Purple Phoenix Games Posts

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 28, 2021 /

Living in Iowa/Illinois, the saying is that we only have 2 seasons: winter and road construction. Our winters can certainly be brutal, and our road workers and civil engineers deserve major props for the work they do for our communities! Let’s put ourselves in their shoes for a minute. Can…

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 26, 2021 /

Components are obviously an integral part of games. Some games are beasts when it comes to components – boasting large numbers of included components to bolster the gameplay. And then you have games that have mastered the art of gameplay utilizing a minimal number of components. Cosmic Run: Express is…

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,…

October 21, 2021 /

Are you a boat person? As in, do you enjoy lounging on a boat, floating to nowhere in particular, just enjoying the day? Or are you a thrill-seeking water-skiier or tuber that enjoys shredding the waves and nearly drowning? Perhaps you are neither. I am definitely in the first category.…

October 20, 2021 /

As you may have read in our bios, we are located in the Quad Cities – right on the border of Iowa and Illinois. If you’ve never been to Iowa, you may not believe me when I say that we are home to a theme park called Adventureland. It has…

October 18, 2021 /

How many times have you felt absolutely confident in your convictions, only to have one tiny piece of information tear down stance and make you feel a little sheepish? It happens to me all too often, especially when playing games. Enter the Crime Zoom series coming soon from Lucky Duck…

October 15, 2021 /

Say what you will about social media, but all these different platforms have really allowed Purple Phoenix Games to grow into something pretty special. We get to share our love of games with everyone, and we get to communicate with fellow designers, publishers, and all-around board game enthusiasts! And that’s…

October 13, 2021 /

I think that I’ve mentioned in some of my previous reviews that I rarely buy games without first having played and/or researched them beforehand. Enter Breakdancing Meeples. One fine day, I was perusing the fine stock at my FLGS. While I was wandering and debating whether I should buy Reef…

October 12, 2021 /

I have often wished to have been born in a different era of time. For me, I would have loved to have seen the birth of jazz in the US early 20th century. Or to witness the Renaissance first-hand. Another wish of mine was always to somehow discover something amazing.…

October 11, 2021 /

What kinds of pets did you have growing up? My family was allowed one dog throughout my formative years, and I even tried to keep a turtle once in college. I have not ever had rabbits, but my brother did – Brewster. He was a cool bunny. Kinda freaked out…

October 8, 2021 /

Picture this – it’s a nice sunny day, playing at a park or going on a hike, and you find a shady spot to sit down and eat a picnic lunch. As you enjoy your meal, so do a handful of other creatures…..ants! A couple of crumbs here or there…

October 7, 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 game Revolution! and the expansions The Palace and Anarchy, from Steve Jackson Games. Both expansions add new bid boards that…