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Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Death Valley in Tabletop Games
Jan 18, 2022
This past summer, 2021, I had the opportunity to visit Las Vegas for the first time in my life. The casinos, the strip, the lights – everything was over-the-top and pretty impressive. But my trip took me beyond the city borders, as I got to visit several national parks and see some unique landmarks as well. One of which being Death Valley National Park. They’re not lying with the name – during my trip there, the temperature climbed to over 110°F. Does this pocket-sized game about the real-life location do justice to the scorching scenery? Keep reading to find out!
Death Valley is a game for 1-2 players in which you are documenting your journey across the Death Valley park. You will see different sights on your journey, and add cherished memories to your scrapbook. The player who amasses the most points by the end of the game is the winner! To setup for a game, shuffle the deck of Feature cards and reveal one face-up while the rest remain in a face-down deck. These cards make up the Desert. That’s it. The game is ready to start! Choose a starting player and get to sight-seeing!
Throughout the game, players will be adding Feature cards to their Journey tableau (places they have visited) and their Scrapbook tableau (the more memorable locations). On your turn, you will perform one of 2 actions: Travel or Rest. When you choose to Travel, you will select either the Feature card from the Desert (the face-up card), or draw the top card from the face-down deck and add it to your Journey. Conversely, when you choose to Rest, you will move a Feature card from your Journey into your Scrapbook. When moving Feature cards to your Scrapbook, you are allowed to hide other cards from your Journey underneath that card. Hiding cards can be beneficial for end-game points, or for preventing you from Busting. Many Feature cards have additional text at the bottom, that either provides ongoing abilities for the remainder of the game, or that provide extra scoring abilities at the end of the game. Choosing which Feature cards to move when and where is key!
After you have performed your chosen Action, you check to see if you Bust. If you have 3 Feature cards of the same type in your Journey and Scrapbook, you Bust! To resolve a Bust, you will discard from the game the right-most card in your Journey, and then will re-shuffle any remaining Journey cards back into the draw deck. So there’s a small element of push-your-luck in here! Once you resolve a Bust (if necessary), you will refresh the Desert – reveal a new face-up card if you just took the face-up card this turn. Your turn then ends, and play moves to your opponent. The game continues in this fashion, with players drawing/placing/moving Feature cards in their 2 tableaus, until only 1 card remains in the Desert. Points are then tallied: 1 point per Star on cards visible in your Journey, and points based on the extra scoring abilities of cards in your Journey and/or Scrapbook. The player with the highest score is declared the winner!
So, let’s get into this gameplay. For being a 2-player game, I appreciate that it’s not necessarily directly competitive. Yes, you want to score more points at the end of the game, but there really isn’t any player interaction, which keeps the energy level of the game more low-key. That being said, it’s decently strategic. Some Feature cards provide on-going abilities that can be used throughout the game, and can help you get some benefit out of a Bust. Certain card abilities rely on adjacency of other cards, so you have to know when/where to place a card to get the most points for the end of the game. That being said, you also have to make sure you don’t Bust. Luckily, you don’t resolve/check for a Bust until after you have performed your action, so perhaps you are able to sneak by with some clever planning. One part of the gameplay that misses the mark for me is the fact that you can only perform 1 Action per turn. I feel like that can really inhibit your ability to strategize, and makes it difficult to feel like you’re accomplishing something on your turns. Maybe if players had to perform both Actions per turn (either Travel/Rest, or vice versa), it would offer a few more options in terms of strategy. I just personally feel like taking only 1 Action per turn makes the gameplay a little too choppy, and makes it hard to really get into – especially when the game itself is so short. Maybe I’m not thinking strategically enough, but these are my thoughts thus far with Death Valley!
Components. As to be expected from ButtonShy – excellent quality of the cards and wallet. The artwork is colorful and thematic, and I just like looking at the different locations represented in the game. This game is satisfying to look at, and it earns high marks from me. Another neat thing? Each Feature card has a little interesting fact about its location, so you can learn a neat tidbit while playing the game!
Nothing can really compare to seeing Death Valley in person, but this game does offer a nice representation. The beauty of the location artwork coupled with the interesting facts has me intrigued outside of the game itself. The gameplay isn’t necessarily a home-run in my eyes, but it is strategic enough that I know I’ll keep pulling this one out from time to time. There is a solo mode, as well as a variant to give you more of a press-your-luck element, and I will definitely be trying those to see if they change my thoughts on this game. But for the time being, Purple Phoenix Games gives Death Valley a singed 4 / 6.
Death Valley is a game for 1-2 players in which you are documenting your journey across the Death Valley park. You will see different sights on your journey, and add cherished memories to your scrapbook. The player who amasses the most points by the end of the game is the winner! To setup for a game, shuffle the deck of Feature cards and reveal one face-up while the rest remain in a face-down deck. These cards make up the Desert. That’s it. The game is ready to start! Choose a starting player and get to sight-seeing!
Throughout the game, players will be adding Feature cards to their Journey tableau (places they have visited) and their Scrapbook tableau (the more memorable locations). On your turn, you will perform one of 2 actions: Travel or Rest. When you choose to Travel, you will select either the Feature card from the Desert (the face-up card), or draw the top card from the face-down deck and add it to your Journey. Conversely, when you choose to Rest, you will move a Feature card from your Journey into your Scrapbook. When moving Feature cards to your Scrapbook, you are allowed to hide other cards from your Journey underneath that card. Hiding cards can be beneficial for end-game points, or for preventing you from Busting. Many Feature cards have additional text at the bottom, that either provides ongoing abilities for the remainder of the game, or that provide extra scoring abilities at the end of the game. Choosing which Feature cards to move when and where is key!
After you have performed your chosen Action, you check to see if you Bust. If you have 3 Feature cards of the same type in your Journey and Scrapbook, you Bust! To resolve a Bust, you will discard from the game the right-most card in your Journey, and then will re-shuffle any remaining Journey cards back into the draw deck. So there’s a small element of push-your-luck in here! Once you resolve a Bust (if necessary), you will refresh the Desert – reveal a new face-up card if you just took the face-up card this turn. Your turn then ends, and play moves to your opponent. The game continues in this fashion, with players drawing/placing/moving Feature cards in their 2 tableaus, until only 1 card remains in the Desert. Points are then tallied: 1 point per Star on cards visible in your Journey, and points based on the extra scoring abilities of cards in your Journey and/or Scrapbook. The player with the highest score is declared the winner!
So, let’s get into this gameplay. For being a 2-player game, I appreciate that it’s not necessarily directly competitive. Yes, you want to score more points at the end of the game, but there really isn’t any player interaction, which keeps the energy level of the game more low-key. That being said, it’s decently strategic. Some Feature cards provide on-going abilities that can be used throughout the game, and can help you get some benefit out of a Bust. Certain card abilities rely on adjacency of other cards, so you have to know when/where to place a card to get the most points for the end of the game. That being said, you also have to make sure you don’t Bust. Luckily, you don’t resolve/check for a Bust until after you have performed your action, so perhaps you are able to sneak by with some clever planning. One part of the gameplay that misses the mark for me is the fact that you can only perform 1 Action per turn. I feel like that can really inhibit your ability to strategize, and makes it difficult to feel like you’re accomplishing something on your turns. Maybe if players had to perform both Actions per turn (either Travel/Rest, or vice versa), it would offer a few more options in terms of strategy. I just personally feel like taking only 1 Action per turn makes the gameplay a little too choppy, and makes it hard to really get into – especially when the game itself is so short. Maybe I’m not thinking strategically enough, but these are my thoughts thus far with Death Valley!
Components. As to be expected from ButtonShy – excellent quality of the cards and wallet. The artwork is colorful and thematic, and I just like looking at the different locations represented in the game. This game is satisfying to look at, and it earns high marks from me. Another neat thing? Each Feature card has a little interesting fact about its location, so you can learn a neat tidbit while playing the game!
Nothing can really compare to seeing Death Valley in person, but this game does offer a nice representation. The beauty of the location artwork coupled with the interesting facts has me intrigued outside of the game itself. The gameplay isn’t necessarily a home-run in my eyes, but it is strategic enough that I know I’ll keep pulling this one out from time to time. There is a solo mode, as well as a variant to give you more of a press-your-luck element, and I will definitely be trying those to see if they change my thoughts on this game. But for the time being, Purple Phoenix Games gives Death Valley a singed 4 / 6.
Keisha Davis (8 KP) rated The Demonists (Demonist, #1) in Books
Apr 10, 2018
This is a bone chilling page turner! Supernatural meets The Exorcist meets Law & Order in a gripping story that has just the right amount of humor, fear, suspense and resolution.
This book read like a dream. I couldn’t put it down. The story grabs your from the first page. There’s no boring build up. From the first paragraph your thrown into the fight.
This book leaves you ready for the next journey. Packed with everything needed to make a satisfying read and reader.
This book read like a dream. I couldn’t put it down. The story grabs your from the first page. There’s no boring build up. From the first paragraph your thrown into the fight.
This book leaves you ready for the next journey. Packed with everything needed to make a satisfying read and reader.
Vegas (725 KP) rated Klondike: Quest For Gold in TV
Mar 10, 2019
Having found this randomly, I wasn't sure what it would be like, but wasn't disappointed, although I didn't warm to many of the guys involved and found them quite selfish and not overly pleasant but it helped to show how difficult it could be to make the journey back during the gold rush and what months as a group could be like.
It was a relively easy and informative 4 episode watch, through some amazing scenery....
It was a relively easy and informative 4 episode watch, through some amazing scenery....
Auburn (57 KP) rated Our Year of Maybe in Books
Apr 10, 2019
This book is made to hit you in the feels and keep you emotional through the whole journey. The author does a fantastic job representing cultures and people that aren't prominent in books and I need more. I need more women who aren't afraid to please themselves, boys who fall for boys and girls, and most importantly I need more Jewish representation. It is all here in this wonderful book and anyone who needs a trip down emotion lane should pick it up!
Nickg24 (492 KP) rated X-Men (2000) in Movies
May 22, 2019
The Mutant Saga Begins
So begins my journey in rewatching the entire X-men series in glorious 4K.
Though it may be 19 years old this movie is still as exhilarating today as it was then,from the special effects to the performances of mckellen and stewart as the leaders of the two different groups of mutants.This film paved the way for so many of the superhero movies we love today (namely the MCU)
Though it may be 19 years old this movie is still as exhilarating today as it was then,from the special effects to the performances of mckellen and stewart as the leaders of the two different groups of mutants.This film paved the way for so many of the superhero movies we love today (namely the MCU)
Peter G. (247 KP) rated Million Dollar Baby (2004) in Movies
Jun 5, 2019
Eastwood plays the grizzled veteran boxing coach and Hilary Swank as the determined wanna be that he keeps at arms length somewhat similar to the Karate Kid.
He finally relents and they become very close as she improves and the journey to greatness begins, it's an engrossing story well told and has the ability to tap into a range of emotions as it unfolds, and if you have a dry eye at the end then check your pulse, you may be dead!
He finally relents and they become very close as she improves and the journey to greatness begins, it's an engrossing story well told and has the ability to tap into a range of emotions as it unfolds, and if you have a dry eye at the end then check your pulse, you may be dead!
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2579 KP) rated If You Give a Mouse a Cookie in Books
Mar 9, 2018
A creative progression story that starts with a simple act of kindness, giving a mouse a cookie. From there, however, things progress until they loop back around.
The book is simple but filled with great illustrations. And the journey is so creative. I missed this book until I read it with my niece and found it absolutely charming.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/07/book-review-if-you-give-mouse-cookie-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
The book is simple but filled with great illustrations. And the journey is so creative. I missed this book until I read it with my niece and found it absolutely charming.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/07/book-review-if-you-give-mouse-cookie-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Rachel Howser Roberts (96 KP) rated Compete in Books
Jun 22, 2018 (Updated Jun 22, 2018)
Sequal as good as the original
Nazarian’s sequal to Qualify is a fascinating look at a journey through space for the teenagers who qualified to escape Earth and travel to Atlantis. The novel provides more character development for the mysterious prince of Atlantis. The writings ebbs and flows with the excitement of special events and the monotony of space, which is appropriate for the setting. The world of the spaceship the characters are in is well fleshed out and unique.
Hayley Hornibrook (48 KP) rated Innocent Traitor in Books
Jul 6, 2018
Alison is my favourite historical author - her characters are as close to their true stories as fiction can possibly allow them to be. She can get inside the time period and their heads to take the reader on an emotional and exciting journey. It is the plight of Tudor women she does this with best; and the two books about Anne Boleyn and Lady Jane Grey are my favourites. I have loved devouring her books - easy reads and original twists.
EmersonRose (320 KP) rated Across the Universe (Across the Universe, #1) in Books
Nov 20, 2019
On my journey to read more science fiction books I stumbled upon this one. The story itself was interesting and had some cool twists to it that I was not expecting. It was definitely one of those stories where I kept guessing at the answers to the mystery as I was slowly fed more and more information about the situation. It was a fun read but I don’t know if I am intrigued enough by the characters to keep reading this series.