How To Play Ecosystem

Ecosystem is a pretty simple game and a drafting game. Your goal is to create the best five across by four down grid of animals to score the most points. This is done over two rounds, each round consists of a hand of ten cards.

Within those two rounds of Ecosystem, there are turns. On a turn everyone selects a card from their hand and puts it face down in front of them. That card is going to be added to their ecosystem in a way to optimize their scoring. Each type of animal or biome provides scoring in a unique way. Then you pass your hand of cards, first round clockwise and second round counter-clockwise, and receive a hand of cards.

Once all the cards are used from the two hands the game is over and scores are tallied. Each animal and biome scores according to it’s rules. And you score the diversity of animals and biomes in your ecosystem. If you don’t have enough you get docked points. Highest score wins.

What Doesn’t Work?

I think that there is one major thing that might be a turn off for some people. That is the diversity in the cards from game to game. I like Sushi Go Party better than I like regular Sushi Go, why, because it allows me to select what subset of cards I use each game, and Sushi Go does. Ecosystem is like Sushi Go in that it only comes with one set of cards. So if I play the game a number of times, I start to stumble across the same strategy, potentially. But, to mitigate that, Ecosystem is not a drafting game where you use each card, so there are always some cards missing from the drafted hands.

What Works?

One thing I enjoy about the game is that fact that you don’t use every card. I see how it would become an issue if you saw every card every time, but in Ecosystem you never will. And, you see 120 out of the 130 cards with six players. But if I play the game at two or three, we see forty or sixty cards respectively, which means we fail to see most of the cards. That is going to swing your strategy as you play.

I also enjoy how the scoring works in this game and how the diversity of creatures works. I think without that diversity of creatures it would end up being pretty standard across the board. But, because you want to diversify and they provide motivation to, I think it’s builds on the game nicely. When I need to think about not only my best scoring play, but how to avoid a 17 point potential swing, -5 points to plus 12 points, it adds a layer to the game.

Now, it doesn’t ratchet up the complexity of Ecosystem too much, and that is a good thing. Because, the last thing I like is that the game is a relaxing game. When I sit down and play a game like Ecosystem, I get to enjoy the artwork. I enjoy the puzzle of the experience, but it is not a stressful one. and with a game with pretty artwork, I think that fits what the game is going for. The game is not one that should stress you out as you play trying to get that perfect combination.

Who Is It For?

So, who is Ecosystem for? I think that this is a good game for a family with younger kids, not too young, though. You need to read your player aid when you draft the first few games. The scoring is not complex, but there are eleven things you need to think about as you play.

I also think that Ecosystem is a great game for that bit of downtime at a work lunch, or when you want to play a game but not think too hard after a long day or week or work. But one that offers just enough to keep playing it as that filler experience. It is like Sushi Go Party (or Sushi Go) that way. Though, those two are less filler games than Ecosystem is.

Final Thoughts on Ecosystem

At the start I asked the question, is this game too simple to stick in a collection? From my response I think you know my answer. I see why for some it might end up being that way. But for a relaxing filler game, Ecosystem is a great option. I play a game that offers some fun decisions or risks as I go, but not a game that offers too much.

I like to own games where I see them, and I think, this is a game I can play with most anyone. And Ecosystem is that sort of game. If I play this with my parents, it’ll work, and I played it at a game night, and it worked. That is a type of game that I enjoy to own because it’s not a party game, and it’s not Uno, but it is a game that I see most anyone playing.

Gamer Grade: B
Casual Grade: A
My Grade: A

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How To Play: Roll to the Top!

Roll to the Top! is a simple roll and write game where you are trying to fill in the landmark to the top with numbers and be the first to do so. On each turn someone rolls all of the dice available and players fill them in on their board. You always fill in no matter who rolls and you can use as many dice as you want.

The conditions are that you need to add numbers that are higher or equal to the numbers on the lower level. Which means as you need to plan out how you place your numbers and not go too high too quickly. To get those higher numbers sometimes you need to add the dice together.

There is also a die that determines if you add or remove dice from the pool. This gives you some choice as to how to setup the pool to get the numbers you need more likely to show up.

What Doesn’t Work?

This is a very simple game. So I think that it suffers in that area for both solo and multiplayer. There is no dice manipulation available. And everyone is doing everything on a turn. So it just depends, often, on who pushes their luck. You push your luck too far by getting high numbers, you will slow down and might lose. You push your luck not enough, sure you can place numbers but you’re behind on spots filled in.

The solo really doesn’t work for me. It is basically a board that fills up next to you and forces you to push your luck so that you can get everything in. But you roll an 18, doesn’t matter how good you are doing otherwise, you’ll skip it and now the opponent will catch up. And you get too high numbers and roll low numbers, it easily passes you.

The final issue is that there just isn’t enough variance in the game. It is a better multiplayer because you have a choice about how risk adverse you want to be. But the game is so simple that often times everyone just does the same thing. So it’s just a matter of a few times where you might consider pushing your luck throughout the game that makes a difference.

What Works?

I think that the changing up of the dice pool is interesting. Now it isn’t a standout item in the game but it isn’t bad. Because if I was risk adverse earlier I might have lower numbers. Now I toss the D20 out of the pool and that hurts you because that might be the high number option that you need. So there is a bit of strategy and decision making there. Of course, I might need high numbers and keep the D20 because a high number is bad for you and I roll a three.

The pool of dice is interesting as well. I like that you go from a D20 all the way down to D4 with a few stops between. That creates a fun combination and some turns where nothing really works out for you. So it is a balancing element to the game. Like I said, that dice pool can matter in the game.

The game is also very simple. I can have this as a negative and a positive. But for the most part this is a very easy to teach and play. The die that changes up the pool is a bit confusing, but only a tiny bit so once you are in a game it is easy enough to track. But Roll to the Top! is an introductory roll and write experience.

Who Is It For?

I think this is a decent gift idea for a person who maybe has only played a few games and wants to get some new easy games to play. The production quality is great and the game play is, like I said, easy to learn.

Final Thoughts on Roll to the Top!

For me this is a big miss and a flop. And I know that there are people who really enjoy the game out there. I think it is the push your luck element in the game that would make it interesting for people. And maybe it is just that I don’t love push your luck games, but this one just didn’t offer enough choices.

In my opinion, most of the turns the decisions are obvious and the push your luck is limited. So now if everyone is doing the same thing, everyone one will win at the same time. And if the rolls come out a certain way, it might be so obvious that no one changes up their strategy. I just want more decision making space in the game, but wit more than a handful of plays under my belt now, it just doesn’t feel different or like I have much choice in what I do.

And I think the big thing is that I own other games that I would teach people first. I own a lot of roll and write games and a lot of them are easy like Patchwork Doodle, Super Mega Lucky Box, Criss Cross, Qwixx, Railroad Ink that I’d teach first. And that is a lot of games. So each of those offers an interesting choice or few throughout the game that Roll to the Top! doesn’t.

My Grade: D
Gamer Grade: D
Casual Grade: C

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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How To Play Tumblin-Dice

This is a very simple game, you have a set of dice, the game comes with six sided dice (D6), and you roll them on the board. You need to hit the top and then where it ends up, if it’s on the board you get a multiplier for your points. The further down the board you roll it, the higher the multiplier is, going from x0 to x4 in a few spots at the bottom.

After everyone has rolled all of their dice, you figure out everyone’s totals and the person with the most points wins. That is the whole of the game and there are some tweaks or things to think about that you can do. But I will talk about those coming up here.

What Doesn’t Work?

Firstly, this is a simple luck based game. You are rolling dice and trying to keep them on the board so you get points. But they can be knocked off and knocked over, so you might go from a 6×3 to a 1×4 or even nothing if someone bumps you. It is purely luck in this game with what numbers you get, kind of, I’ll talk about that more in what works.

The other thing that the game suffers with a little bit is that the game play is very fast, but scoring is not as fast. Someone needs to add up everyone’s scores, and if people aren’t good at math on the fly, it slows it down. Even if people are, it’s generally a group process so it isn’t that fast. Scoring doesn’t take longer than the game, it just isn’t the fastest and easiest thing.

What Works?

The first thing that works is that this is a fast and easy game. When we played it, we talked about how this is kind of a bar or drinking game. You don’t need to pay much attention, you can just have fun with it. Now, your math is going to get worse the more you drink. But that’s what phone calculators are for. But the sentiment still stands, it is a game meant for people to have a silly or fun time with it.

And this is a variant to the game, I don’t know if it’s needed, but it is fun. You play the game with a set of RPG dice instead. Now you’re rolling a D4, D6, D8, two D10, a D12, and a D20. It makes the game a whole lot more swingy. You could get 80 points if you rolled a 20 on a x4. But it’s fun to get those bigger numbers and if someone gets that great roll, well, it gives the next thing I enjoy.

I talk about how it is all luck, an the game is all luck. You roll a die down a board and sure, you can get decent at it to get it to stop on the board, but what number, that’s luck. How far down the board, that’s some luck. But there is some “strategy” to the game. If someone has a 6 on the x4 or x3, you want to knock them off their spot. And that is the strategy you get, going for that shot to move someone’s dice, and that is fun as well.

Who Is It For?

I kind of gave away some of it, but I think this is a good game for a bar or for when you’re just hanging out, having a beer, and want to do something but nothing too serious. I actually think this is a good option for a barbecue type of event because you could set it up, be standing around chatting and play a slow game.

Along with that, I also think that it could be a solid family game. And even a teaching tool for kids who are learning their multiplication. In the base game you can have the learn or practice their 1-6×1-4 tables. It’s not a ton but it’s practice. And with the variant that I played from the Dice Tower, you now have a whole lot higher numbers to work with, and it’d be a solid way to do something fun and learn.

Final Thoughts on Tumblin-Dice

This one I don’t think is quite as good as Strike. Mainly because Strike delivers more of those, what was that shot moments. But Tumblin-Dice is still a good time when you play it. Mainly because it is so simple. And it looks impressive on the table.

The board that you roll on is big. And everyone standing around it makes it look fun. So, Tumblin-Dice is a game that will attract people to it and to play it. And for some people it will be a miss. It isn’t a serious game, but if you can have fun with it, it works. And I think a lot of people will be able to have fun with it.

I didn’t expect deep strategy when I played it. I went in expecting that I’d have a fun time rolling dice. And I left with those expectations being met. Often times if you can do that, that is enough to make a game fun. And Tumblin-Dice meets expectations so is a fun time as a game.

My Grade: B-

Gamer Grade: D

Casual Grade: B

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How To Play Roll Player Adventures

Roll Player Adventures is a game that comes in basically two parts, but we’ll get to those in a second. What you need to know is it is a massive story driven adventure game where you explore pieces of story, fight monsters and complete challenges. You do this by making storybook choices, and then playing a dice manipulation game.

Let’s start by talking about the storybook phase. A lot of what you do in the game is move around to different locations. When you reach one then you read some story element. Often times it’ll give you someone to interact with or choices of other things you can do. It’ll send you to another part of the story and then you make more decision or often go into the next part of the game.

The other part of the game is dice manipulation puzzles. This comes in the form of either combat or a skill check. To do this, you use the stats of your characters to build up a die pool, spending stamina basically in those areas to get dice of the needed colors. Then you roll all the dice in your pool and manipulate them so you can cover up the spots. But you are limited in how you can manipulate by the cards you have. And the fact that each person can only play one card.

Eventually you either die in a combat, or you make it to the end of the scenario. Then you reset and start another scenario.

What Doesn’t Work?

There’s not too much that I’d complain about with the game. My one, and this will depend on your group, but I found that it is pretty easy at 4 players. The game seems like it likely would balance best at three players. At four and if you are smart, you get a lot of things that you can use in that dice manipulation puzzle. So there’s rarely a case where we can’t deal with a skill challenge or even a combat in one round. And we rarely get close to dying even if we don’t rest for a while.

This is going to show up in a positive as well, but I think that the Nefras’s Judgement expansion is pretty important for the game. I know it’s Roll Player not Role Player, but the expansion really does help add in some role playing as you think about what your character would do. Do you need it for the game, no. I do think that it makes it better though, and it’s a lot to add, as in spendy, worth it, and I understand why not in the main box, but it adds a lot to the game.

What Works?

Dice Puzzle

Let’s talk about the dice manipulation to start. I like it as a puzzle. Like I said, I do think at 4 players it is a bit easy at times, and most of the time. But I do like the puzzle. And very rarely is it a puzzle that we solve immediately. So from that side of things it works well. I like sitting there figuring it out, talking through what everyone has that can work and eventually coming up with a solution. The fact we can do that is fun and it gives you a sense of accomplishment.

Characters

I also enjoy the different characters. Just basic out of the box they are fun. And getting the character backstory is Nefras’s Judgement, I think adds even that much more. You get to learn about your character and make decisions around that. Yes, you can import characters you play in regular Roll Player, but they wouldn’t have the backstory. So I don’t know that I’d do that.

And besides the backstory, I like building out my characters stats. I think it adds into the fun of the game. In our group I focused on charisma and wisdom, a lot because of backstory, but I’m great at those and have no strength. It makes for an interesting character. We’ve balanced our party with what people go for, everyone having their area of strength. It makes it feel like we can contribute in interesting spots.

Story

Now, I know I said that story is pretty subjective, and I think more than any part of the game it is. I enjoy the story of Roll Player Adventures. Without getting into the details too much, it’s a fun multiverse romp of a game. But not in the way that you’d expect it to have worked. And the writing is good, I don’t think it’s great, but it’s good.

I would put the writing in Roll Player Adventures on par with Gloomhaven, you just get a lot more choices. It is not on the level of Tainted Grail. Actually the closest I’d put it to is probably Stars of Akarios. Mainly because it’s fun but it’s not always the greatest writing.

One thing that I really like about the story is that you get titles. Instead of a checklist of things that you mark off, you get a card with a title. And if you have that title you get some extra story and flavor at the end. Which of course is warning about things that might happen in future games because of choices that you made. I think it’s a good way to do it if you don’t just want to have a checklist.

Who Is It For?

This one is hard to say, I think. For our group, it’s some people who were interested in a bigger campaign and myself who had played several before. So I ran with it, learning the rules, etc. Do I think a group of new players could jump into this campaign game? Better than a lot of campaign games. I don’t think Roll Player Adventures is that hard to learn. But it’s a massive box and is intimidating that way.

So I think that this is a good game for those people who want to dive into a first campaign game. They play other games, so they know how to learn rules, but they want to learn something bigger. It’ll be intimidating but I think that it’s very worth it for the game.

Roll Player Adventures Final Thoughts

I like this game quite well. Though, for so many campaign games it is about that experience of playing that game that really drives it. So if you don’t want a campaign game, you probably won’t get that much out of this review.

I do feel like my negative should pull it down further for me than it does. It being too easy is a negative, I don’t want to die, but I want to feel like I might. And in a combat, sometimes it feels like we can’t get it all done that we want to, and that’s good. But rarely with my health do I ever feel like I’m too damaged to continue. Or maybe that the scenarios could end in a good or bad way. The tricky part with that is that Roll Player Adventures is not built to branch that way. The titles are really how you get that branching story.

My Grade: A
Gamer Grade: B-
Casual Grade: B

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How To Play City Chase

City Chase is a pretty simple game in what you do on your turn. Once the buildings are on the board and helicopters have been placed, the player who is the getaway driver places their car and the token, creating their starting location. And each of their following turns they’ll leave the token and move their car to an adjacent building, but not diagonally adjacent.

The other player(s) play as the police trying to track down the getaway driver and car. Each helicopter, there are three, can do one action. They can move or they can search. Helicopters move intersection to intersection along the road. And then they can search the building. There are three things you can find in the building, nothing, the getaway car, or a token from where the car has been.

If the getaway driver can avoid being found, or trapping themselves, they can’t cross a token, they win the game. If the police can find them under a building, the police player(s) win.

What Doesn’t Work?

I don’t have any major complaints with the game but two minor ones. In my game plays it’s much easier for the getaway driver to win. Which, I think is fine. But having a variant and a 4th helicopter for the police in there, I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea. Especially since this is a light game. I could see an 8 year old playing it but they might prefer to have more of a chance to find the getaway driver, or their trail, early in the game and maybe push it too far in the helicopter advantage, but until they are ready for it to be harder.

And not really an issue of the game but something to know about City Chase and as the getaway driver. You can be heard moving stuff around. Probably not a major issue, but we found that chatting while the getaway driver placed covered up the noise plenty well. Is it something you can use for your advantage? Maybe.

What Works?

The hidden movement in this game is good. And it is good for all ages because it is simple. You need to remember where your vehicle is and that is it. And you barely even need to remember that, you can just look to find it again while the other player(s) have their eyes closed. The mechanic is simple of moving the vehicle and hiding it, but also a lot of fun doing that.

And I think that playing the police and figuring out where the criminal might be is fun as well. Which, for a game with two parts, or two distinct roles, is important that both are fun. Once you get that trail, I like the feeling of closing in and trying to find the two tokens, the starting token and round six token, to figure out where they are heading or might be heading.

The toy factor in this game is also amazing. I love the buildings and the helicopters for the game. I like, also, that they didn’t just make one type of building, but there are two different shapes with different heights. What does that add to the game, nothing but some fun difference on the board.

Who Is It For?

This game is one that would qualify as fun for adults, but it’s more for those buddying gamers in your life. Probably that 10-14 age range would be where it is best. But with that said, don’t sleep on it for adults. But more so, don’t sleep on it for adults as a kids game, mainly, that is fun for adults.

And I think so much with kids games that is important. You can even play with younger kids as well, I’d think. Especially if the kid and a parent team up against someone else. So if the kid and the parent or older person play as the police, they can work together in this game.

Final Thoughts on City Chase

This is an interesting game for me. I think that it’s likely going to stick in my collection, though probably not be on the main shelves. Mainly, my kid isn’t old enough to play it yet, but once he is, I can see this one being a fun one to play. Like I said in the who this is for, it is a kids game that adults will like. The game offers enough choices to make it fun.

And I really can’t talk about how much this works from both sides. That was my biggest fear going into the game that one side would be vastly superior to the other, in terms of the fun you are having. But both sides are a lot of fun. And both offer their own challenges. Only being able to move or search means the search is slow. You always want to do more. But with the getaway car, you will eventually reach the point where you need to go past a helicopter. And that is good tension as well.

Overall, a very fun game. Not one that I think is needed by everyone. But if you have a kid or play with kids, in that range, City Chase is a really fun time. And I don’t think between the toy factor and game play you’ll be disappointed in it.

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

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How To Play Long Shot The Dice Game

In Long Shot The Dice Game you are trying to complete the game while having the most money. So yes, this is a bidding game, not as much a racing game. On a turn the person who is first player rolls the dice. This determines which horses move and and the other die determines how far.

Then every player uses that horse die, the color eight sided die, to fill in something on their board. There are four different areas you are able to fill in. Firstly, the concessions where you are trying to complete rows and columns. When you complete one you get a special bonus. Or you can fill in a jockey helmet or jockey shirt. Getting a pair gives you points at the end of the game. But they also allow you to either bet late on a horse, or add movement to one of the horses cards. Finally you can bet on a horse up to $3 per round.

The person who rolled followed by other players can then choose if they want to buy the horse who’s number was rolled or not. If they do, deduct the money and you get a special power. There is another way to get a horse with concessions as well.

At the end of the race you tally up your money from what you have left over, pairs of jockey helmets and shirts, bets, and any winnings you get if the horse you own placed. The player, like I said, with the most money wins.

What Doesn’t Work

This is not the most intuitive roll and write game. Nothing about a jockey helmet says you can bet late. Nothing about a jockey shirt says make a horse move more often. Even the concessions filling in rows and columns isn’t thematic. This is not a knock on the game play, though, this is a knock on how you have to teach it. If you’re not careful, you’ll miss something or a rule will get explained multiple times because it isn’t obvious. So for a light, fast, roll and write game, there is strategy but still not that much going on, it takes a bit to teach.

What Works

Firstly, I do think that the racing part of the game works. You want your horses to do well. As a group you kind of build up a horse or two to move faster. Try and buy them and get them across the finish line. So there are points where you are just getting excited for a horse, for a roll, to see what happens. Will a horse move this turn past the betting line or not?

I also think that the betting is fun, and I like that it’s not an even distribution. Betting on 7 or 8 is a long shot. But if they win, the payout is great. I do like that you don’t bet everything at once. It isn’t like I can spend all $12 of my starting dollars in one turn. You need to slowly bet it out in smaller increments. Which means you might spread out your bets a little bit more between horses.

And I think the highlight for me is the jockey shirts. Yes, other parts are fun, I like getting a column or row in the concessions. But crossing off a horse on another card/number is great. Having a 4 rolled and then 1, 2, and now because I marked it off 7 move as well is a lot of fun. Plus, if multiple people get behind a horse, now it just starts consistently moving up the track and can catch up, even if it’s number isn’t rolled.

Who Is It For?

I think that this is a roll and write game for most people. The tricky part is that it’s not the easiest to learn or teach. But a lot of the concepts are pretty easy to follow along with once you get them. And it has more than your normal roll and write. There is an element of this that makes it more of a party game. Which I think that racing, watching the horses move, takes it up a notch in terms of who it can be for.

But Long Shot The Dice Game is generally a concept that works well. And one that I think will get people into the game as you play. And for that, it is one that you can probably play with most gamers, and even people who are game interested.

Final Thoughts on Long Shot The Dice Game

I enjoy this game a lot. I like racing games, though I find that most of them are really betting games. But that works well, it is in some ways nicer than just pushing luck down a race track and rolling dice. I do want to play Formula D for that reason though, because it is. But that luck might frustrate some people, so betting games, also with luck, can work better with racing.

I wish the things made a bit more thematic sense. Though, to get the game to work, I’m sure it needed to be the way it is. And coming up with more thematic things is tricky. The oddest part to me is the pair of jockey helmet and shirt being $5 at the end of the game. The other actions at least affect the race a little more. But I do think it can help offset not buying a horse, so there is that.

Long Shot The Dice Game is one that I’d definitely recommend. I think that the game play is fun, and, it reminds me of Downforce another betting/racing game that I really enjoy. This one, though, I think offers more variety out of the box than Downforce does.

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

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How To Play – Lost Ruins of Arnak

The goal Lost Ruins of Arnak is to accumulate as many points as possible. You do this by going up a research track, exploring locations, defeating monsters, and buying cards to put in your deck that will give you abilities and points. You do all of this over five rounds.

The main actions you do on the board are activated by placing out workers. But you only get two workers per round and rounds do not only last two turns per person. While those workers can be used for big pieces of the action, such as exploring a location, gets golden idols – worth points – and then fighting monsters at those locations, also worth points. Much of the game is around pushing up a research track and buying the cards.

The research track, if you make it to the top, is one of the best ways to get points. Though, when everyone knows that and works towards it, the points that you get don’t differ massively. But if you don’t make it to the top, you will be behind. But in game, it mainly gives you additional resources to spend. The cards are where you get more of your additional actions. Buying and playing the cards really gives you an opportunity to create an engine of what you are doing.

What Doesn’t Work

Two things, that at least without the expansion, I feel like don’t work extremely well. The first is how important the research track is. And this is really the main complaint. You need to make it to the top of the research track. If you don’t, you might do really well in other areas, but you will end up behind in points. It is just too much to catch up on. Now, that isn’t to say you can ignore everything else. The points are that much, and like I said, the research track when everyone makes it to the top is less impactful. It’s just very important to make it to the top.

The other thing is maybe more of a personal thing. But I wish that I had one more round. Granted, you’d be pushing less on the research track and optimizing for that if you had one more round. But with one more round, I feel like I could just have that one more great turn where I am using all of those cool cards that I put in my deck more than once, maybe twice. I say this knowing that most likely what would happen is I’d want another round. So five is solid for the game to keep it from going too long. But I wouldn’t mind six.

What Works

Deck Building

The deck building in this game is meaningful. And I really appreciate that. In a lot of bigger deck building games, yes it matters, but you end up with so many cards, and cycle through it so many times, you can buy whatever you can afford, for the most part. A thinner optimized deck might be better, but if you get points on cards, might as well add in another card that gives you points. Here it really matters because you don’t get that many and you don’t see them too many times.

I also like that with the deck building the cards you buy go on the bottom of the deck. So, with a thinner deck and drawing up to five cards in hand each turn, you see cards fast. I buy two cards on turn one, I know I’ll see them and can use them on turn two. Not having that delay of waiting for them to get shuffled in, and then they could be shuffled to the bottom of the deck is really nice.

Items and Relics

And I like with the relics that you get to use them right away and then they go to the bottom of the deck. Thematically, if you get supplies, they are shipped in, so you get them soon but not right away. If you get a relic, you’ve found it in the ruins. So you can use that right away. But as a trade off it uses your explore tokens to get it, which you need for the map, and has a cost for future uses.

Worker Placement

Finally, with the worker placement, I like how that grows with options throughout the game. At the start of the game you put your workers on camps to just gain resources and then hopefully you can explore fast. The locations that you explore cost a bit more to activate in future rounds, but you can activate them again, or anyone can. So now you are able to go to those spots as well and activate them. Which probably give you more resources or a variety of resources.

I also like with the worker placement that you only have two. More workers certainly could give you a ton more to do, but with the tight number of spaces to start, you’d have to add in more. And it makes how and when you use them even more impactful. If you can find a way to move a worker through an item or a relic, that is huge. And it is a really interesting part of the puzzle of the game as to how you can utilize your workers.

Who Is It For?

I think this is for someone pretty early into hobby gaming. I wouldn’t introduce hobby board games to someone with Lost Ruins of Arnak. But if they have played some other games, Carcassonne, Ticket to Ride, Catan, and the likes, I don’t think this game is too bad to pick up.

Or it is for someone who might not be that interested in worker placement. I am someone who thinks worker placement is fine, but thematically not many of them interest me. Lost Ruins of Arnak has that fun Indiana Jones type them on a worker placement game. So that intrigued me more so, and with deck building pulled me in. I think it can be an entry point or a worker placement that is easier to get people to play.

Final Thoughts on Lost Ruins of Arnak

I really enjoy Lost Ruins of Arnak. And I suspect that I will enjoy it more as I add in the expansion stuff. It changes up the board for the research track. And it gives you variable player powers, which is something I really like. I like being unique as I play. But even without that, I really enjoy the puzzle of the game.

My negative of the research track is less around it not being interesting. The research track is pretty fun. It is more that you need to do the research track and get to the top to really have that much of a shot at winning the game. But, like I said, everyone needs to do that, which means that the points aren’t too different and it does come down to everything else in the game.

My Grade: B+
Gamer Grade: B+
Casual Grade: B

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How to Play Marvel Dice Throne

Marvel Dice Throne is the same game as Dice Throne. So a head to head or king of the hill style battling game. In it you pit your hero against other heroes (or anti-hero with Loki) to see who will come out on top.

You do this primarily through a dice mechanic that is based off a Yahtzee. You roll dice and then re-roll up to two more times. Using the faces of the dice, either numbers or symbols, you then activate an ability to attack your opponent. Your opponent rolls a defense blocking some damage, dealing damage back, or getting tokens to activate other powers and abilities. First player to knock their opponent to zero health is the winner.

That might sound very simple and it is quite simple. But there is more going on than just rolling dice. You get combat points, your currency for the game, and cards. These cards can be a lot of different things. They can remove negative effects from you. They can upgrade abilities or give you new dice combinations to activate attacks off of. Or it can block attacks or manipulate dice. So if you plan it out well, you can possibly set-up a great turn.

What Doesn’t Work?

I don’t really have any issues with the game. I’m bummed that there are no plans for the Geek Bit upgrades, but also it’s a Marvel based game, so that would have to go through them. And I doubt that it’s worth it to do that or it might not even be possible. Otherwise I got no complaints.

I can see people complaining that it is lucky. Which it is to some level. You are rolling dice, but you end up with options to mitigate. You play cards to affect the dice, so that is the most direct way. But all the characters also can upgrade abilities. This means often that you add in new combinations you can roll. So there are ways around the dice.

What Works

Marvel Dice Throne is very good at bringing out the flavor of the characters. With Thor you manipulate Mjolnir for damage and abilities. For Loki you play out illusions. Scarlet Witch manipulates the opponents dice. And Doctor Strange launches spells. Each character is thematic in some way. I love that about Dice Throne in general how every character is different. Marvel Dice Throne keeps that going strong.

Who Is It For?

This is a game for people who like dice. They don’t hide the fact that dice are important when you name your game Marvel Dice Throne. But more than that, Marvel Dice Throne is going to be a game for people who like Marvel as well. It is a pretty casual game and that should make it more accessible to most gamers or even people who are just interested because of the theme.

Should You Get It?

This is a slightly different question than the last one. Mainly because I do think that Dice Throne is not a game for everyone. Let’s face it, even though I might rate a game or game system a 10, someone else might not like it so much.

If you think that Dice Throne, with the fantasy characters, is just fine. Marvel Dice Throne might not be for you. If you love Marvel though and you think Dice Throne is just fine, this one might be better for you. It still won’t make it a great game. Marvel Dice Throne is just another version of Dice Throne. But if you love Marvel that might move it up a bit for you and make it worth your while.

Marvel Dice Throne Final Thoughts

I love Dice Throne and I love Marvel. So Marvel Dice Throne was a no brainer for me to back. And I’ve played it six times already, like I said. I haven’t played all the characters yet, so I’m still ready to dive in more. Thus far I think that Scarlet Witch is my favorite. Doctor Strange is up there and I enjoy Black Widow a lot as well.

Thor, for me, feels a bit more standard in how he plays but I think throwing and retrieving Mjolnir could be a lot of fun if I figure out his character a bit more. And Miles Morales Spider-Man as well as Captain Marvel were cool as well. Captain Marvel is maybe my least favorite, but she can punch really hard at times.

My Grade: A+
Gamer Grade: C
Casual Grade: A

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How to Play Biblios

Biblios is played out over two phases. The first phase is the gift giving phase. In that, a player takes cards off of the deck one at a time. With each card they decide to add it either to their collection, an auction collection, or face up for the other players. Once they have done that for number of players plus one, doing each action once, or once per other player, the other players take face up cards in turn order. You go through all of the cards in the deck that time. This builds up the players hands.

There are three types of cards that you might get. Firstly there is money, that is used in phase two. Next up item cards, stuff for building out your library, that is for area control or area majority in the different colors. Finally there are churches. Those influence the value on the dice. The dice are victory points, all starting at three, for each area, color, of item. And the churches increase or decrease the value.

The next phase, is the auction phase. So all the cards that go into the auction pile are auctioned off one at a time with going around to different players leading the auction. If it is an item card or a church card you use money to bid. If it is a money card in the auction pile, you bid a number of cards to get it.

Then, after all that is done, all gifts given and cards auctioned, you check for majorities. The value on the cards totaled for each color determines who wins that color. Players take the die of the color that they won, and you add up the total on all the dice. Scoring at the end is fairly simple.

What I Don’t Like

One thing that is a neutral item for me, but I think is just okay is the giving of gifts. Now, the concept is very interesting. When do you pass on something good, maybe putting it into the auction pile, in hopes something better shows up? That is cool, and I’ll talk about that more. But there are a number of cards to go through, so the giving of gifts just takes a little bit. And the interest of it wains a bit over time.

I also think that the scoring might be a little bit too simple, or more the strategy for it. Now, with more players and a few cards out of the deck every game, it does mean you can’t math it out. I think the more i play it though, I’ll find that I want to be a bit more cutthroat with the game. Buying up cards that others might want or messing with the dice more. I just want something more for scoring, like a bonus of 3 points for the player with the most item cards, something like that. Or a point for every three coins left after the auction.

What I Like

On the flip side, I do like the gift giving part with the push your luck element. What card works be the best for you. At what point in time do you maybe throw away into the auction a really good card because you don’t want it, but you also don’t want to give it to someone for free. But once you do that, now you don’t have the ability to hide an even better card. It makes an interesting choice like in Grimm Masquerade, just more of it.

I also think that the auction is good. Mainly because different cards auction different ways. I like that you can put good coins into the pool, so a 3 coin shows up, I might bid two or three cards, maybe even four, to just get rid of cards for an item I won’t win. Or to get rid of 1 coins. But there is risk with getting ride of 1 coins because if you bid a 2 coin and only have a 3, you pay with the 3 and get no change.

Finally, I like that all the cards aren’t in the deck. Even at the max player count, some are still out though not many. That means that you can’t count cards, though it’d be impossible to get everything figure out. In a two player game, if no cards were out, you could count it all I guess during the auction phase easily enough.

Who Is It For?

Who is this for, probably anyone. The game is very simple when you get down to it. I could take this to my parents and get them playing it fast. And I think that while it is light, for heavier gamers it is going to make a good filler. Even for more casual players, this is a filler weight and length game.

Now, I talked that it takes a while to get all of the gifts out. It isn’t that it takes that long, really, it is more that it loses some of the interest as you go. After going through cards and picking how to disperse them, some players might flag on that a little bit. But then the game is so fast moving that it’ll get to the auction quickly.

It is also best at three players. So a good game for that play with parents sort of situation. Two and four are solid, but three is the sweet spot for me.

Biblios Final Thoughts

Biblios is a great little filler game. For me it worked quite well, even with the bit of slowness. It helps that not on your turn, you still get a card. That means you care what the other player(s) put down. And I like it with three because now two cards are out for the players. If you pick first, I hope you leave what I want. It creates a bit of tension that the game doesn’t have a ton of.

I do worry, though, about the staying power of the game. Is it going to go like Tsuro where I played it enough times that I moved on from it? I think that it might just after enough plays. Now, I am no where near that, and it is a lower player count. That means that I won’t use it as a filler as much as Tsuro, Criss Cross, or Second Chance.

There are also elements that remind me of Arboretum where only one person scores a color. However, Arboretum has more puzzling out what to do. And I think it is meaner because you know what everyone else has, or is at least going for, on the table. Biblios scratches some of that same itch while being much more accessible. And also less mean than Arboretum because of that.

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

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