Portfolio - BoardGameShots

Skip to content

Home
Portfolio

Home
Portfolio

Scholars of South Tigris

Scythe: The Rise of Fenris

Pyramido

Hallertau

Spirit Island

Yokohama

Railroad Ink Challenge: Shining Yellow

Yokohama

Scythe

Load More Loading More… You’ve reached the end of the gallery.

Discover more from BoardGameShots

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Type your email…

Instagram Feed

Have you played Calico? Do you like this game?We

Have you played Calico? Do you like this game?We have been missing out! It is such a brilliant game. The mechanics are simple, the gameplay is fun, and it looks great on the table. This combination creates an excellent, cozy experience.The brilliance of this game is in its simplicity. You always have two tiles in hand. On your turn, you play one tile to your board and then pick one tile from a display of three. Points are scored by forming adjacent groups of the same color, creating specific patterns based on the cat tiles in play, and following placement patterns around the three design goals on your board. Those are all the rules.Despite the simple rules, the game has quite a bit of depth. Since each placed tile can potentially contribute to scoring in three different ways, you need to think carefully on your turn. However, the game does an excellent job of limiting player choices to prevent analysis paralysis. There is also a family variant in the rulebook that removes the design goal tiles from your board to make the game much simpler.There is a luck element in the way tiles are drawn from the bag. Your opponents might get exactly what they need, while you might not be able to finish a pattern you have spent the whole game trying to make. However, the rulebook suggests a way to minimize the impact of this by removing tiles from the bag at lower player counts.The component quality is excellent. Recessed boards, tiles and buttons made of thick cardboard, and a bag that (while not essential) was added for a better experience, leave little to be desired.Overall, Calico is an excellent option for cozy game nights. Quick playtime, fun gameplay, and great presentation make it a great game to play with people new to the hobby and board game veterans alike.What are your thoughts? Have you played this game?Please keep in mind that we received a review copy of this game.#boardgame #boardgames #tabletop

Do you like roll-and-write games?The Hobbit: The

Do you like roll-and-write games?The Hobbit: There and Back Again is a new roll-and-write game that comes with familiar characteristics of the genre: dice with paths and resources, dry-erase markers, and glossy boards. The game is organized into 8 different chapters, each with its own rules and objectives. In some chapters, you are drawing paths to connect point A to point B and try to collect the most points. In others, you are covering spaces on the map using polyominoes. Some chapters are divided into multiple regions, and when you cross the border between two regions, you can't go back. Each chapter is a different challenge with its own thematic touch.The game includes three resource types, but their roles change from chapter to chapter. Sometimes they score points, and other times they are required to unlock spaces on the map. Each chapter also has multiple ways of scoring points on top of the primary objectives. Achieving the primary objectives will end the game, but if people in your group would rather progress more slowly, score more points, and perhaps have a more satisfying game, that is certainly a possibility. But if one player rushes towards the primary objective, the game can end faster.There's also a solo mode included in the box. Unlike the multiplayer game, this mode limits the number of rounds you can play, but if you achieve the primary objective you'll score extra points. The solo mode is not as satisfying because achieving the primary objectives is usually very difficult before you run out of rounds. For a game that has limited player interaction, the solo mode could be better.Production quality is one of the best things about this game. Instead of sheets, each player gets a booklet with thick glossy pages that contains all eight chapters of the game. Cardboard tokens are also thick and chunky. To top it off, the artwork is excellent, with vivid colors and beautiful illustrations.If you are a fan of roll-and-write games, you should certainly check this game out.Please keep in mind that we received a review copy of this game.#boardgame #boardgames #tabletop

Have you played Mysterium? Have you seen the new "

Have you played Mysterium? Have you seen the new "Refresh" edition?Mysterium is a classic game for larger groups. The rules are fairly simple, it plays quickly, and the mechanics are clever. Mysterium Refresh celebrates the 10th anniversary of the game's release and comes with changes to the components and rules.This new edition streamlines the gameplay. Some rules have been changed slightly, but most importantly, the clairvoyance system is now an optional expansion (with the same rules as before), which makes the base game more straightforward.There have also been some small changes to the components. The biggest ones are larger envelopes, and the big chunky clock from the original being replaced by a small stopwatch. I would have kept the clock in the game if it were up to me.If you already own the game, there is no reason to buy this new edition. But if you don't, this version is the one to get.Please keep in mind that we received a review copy of this game.#boardgame #boardgames #tabletop

Have you played Duel for Cardia?Duel for Cardia

Have you played Duel for Cardia?Duel for Cardia is a clever 2-player game with straightforward rules and a quick playtime. Every round, each player plays a card from their hand of five (out of a deck of 16 with influence values of 1 to 16). Then both cards are revealed simultaneously. The card with the higher influence value wins the encounter, but the power of the card that lost the duel is activated. You can win the game by winning 5 encounters, if your opponent runs out of cards, or by activating a power on a card that says you win the game.The card powers are the reason why this game is interesting! These powers can affect previous and future encounters, and the order in which you play them is very important. You can't keep losing encounters just for the powers and need to win some, but you should always consider the possibility of losing the encounter and activating powers even when you aim for winning it. That means you are faced with interesting decisions to make every round.The game comes with two different sets of decks for more variety and location cards with various difficulty levels that introduce rule-breakers to change one aspect of the game. The box is also small with no wasted space, which makes it easy to pack and take with you traveling. Overall, Duel for Cardia is excellent for quick two-player sessions of 10-15 minutes.What are your thoughts? Have you played this game?#boardgame #boardgames #juegosdemesa

Follow on Instagram

Home
Portfolio

Copyright 2025 - BoardGameShots