Review

Blog, First Impressions, Kickstarter, Review

Omen a Reign of War, sometimes the only path to get Zeus’s blessing is one by wit and carnage. A Kickstarter preview.

April 30, 2018May 15, 2018by el_crossoLeave a Comment

John Clowdus and Kolossal Games are going big on this pimped new re-release of the Omen: a Reign of War series. There have been already two iterations of this saga and a lot of expansions of this BGG award nominee game saga since 2011. But we dare to say, this is going to be a big overhaul from the Smallbox editions and is going to be a fantastic line of games which this collaboration between these two publishers is bringing to us!

ON KICKSTARTER NOW!

“Open your mouth and shut your eyes and see what Zeus will send you.”

~ Aristophanes c. 446 – c. 386 BC

Designer: John Clowdus

Player count: 2 players only

Playtime: 20 – 30 minutes

Theme: ancient mythology (Greek & Persian)

Mechanisms: Hand management, card play, objectives & area majority.

Continue reading “Omen a Reign of War, sometimes the only path to get Zeus’s blessing is one by wit and carnage. A Kickstarter preview.” →

CrossWord, Review

War of Currents in a tiny card game, a review of Tesla vs. Edison: Duel by Artana Games

April 11, 2018May 15, 2018by el_crossoLeave a Comment

One of the wonderful things about the board gaming hobby is, that you discover new topics and interesting periods of human history by spending time at the tabletop. Most of us are aware of the legacy Tesla and Edison have in our daily lives. But the fact that there was a real war between the master and his apprentice was something, we personally, did not know until recently. That fascinates us quite a bite, not to be taught through dry college education or some boring teacher explaining the raw stuff, but experience by the way of social interaction, in our books, is a much more fruitful way to make teaching practical.

Tesla vs. Edison: Duel, is an Artana game published in 2017 and created by JR Honeycutt (he also worked on Feudum) and Dirk Knemeyer (he is known for the big Tesla vs. Edison board game from 2015). Add in the amazingly talented artist Heiko Günther and lights may go on for some people. Let us tell you why we think this is one of the best two player titles of recent years.

Continue reading “War of Currents in a tiny card game, a review of Tesla vs. Edison: Duel by Artana Games” →

CrossWord, Review

5 highlights why building blocks are still brutally cool to play with, The Climbers Review.

April 4, 2018May 15, 2018by el_crosso12 Comments

As alluded to in the title, we are going to have a look at the brutal, yet very cool board game The Climbers by Capstone Games. In this seemingly simple game, you may end the night with fewer friends or family as to where you took off from. Besides that little thing, you will have a great tactical strategy puzzle in front of you. With just 5 player accessible colors and 1 neutral color, you will build your way up into the sky. Who will reach the top first and who will stay there? Don’t think this is a lovely kids game where you will have fun, There will be blood. (this could be seen as a cross-reference to another Capstone title, can you guess which? )

Deviant art from Supajoe There Will be Blood movie — Deviant art from Supajoe

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Kickstarter

Things You Didn’t Know About Chartered: The Golden Age the board game

March 26, 2018May 15, 2018by el_crossoLeave a Comment

Well, that was quite the suggestive title, right? But to stay in that historic mindset a little longer, because the fact stays true, the Golden Age of Amsterdam has clearly shaped the way the Netherlands grow to one of the most dominating powers of that era. With a nation gaining so much of an influence and wealth spread, there are sadly also dark shades made in history. They get overlooked sometimes in the books or are seemingly neglected. In this board game, there is no focus on that part, but it doesn’t neglect the fact that has happened either. Here we focus as players on becoming the most influential power of that time and keeps our story based on the trading and growing of the city in those time by trading and growing companies for revenue. (Some context)

Jolly Dutch Productions is a new publisher from the Netherlands and they contacted us to have a look at their first title, Chartered: The Golden Age. Please note that this is still all prototype and will be Kickstarted on the 26th of March! So keep an eye out for this one very soon. UPDATE Live now on Kickstarter!

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CrossWord, Review

Where Dragon Castle’s crumble you can build your own realms legacy. A Dragon Castle board game review.

March 21, 2018April 3, 2018by el_crosso2 Comments

As centuries went by, the once mighty Dragon Castle was picked apart like vultures on a lioness her decaying corpse. The people who once lived here and who saw the hills change color every spring and fall so many times, could not have imagined this structure to ever be not present anymore. But alas, every man-made structure will once be part of the dust again, and so was that the future for the Dragon Castle in our story already written. The people will have to search for new realms, for new futures, for new prosperity.

But from the seemingly dark times, there will always be some sparks of hope and mankind will rise out of the ashes again. Who will rebuild his own realm stone by stone to be the most formidable of its time again? And who will build a legacy which will stand the test of time and please the spirits & the Elder dragons once more for many centuries to come? Let’s find out and join us on this board game adventure.

Horrible Games and designers Lorenzo Silva, Hjalmar Hach & Luca Ricci bring you, Dragon Castle.

Every player will start with an empty player board of its choice. The boards are made of thin paper, with lovely seasonal art and clear spaces to put your stones.

Continue reading “Where Dragon Castle’s crumble you can build your own realms legacy. A Dragon Castle board game review.” →

First Impressions

When cloth finishers and merchants still ruled the world. A Calimala board game preview

March 13, 2018March 19, 2018by el_crossoLeave a Comment

“Arte di Calimala” the guild of cloth finishers and merchants during the late Middle Ages. Through their arrogance (call it dedication), sense for artwork and skills in trading & fabrication, they grow to become one of the biggest elites of those times within the Florence region and went far beyond those borders with their influence. To set the stage right, for the youngsters out there, that was without Internet, YouTube viral video possibilities, Google AdWords or not even black & white television (yes those were a thing also kids) advertisement. And known that we have an easy way of life nowadays and can achieve everything we want, if we still have heart to work for it though and that is the still present common ground, working hard is still the key.

Calimala and being more than a just another “eurogame”

You hate it or you love it. You think it thematic or you think it childish. For us it looks pleasant and we can appreciate Harald’s art.

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Photo showcase

Our snappy photo exploration into Empires of the Void II

March 8, 2018May 1, 2018by el_crossoLeave a Comment

A snappy photo showcase after setup of this enormous beast, Empires of the Void II. The latest Red Raven Game by Ryan Laukat arrived a few weeks back from Kickstarter and we finally brought it to the table. The setup takes a little to create a narrative story. You will need to put in the correct parts for your specific chosen races and the planets in your story. Because that is what you are doing, building your own world to explore with its own charisma.

Setup is a beast, but look at it? This looks so good and so ready to be explored

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Category: Review

Omen a Reign of War, sometimes the only path to get Zeus’s blessing is one by wit and carnage. A Kickstarter preview.

War of Currents in a tiny card game, a review of Tesla vs. Edison: Duel by Artana Games

5 highlights why building blocks are still brutally cool to play with, The Climbers Review.

Things You Didn’t Know About Chartered: The Golden Age the board game

Where Dragon Castle’s crumble you can build your own realms legacy. A Dragon Castle board game review.

When cloth finishers and merchants still ruled the world. A Calimala board game preview

Calimala and being more than a just another “eurogame”

Our snappy photo exploration into Empires of the Void II

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