» Board Games
Monday, August 30, 2010
Happy Birthday to Atlas Games
Atlas Games is 20 years old this month, and founder John Nephew has put out the word that they’re celebrating. If you’re lucky, you may still have time to get a free birthday gift box of Atlas Games stuff – the first 250 folks to order it and pay for their own shipping will get a semi-random assortment of games or game related items from the company. Even if you miss out on the birthday goodies, stop by the website and wish the Atlas crew a happy 20th, with many more to come.
Monday, August 23, 2010
OgreCave review – Memoir ’44: Disaster at Dieppe
Monday morning, and we’re off to war – specifically, Daron’s review of the brand new Memoir ’44 expansion Disaster at Dieppe. This set provides new map options for the streamlined war/board game, new unit types, and a bunch of new scenarios. See what Daron thought of the latest set, or look through our review archive to see other Memoir ’44 reviews. One way or another, get your war on.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
This just in from This Just In From Gen Con, Sunday 12PM 2010
Looking forward to the inevitable late-night recap episode, but here are our notes for the supposed last TJI of the year, with guests Monte Cook, Robin Laws, and Eddy Webb.
- The White Wolf party apparently exceeded expectations.
- Again with the Iron Tyrants!
- The 5-2-1 rule, expert mode for the 3-2-1 rule.
- True Dungeon finally gets a mention. It doesn’t seem to be on everyone’s lips as in past years.
- Skulduggery sounds hot.
- Hamlet’s Hit Points
- Mars Colony
- ICONS
- Blood Bowl Team Manager, and acknowledgement that FFG’s announcing things before they have a release date is irritating as all hell.
And that’s Gen Con. Hope you had fun!
Saturday, August 7, 2010
OgreCave reviews – Town, Points in Space v1, Memoir ’44 Terrain
Another group of new reviews has just been added to OgreCave’s collection, with items of interest for roleplayers and board gamers alike. First, Demian takes a look at two RPG resource books: Town, and the revised version of Points in Space, Volume 1: Starport Locations, both from Cumberland Games. Then Daron continues his quest to cover the entire Memoir ’44 game line with a review of the Memoir ’44 Terrain Pack. Enjoy the trio of product write-ups – we’ll have more soon.
This just in from This Just In From Gen Con, Saturday 11AM 2010
Continuing the TJI adventure:
- Sandstorm, the new publishers-facilitators-whateverers of Eclipse Phase as well as… Poo.
- Apocalypse World
- Steal Away Jordan
- The D&D “Never Split The Party” contest
- GlowFly Games, who I think are set to publish Globalization?
- DC Adventures from Green Ronin. Also Dragon Age and Song of Ice and Fire.
- Artists Echo Chernik, Matthew Stewart and Christopher Shy
- No idea what this sales-skills game is. It certainly sounds like a subject amenable to a teaching game, though. Hell, some people say that’s basically what business school is.
- The Game Crafter, printing board games on demand
- There is a LEGO Games booth??!!?? I DEMAND PICTURES. [EDIT: Done. -A]
- Happy Birthday, Robot!
- Blowback
- Infrno online tools for tabletop play.
- Iron Tyrants! There are a couple of great making-of articles at the site.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
This just in from This Just In From Gen Con, Thursday 5PM 2010
Sorry, I was in the bathroom. Here we go!
- Again, the Adventure Burner and the Parsely Pack.
- gameplaywright.net
- Things We Think About Games, The Bones, and Robin Laws’ Hamlet’s Hit Points.
- Happy Birthday, Robot! (Note to others who want to see what games will come out of Kickstarter: remember Perfect? The new edition text is pretty stellar.)
- Malifaux by Wyrd Miniatures
- Battlestar Galactica, Dominion, and Thunderstone (OgreCave review here)
- IPR and Dresden.
- Apocalypse World by Vincent Baker.
- Apparently there’s WiFi on the show floor, because people are doing things like paying via PayPal on their iPhones and carrying zero cash.
- Steal Away Jordan
- A Taste For Murder
- Trail of Cthulhu (OgreCave review here)
- Skulduggery
- The ENnies
- Iron Tyrants – color me intrigued!
- People still love those BattleTech pods.
- The Smallville team charges the mic.
Can I just say how great it is to not hear Ryan Macklin again after so long? Nah, I’m just kidding. See you tomorrow!
Boardgamegeek wins 2010 Diana Jones Award
We’ve already mentioned it briefly in this morning’s TJI From Gen Con! show notes post, but in case you missed it, Boardgamegeek has won this year’s Diana Jones Award. The mostly-anonymous award committee selected the tabletop gaming website over three other game nominees shortlisted this year, FFG’s Chaos in the Old World, and the RPGs Kagematsu by Cream Alien Games, and Montsegur 1244 by Thoughtful Games. See the press release for more details.
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This just in from This Just In From Gen Con, Thursday 11AM, 2010
I love contexts where you can just say “It’s Thursday, 11AM, 2010,” and everyone knows when you mean. So yeah, it’s on once again: This Just In From Gen Con is in live-from-the-show mode, and we’re doing notes. If you’re new here, shame on you! welcome! Here goes:
- Dresden Files RPG. (Our thoughts on same.)
- The Adventure Burner, completing the Burning Wheel core books.
- The Parsely Pack, comprising ACTION CASTLE, Jungle Adventure, Spooky Manor, and Space Station.
- FreeMarket
- The Diana Jones Award has gone to BoardGameGeek. And I don’t mean to look up that Agricola expansion. Congrats to Aldie and crew.
- The Smallville RPG, which does indeed look pretty righteous.
- Reactor 88 is doing an inSpectres movie as well as the Brave New World film announced last year. BNW author Matt Forbeck plays a zombie.
- Wisconsin is very cold.
- The Women in Gaming panel – I believe it’s the second year that Gen Con has done this? Can’t find a link, but it has just ended as I type these words anyway. (Somebody write it up!)
Subscribe to our feed if you haven’t, because we’ll be on top of the TJI notes for the whole show, plus any other tidbits we turn up.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
2010 Diana Jones Award shortlist announced
It’s that time of year again: Gen Con draws ever closer, heralding the announcement of the Diana Jones Award and its shortlist for 2010. Each year, this independent award is bestowed on prime examples of “excellence in gaming” by the Diana Jones Committee (made up of past winners and other luminaries). The nominees are an interesting group, and are described thusly:
- BoardGameGeek, a website edited by Scott Alden and Derk Solko
- Chaos in the Old World, a boardgame by Eric Lang, published by Fantasy Flight Games
- Kagematsu, a role-playing game by Danielle Lewon, published by Cream Alien Games
- Montsegur 1244, a role-playing game by Frederik Jensen, published by Thoughtful Games
Follow this link for more details on what brought these four nominees to the committee’s attention. As always, the winner of the 2010 Diana Jones Award will be announced on the evening before Gen Con Indy gets started at the Diana Jones Award and Freelancer Party in downtown Indianapolis.
[Update: The votes are in, and the winner has been announced!]
Sunday, July 18, 2010
OgreCave Gaming News Update – Colby Dauch
Because we know you can’t get enough, we’re starting the week with another Gaming News Update interview. This time Lee Valentine chats with Colby Dauch of Plaid Hat Games and Hasbro’s Dungeons & Dragons Heroscape line. Colby has several projects in his queue, both freelance designs and new Summoner Wars releases, which Lee quizzes him on for this new episode.
By the way, if you still haven’t familiarized yourself with Summoner Wars we’ve got a review of it right here.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Betrayal at House on the Hill 2e coming October 5th
Mike tweeted about this earlier, but it deserves a main page mention: Betrayal at House on the Hill: Second Edition is on final approach for release October 5th. Co-designer Bruce Glassco announced the new edition back in November 2009, and has recently hinted at new features of the updated game. The new game will feature eight new Haunts, a new “hidden traitor” mechanic, five new items, redesigned die-cut tokens, and new artwork. In all, great news for fans of the original edition (which we reviewed here), especially those who waited too long to pick up a copy.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
OgreCave Gaming News Update – Petroglyph Games
In our latest Gaming News Update interview, Lee Valentine chats with Chuck Kroegel of Petroglyph Games about the company’s plans to release a card game, a board game, and a PC game in the next few months, all about a single fantasy setting. Kroegel, Petroglyph’s General Manager and one of the company’s designers, goes into the details of their plans to present the world of Graxia to the greater gaming public.
Monday, July 12, 2010
OgreCave review – Small World: Tales and Legends
In his quest to examine every corner of Small World, Lee has taken an extensive look at Small World: Tales and Legends, the brand-new expansion for Small World being released this week by Days of Wonder. The set adds random Event cards to the ebb and flow of conquest and civilization decline that fans of the game have come to know and love. How does this set stack up? Have a read and find out.
Dust Games Products to Move from AEG to FFG
Alderac Entertainment Group announced on July 9, 2010 that most of the Dust Games design library they have published or were going to publish (excluding The Adventurers) will be moving to Fantasy Flight Games. Some games involved in the transfer include Dust Tactics, City of Thieves, Arcana, and Mad Zeppelin. The increasing number of games on AEG’s release schedule was going to require the company to grow faster than it was prepared to, and may have forced AEG to release multiple titles per month to keep pace with both its own planned releases as well as those of Dust Games. AEG will cut the total number of scheduled releases to provide adequate playtesting and support for each product they do release. The company also plans to focus on its core product lines that are already doing well (such as L5R and Thunderstone), and may push some other new games back to 2011 release dates. GenCon 2010 events that were scheduled for the affected products will go on as planned, only to be run by FFG staff instead of AEG. (Full AEG announcement copied below.)
Friday, July 9, 2010
Small World iPad app upgraded for solo play
I mentioned this in our KublaCon 2010 image gallery (on OgreCave’s Facebook page – you’ve become a fan of us, right?), where our readers saw a shot of the Small World iPad app. Well, this just in: Days of Wonder has upgraded the program to include an AI to play against, enabling solo play for the formerly two-player only app. Those who already purchased the app can upgrade for free, or new players can download the app for $6.99.
Monday, July 5, 2010
OgreCave reviews – Memoir ’44 and Eastern Front
We’ve given new Cave dweller Daron the task of getting us up to speed on the near-legendary game line of Memoir ’44, and today he has delivered his first two reviews for our edification. To make sure everyone’s on the same page, Daron describes the Memoir ’44 main set first. Then he moves on to one of the game’s early expansions, Memoir ’44: Eastern Front, which brings the Russians barreling into your WWII scenarios like an irate bear. If you still haven’t discovered this board game foray into wargaming territory, read on, and prepare for battle.
Friday, July 2, 2010
OgreCave review – Zombie Dice
What goes better with a dice game than brains and shotgun blasts? That’s right, we’re talking about Zombie Dice, one of the new releases from Steve Jackson Games that puts players in the role of a hungry zombie (is there any other kind?). Lee has thrown the bones for a while and chased down his share of tasty humans, and lets us know just how much game is in that dice cup. Have a look at his review, or browse our long list of previous reviews in the review index.
Alderac Has a Steady Summer Launch Schedule, Culminating at GenCon
Alderac Entertainment Group (AEG) has big plans for the gaming industry this summer. They have a strong list of games to be released between now and GenCon. All these products will be available at the AEG booth at GenCon, and there will be demos and scheduled events for their new board and card game products at the show. From Legend of the Five Rings to Mad Zeppelin, AEG has a full gaming plate for the next few months.
[EDIT 7/12/10: some of the releases below have changed due to AEG's recent arrangement with FFG to take over Dust Games releases. -Allan]
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Wednesday, June 30, 2010
OgreCave review – Giants
Sometimes you find a game that speaks to you, and really hits that sweet spot between strategic play and rewarding fun. For OgreCave reviewer Demian, Giants is one of those “sweet” games, forcing players to juggle resources – and even work together at times – to get those giant statues built and score the most points. Have a look at his review to find out what makes this Asmodee release from last year a great choice to add to your collection.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
2010 Origins Award winners announced
Though the news trickled out in other ways, the 2010 Origins Award winners have finally been announced. Among the highlights: the rerelease of Space Hulk beat out Small World for Best Board Game; Looney Labs continues its streak with a Best Party Game win for Are You the Traitor?; the return of WizKids and HeroClix gets a nod for Best Miniatures Line; and Eclipse Phase wins for Best RPG. (Click through to read the full list.)
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Monday, June 28, 2010
Dixit wins 2010 Spiel des Jahres award
It’s that time of year again, and we’ve learned Germany’s game of the year award for 2010 (better known as the Spiel des Jahres, but you knew that) is Dixit by Jean-Louis Roubira (Libellud/Asmodee). The storytelling-meets-Apples to Apples game is back in stock according to Asmodee, so if you want to grab a copy, it should be available.
I posted what I know of the nominees a few weeks ago, but here’s the list again, in case you want to test drive a couple selections for yourself:
- Dixit, the winner (Libellud/Asmodee)
- Roll Through the Ages: The Bronze Age from Eagle Games/Pegasus Spiele (by Pandemic designer Matt Leacock, who I recently interviewed for our Gaming News Update podcast)
- Portrayal by William P. Jacobson and Amanda A. Kohout (Asmodee)
- A la Carte by Karl-Heinz Schmiel (Moskito/Heidelberger)
- Fresco by Marco Ruskowski and Marcel Süßelbeck (Queen Games)
Congratulations again to all the nominees, and to Dixit for winning this year’s award.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
OgreCave review – Cthulhu Dice
Steve Jackson Games knew all too well: dice and Cthulhu make a tempting combination for many gamers. At just $5, you probably have friends who’ve already given in and picked up a set or two of this recent game release, if only for the sweet Cthulhu die. But how is the game itself? Demian gives us the short-but-sweet answer in his review, after which you may resume your hunt for a glow-in-the-dark set.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Days of Wonder Approaches 20 Million Games Played, Plans Apple iPad Giveaway
To commemorate the 20 millionth game that will soon play out on the Days of Wonder Online digital board games network, Days of Wonder announced its best Online Giveaway yet. In a nod to its recent release of the best selling Small World for iPad digital board game on the App store, Days of Wonder will be giving away a new Apple iPad Wi-Fi 16 GB, and a copy of Small World for iPad, to the winner of its 20,000,000th game. Additionally, all other participants in that 20,000,000th game will receive a nice consolation prize – an 8GB Apple iPod Touch. All Days of Wonder Online members are eligible to participate in this giveaway by playing any Days of Wonder Online games including: the Ticket to Ride series, Gang of Four, Fist of Dragonstones, or Queen’s Necklace.
Ticket to Ride World Championships Broadcast on June 19, 2010
The Ticket to Ride World Championship will take place on June 19 in the Musée de la Carte à Jouer (Card Game Museum) in Issy-les-Moulineaux, France. Days of Wonder held national and regional competitions around the globe to find the best TTR player in the world. Seven total champions were crowned. They are from North America, the Benelux countries, France, Spain, Germany, Poland, and the UK. Those seven champions plus one additional runner-up from North America will compete head-to-head, playing several games on the various maps of Ticket to Ride. The one who performs the best will then be declared Ticket to Ride World Champion and win a trip for two on the legendary Orient-Express. The championship games will be broadcast live by the Tric Trac TV Team and on the Days of Wonder Ticket to Ride World Championship page starting at noon in the GMT+2 timezone. According to a handy internet time converter, this is the equivalent of 6:00 AM EST in the United States on June 19.
Monday, June 14, 2010
OgreCave GNU: Matt Leacock (Forbidden Island)
We’ve all marveled at the elegant way certain games work, and the cooperative masterpiece Pandemic has impressed more than its fair share of gamers. In our latest Gaming News Update interview, I caught up with Matt Leacock, the man behind Pandemic, as he celebrated his new cooperative game, Forbidden Island. The new release was all the rage at last month’s KublaCon, and gamers came out to Dr Comics & Mr Games in Piedmont, CA to play GameWright‘s foray into cooperative games with the man himself. Have a listen for Matt’s thoughts on game design, giving “life” to games that defeat players, being nominated for this year’s Spiel des Jahres award (for Roll Through the Ages), and more.
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Memoir '44:
Disaster at Dieppe
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Town
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Points in Space Vol. 1:
Starport Locations
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Diversions)
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Terrain Pack
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WEGS: Dice Rule!
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Small World:
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