Top 5 Games that Would Work with a Pokémon Theme

5. Ice Cool

The list needs a dexterity based Pokémon game, and I think with Ice Cool branching out into Ice Cool Wizards, there is room where this can work. You flick around your trainer and you need to collect pokéballs and then capture Pokémon. It would be a very simple game. Simple games work well for this. For Ice Cool you’d actually need to change some more rules than in other games, and Ice Cool and Ice Cool Wizards don’t have that many rules. But make it a dexterity game about who can catch the most and rarest Pokémon.

4. Gasha

This already has a Japanese theme. It leans into the gashapon machine theming. You get toys and you’re trying to collect ones to get additional prizes. The theme doesn’t even have to change. Do it like Gasha: Pokémon or Gasha: Eevee Edition and it’ll work just fine. You’ll find for most of these that I’m trying to do what has been done thus far, which is just add the theming to the game. So a simple game like Gasha is perfect to get that theme added to it.

3. Super Fantasy Brawl

It’s a fighting game, so that makes sense for Pokémon. And it’s a 3 versus 3 character fighting game, that’s certainly possible to do with Pokémon. This could easily be my number one game on the list, but I think that there’s another fighting game that would work even better than Super Fantasy Brawl. But the simple game play Super Fantasy Brawl would make for an extremely accessible game and you could do some cool miniatures with it too.

2. Isle of Cats: Explore and Draw

I like this one where the Pokémon theme is a bit more slapped onto it. I think, though, it’d b a solid game to get the theming. Why, because this game is all about rescuing cats from an island that’s being destroyed. Well, make it about capturing Pokémon and you’re trying to be the one to do it the best. It loses any battle aspect of the game, and makes it more about catching them all. That might not be Ash’s goal always in the show, but it certainly works and is one of the goals of the show.

1. Dice Throne

Dice Throne is an easy top answer for me to get a Pokémon theme. It’s considered to just be a head to head fighting game. I think that you can do more than just that, but if you treat it just as a head to head game, it works perfectly. Plus there are already 26 characters out with another 8 on the way. Not all of them would translate into Pokémon but some of them would. And I think with minor tweaks, you could get a core group of eight Pokémon ready for a set.

Final Thoughts

Before you get your hopes up, only a few companies seem to have this property to release in South Korea. So before you get your hopes up, it’s highly unlikely that any of these would ever happen. But it was a fun exercise for me to do. I like to think about what games might work well with other themes.

And some of these games, Dice Throne for sure, doesn’t really need that boost. It’s already a very successful hobby game for Roxley Games. Some of the others maybe haven’t gotten as much notice. But I am keeping an eye out to see what other games are getting a Pokémon board game treatment. And I expect that there’ll be a few more that happen that I might have to import.

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Games to Play with the Kids

Ice Cool – This is a dexterity one and I’m going to lean in that direction. A lot of kids games aren’t that fun for kids because they are very simple. But Ice Cool is a great dexterity game that works with kids of a lot of different ages. Who doesn’t want to make a cool shot as you try and get a penguin around a high school? Probably some people, but they’re wrong, and this one because that’s mainly what the game is, is really simple to play.

Beat the 8-Ball – Another one that works well with kids. Beat the 8-Ball is a simple game as well, most games for kids should be. But it’s also one that’s fun for adults. The game is basically a big game of chicken. There is an 8-Ball coming down a funnel, you want to be ahead of the 8-Ball but not the first person ahead of it. So how long can you wait? If you’re the first person ahead of it, no points, but if you’re after it, negative points.

Games with the Whole Group

Deception: Murder in Hong Kong – The young kids are in bed and now you want a big group game. But a lot of the big party games are not that fun, like your classic Taboo or Catch Phrase. If you want something with a bit more on it and a lot of fun, try Deception: Murder in Hong Kong.

This is a game of figuring out who the killer is. But one person is helping the murder to throw suspicion in other directions. Another knows who did it but not how but they don’t want to get caught. And someone is sending up reports to try and help point everyone in the right direction. It’s really a bit social deduction game, but with more going on because you always have a stream of real information.

Wits & Wagers – If you want a more classic party game, Wits & Wagers is a great choice. This one plays a pretty high number and is a trivia game. Now, normally I don’t recommend trivia games. But this one works. Two things that make it work are that it’s a numbers based game. So every answer is a number which everyone is guessing. So that automatically helps set a range. Then you bid on whose number you think is right. If you’re right, you win money and you want to win the most money. So even if you know nothing about, let’s say baseball, if your uncle does, you can bid on their answer.

Games with Family

Sagrada – Again, the young kids are in bed. You want to play a game, but you don’t have enough for want to break out a party game. That’s the type of game I’m looking at here. Sagrada is a good choice because it’s pretty but also it has some choices to it. You are drafting dice to make a stained glass window. But you can’t have the same number or same color next to each other, except diagonally. So can you make the best stained glass window?

The Crew – A lot of the older generation, so into their 60’s and 70’s now, or older, grew up with some of the more common games being trick-taking. Well, The Crew is going to give some trick-taking without them having that much of an advantage at it because it’s cooperative. Each round objectives are given or drawn depending on the version you have. You need to complete those, and generally a specific person needs to complete them.

So using trick taking knowledge you now need to figure out how to empty out hands the right way so that all the cards are played out. But I might need to not take a trick with pink in it. You might need to take the first trick, how can that all be set-up?

Happy Holidays from Nerdologists

With those suggestions, I just want to say a big Happy Holidays to everyone. Thank you all for reading and joining with me. There are more articles queued up and ready to go next week as I start to look ahead to 2024.

Do you find you have any family traditions that are nerdy that you love? For my family, it is board games, we generally play an evening or two around Christmas and New Years. But let me know yours.

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Top 3 Memorable Games

3. Gloomhaven Days

You might wonder why this is lower on the list, but this is mainly because the list isn’t in any order. Also because we did this a few times. When we were playing through Gloomhaven we knew how long it would take us, the game has a lot. So we set aside a few Saturdays or Sundays to play Gloomhaven. It is harder now with Frosthaven, two of us have kids. Multiple times we sat down and played three or four scenarios of Gloomhaven on a Saturday.

I remember those times because I like just having a day of gaming. And to play with a game the whole time is just great. I like days of gaming with a lot of different games. Gen Con is the main spot for that, but I’ve hosted days like that as well. But to pick one game, like Gloomhaven and have the group, drink beer, I think we’d order in pizza for dinner and just play the whole day is great. And it is one of those experiences where I know I can recreate it, but it is rarer or harder to do now.

2. Pandemic Legacy Season 1

I like legacy and campaign games. Oddly enough, I think everything on the list will be one or the other of those. But one is just a one off play. But Pandemic Legacy was a mind blowing gaming event. Or less of an event, but more a year of gaming. We got together once a month or so, and we’d play Pandemic Legacy. We would have a meal, sometimes, and play through the month or maybe a bit ahead if we wanted to get in two plays.

But it was great because it was the first time of having a group game like that. Also, when you play a legacy game for the first time, I think, unless you dislike the game, there is something special about it. I play as a character, I can die, and there is story and changes unfolding in Pandemic Legacy, that is great. And yes, it is hard to destroy the cards at first. But we got into it so we were in the experience. And, I think, it’s one of the first times where gaming was such an event and an anticipation with it. Yes, I did game nights before, but Pandemic Legacy felt different.

1. Roll Player Adventures at Gen Con

This one, I’m not sure I’d put it to the top of my list but it was one of the coolest events at Gen Con. And you’ll notice the only Gen Con related event. I thought about putting some other ones down on the list. But Roll Player Adventures stands out to me because I got to play it as a prototype. And I was there with a friend playing it with two other people. So it was a great group for it as well.

But it started off memorable when the designer/developer who was running the demo asks if we want to play the first or second scenario. If was just my friend and myself and we said second. Then we proceeded to take a stab at how well we did on the first scenario and picked all the options that were us doing it poorly.

So it was just a funny start, and then as the group dynamics were set-up throughout the game, we had a great time. And I started messing around with my character, not in a game breaking way but in a role playing way, to be the unofficial leader of the group, in their mind. It was just a blast and a silly and fun experience that playing through the whole game lived up to.

Final Thoughts

I think I could find more games that are great as I go. Playing Lords of Hellas for the first time. Starting up TIME Stories and that experience of just a different type of game. The Ice Cool Tournament at Gen Con, that maybe should have made the list. Or the games of Metal Gear Solid at CMON Expo really recently.

To a lot of other ones where it might be less about the game, but getting together with the Man vs Meeple crew twice at Gen Con and both times having the AC not working at the restaurant (and then we did game as well). And the first year I got to play Ready Set Bet for the first time and just falling in love with that game.

Or all the times playing Magic the Gathering with a group from work. We’d get together in the evenings, most of us were single and most without kids. And then playing during lunch as well, which morphed into lunch board games as well. That is when and why I got into Magic the Gathering. So many different experiences.

What are some of your best games and gaming experiences? It might even be for a mediocre game, but is the situation is right, that can still be a memorable gaming experience.

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There is more thought into this list than what’s my Top 10. My Top 10 games of all time, some of them might make the list, but others not because it might seem overwhelming to me as a teenager. Or it might be a theme that I like more now as compared to what I did back then. So there’s taking all of that, or even complexity of rules, into consideration.

Top 5 Board Games I Wish I Had As A Teenager

5. Betrayal at House on the Hill

This just missed me being a teenager and I definitely played it later. But I think that younger me, like older me, would have enjoyed this game a lot. The whole idea of exploring a board that is always changing would have been cool. I was used to playing weird giant games of Catan, so the modular element as you build as you go I think I’d have liked.

Plus I’d have liked the competitive switch of the game. You are working together but really you want to get what is best for you. So how can you do that quickly for when the haunt comes. And while the haunts themselves likely would cause debate, I’d have been cool with the not well written haunt directions.

4. Pandemic Legacy

Pandemic Legacy probably would have blown my mind. A cooperative game would have done that but also then with it being a legacy game. Being able to adjust the board as we go and that changing the game, that’d have blown my mind. It kind of still did when Pandemic Legacy came out as that was my first legacy game.

And I’d have liked the story that went along with the game. I didn’t have games that really had story with them. But I was a teenager who read a lot. Authors like Robert Ludlum were part of what I was reading with all of these crazy political plots and others as well and Pandemic Legacy would have been a lighter version of that with a game and I always loved games.

3. Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion/Gloomhaven/Frosthaven

This isn’t my final three games. But I do have all of them on the list. I think as a 15 year old getting Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion, I’d have loved it. And then Gloomhaven and Frosthaven are games I’d have saved up money for. But I don’t think I could have jumped into either of the bigger boxes. Instead Jaws of the Lions with it’s tutorial would be an amazing starting place. And I would then want more, which I think would have kept me busy for a long time.

And I’d have played Gloomhaven solo but also, likely at the same time, gone through it with friends. I wouldn’t have had the consistent schedule on the calendar as an adult who can drive. But one Saturday a month have a friend over and my brother as well we’d play probably 4 scenarios in a day and go late into the night. And then more often as I got a drivers license.

2. Ice Cool

Completely different end of the spectrum here, Ice Cool would have been amazing. I’d have messed around with it more to come up with my own builds. I definitely would have wanted to get Ice Cool 2 as well. But this is just a simple flicking game, but that toy factor and fun factor would have made it great for holidays, still does, and playing with my cousins. It’s really the toy factor on this one that would make it great.

1. Dice Throne

Finally we have Dice Throne, so only my Top 2 games out of my Top 10 made it onto the list. And one even with the caveat that it’s only going through the tutorial. Dice Throne would have been amazing, though, it’s battle Yahtzee. I could have put King of Tokyo onto that list as well. But I think I’d have really loved, and clearly still do, that idea that I pick my own unique hero that I get to play with. That’s not something that shows up in a ton of other games, otherwise.

And the one versus one is nice with the game, or bigger groups. I don’t think that I’d have used this as a family game, play 5 people, but it’d have been three player battles a lot. Or I think I’d have played it solo, not as Dice Throne Adventures, but just running two characters to learn them and their strategies really well, because, well, I had time to do that more than I do now.

What Would You Have Wanted To Play?

It’s a fun question to ask. There are so many more board games out there now than when I was a teenager. And I think I could come up with a huge list for it. I only had two campaign games, one pretty standard and one much more complex. But I think if I got into Gloomhaven young enough I’d have started learning and looking at other more complex games.

When I was growing up as a teenager though, the games I played were Catan, Ticket to Ride, and then more classic games like Phase 10, Yahtzee, Skip-Bo, Rummikub and more like that. What games do you think you’d have loved as a teenager?

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How To Play Crokinole

Crokinole is a two player, mainly, flicking game. You can play with four on teams, but let’s talk about it in it’s primary form, with two players. You take turns flicking discs back and forth across the board. Ideally not the whole way, though, because, there are a few rules to think about with Crokinole.

Firstly, the first person to shoot shoots to hit the middle, 20 point, spot on the board. If they sink it, the next person can also shoot for the middle. But once one disc is left on the board, and stops in the 15 point circle, now the other player needs to hit that disc first before trying to bounce their disc into the middle, if they can. So basically, you shoot for the middle unless your opponent has a disc on the board, then you need to hit that first.

At the end of a round, and there are a few more rules as to when discs get removed, you tally up the scores in a chase to 100. But if I score 65 and you score 40, I get 25 points, the difference between the two. So it isn’t like, if I manage to land 5 discs in the middle, that it’s over already. The scoring is done on a difference basis. So if no one is at 100, you set-up, and now the other player shoots first.

What Doesn’t Work?

There is some minutia to the rules. And it isn’t that it doesn’t work, it’s just that it takes a simple flicking game and adds in more rules. I can still sit down and teach the game in five minutes. But there are going to be edge cases that I need to cover, either in the moment or when the situation arises. At the core, the game is simple, so those rules can seem out of place for someone who wants a really casual game.

The other thing, and this is true with most flicking game, if you get good at it, your skill level will be above your opponents. Now, Crokinole is simpler to get good at than something like Ice Cool in my opinion. That has more with how you might want to spin your penguins. Here you shoot in straight lines, but if I am better at that than you because I play more, I will win most games.

What Works?

Now, I complained about how there are some more rules, or at least called out how they exist. I think it’s worth noting, though, that for the most part Crokinole is a simple game. If one person knows the rules, they can mention them when a situation might occur. Such as, you need to land a disc in the middle or 15 point circle if your opponent doesn’t have a disc on the board. Or you lose discs if you hit your own and not your opponents on a shot. Things that I am hopefully playing right.

The speed of game is also really good. Each game is fast to play, and turns, for obvious reasons, you are flicking one disc, go fast. Sometimes you might need to double check an angle on a shot. But that is about it, normally you set down a disc and go.

Who Is It For?

This is a trickier question. I think for a lot of people because it is that pretty collection piece and abstract versus an Ice Cool it is going to be a whole lot better for them. On the flip side, Crokinole boards aren’t cheap. Mine is cheap and I paid $100 for it. You can pay probably over $500. And I think $300 is probably around the average. So if you get one, it is going to cost some money.

For that reason, I think the game play is for everyone. But the game itself, well, that is going to be harder to say. You almost know you need to like it in order to buy it. I assumed that I would, and I didn’t grab a high end board. So consider before you buy.

Final Thoughts on Crokinole

I really enjoying playing Crokinole. It has just enough rules to make it feel more like a gamers dexterity game than a lot of dexterity games. And I think it is a game that most people would try. Even if the game isn’t for them, it looks pretty and impressive.

That said, I also get why it won’t climb into the Top 10 on Board Game Geek ever. It’s hard for enough people to own and play a ton. And it doesn’t have that disadvantage of a skilled player will win. So the more you play, the bigger the gap between you and the people you play against.

That said, it is still a lot of fun. It is a good time challenging yourself as you game to improve. For some people, it might come to slowly, but for me, it’s that right weight of dexterity, like a PitchCar or Ice Cool. Is it better than them, the question I teased at the top, at two players, it is the best two player flicking game I have played. With more, I prefer the other two and both of those can play up to 8, so easy picks a lot of the time over Crokinole.

My Grade: A-
Gamer Grade: C
Casual Grade: A

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100 through 91 here.

90 through 81 here.

80 through 71 here.

70 through 61 here.

60 through 51 here.

50 through 41 here.

40 through 31 here.

30 through 21 here.

Top 100 Games 2022 Edition – 20-11

20. Lords of Hellas

Lords of Hellas is big game from Awaken Realms, and one of their first games. So that doesn’t mean it isn’t without some rough edges but it’s a game that I really enjoy. It offers so much for you to do, you can go questing, fight monsters, build temples and monuments, or try and take over area in the game. And all of them give you some benefit and can help you win the game.

And that is one of the really cool things with Lords of Hellas. The game gives you a lot of ways to win it. That means that every player isn’t going after the same objective, or they might be, but that’s not from lack of options. You can win by taking over two large areas. Or you win by holding five temple spaces. And if a monument if fully built, whoever at the end of three turns is holding it wins the game. Or, if you defeat three of the monsters you can win.

As you play, also, your goal might change. Because you get more powers and those help develop a strategy for how you want to play the game. The first time that I played, I think all the players were within a turn or two of winning.

Buy on Game Nerdz

19. Spire’s End

Spire’s End is a dark choose your own adventure game with combat. And really a pretty simple game as you make choices, you fight combats and you really hope that you don’t die too quickly. As it is a challenging game. But I really enjoy the story in the game. The idea of a spire showing up, town folks have gone missing, and now you need to explore this mysterious thing to see if you can find them is great.

Plus the dice combat works, it is not the most complex game. But the dice combat is fun as you try and figure out when you push, using energy which is your life, for a bigger attack in hopes that the enemy won’t be attacking you. And of course, there is still a chance that attack will just straight up miss anyways.

Buy on Favro

18. Paper Dungeons: A Dungeon Scrawler

Now we’re onto one of my top roll and write games, not my top one, but close. And this is one that I’ve played a lot on Malts and Meeples. Paper Dungeons is a “dungeon scrawler” their words not mine. What that means is that each player is delving into a dungeon, leveling up their adventuring party, crafting items, fighting monsters and everything you’d do in a dungeon crawler. And it even has a campaign.

Now the campaign is nothing to write home about, but Paper Dungeons is a nice level of complex. Do you want to spend your time leveling up your heroes and just making it to the boss monsters to fight them that way, or is racing around the dungeon, taking damage and getting loot the way to go. Well that might depend on cards that you’ve gotten so the whole system just works. I just wish the campaign were a bit more.

Buy on Game Nerdz

17. ICECOOL

Icecool has dropped slightly on my list, but that’s mainly because there are so many good games. Plus, Icecool is my favorite dexterity game. You are flicking penguins around trying to get fish. And you are doing that trying to avoid the one hall monitor who is out to get you. The game is simple, flick your penguin, get them through a door and get points. But it is always a grand old time when I play it.

I also like that like Pitchcar you get excited when someone makes a good shot. So it’s never hyper competitive, well, maybe it was for a few people at the North American championships in 2019. But most of us even for a tournament with a pretty awesome prize were just having fun with it. It’s a great try to win game, but I never feel bad if I’m not winning.

Buy on Amazon

16. Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition

Now onto a bigger game, Ares Expedition, which they might just be calling it now, borrows from another game. But it’s a great pretty fast playing space epic game of terraforming Mars. All you are doing is building up a tableau of cards in front of you to then trigger things that raise the temp, oxygen level, and basically make the planet habitable by the end of the game.

But the cool thing is how actions are chosen. Each player chooses an action at the same time. And whomever picks the action, multiple people can, do it and get a bonus. If you didn’t pick that action, you still can do it, just without the bonus. So everyone is involved throughout the whole of the game.

Buy on Cool Stuff Inc

15. Hanamikoji

Now onto a two player game. Hanamikoji is a push and pull as players try to win the favor of either four Geisha or 11 total points worth of Geisha. All done through simple but fun card interaction. In fact, there are only four actions you do during the game, but it creates an amazing puzzle as you play.

You either pick a card to keep for winning favor, discard two that no one will use, put out three options and your opponent picks one. Or put out two sets of two options and your opponent picks one. So at the start of the game you are feeling out your opponent to see what they might have in their hand. At the end, you hope that you’ve saved the right action to give you a shot to win. I think it works so well because sometimes you might have to give your opponent what they need, but you get the information that you need.

Buy on Miniature Market

14. Railroad Ink

Final roll and write game on the list and it’s easily my favorite. I really like Railroad Ink or Railroad Ink Challenge. And I need to play it more and more with the expansions for it. But Railroad Ink is a route building game where you are connecting road and rail connections at the edge of your board to complete massive routes and score points.

I know that some people don’t like the Railroad Ink Challenge version as well because it adds in some to the game. It gives you challenges that you need to complete, or should, for more points. Now they don’t always work out but it’s fun when they do. And I like it because it adds variety to the game without adding in a complete additional rule set with the expansions.

Buy on Cool Stuff Inc

13. Destinies

Now we’re getting into games that I’d consider my bread and butter. That is not a knock against the other games, I think that Destinies is just the type of game that I write about and talk about more. Why, because it is a bigger campaign feeling game.

In Destinies you are trying to complete your destiny faster in a story driven game. And that is cool and unique about the game as most story driven games are cooperative. But you are trying to get yours done first and shape the story around you, at least for that session. And then it strings together a series of stories, not too many, to tell a bigger experience in the game.

I also really appreciate the simplicity of the game. There is a great app that handles the story element. But beyond that, how you do and manage skill checks is great. You are spending dice, you always have two and can add more that refresh over time, to do a check. If you don’t get it, you lose out on information, if you do, it progresses. But it’s not just a roll to see if you beat a number it’s a roll to see how many success you get. Because you have markers on your stats, and how every many you match or beat number wise, you get. It’s a simple system but one that works well.

Buy on Miniature Market

12. Sleeping Gods

And another big story game, and another one that shouldn’t work as well as it does. That is not a slight to anyone more so that the game is really impressive. Sleeping Gods is a story driven open world game. You go into it not knowing what to do, other than find some totems and that’s your quest. And to create a compelling story is tricky in a setting like that, but Sleeping Gods does that.

It also is not just a one time game because of it. I went off several different directions on the map. But I didn’t go anywhere to the east, I didn’t delve into the dungeons much and I didn’t go to the south much. In fact, I probably have 75-80% of the world left to explore. That makes Sleeping Gods an easy game to come back to and explore the story of it again and again.

Buy on Amazon

(or I’d recommend checking out Sleeping Gods over on Gamefound and getting it with the new version there)

11. Clank! In! Space!

And wrapping up this section before we get to the Top 10, we have Clank! In! Space!. A deck building push your luck game set in space. This also counts for Clank! as well, and I wish for Clank! Legacy, but that’s one I still need to get to the table.

In Clank! In! Space! you are building up your deck to move as efficiently around a spaceship as possible. All the while you know that you’ll be making noise, clank, so that when cubes are added to and pulled from a bag, you are going to start losing your health. Think the bad guys finding you when your color is pulled.

Plus the game has good humor in it. It knows that it’s a silly game and it leans into the space themes and tropes. So you’ll recognize the characters you are finding on the ship, or at least have an idea of some of the different sci-fi properties that it references. Clank! In! Space! is just a good deck building game that offers more to do than just deck building.

Not Available. But Checkout Clank Catacombs coming soon.

Upcoming Streams

So, only planned stream and I know that this is late coming out because of the holidays, but tonight we have 10 through 1.

Join me live for this finale of my Top 100 Games. Let me know what games make it into your Top 10 (of all time) 2022 Edition. And just for a good time in general to talk about board games and what we love about them.

Then on Wednesday, we’re getting to the holiday season. So I am not starting another big box campaign until the start of 2023, but we’ll be highlighting some and then playing smaller games leading up to that. So join me on Wednesday as I start that process.

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The question is, what can make a game stand out, and how much does a game need to stand out?

Does Your Board Game Need to Stand Out?

The answer in my opinion is that it does. Though standing out can mean a number of different things. You need a game that immediately catches your eye with the box. This could be bright and flashy, or it could match the type of game that people expect for it. Euro games often don’t have the most striking boxes, but you know what is in them.

But generally, you want something that stands out on a shelf. If you can get someone to pick your game up off the shelf and look at the back, that is step one. And that might be enough to get a number of sales for the game.

The next part of this question is do you need to stand out with game play and components, and what does that even mean? The short answer, as we’ll dive into what it means coming up, is that maybe you need to stand out. Not all games need to stand out, but you need to match the standards expected. Beyond that, you can certainly help your game with both of those.

What Can Make Your Game Stand Out?

Theme

For me the first thing that I think of is theme. If your theme is different, not only will the box probably catch my eye, but also it’ll keep me around to see how that game works. But it isn’t just that, it is also for more standard themes. If you do a fantasy game, how do you not fall into the trope of fighter, rogue, wizard, cleric? Or if you are doing a space game, how is it not Star Wars?

Examples

First Rat

First Rat never would have caught my attention except for the theme. And even then, with the company the game is coming from, I have nothing really against them but their games don’t catch my attention, I wouldn’t have been that interested. But the theme of a rat building a rocket ship to go to the moon meant that I’d be willing to try it.

And I am glad that I did, but that’s not really the point. The point is that you took a game with basically some resource gathering and victory points and put a weird theme on it. And when I got into the mechanics, I realized that I really enjoyed the game. The theme definitely helps. If this were just pushing up a track to get resources to trade at a Medieval market, I would be less interested.

Gloomhaven

Gloomhaven is an example of a theme that is pretty common. It is fantasy. But Isaac Childres built a world that is completely unique to Gloomhaven. The characters are all different and it feels like no fantasy that has been done before.

But it also doesn’t feel like it’s trying to be that. Let me give an example, theoretical, of how this works. It has characters who can heal, but they aren’t the cleric. It has better tanks, but they aren’t a barbarian for a fighter. Each of them does something that feels different than your classic D&D tropes. And it does that without making itself too confusing or convoluted. A lot of fantasy games go with grand fantasy names and a backstory that doesn’t matter that much.

ISS Vanguard

ISS Vanguard is a game that actually isn’t in my hands yet. It will be soon, but it isn’t yet. This does fall into that epic space game. But it isn’t so much the good versus evil that you end up with in Star Wars. It probably is closer to a Star Trek where there is more exploration.

But what feels different about this one is that exploration. You travel throughout this galaxy or area that you’ve decoded a signal to. The call is making you want to know more, but the directions are less clear. ISS Vanguard is all about exploring space and figuring out everything that is going on. Plus maintaining your ship, keeping crew happy, everything like that as well.

Etherfields

Etherfields is very much a world that is completely different than anything out there. A world where you dive into your dreams and nightmares and are exploring. This would again fall under fantasy, but in such a different way than your standard high fantasy settings or epic fantasy settings like Lord of the Rings.

Etherfields pivots a long ways away from the standard which I think is good. It is going to draw people in because it feels completely different. It doesn’t need to walk that line of fantasy that we know and the fantasy that it is. Being it’s own thing so completely means that it doesn’t need to build off of anything that we know.

Components

Components are another way that you can stand out. This could be a mountain of plastic minis, it could be amazing nature artwork, it could be a volcano. Whatever it is, when you flip over to the back of the box and see it, it catches your eyes. Some of these fall into the next category, the Gimmick, so I’ll talk about those then. But there are plenty of games that stand out because of the pieces that they have in the game.

Examples

Wingspan

Wingspan is an easy one to put on the list. Firstly, there is all of the amazing artwork. This is an example of a cover that immediately draws you in. But going along with that, it isn’t just on the cover. All the cards show off Beth Sobel’s artwork. And all of the birds are different, so there is a ton of artwork. Then you add in the eggs and the bird house dice tower. The game gives you great components.

Century: Golem Edition

Century: Golem Edition is another one that gives you amazing components. I wanted to come up with a game that has metal coins in the box, and Century does. And I could talk about the artwork here as well. But the artwork isn’t the other component that immediately draws you in. In Century Golem Edition you are collecting games. And the game pieces are vibrant and fun tactilely to play with. Collecting those and trading them around really makes the game stand out.

Marvel United

Finally, I mentioned minis, so if you want a game with a lot of minis, Marvel United is a way to go, especially if you backed the Kickstarter. Chibi minis might not be everyone’s style, but I enjoy them. And I think for a light, family weight, easily accessible board game, they work great. So if you get everything, you can play as whatever hero you want. And for a fan of the IP, that is easy for me to want them all.

Mechanics

Let’s not overlook mechanics. There are a number of games that come out with a mechanic that just feels different. Some of these again border on gimmick, but they are important to the game, and generally not the only game that uses them. But a slight twist on a mechanic can make a game stand out.

Examples

Cartographers

Cartographers does two things that I think make it unique for a roll and write game. The first is not totally unique to it. But the idea of how it scores. You score two things for spring, then one of those things and a new thing for summer. But when you get back to winter, you score one of your objectives from sprint again. So you kind of plan out your scoring a little bit as you go. And not everything scores every round. But also, you write on your opponents board as well as your own. When a monster comes out, you figure out the bad spot where to place it.

Gloom

Gloom is another example of two things, neither which is highly unique, but still are enjoyable. In Gloom you try for the fewest points possible. That is fairly unique. You want your family to die the worst deaths with the most negative points possible. Gloom also uses transparent cards. So you layer on these negative effects on your own or positive on your opponents. You still see your character through the cards, and the negatives that you’ve played before. Other games do this, but I enjoy it a lot in Gloom.

Gloomhaven

Gloomhaven makes the list in a couple of different categories. But for mechanics, it’s all about that card play that you do. You pick two cards to play. One you will use the top half, generally an attack. The other you will use the bottom half, generally movement. But you want to pick with flexibility. Because the situation at the start of a round, as monsters and other players go, might not be the same at the end of the round. Plus, it is just a dungeon crawl without chucking a handful of dice.

Gimmick

Another way is by a gimmick, and this is kind of the last one. Gimmicks in board games can be great, or they can hide the fact that there might not be much game there. So a gimmick can be a bit of a risk. There are three games I can think of passing on because I wasn’t sure about the gimmick in them. Two haven’t fulfilled yet from crowdfunding. The other one I backed the second time it was on there.

Examples

Canvas

Canvas uses that clear cards, something that I put in as a mechanic. But it is also a gimmick, one that is needed for some games. In Canvas, it is needed for the mechanics of the game as you try and layer symbols to complete pictures and score points. It also creates really wild pieces of artwork which counts for a lot as well. At least in terms of the fun of the game.

Potion Explosion

Position explosion on the other hand is really a toy piece in the game. A little chute that drops marbles down into a tray in different columns or paths. Then you pull out the marbles trying to get like colors to hit and collect those. And you put them on potions to make those positions. The whole thing of the game is there there is toy factor, but the game has a lot of fun game play as you combo potions you’ve made into being able to complete more potions.

Ice Cool

I probably could have put only dexterity based games on the list, but that isn’t fair. By their nature they tend to have more of a gimmick and more of that toy factor to them. Ice Cool, though, really stands out as having a gimmick to it because the boxes are the board. You take off the lid and there are more boxes inside. You put them together in such a way that you have a school. It is unique and fun.

Final Thoughts

Anything you can do to get a game noticed is probably not a bad thing. Though, some companies take it too far. It is important to put out a game first. But there are things that can be done, sometimes that are ignored, to make a game stand out more. And get more people to pick it up off a shelf to try and play it. That is really the most important first step is getting it in front of the people who will be interested.

What are some things that have made a game stand out to you? Any games that had the perfect packaging but then were a dud?

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Simple vs Complex

Simple vs Complex can actually be broken down into a couple of different ways. One is going to be for learning a game, the other is going to be the actual playing of the game. Mainly, because I think that some games can be a bit of both. Perdition’s Mouth: Abyssal Rift, which I wrote about yesterday, I think that game play can be simple. But learning the game is a challenge.

Learning

A game is complex to learn when the rule book is difficult to get through. This can be for a number of a reasons. It might be that a game is challenging to get through because of a lot of different reasons. It might just be a big rule book, or a lot of specific side situations. Or just a poorly done rule book that is hard to reference when you need to.

Versus a simple rule book, that is going to be one where it lays out out clearly and the game is not that challenging to pick-up. Even with a more complex game, a simple rule book is going to give you the information you need and not much more.

Playing

For playing, simplicity and complexity can be in two different areas. Firstly, if a game is simple, turns are going to be simple. I do one thing on my turn, and it’s done. So I know what I want to do right away, I do that action, and I know how that action is going to go. Something like Century: Golem Edition (or Spice Road) is an example of this. On my turn, I get a card, I pick up my played cards, I get a golem, or I play a card. I do one of those things and all are straightforward.

A more complex board game is going to create more questions in what you are doing. When you select an action, it branches into many more things that you can do. Kind of like a bunch of combos happening. Sonora, for example, is complex for a roll and write because everything combos into everything else.

Another way board games add complexity is through housekeeping. This is the idea that you don’t just need to know what you do on your turn, you need to know what the game does. One that’s a bit more simple for this is Pandemic. Unless there is an epidemic, you flip a card and put out a cube. But there are games, Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-Earth, for example, where there is a lot that you need to do.

Shallow vs Deep

But now let’s talk about shallow versus deep for a game. Because, I think at times, people get the two concepts confused a little bit with how I talk about them. A shallow board game is going to be one where the decisions I make are pretty straightforward. I don’t need to think about the complexity of a game when considering if a game is shallow. A game with depth is going to give you a lot of meaningful decisions. It is the space where you need to consider and weigh your actions carefully.

For example, the actions while playing Perdition’s Mouth: Abyssal Rift might be simple as you execute them, but the decision space for what action you take at what moment that offers real depth for the game. Compare that to Sword & Sorcery, where the execution of the action is not that complex, but the turn is a bit more complex as a whole, but what you should do on your turn is not that deep.

What Combinations Can Board Games Be?

So, I think that there are three combinations of this that I like. And the rule book is it’s own thing, so that won’t factor in too much. I think too complex rulebook especially if it’s not laid out well, is a barrier to entry that is just a bit too steep. And so a lot of gamers won’t get to see if the game itself is complex or simple, or shallow or deep.

The first combination is shallow and simple.

I like this one for my party games, filler games (generally) and dexterity games. I don’t want the game to feel like it’s too much. Pulling out the game should mean that I can teach it and play it fast. Something like Wits & Wagers is a game that is shallow and simple. Same with something like Ice Cool.

The next one is deep and complex.

This is going to be your bigger games, something like Gloomhaven stands out this way. There is a lot in Gloomhaven to keep track of, and the decision space of what cards you choose to play is really intriguing. So, the decisions really matter and you need to keep track of a lot of rules, statuses, things like that, in your head.

Finally we have deep and simple.

I love games in this area. Ones that give you good decisions to make while not bogging you down in a ton of rules. Res Arcana is a game that does this. I can build out an engine with eight cards, and my goal is just get it running faster and better than yours. Or Hanamikoji is also great. You only do four actions in the game. But when you do each one, and which cards you use, it’s so tough.

I don’t like shallow and complex.

Needless to say, there is one that I don’t like, that is when a game is shallow and complex. In that case, it seems like they are just adding in rules to make the game seem more challenging, but when you get down to it the base of the game is very simple in what you are doing. If you have a thirty page rule book to cover all the one off scenarios but I only ever use 10% of the basic rules in my game and it’s always obvious what to do, I’m am not going to be interested in the game.

I think that a game that kind of falls into that trap is Sword & Sorcery. Now, there are interesting decisions to make, early on, when you play Sword & Sorcery. However, the more you play, the more you just drop into a routine of what you are doing. Move, fight, is your best ability on cooldown, use the next best one, repeat. The decision space shrinks as you go because there are obvious choices in what to do.

Final Thoughts on Different Types of Board Games

I think that players are going to have those different sweet spots. Some people are really going to want to play those heavy and crunchy games that take a lot of complexity to remember everything and give you a lot of decision space. And I even like some of those games.

But when a game can really pull off the simple but deep combination it is a gem to play. Stuff like Res Arcana, Hanamikoji, or Century: Golem Edition stand out as amazing games this way. They offer really fun decisions and interesting decisions without bogging you down in a ton of different edge cases or steps to your turn that you need to keep track of.

For me, complex and shallow is just going to be a killer, though. If I need to put a lot of effort into playing your game, I expect a full and rewarding game play. And if that doesn’t exist, well, that’s an issue. At that point in time, it makes learning the game and playing the game feel like a chore, or work. It’s a bit like a task at work where you need to copy information from 30 e-mails into fields in a spreadsheet. You need to make sure everything ends up in the right spot, but you don’t need to think about it too hard.

Which is your favorite intersection for a board game with Shallow and Deep, as well as Simple and Complex?

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How To Play Catapult Feud

Catapult Feud is a pretty simple game. You build a castle, you put your knights on it, and then you take turns shooting back and forth trying to knock down your opponents knights. First person to knock them all down wins.

But there is more to the game as well. There are cards in the game. Basically special powers that might allow you to shoot twice, rebuild part of your wall or stand back up a knight who has been knocked down. That strategy, though, is fairly limited and the game really is about knocking down the castles.

What Doesn’t Work?

For some people this game is going to disappoint because they want more strategy in the cards. This is a dexterity game in all practical purposes, and I don’t think you even need to play with the cards. But for some people, they might want to use the cards, and then be disappointed with how little decision space there really is.

And this is a dexterity game, and one that you feel, almost, like you have less control over than some. Especially with the ballistae, I feel like shooting them could be extremely powerful, but also more of a chance to be a dud. For some players that is going to be frustrating. I think especially for kids who just want to shoot as hard as possible, they are going to be disappointed that they can’t always.

What Works?

The toy factor of the game is great, and if you know it’s silly, it is a lot of silly fun. There is something about sitting on the floor, even as an adult, and shooting things back and forth. It just works and makes a silly good time. And the building of the castle is part of that silly good time. I think I might have had more fun building the castle than shooting, almost.

Mechanically, I think the game works well. This isn’t a negative, but like Ice Cool or other dexterity games, I recommend warming up before hand. Especially with the ballistae if you get the Siege expansion, it takes a little bit of getting used to. But the catapult works well. And everything is heavy enough. The bricks are heavy, but can be knocked down, the balls are heavy, but not to the point where they will always wreck everything.

Who Is It For?

Kids, this is a kids game. But it’s not really just a kids game. It is a game that I had a lot of fun playing. But it is also a game that I want more of to have even more fun. So while the game clearly targets kids, it works for adults. I think as my kid gets older, it’ll be something that we enjoy. But for a game night with another couple, still fun. Probably diminishing returns, though, for adults playing adults.

Catapult Feud Final Thoughts

This is a very fun game. I know I always talk about the toy factor for Catapult Feud, but it is important. That is where the game really is. Building up a castle and then blasting it down, and repeating, if you want. Like I said, this one is going to be better when my kid is older. Playing it with another couple is fun, but with a kid is going to be great. The excitement will always be there, just for knocking stuff over.

That said, it could eventually have diminishing returns. As the kid gets past the age of wanting to play it, I’m not sure I will pull it out. I need to see with more expansions that are coming. But Pitchcar and Ice Cool are both more likely to hit the table. They play more people and are simpler to teach and learn.

My Grade: C+
Gamer Grade: D
Casual Grade: B

Have you played Catapult Feud, what do you think about it?

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Pros

• Light Game
• Toy Factor
• Price Point
• Retail Version

Cons

• Kickstarter exclusives
• Light Game

The Page

This is a really nice game. Vesuvius Media Ltd has a very good brand going for this silly little game with the artwork and everything. And I call it little, but it’s not that little it’s more light. The game is just using the catapults to launch balls and knock down your opponents troops. This is going to fall into the category of games that will be fun every time they get pulled out, but might not get pulled out as often. But that’s getting into the game. The aesthetic of the game doesn’t hide the fact that it’s going to be light though.

The page is laid out well, and they have a lot to show off on it. I wish that some sections were easier to find, like stretch goals, pledge levels, and reviews. But they have so many images, it is just a really big page. And while it is all really cool, this is a page that would be great on Gamefound where there is navigation and hard on Kickstarter because there isn’t.

The Game

I’ve already said, this is a really light and silly game. I can imagine in two years or so playing with my toddler and really enjoying the game. It might be something even before playing it as a game we can just play around with it. Because it’s as much a toy as a game.

This game, like I said before, is going to be one that will be fun every time it is pulled out. I think that most people will find it that way because there isn’t a chance to strategize, it is just meant to be silly fun. It reminds me of PitchCar and Ice Cool like that. A downside is that it’s primarily a two player game. You can play with more if you get more sets, but I’ll be curious to see how that might work. I feel like it’ll be best at two players when you can fire straight on the enemies catsle.

Back or Brick

You might have an idea where I am leaning already, mainly because of Point of Order not too long ago. This is going to be a back for me. I haven’t even played the game yet, but I really want to. I might set it up and play solo, once the Christmas tree is down, and the room is a bit more open. I might even just build up a massive castle with all the pieces and just bombard it.

I also think that this is a game that won’t leave my collection, at least for a while, because of the toy factor. Even if I’m done with the game, as a game, eventually, this is going to be a toy that the toddler can play with. It is going to be so simple that the toddler can pull it out with a friend and play it as a game. And I can see spending a lot of time building cool castles and then blowing them up.

How about for you, is this game a back or brick?

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