CoolStuffInc

Dungeons and Dragons: The Yawning Portal

I don’t even know that much about this game. But it’s a theme that I like a lot, Dungeons and Dragons. And from what I know of The Yawning Portal, that’s a portal in a tavern that leads to a lot of different adventures. It’s part of the Sword Coast and Forgotten Realms setting for Dungeons and Dragons. I’m hoping for a fun, lighter, adventure style game.

TIME Stories Revolution: Cavendish

I still get basically everything for TIME Stories. This is one the new cycle now so I need to get through the first stuff, first. But it’s been a game that we’ve enjoyed a lot. And if I figure out a better storage solution, I can make it take up a whole lot less space on my game shelf. But I’m curious to play more. And even if it isn’t the most loved thing, it should be fun for my group still. We’ll see when we get this far into the series.

Jurassic World: The Legacy of Isla Nublar

Next up we have a legacy game with mixed reviews. But mixed reviews was enough to keep me from running out to get the game. I think for a lot of gamers it has been. I wonder as it goes on sale more, if more gamers or people will buy it. It’s a Jurassic Park/World park building game where you are avoiding dinosaurs and basically playing through stories around the movies, not really the movie stories. It looks like light fun, which is why it felt like the right price to get it when it was pretty heavily on sale.

Reload

Finally from CoolStuffInc we have Reload. I’ve heard very mixed things about this game as well. But I like what it is in concept. Kind of that battle arena like a Fortnite or PUBG style of game. You run around, the area gets smaller, you want to be the last person standing. It sounds like a fun time with some complexity and decision making, if you make it through the rules.

Miniature Market

Rome and Roll

Rome wasn’t built in a day, but in a short chunk of an evening you can build it up in this roll and write game. Or at least build up your gladiators, warriors, and I believe civilization as well. It’s a heavier and crunchier roll and write game. One that I want to play to see if it’s a good game for me. That, Hadrian’s Wall, and Twilight Inscription might be my heavy roll and write games.

Stranger Things: Upside Down

This one should be arriving today or so, but it’s a Stranger Things board game. And one from the designer of Pandemic. Now, it’s not just the Pandemic system. But it is a light to mid weight cooperative game. And kind of follows some of the things you expect. You do things and then bad things happen. But how the bad things happen and how many is determined by what you do. So it adds this element where you need to push to complete things. but that can cause more bad things to happen.

Lucky Numbers

Lucky Numbers is a game that I don’t know too much about. But it looks like a tile, or number, laying game where you are trying to fill out a grid in a specific way. It looks light, it has a solo mode, so one that I want to try out and see what it’s like.

My City: Roll and Build

You saw this one, potentially, already because I just played it on Malts and Meeples. Let me drop the video below, but it’s a roll and write version of the legacy game My City. I still enjoy it this way, and it makes a nice solo game.

The Quest for El Dorado

Kind of a classic game at this point, and a deck building game. I do like deck building a lot. To go along with that, it’s also a racing game. As you try and navigate a path to El Dorado as efficiently as possible. From what I’ve heard, it has some fun twists on it, which I’m here for. I like deck building a lot, but I don’t need all my deck building games to just be deck building, this one adds in more.

Arkham Horror LCG: Winifred Habbamock

I’m going to have to do a part 2 on this because this article is getting long. And there will be more Arkham Horror LCG character packs on this. I’ve started playing some with a friend, and it’s been a grand time. So I picked up some of the character packs because that is where you get some of the best cards.

Joan of Arc Expansions

This one come from Mythic Games selling off the rights to this game. It’s a bummer because I’m not sure Mythic Games is sitting in that much better of a spot. But for me it’s been a chance to grab more expansions. It’s still a game I need to table. But I like the idea of it as a miniatures style game, but with less overhead.

Omen: Heir to the Dunes

Another one I can’t say that I know that much about. I picked it up because it was on a good sale. It’s a two player head to head game. So the type that might stay in my collection. But it, and Radlands are games that I want to see how they play and if they’ll dethrone my favorite head to head game, Dice Throne.

That’s a Question

Another good sale game. This looks like a simple party game. I’m not sure it’ll be for me, but if I remember correctly it was $3 or $4 so cheap enough to take a flyer on. I don’t know that I need more party games, but I also find that party games are the ones that I rotate the most.

Robots

Robots was another game from that sale. It’s a kids type of game from what I can tell. But in a small box with cute artwork, another one where I look at it and think, why not try it. It might be a fun filler game about making silly robots. If not, it cost $3, so not a big deal.

Skytear Horde

Another one that you’ve seen on Malts and Meeples. So the video will again be below. But this is a tower defense, lane defense game. I like it because it’s just a fun experience that as you start to get into the swing of the game, it moves quickly. Yes, the learning of all the steps can take a bit, but once you’re in, it’s not too bad.

D&D Dungeon Scrawlers: Heroes of Undermountain

Finally another roll and write game. This one with again a Dungeons and Dragons theme. I want to play it, and I want to play some of my other dungeon crawling or scrawling roll and writes, but two of them, this one included, don’t have a solo mode. That’s my only bummer about the game. But a D&D based roll and write game is a theme and style I’ll gladly give a try.

And like I said, more to come. But those are some of the games that are entering into my collection. There’s been a lot coming in, which means that I need to have a decent number of them leave soon as well. Which is what will be happening this weekend.

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So you’ll notice a bit of a different format. This is more my review style format, but breaking down the page and game from what I can tell on the crowdfunding page.

RoboMon Quick Overview

RoboMon from Barrett Publishing probably seems familiar. It definitely builds on the ideas and themes that you get in Pokemon and Digimon. You are exploring a world, getting into robot battles, leveling up your robots until you can become a fully licensed RoboMon Ranger.

This game is trying to do a bit of everything, but in a way that looks like it could work. You go around maps which lead to fights, getting items, comic book style cut scenes and more in the game. But the core two pieces, from what I can tell are using that map book exploration and then the tactical combat.

Of course there are robots as well. And they are probably going to be the main part of the game. Getting and building up your team of robots and then leveling them up. So it appears to have either some resource gathering, or more likely, fighting, getting money from those fights, buying stuff to level up your robots and then doing that.

What Doesn’t Work?

Obviously this is just speculation, but I have two areas of concern for this game. Firstly is that there is no rulebook. There are rules reference cards and as you play through the game, and open the box, it is supposed to teach you. That is always a concern because if I need to reference something later, how is that handled. Yes, rules reference, but what if it’s not on that. I know it was covered but how can I find it again.

I also wonder a little bit about the open world and freedom of the game. You can do anything in any order, but generally that means that there is probably kind of an order that you want to follow. Sleeping Gods did make this work, though. In that, there are easy areas, and as you go other further in the book of maps from the center, you find harder things. So if it gives that sort of open feel to it, I like that. Plus, as a solo game, it can work better as well. It’s open and free and no turn order, well, it is just me, so that works.

What Works?

Firstly what draws me in is the theme. I don’t have a ton of connection to Pokemon or Digimon. I watched a little Digimon growing up, and I thought the show was entertaining. But I never played any of the Pokemon games, though I am tempted regularly to pick one up. This might push that over the edge. But I’ve always liked this idea of exploring, leveling up, getting new robots (monsters) and doing that some more.

I really like the aesthetic of the game as well. I think that the work is nice. And it gives a 16-bit vibe to it with being much cleaner and clearer. I think I’d be less interested in this if it was actually 16-bit or 8-bit artwork. But this just gives a little bit of that feel to the artwork which gives it a bit of a 90’s vibe.

The solo nature of the game also works for me. It looks like two player is just splitting up control of things, which is something that’s easy enough to do in any true solo game. This is one that I could see getting and having fun streaming because of the solo play. And I think that I gravitate towards games that give that balance between story and tactics in the game. It’s nice to be able to change it up every now and again.

Who Is This For?

I think someone who likes the video games for Pokemon and wants to get some of that experience in a board game. This to me is that perfect thing, or maybe if your significant other or a close friend who maybe doesn’t board game. Get this if they like Pokemon and play it two players to have that shared gaming experience in a world that is going to feel familiar.

But I also think it’s for gamers who like adventure games. And for people who don’t mind playing a solo game. My guess is that this will be easier to setup than a Sleeping Gods, or Stars of Akarios. But if you can leave it setup, even better. I really think this will give that lighter adventure gaming itch a good scratch.

Back or Brick

Final Thoughts on RoboMon

This is where I’m going to take about a few things with this game. Firstly the price of the game, because it doesn’t really fit into what works or doesn’t work. It’s unique and probably should always be talked about anyways. This is a solid price for this game. 300+ page adventure book, 70+ maps, 300+ cards, all of that is great. It even comes with a pencil for the character sheet. $80+shipping is a solid price. I also wonder how likely it’ll show up in retail so this might be your best chance to get it.

For me, though, I am torn on the game. I think I’d likely enjoy this game a lot. I like the artwork, I like the theme, and I love games with fun adventure, story, combat, everything that this game is offering. The question I am asking myself is do I need another game like this? Especially since I just got in Oathsworn, Stars of Akarios, and Etherfields with Chronicles of Drunagor not too far behind and ISS Vanguard not far behind that. But with some of those, Oathsworn and ISS Vanguard, I probably want to do in a group. This is one that is made for me to play solo.

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