Author: travis

December 17, 2021 /

It’s a great sign when your 5-year-old wants to play a game over, and over, and over, and over… right? Especially if you also really enjoy playing? You never really know what to expect with new games and, luckily, this one is great… especially if you have kiddos or uptight…

December 13, 2021 /

The Kids Table series from Purple Phoenix Games seeks to lightly explore games that are focused toward children and families. We will do our best to give some good insight, but not bog your down with the millions of rules… Pancake Monster Game (2021) Blue Orange Games 2-4 Players 5…

December 8, 2021 /

Ahh, Christmas. Most people’s favorite holiday (at least in the U.S.), and one that I am learning to like more and more every year, but only because of my wife and children. I was not really much of a Christmas kind of guy – Halloween is my jam – but…

December 3, 2021 /

“Take a deep breath and relax…” These words greet you as you open the box for A Gentle Rain, and they certainly set the tone for some cathartic experience. Such was the case when upon opening a mystery mailer I found a copy of A Gentle Rain. I had no…

November 29, 2021 /

Have you ever felt like you could run a business better than the owner or boss currently does? I’m sure we have all been there before, especially when employed at such a place. I’ve never really been a boss before so I don’t have personal experience, but in Critter Cards…

November 24, 2021 /

So it was one of those days when I was checking my email and noticed something odd. I had a random tracking number sitting in my inbox for a game arriving soon. I didn’t recall requesting this game, so why was I having one shipped? A mystery still to this…

November 17, 2021 /

I have reviewed and previewed the base Chronicles of Crime, and each of the entries in the Millennium Series (1400, 1900, and now 2400). I have the Noir expansion coming in my next order from an online retailer once another title gets off the pre-order list, and will most likely…

November 15, 2021 /

Christmastime. No longer strictly a Christian holiday, but yet a staple in American (and global) holiday traditions. The holiday designed to give gifts to loved ones, and send messages of love and hope to the world. This is exactly what they WANT you to think! We all know that Christmas…

November 8, 2021 /

You know how you are just browsing BGG and come across some surprising statistics? For example, if you click on a ranking number on a game’s profile page, it will take you to the entire list of games including that search term. I do not believe I had checked on…

November 4, 2021 /

I have mentioned before that I have a bad habit. Well several, but this one pertains to board games. You see, I once had a collection of games that I loved, but was pulled into the BGG Auctions and would engage in auctioning off many of games that I deemed…

November 1, 2021 /

What does “elegant design” mean to you? For me, it is a game that has been well-fleshed out and the rules, components, and mechanics are not over-fluffed. I hear and see so many games being described as having elegant design, and I sit and ponder sometimes because I have played…

October 29, 2021 /

When choosing board games to either play or purchase, how much importance should one put on box cover art? It is important to ME, but I lump that all in with the components and art/art style of the whole package. Why do I bring this up in the intro today?…

October 27, 2021 /

In the expansion review series, we take a look at a game expansion to discuss whether it is a necessary purchase/addition to one’s collection. This breakdown is for the excellent bidding and castle building game Castles of Mad King Ludwig, and the expansion is named Secrets, from Bezier Games. This…

October 25, 2021 /

The original 7 Wonders was my #1 game of all time for a long while. While it has since dropped off my Top 10, I still have so many fond memories of it. Now, I know I am not breaking any stories here by finally reviewing its 2-player successor, but…

October 22, 2021 /

As I am wont to do at the beginning of reviews, I have to make a confession. I have not played many games set in a war. I have not played many WW1, WW2, Vietnam, etc. games, because I am under the impression that most of these are, in fact,…