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Lindsay (1693 KP) rated Summer on Blossom Street (Blossom Street, #6) in Books
Feb 15, 2018
My thought were sweet. I really enjoyed this book. I love how it ends and I am really glad for what happens to some of the woman in the book. You get see how the friendship develop and Relationships are tested though out the book. How friends can help and see the understanding. You get to see how part of the adoption take place and how thing can be tested with out knowing can happen unexpected. Love can happen though strange whys. Never did I expect what would happen at the end of the book.
The Author did a wonderful job with the character and matching them up but doing in a way that would happen natural to find out how it all happen. It was nice reading about them all and not confuse me while reading it. I will want to read books 1-5 understand completely soon though. I am going to be reading 5 "Twenty Wishes now."
The Author did a wonderful job with the character and matching them up but doing in a way that would happen natural to find out how it all happen. It was nice reading about them all and not confuse me while reading it. I will want to read books 1-5 understand completely soon though. I am going to be reading 5 "Twenty Wishes now."
the_mad_meeple (55 KP) rated Orchard: A 9 Card Solitaire Game in Tabletop Games
Feb 25, 2020 (Updated Feb 25, 2020)
Great price (2 more)
Solo play
Pocket sized - great for when on the go.
This is one of my freshly backed kickstarters and I am delighted with it. The simple concept of placing cards and growing apples is brilliant.
While it is possible to play mulitplayer rules, Orchard is played solo with players dividing the deck in to two sets of 9 (each game uses 9 cards). Starting with one card on the table the player draws two cards and chooses one to play, matching the colours on previously laid card. An ingenius mechanic, the choice of where to play your card in order to gain the most points, is challenging and frustrating in equal measure.
Pocket sized and playable in 10 minutes, this is an excellent solo game for anyone in the go. Can't recommend it highly enough at its low cost price.
While it is possible to play mulitplayer rules, Orchard is played solo with players dividing the deck in to two sets of 9 (each game uses 9 cards). Starting with one card on the table the player draws two cards and chooses one to play, matching the colours on previously laid card. An ingenius mechanic, the choice of where to play your card in order to gain the most points, is challenging and frustrating in equal measure.
Pocket sized and playable in 10 minutes, this is an excellent solo game for anyone in the go. Can't recommend it highly enough at its low cost price.
Chino Moreno recommended Small Craft On A Milk Sea by Brian Eno in Music (curated)
Young Jean Lee recommended Le Bonheur (1965) in Movies (curated)
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated 13 Monsters in Tabletop Games
Dec 5, 2019
Guys and gals, I have a confession. I am not good at memory games. I already surmised it is due to my increasing age, as my 3-year-old son tore through our plays of Farm Rescue, so I am not above resigning myself to the fact that it may be age. In any case, 13 Monsters starts out as a memory game then quickly transforms into a punish-thy-neighbor-into-oblivion monster battle game. Intrigued? We were too…
As I mentioned in the intro, and as you can see in the first photo below, 13 Monsters starts out as a memory tile-flipping game and then becomes a bash-em’-up for domination. The goal of 13 Monsters is to end the game holding the monsters with the highest total Hit Points (HP). Now how you get there is another matter entirely.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I do not know for sure if the final components will be any different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, as there are just too many. You are invited to download the rulebook, purchase the game through the Kickstarter campaign running until December 20, 2019, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup 13 Monsters, a randomized 9×9 grid of monster tiles are spread across the play surface with the longer title tile placed square in the middle (see what I did there?). Place the five d6 on the table to be used by any player. Determine the first player (whomever is the most beastly) and you are ready to play!
Turns are played in phases where you will initially be hunting the playing field trying to find matching monstersets to build a complete monster. Monstersets are horizontally matching tiles belonging to the same monster. So the top set is the head, the middle is the eyes, and the bottom is the body of the monster. This phase will continue in turns until multiple players have at least one monsterset. Things now start getting interesting.
Once you have at least one monsterset you can, before hunting from the field, offer to trade monstersets with other players. You may also use an ability named “Sacrifice,” which allows you to rearrange your monstersets to create a more powerful monster. Why would you want to rearrange? Monsters come in five elemental flavors – fire, water, earth, air, and ghost. Monsters with matching elemental monstersets are more powerful than those with mismatched elemental monstersets. This will come into play later when the monsters battle for supremacy.
Battles. Once you have a complete monster (head, eyes, body) you can, on your turn and before hunting, attack another monster. When attacking, both the attacker and defender will be throwing the five dice in hopes of ending with the highest total of pips of a matching set (like five 6s on the d6). The winner will then claim a monsterset from the involved monster (or separate monsterset) and add it to their collection. Monsters with more elementally-matching sets will be able to throw the dice more times versus a completed monster with mismatched elemental sets, so THAT is why using Sacrifice can make or break a battle.
There are other special abilities that are unlocked with different combinations of monsters: “Permafrost” allows the player to place a die on a tile that other players will not be able to flip on their hunting turn. However, once a battle is initiated all Permafrost dice are removed from the board to be used in the battle, so it is not a long-term tactic to be used. “Prophet” allows the player to flip over three tiles instead of the normal two tiles and can be very powerful when used correctly – you need to have a “Monster O.G.” which is a monster with all matching tiles belonging to the same completed monster. The final ability is “Supernova” and can only be used by a completed 13th Monster (the only Ghost-element monster, shown below). Supernova allows the player to sacrifice the 13th Monster in order to absorb (steal) a complete monster from any player and add it to their personal collection. The 13th Monster then leaves the game, but the controlling player will still receive the HP points for having collected and used it.
Play continues in this fashion until all tiles have been collected from the playing field. Once the final pair is taken, players are then allowed to declare one final battle against any opponent in hopes to bolster their final score. The player with the most HP shared among their completed monsters is the winner and ultimate Beast Master!
Components. Again, we were provided a prototype copy of the game, but from what I understand, the final production copy of the game will be very similar to this version if not exactly the same. What comprises the game is a ton of monster tiles and five dice. That doesn’t sound like a lot, and it’s not. But these are great quality tiles and normal quality dice (which I am hoping will become pink to match the main color found throughout the game). I love the overall art style. The art is what really pops out at you because the monsters are all uniquely weird and intriguing and kinda cute at the same time. I also very much appreciate that the team thought to include little bubbles next to the element icon on the tiles to indicate to which layer the tile belongs: head, eyes, body. Excellent touch. Overall the components are great, and the rulebook is killer. Outstanding work went into making this game visually stunning.
Is it a good game? It is certainly a very cool spin on Memory and adds modular monster building and player vs player battles where you can win each others’ components. I love it! Even though I am horrible at memory games, this gives me options once I do find a monsterset. I can trade and attack my way to building more and better monsters – but the dice have to be on my side, and I’m cool with that. If you are looking for something to add to your collection that is a brilliant hybrid of many different mechanics and looks absolutely incredible on the table, then please check out 13 Monsters. It rewards tactics, but also has that element of luck to help balance everything out. I’m a big fan!
As I mentioned in the intro, and as you can see in the first photo below, 13 Monsters starts out as a memory tile-flipping game and then becomes a bash-em’-up for domination. The goal of 13 Monsters is to end the game holding the monsters with the highest total Hit Points (HP). Now how you get there is another matter entirely.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I do not know for sure if the final components will be any different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, as there are just too many. You are invited to download the rulebook, purchase the game through the Kickstarter campaign running until December 20, 2019, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup 13 Monsters, a randomized 9×9 grid of monster tiles are spread across the play surface with the longer title tile placed square in the middle (see what I did there?). Place the five d6 on the table to be used by any player. Determine the first player (whomever is the most beastly) and you are ready to play!
Turns are played in phases where you will initially be hunting the playing field trying to find matching monstersets to build a complete monster. Monstersets are horizontally matching tiles belonging to the same monster. So the top set is the head, the middle is the eyes, and the bottom is the body of the monster. This phase will continue in turns until multiple players have at least one monsterset. Things now start getting interesting.
Once you have at least one monsterset you can, before hunting from the field, offer to trade monstersets with other players. You may also use an ability named “Sacrifice,” which allows you to rearrange your monstersets to create a more powerful monster. Why would you want to rearrange? Monsters come in five elemental flavors – fire, water, earth, air, and ghost. Monsters with matching elemental monstersets are more powerful than those with mismatched elemental monstersets. This will come into play later when the monsters battle for supremacy.
Battles. Once you have a complete monster (head, eyes, body) you can, on your turn and before hunting, attack another monster. When attacking, both the attacker and defender will be throwing the five dice in hopes of ending with the highest total of pips of a matching set (like five 6s on the d6). The winner will then claim a monsterset from the involved monster (or separate monsterset) and add it to their collection. Monsters with more elementally-matching sets will be able to throw the dice more times versus a completed monster with mismatched elemental sets, so THAT is why using Sacrifice can make or break a battle.
There are other special abilities that are unlocked with different combinations of monsters: “Permafrost” allows the player to place a die on a tile that other players will not be able to flip on their hunting turn. However, once a battle is initiated all Permafrost dice are removed from the board to be used in the battle, so it is not a long-term tactic to be used. “Prophet” allows the player to flip over three tiles instead of the normal two tiles and can be very powerful when used correctly – you need to have a “Monster O.G.” which is a monster with all matching tiles belonging to the same completed monster. The final ability is “Supernova” and can only be used by a completed 13th Monster (the only Ghost-element monster, shown below). Supernova allows the player to sacrifice the 13th Monster in order to absorb (steal) a complete monster from any player and add it to their personal collection. The 13th Monster then leaves the game, but the controlling player will still receive the HP points for having collected and used it.
Play continues in this fashion until all tiles have been collected from the playing field. Once the final pair is taken, players are then allowed to declare one final battle against any opponent in hopes to bolster their final score. The player with the most HP shared among their completed monsters is the winner and ultimate Beast Master!
Components. Again, we were provided a prototype copy of the game, but from what I understand, the final production copy of the game will be very similar to this version if not exactly the same. What comprises the game is a ton of monster tiles and five dice. That doesn’t sound like a lot, and it’s not. But these are great quality tiles and normal quality dice (which I am hoping will become pink to match the main color found throughout the game). I love the overall art style. The art is what really pops out at you because the monsters are all uniquely weird and intriguing and kinda cute at the same time. I also very much appreciate that the team thought to include little bubbles next to the element icon on the tiles to indicate to which layer the tile belongs: head, eyes, body. Excellent touch. Overall the components are great, and the rulebook is killer. Outstanding work went into making this game visually stunning.
Is it a good game? It is certainly a very cool spin on Memory and adds modular monster building and player vs player battles where you can win each others’ components. I love it! Even though I am horrible at memory games, this gives me options once I do find a monsterset. I can trade and attack my way to building more and better monsters – but the dice have to be on my side, and I’m cool with that. If you are looking for something to add to your collection that is a brilliant hybrid of many different mechanics and looks absolutely incredible on the table, then please check out 13 Monsters. It rewards tactics, but also has that element of luck to help balance everything out. I’m a big fan!
Very Black Mirror-esque
This is such a great idea for a story, you can almost imagine a slightly darker version of it featuring on Black Mirror. The idea of there being a genetic match out there for everyone found through a dating website is so plausible and in keeping with today’s society that it wouldn’t surprise me if something like this was to happen in my lifetime. It’s an intriguing take on modern dating too and for someone who sadly has experience in dating websites, it’s very relatable.
It’s well written and it does well to hold your attention by breaking into 5 separate stories with different characters all related by the same matching experience, in small bite sized chapters. The characters themselves are all likeable in their own way and you get very invested in their stories. There are a number of twists and my only criticism would be that some parts of this story get a little bit far fetched. It’s fiction, but I did find myself questioning the plausibility in parts. That said, I really couldn’t put it down.
It’s well written and it does well to hold your attention by breaking into 5 separate stories with different characters all related by the same matching experience, in small bite sized chapters. The characters themselves are all likeable in their own way and you get very invested in their stories. There are a number of twists and my only criticism would be that some parts of this story get a little bit far fetched. It’s fiction, but I did find myself questioning the plausibility in parts. That said, I really couldn’t put it down.
Morgan Sheppard (926 KP) created a post
Feb 19, 2024
Jim LeBaron (69 KP) rated Keyforge: Call of the Archons in Tabletop Games
Mar 14, 2019 (Updated Mar 14, 2019)
Unique Decks (1 more)
Decks can be registered and tracked online
Gloranta, the "Arsonist" of Jealousy
Great idea for a game. Each deck is unique and procedurally generated. Decks are 'balanced' but there are definitely decks that have better synergy than others. Each deck is made up out of 3 of the 7 factions and has the name of the deck written on the back so no mixing and matching between decks. Each turn you have to decide which faction you will "activate" and only those cards can be used, including those in play. The first one to activate their 3 keys with enough Aember is the winner.
There is a base game that comes with two fixed starter decks but it also comes with two randomized decks. The base game includes all of the tokens and counters that you need to play. Individual decks can be purchased separately.
I enjoyed the games that I played and never had a match that I felt was unbalanced enough to not be winnable. This isn't the first one I will grab to hit the table but I have a couple of decks at the office to break out over lunch.
There is a base game that comes with two fixed starter decks but it also comes with two randomized decks. The base game includes all of the tokens and counters that you need to play. Individual decks can be purchased separately.
I enjoyed the games that I played and never had a match that I felt was unbalanced enough to not be winnable. This isn't the first one I will grab to hit the table but I have a couple of decks at the office to break out over lunch.
The Marinated Meeple (1848 KP) rated Counterpart - Season 1 in TV
Mar 26, 2018
I love this show.... JK simmons is amazing
I watch this sho with my wife and my inlaws. It's great, and always has me considering possibilities. It reminds me a lot of the time I read Time Traveler's wife. The best moments in this show are when the 2 sides interact on a human level. The little moments between people when the mixing and matching of the sides takes place. I don't want to list them due to spoilers, but in the premise for the show imagine there was another version of you on the other side, and the differences could be minor, or they could be vast. imagine meeting that person, or imagine meeting your wife's other? how wild would that be? There is espionage too, but truthfully that doesn't hold a candle to the human moments. Worth watching and I believe when I watch it again I'm going to see plenty I missed the first time. The only complaint I have is that it's sometimes hard to hear, we have to turn the sound way up. But it's worth it.
Gavin Harper (4 KP) rated Spot it! in Tabletop Games
Jul 27, 2019 (Updated Jul 27, 2019)
Extremely simple to play (2 more)
Good fun for a really wide audience.
Kids and adults can play it and be on a level playing field.
Great game that never seems to get tired.
We've had Dobble (what Spot It's called in Europe) for years now and it still gets played all the time.
Very simple idea with lots of ways to play keeping it varied and fun.
The aim of the game is to match one of the pictures on your card with the same picture on another card. There is always a match somewhere, but the images on each card can be different sizes which can make then difficult to spot at first.
However, while you're trying to find a match on another card so is everyone else. As soon as a match is found you shout out what the matching picture is and lay your card on top of the other card. It gets frantic and frustrating as you keep trying to find a match only for the card to be changed by someone else and you have to start searching again.
Fab game, can be taken and played anywhere.
Very simple idea with lots of ways to play keeping it varied and fun.
The aim of the game is to match one of the pictures on your card with the same picture on another card. There is always a match somewhere, but the images on each card can be different sizes which can make then difficult to spot at first.
However, while you're trying to find a match on another card so is everyone else. As soon as a match is found you shout out what the matching picture is and lay your card on top of the other card. It gets frantic and frustrating as you keep trying to find a match only for the card to be changed by someone else and you have to start searching again.
Fab game, can be taken and played anywhere.