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Scholars of South Tigris

Lost Ruins of Arnak: The Missing Expedition

The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle Earth

Railroad Ink: Blazing Red Edition

Railroad Ink: Blazing Red Edition

Harmonies

Flower Fields

Rolling Realm Redux

Agricola 15

The Mandalorian Adventures

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Do you like the Pandemic system? Have you seen the Do you like the Pandemic system? Have you seen the newly released Fate of the Fellowship?The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship is a cooperative Pandemic game for 1 to 5 players. Each player takes on the role of two characters from the LotR saga and works with the group to protect Frodo on his journey to Mount Doom.If you’ve played Pandemic, the mechanics will feel very familiar. On your turn, you take actions (such as travel, exchanging cards, combat, etc.) and draw cards from the player deck. Then, cards from the shadow deck reinforce enemy troops and send Sauron’s forces chasing after Frodo.The main goal is to complete the Destroy the Ring objective. However, depending on the difficulty level, you'll need to complete a number of other objectives first. The game is a constant balance of moving Frodo out of danger while completing objectives across the map.With 13 unique characters, 24 objectives, and the dynamic between the shadow and player decks, the game offers a lot of variety and stays fresh for a long time.I’m not the biggest fan of the combat mechanism, and the setup can feel a bit involved. The board also gets busy at times. But despite that, the game is incredibly fun. The quality of the components, along with the variety of setup, characters, and objectives, plus the thematic gameplay, all make for an excellent experience. If you’re a LotR fan and enjoy the Pandemic system, you’ll have a blast with this one. Fate of the Fellowship is easily the best Pandemic game I’ve played so far.What do you think? Have you tried this game?Please keep in mind that we received a review copy of this game.
What is your favorite tile-laying game?Kalypso i What is your favorite tile-laying game?Kalypso is a new tile-laying game from Inside Up Games, coming to Kickstarter soon!I received a prototype copy of this game, and while the rulebook is still a work in progress, I tried the solo mode and can say it has a lot of potential! The game can be played cooperatively or competitively. You place salvage tiles on the board to form a base layer, then build on top of it to create a settlement that can house and sustain people/survivors.There are end-of-round and end-of-game objectives that guide both your short- and long-term goals, and each building provides benefits that help you expand your settlement, support the population, or move closer to completing objectives. It may take a game or two to understand how the buildings interact and how their effects can help you achieve your goals, but once you’re familiar with them, the gameplay feels quite straightforward (again, keep in mind that the rules are not finalized yet).The components are an interesting aspect of the game. The boards and base layer tiles are covered with a special material that creates friction and holds the tiles firmly in place. I’ve never seen this in a tile-laying game before, and I love it. In most tile-laying games, it’s easy to mess up your board with sudden movements. While the second layer of your settlement in Kalypso is no exception, the secure first layer makes it far less likely.Kalypso is launching on Kickstarter on September 23, and there will be a pre-launch bonus if you follow the campaign before the launch date. You can find more information about the game here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/insideupgames/kalypso?ref=3y25qxDo you enjoy tile-laying games? Does Kalypso pique your interest?
Do you have a favorite game with a gardening theme Do you have a favorite game with a gardening theme? Have you played Botanicus?In Botanicus, each player has a board that acts as their garden. You move your gardener around (by paying coins) and plant flowers. The flowers start as seeds in pots and grow as you water them. The twist is that each row of the garden has objectives, which determine the types and levels of flowers required in that row. So, you need to plan and match the objectives to score their points while also aiming for endgame scoring.Gaining seeds, planting them, watering the pots, and earning coins all happen through action selection on the main board. There are four possible actions available to players in each round, and they are taken one by one, so the options are always limited and making decisions is quick and easy.There are also three tracks that provide various benefits. You can move along these tracks using main actions on the board. Reaching the end of each track scores points, and then you go back to the start of that track.The game comes with both basic and advanced modes. In the basic mode, all player boards are the same, and the five critters in player colors only score points. In the advanced mode, player boards are asymmetric and the critters provide various benefits.This game is quick and fun. Even though it comes with two modes and the basic mode is good for teaching the game, the advanced mode is the only way to play. The boards provide variety, the critter powers add depth, and overall there are more decisions to make. The production quality is great with thick cardboard and included tuckboxes to organize everything in the box. The mechanics aren’t revolutionary, so if you don’t like the theme, there’s no reason to get this game. But if you like the theme or don’t mind it, there’s a good chance you’ll have a great time with it. It’s also available on BGA if you want to give it a try.What are your thoughts? Have you played this game?Please keep in mind that we received a review copy of this game from @asmodee_canada.
Finspan or Wingspan? Have you played the latest ad Finspan or Wingspan? Have you played the latest addition to the Wingspan lineup?Finspan shares a lot of DNA with Wingspan and feels familiar in many ways, but it also introduces new mechanics and changes things up. Overall, it’s more streamlined and straightforward than Wingspan. That said, it’s not quite simple enough to be the absolute entry point to the series. If someone can learn Finspan, they can learn Wingspan with just a bit more effort.We weren’t sure how much we’d enjoy a fish-themed game, but it turned out to be incredibly fun and plays quickly. If I had to pick only one, I’d still choose Wingspan, but Finspan is different enough to justify owning both, especially for lighter gaming sessions.The component quality is excellent, just like other games from Stonemaier Games. As for the art, the player boards are beautiful, but I’m not the biggest fan of the cards. They look a bit bland, though that’s understandable given they depict fish.The full review is now live on the website (link in bio).What are your thoughts? Have you played this one?[Please note that we received a review copy of this game @jameystegmaier]
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