure if this is a finalized version of the game, but the quality of the box and cards is pretty great. There really is no artwork, but this isn’t that type of game, so it doesn’t detract at all from the gameplay. The text is large and clear, making for quick reading and understanding. All in all, already a great quality game.
Where does Synk! sit on my list of party games? Well, it depends on the group of players. This game has a suggested age of 14+, and I think that’s appropriate. Players have to have some decent knowledge of words/spelling to play, but aren’t expected to have a MENSA-level IQ. Some people love wordplay, and others don’t. But with the right group of gamers, I would absolutely pull this out on occasion. Synk! is more of a ‘thinky’ party game, and I really have never played a party game like it before. It fills a hole in my collection, and it will definitely be played with the right group. If you’re into word games, but are looking for something a little more fast-paced, consider backing Synk! on Kickstarter! The campaign goes live on May 18th, 2021!
  
MechaTop
MechaTop
2020 | Miniatures
I think it goes without saying that we at Purple Phoenix Games love board games – otherwise I wouldn’t be sitting here writing this preview. That being said, wargames are not something that our group has really gotten around to playing. So when Tabletop Systems L.T.D. reached out about having us preview their newest wargame system, curiosity got the best of me and I couldn’t refuse. If you’re in the same boat we were, check out MechaTop – this system might surprise you!

Disclaimer: We were provided with a PnP version of this game for the purposes of this preview. Please excuse my lack of a color printer, and rest assured that the cards are colorful and eye-catching. The rulebook we have is not the finalized version, but rather an up-to-date draft detailing the overall rules and gameplay. Some changes will probably take place during the Kickstarter campaign, so the finalized game system might have some differences to this preview. For more details, check out the publisher’s website! -L

MechaTop is a tabletop wargame system in which players pilot large Mecha suits and battle their opponents. To begin a game, you must first decide which game mode you want to play. After selecting the game mode, players create their Mecha teams for battle. Each game mode has an associated cost score limit – the highest maximum cost you can spend on your team. For example, a Mecha suit might cost 300, and the cost score limit for the chosen mode is 600, leaving you with 300 to spend on upgrade cards for your suit. Once all players have chosen and upgraded their Mecha suits, those corresponding cards are placing in their play area. Everyone then selects a Pilot card to be assigned to their Mecha suit, and receives a set of Button tokens and a secret Twist card (kept secret until played at any time during the game). Decide which weapons to equip on your suit for the start of the game, roll a d6, and take turns placing your Mecha in the playing field in ascending numerical order of the die rolls. You are officially ready to start the game now!


Each round begins with the Instinct Phase, where players decide which 2 Button tokens they want to play this round. The Button actions are: Attack, Movement/Rotation, Change Weapon/Reload, and possibly Telekinesis. After the Buttons have been selected, they are placed face-down on the playing field next to their corresponding Mecha suit. Next is the Initiative Phase, in which all players roll a d6 and the player who rolled the highest gets to act first in the round. On your turn, you may choose to activate 1 Button token, activate both Button tokens, or declare No Action and pass your turn. Choosing to activate only 1 Button allows you to perform a simple action, but activating both at the same time in certain combinations allows you to perform a more powerful type of the corresponding action. Choosing to do No Action allows you to keep both Button tokens facedown. The benefit to leaving either 1 or both Button tokens facedown is that you can then use them as reactions during an opponent’s turn. Let’s say an opponent tries to Attack you – if you have your Movement Button still at your disposal, you can use it to attempt to dodge the hit and negate that damage. If you don’t use a Button in that situation, or don’t have one left face-down, all the damage goes straight through on your suit, thus bringing you closer to losing the game. Be warned – some actions are automatic, but some are resolved by dice rolls, so you better hope luck is on your side! After all players have had a turn in Initiative Order, a new round begins with another Instinct Phase. Play continues in this manner until the win condition of the selected game mode has been met, and the winner is deemed victorious!
First and foremost, I think one of the coolest things about the MechaTop system is that it can be played using ANY mecha models, action figures, or standees that you choose. In my childhood, Transformers made up a decent amount of our household, so it’s neat that I am able to bring those back out again after all these years. The nostalgia is great in that sense, and it makes the game more enjoyable. Also along those lines, the game will come with blank Mecha and Pilot cards for you to create your own – the rulebook has a section dedicated to stat card creation. It’s a neat element that lets you add a personal twist to your game, and lets you sit in the pilot’s seat (see what I did there?) to make the game truly your own! In the team creation step, players also have the opportunity to buy Upgrades for their suits, and that gives you additional control over your game. You can create so many different combinations of Upgrades that keep each game unique and entertaining.


The overall game flow is pretty nice. The rounds are logical, and the Button tokens add a unique element of strategy that takes this game to the next level for me. Do you forego doing a special action this turn and save a Button token in case an opponent tries to attack you? Or are you willing to risk damage to your Mecha suit in order to execute the exact plan that you want? The Button tokens take MechaTop beyond a simple attack-and-defend wargame and incorporates strategy to help balance out the randomness of Initiative rolls. The Twist cards are a nice touch as well, because if played at the right time, they could literally turn the battle around for you! No matter how good your strategy is, however, all offensive/defensive actions are dictated by dice rolls. So there’s a bit of a luck element embedded in this game as well. You have to be able to adapt your strategy on the fly depending on how your die results are turning out!
There is a bit of a learning curve to this game that can make it seem daunting at first. Different actions require a different number of dice to roll, and knowing what results counts as a success or failure is not always easy to remember. Incorporating a Player Reference Sheet would eliminate some of the confusion, but it does get easier to remember the more you play the game. Probably the biggest drawback of the system for me is that there is no set game board or movement system. The rulebook details movement speeds and weapon ranges based on different scales of models you might use, but that honestly just went right over my head. Providing a set of bases for models, as well as a hex-grid board would take out that guess-work for players and make it easier to visualize movement and range. And that would help keep the game flowing smoothly because players would not have to spend time measuring distances across the play area.


Let’s talk components. As I mentioned earlier, we only have a PnP copy of MechaTop, so admittedly our components are not the best. That being said, the finalized game should be coming with nice colorful cards, sturdy cardboard tokens, and good quality dice. Don’t let my drab version keep you from checking out the game on BGG or its own website!
All in all, MechaTop is a wargame system that I can see myself playing again. The gameplay itself is straight-forward and simple to grasp, but the strategic elements incorporated with Button tokens, Twist cards, and Upgrades ensure that you will never play the same game twice. If you’re looking to get into wargame systems, or are just looking for a unique wargame setting, definitely check out the MechaTop Kickstarter when it goes live later this month!
  
Roll Player
Roll Player
2016 | Dice Game, Fantasy
Are you up for some role play? If so, you’ll have to find a different website for that. But if you’re up for some *roll* play, then you’ve come to the right place! Welcome to Roll Player – a strategic game of dice rolling, card drafting, and character creation!

On your way into town, you bump into a mysterious stranger. He tells you that he’s on a quest and is looking for companions to share in the journey (and loot!). A sneaky rogue like yourself might just pick-pocket the man and be on your way. But as a warrior, maybe you’ll go along for some action! What? You’re a wizard? That’s ok! Every good adventuring party needs a character knowledgeable in the mystical arts! The point is, your character is what you make it, and that is exactly how Roll Player works – think RPG character creation, but game-ified!

You take turns rolling dice and drafting cards to hone up your skills and attributes – the player at the end of the game with the best adventurer (determined by Victory Points) is the winner! You start with a set race, class, and backstory that determine your end-game attribute goals, and any extra Victory Points are up to you! How will you manipulate your dice to achieve your goals? How can you draft the perfect skills to outperform your opponents? The possibilities are endless!

Having played Roll Player at least a dozen times, I can honestly tell you that I thoroughly enjoy it. Rolling dice and drafting cards seems simple enough, but the amount of strategy needed to try to meet all of your end-game goals is what makes Roll Player a fun challenge. This game requires more thought than others, but I don’t think that necessarily makes it any harder to learn or play. I’ve found that once I help walk a new player through their first turn, the rest of the game is fine, and turns generally pass quickly enough too (as long as your opponent doesn’t suffer from AP…) so that the game doesn’t actually feel that long.

All in all, Roll Player does make you think, but it’s not such a heavy game that it’ll feel super serious. Purple Phoenix Games gives it a 17 / 18 (Josh has yet to play it).

https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2018/12/03/roll-player-review/
  
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The Marinated Meeple (1853 KP) Jun 12, 2019

I was lucky enough to learn the game from the designer.... I'll never forget it.... sorry for the humble brag.

Elvis & Nixon (2016)
Elvis & Nixon (2016)
2016 | Comedy
4
5.5 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Elvis Presley has always been a mystery to me. I never understood the fascination around him and the length at which his fans adore him. Growing up in the south, his image and legend permeated throughout the culture and made it impossible to criticize him or his music. He was infallible. Nixon, on the other hand, is universally loathed for having a Presidential administration built on division and corruption. Through one bold idea, on the part of Presley, they cross paths. Elvis and Nixon, sounds as though it would be perfect for an 80s sitcom, however, the reality of this interaction is put on display through this film. In total, the film is fun in that it gives a bit of insight as to what their interaction may have been like, given their personalities and styles, however, there is a lack of depth with anyone in the film. Michael Shannon’s (Midnight Special, Man of Steel) portrayal of Elvis comes off as wooden and lacking any personality.

I felt as though I was watching an impersonator on screen rather an actor portraying a character. Kevin Spacey (House of Cards) plays a strong Nixon in which you feel a little bit of sympathy for the President considering the circumstances that he finds himself in toward the end of his first term. Unfortunately, due to his character Frank Underwood on House of Cards, audiences will feel as though it is President Underwood playing Nixon. There isn’t much space between the two characters that he plays. There also isn’t much space between Elvis and Nixon with their approach to social ills and the American landscape.

There is very little this film offers other than an imagining of what possibly took place due to now recordings of their meeting other than a photo. In that sense, it is an interesting “what if” piece. The imagination of the filmmakers allows us to question who these two men and the circumstances that faced America during 1971. Although provocative in its approach, it doesn’t allow for much growth or ability to connect with any of the characters. It has its fun and funny moments, which will keep audiences interested, but nothing that will have them talking about the film well after they have seen it. Through the portrayals by Shannon and Spacey, I find myself liking Nixon a little more and hating Elvis a little less.
  
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