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Secrets of the Lost Tomb
Secrets of the Lost Tomb
2015 | Adventure, Exploration, Horror
Great stories (2 more)
Exciting gameplay
Great solo game with 1 hero
Rules are a little clunky in places (1 more)
Lots of little tokens to track everything
An Indiana Jones style adventure
Have you ever wanted to be Indiana Jones? Well now you can. Secrets of the Lost Tomb is an epic action adventure game in the style of 1930's pulp fiction.

Almost like a cross between Descent and Betrayal at the House on the Hill, you build the dungeon one tile at a time (from a large stack of room tiles) as you explore 3 levels trying to get to and defeat the boss and retrieve the quest item before the time track runs out.

All the creatures and events are automated making this a fully co-op game and action points are distributed evenly between the adventurers. There is also a special solo only character with a bunch of companions so you can play without having to take control of multiple characters if you wish.

I have now played through all the scenarios several times and this game is still on the top of My dungeon crawl list, it really does everything I wanted. With the base game and 7 expansions, there is a HUGE amount of content as well as rules to combine everything into a full campaign with character progression.

The scenarios are much more varied and interesting than other dungeon crawls. One mission you could be trying to stop a long dead pharaoh from coming back and spreading his evil in the world while the next mission might see you trying to stop Russian commandos from stealing Captain Nemo's submarine, The Nautilus. Each scenario has a 1930s pulp fiction feel to it and, despite the occasional typo, are very well written and thought out.

The scenarios have an introduction which sets the scene, a setup guide that tells you what tiles, creatures and items are specific to the story and need to be set aside and the win/lose conditions. There then follows a series of numbered sections which serve as chapters in the story. These are triggered by various events, normally by discovering room tiles with specific icons on them or by the comet track (which is the game's timer) hitting a certain point. This is a great feature and is easy to follow. I much prefer this to the way the quests are laid out in Descent 2e.

The scenarios are long and so far have taken nearly twice the specified amount of time as listed. That said, you are so immersed in the story and exploring the tomb, the game never feels like it is dragging or outstaying it's welcome. You just need to budget for 3-4 hours of play time per story although this does come down once you are familiar with the rules.

Yes, there are a lot of tokens and stats to keep track of, but I wouldn't say it detracts from the game or the feeling of immersion, especially after the first game or two and the fact that each player takes one action at a time going round the table until all actions have been taken means that there is less downtime than other games.

The AI is very well done with creatures moving and attacking the player with the most soul tokens (gained by killing creatures) so the most dangerous character will be the main focus of the enemy and you can plan your turn to have the right people positioned where they will be best protected/best used.

This is by far the best and most immersive dungeon crawl I've played and really has knocked Descent off as My go-to game of this genre.


Find out more about Secrets of the Lost Tomb and more at Everything Epic Games
  
Beasty Bar
Beasty Bar
2014 | Animals, Card Game, Humor
When I say ‘nightclub,’ I know what you’re thinking – strobe lights, loud music, and dancing. What you DON’T think of is the fact that getting into the club in the first place probably means you had to wait in line outside. Some people take their clubbing very seriously, and the entrance line can become a cut-throat battlefield of subtle tricks or blatant line-jumping to get you ahead (literally) of the other patrons!

Welcome to Beasty Bar – the hottest nightclub in the animal kingdom! The house is jumpin’ and the line is out the door! All of the animals are dressed to the nines and are vying for an opportunity to get into the club. But unfortunately, only a certain number of animals will be granted access. So, naturally, it’s time to get sly! Each animal has a different tactic, but if they’re not careful, they could get booted out of the line completely!

In Beasty Bar, a game of hand management with a sprinkle of ‘take that,’ players are trying to get the most animals from their hand into the club. All players receive an identical deck of cards, which are then shuffled, and draw 4 cards into their hand. On their turn, players will play one card from their hand into the line, perform the corresponding action, address any on-going abilities, and draw another card from their deck. Each animal card has a special ability, either immediate or on-going, that can be used to alter its place in the line. Choose your cards wisely – all players have the same pool of cards, and a power you used to your benefit could later be used against you! Once all cards have been played, the game ends – the player with the most animals in the club is the winner!

I generally do not like ‘Take That’ games – I can be pretty competitive and this mechanic can sometimes turn confrontational for me. That being said, I actually like Beasty Bar. Since it has such a small play area (only 5 cards at a time), the line-up is always changing. And that requires some fast and strategic thinking that negates the ‘Take That’ aspect for me – I am more focused on getting my animals ahead in line than I am in booting my opponents out of the way out of spite. You really have to think about what animal abilities you want to use and when, depending on the current line-up. Yes, cards will inevitably be kicked out of the line, but for me it doesn’t feel as vengeful in this game.

I really like that this game is easy to learn and fast to play. The concept and gameplay are simple enough, they only need to be explained once. And the game plays relatively quickly, so you can either play it multiple times in a row or use it as a filler between some heavier/longer games. All of the animal abilities are outlined in the rulebook, but if you’re ever unsure of an animal’s power, it is illustrated right at the bottom of the card for you! Gone are the days of referring back to the rulebook every turn to double-check, or having to reveal a card in your hand because you have to ask for clarification again.

Is Beasty Bar my favorite game? Absolutely not. But it’s one that I don’t mind playing when I am crunched for time or need to take a breather from a more complicated game. It’s made its way into my collection, and I think it’s going to stay. Purple Phoenix Games gives Beasty Bar a 7 / 12 (Bryan and Josh have not played it yet).

https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/01/18/beasty-bar-review/
  
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
1954 | Adventure, Drama, Family
Story: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea starts when scientist professor Pierre Aronnax (Lukas) gets assigned to investigate a large number of sinkings in the open ocean, joined by his trusted sidekick Conseil (Lorre). When the ship they are travelling on gets sunk by the creature, Peirre, Conseil and sailor Ned Land (Douglas) go in search of rescue finding the Nautilus seemingly abandoned on the ocean.

The Nautilus captained by Nemo (Mason) tests the men before letting them stay aboard learning the wonders from beneath the ocean and taking on the creatures that have been lurking in the deep.

 

Thoughts on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

 

Characters – Captain Nemo is the mysterious captain of the Nautilus, he doesn’t follow any over the rules of the ocean as he plans his own way to clean it up with his loyal men, he reluctantly lets the three survivors onboard knowing Professor Aronnax could help his work. He does get frustratingly tired of Ned’s behaviour which puts his crew in danger at times. Ned Land is a sailor that is one of the few survivors from the shipwreck, he doesn’t like Nemo and wants to focus on collecting treasure over learning from the ocean. Professor Pierre Aronnax is one of the most famous scientist in the world, he is welcomed on board the ship because of his reputation which impress Nemo, he jumps at the chance to make huge waves in science onboard the ship. Conseil is the assistant to the professor who quickly starts to side with ned when it comes to the methods being shown onboard the vessel.

Performances – This is a strange way to bill the cast, because James Mason is the main character and he is great to watch when it comes to his speeches and ideas for what his character wants. Kirk Douglas is mostly the comic relief which is fun to see for the most part. Paul Lukas fits the posh scientist role in the film which is the one that can simplify things for the audience. Peter Lorre makes for a good sidekick figure for whoever his character helps.

Story – The story here follows the character of Captain Nemo that must educate three new crew members of the wonders of the ocean, showing them the answers are here instead of in how the world is acting. This is one that shows us science need exploring rather than questioning which takes out characters across the world to see things never imagined for the 1800s. While the story does give us entertainment, it would have been nice to see them ship take on a real creature for more than five minutes instead of going into the science versus sailing talk we most explore.

Adventure/Fantasy/Sci-Fi – The adventure side of this film takes our crew around the world to places they would have never seen to see places only few would have, make new discoveries. The fantasy mixes into the sci-fi because of the films setting in the 1800s where the technology isn’t like anything imaginable.

Settings – The film keep sus out at sea for most of the film, it is the interior of the Nautilus which is fantastic creation here show us just what was in the minds of the people.

Special Effects – The effects for the time were great, they show us what could have been achieved with practical effects and clever camera work.


Scene of the Movie – Squid battle.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – Not much creature action.

Final Thoughts – This is a must watch classic of cinema, it reaches levels you might not have expected for the time only to become something you need to admire.

 

Overall: Must watch classic

https://moviesreview101.com/2019/03/20/20000-leagues-under-the-sea-1954/
  
The Kiss Quotient
The Kiss Quotient
Helen Hoang | 2018 | Romance
8
8.4 (13 Ratings)
Book Rating
This was one of three books I got through Book of the Month this month - the other two were The Book of Essie and When Katie Met Cassidy. I'm reviewing this today instead of another Pride Month read because today is Autistic Pride Day! The Kiss Quotient both stars and is written by a woman on the autistic spectrum, so I thought today would be a fitting day to tell you about it!

So The Kiss Quotient is basically a gender-swapped Pretty Woman, as Hoang mentions in the Author's Note. Our heroine, Stella Lane, books an escort to teach her about sex. Stella is thirty years old, has only had sex a couple of times, never enjoyed it, and is worried about not being good at it and therefore not being able to get or keep a boyfriend. She's an incredibly successful econometrician, or someone who uses data and statistics to model and predict economic trends, in her case predicting what people will want to buy from clients. (She's the kind of person responsible for those "Amazon started marketing baby products to me before I even knew I was pregnant!" incidents.) So she has more money than she knows what to do with, and offers Michael, an escort, $50,000 a month to teach her about sex and relationships.

Because this is a romance, we know what's going to happen here. They fall in love with each other, but are sure that for the other one it's just a business arrangement.

I was NOT expecting this book to be as explicit as it is! I think because it is a Book of the Month, I wasn't expecting the standard trope of romance book with hot sex scenes. But that's what I got! I can't say I'm unhappy with that - god knows I like my guilty pleasure romance smut - but it was definitely unexpected. I'm not sure why it surprised me. The book's premise is all about Stella wanting to learn about sex; if that wasn't conducted on screen we'd lose a third of the book!

A sequel has already been announced, and it's about the other autistic character in the book, the hero's best friend's little brother, Khai, who we only see in one scene. Who I'd also like to know more about is the best friend, Quan! So I'm holding out hope for a third book.

One last thing that I found important - in the Author's Note, Hoang mentions her daughter was diagnosed with AS, and in reading about Autism, she realized she is also on the spectrum. This is something I've seen in three different books now. It's so common for women, especially, to go undiagnosed. They might be better at modelling allistic (non-autistic) behavior, or their special interests might be more "acceptable" to allistics, or sometimes they just get looked at as introverts when they're young instead of getting the help they might need. This is starting to change, as researchers and doctors are realizing Autism presents differently in women. But it seems autistic adult women are often discovering they're autistic through a diagnosis of their children. I found that interesting.

I did really enjoy this book. I think it's a great debut novel, and a great romance. I really like the recent trend of more diversity in lead characters in romance novels. Bring on the people of color! More disabled main characters! There's got to be a romance somewhere with a deaf heroine, right? More alternative sexualities and relationship structures! Everyone, everywhere, wants to be loved, and I want to read about it. The thing is, I'm sure these books exist, but they don't get the kind of publicity they need for people to know about them. We have to actually go looking for them. I feel like I've been better about that recently, but it's definitely a place where the publication industry could improve.

You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
  
Click (2006)
Click (2006)
2006 | Comedy, Family
8
7.1 (17 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Michael Newman (Adam Sandler) is a man in crisis. As a caring a devoted father and husband, Michael is at the end of his rope as his life has become a non-stop series of projects and endless deadlines as he attempts to become a partner in his architecture firm.

His boss, Ammer (David Hasselhoff) is constantly piling work on top of Michael’s already full plate, and promises a pending partnership which only drives Michael even harder at the expense of quality time for himself and his family.

With events such as camping trips, 4th of July family outings and his swim meets being lost to his increasing workload, Michael is in need of help as even his loving wife Donna (Kate Beckinsale), is becoming frustrated with his lack of time for his family and the fact that his family has become a distant second fiddle to his job.

When his frustration point gets the best of him, Michael decides to take a drive one night and locate a universal remote in an effort to clear up the clutter of remotes that inhabit his own.

With only a Bed Bath and Beyond open, Michael finds himself in a remote room of the store where a sympathetic employee named Morty (Christopher Walken), says he has the answer to Michaels situation, a special universal remote that is his free of charge.

Michael is skeptical but when Morty assures him that it is an advanced prototype and that sometimes a good guy need breaks in life, he sets home with the remote.

Eventually Michael realizes that the remote has the power to speed up, freeze, and access various moments of his life. Suddenly menial tasks, work, and other events can be avoided simply by forwarding past those points.

As Michael works with the remote, he is visited from time to time by Morty who shows him features such as a DVD like menu where Michael can look back at everything from past girlfriends to his conception and birth.

After a setback on his career path, Michael decides to fast forward to his promotion and is shocked to discover that not only has more time passed than he expected, but that his relationships at home have been strained in the process.

If this is not enough trouble for Michael, the remote starts to take on a mind of its own, and soon forwards him in time without his approval, forcing Michael to face the changes and repercussions of a life out of control.

Click is easily one of Sandler’s best films since “The Wedding Singer” and “Fifty First Dates”, as it blends the typical Sandler humor with moments of great candor and tenderness.

The supporting work of Walken and Beckinsale is enhanced by the presence of Henry Winkler ads to the enjoyment of the film.

Frank Coraci who previously directed Sandler in (The Wedding Singer), and (The Waterboy), is not afraid to force Sandler to stretch beyond the familiar comedic routines for which he has been known and make him address more serious subject matter.

While some fans may find the blend of comedy and a more mature subject matter difficult to accept, Click is a novel comedy that is filled with laughs and yet takes the time to address important topics without ever being heavy handed.

Some may want to take issues with the crude humor, and raise issues about the remote and why certain things were done or not done. To do this would be in my opinion would be missing the point of the film which is to remind us, that no matter what, take the time out for those that are important in your life.