Game Type: Family

Card Game Comic Book / Strip Fantasy Fighting Movies / TV / Radio theme

Categories:

Comic Hunters

Rating: 7.7 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Card Game Comic Book / Strip

Categories:

After a long search in several comic bookstores and online stores you managed to acquire the most important comic books of all your favorite heroes. Well almost all of them! Some rare and important editions are still missing from your collection. The first appearance of your favorite villain that special edition that influenced a generation of story lines the spetacular debut of the new uniform the memorable confrontation with the archenemy and the valuable number one! You already know where to find them and you also know that you are not the only one in search of these precious gems. Will you be able to collect all the comics needed to be recognized as the greatest collector of all time?Comic Hunters is divided into three rounds. In each round players will visit three of the four locations where they can purchase Comic Book Cards. At the end of the round players must place cards on the table to start or expand their collections. When adding a comic to a hero's collection the player will move his markers on the icon tracks according to the Spotlight Icons of the new card in play (Number 1 First Appearance New Visual Special Edition and Memorable Clashes.). The further the player advances on each track the more points he or she may get. In addition each collection scores based on the number of cards it contains. After three rounds the player with most points is acclaimed as the greatest comic book collector of all time and wins the game!-description from designer

Mists over Carcassonne

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 1–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Mists over Carcassonne is a co-operative version of the well-known tile-laying game Carcassonne. Working together you place tiles and score points while trying to stop the spread of ghosts contain haunted ground in cemeteries and use haunted castles to your advantage. If too many ghosts are loose on the ground or you've collected too few points when the tiles run out you lose the game. If you do manage to survive three days you can adjust the difficulty level of the game to increase the challenge.Mists over Carcassonne includes 45 meeples in two new types and 60 tiles that match the graphics of the 2021 edition of Carcassonne and this game includes rules for how to incorporate material in a regular competitive game of Carcassonne.

Welcome to the Dungeon

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Bluffing Card Game Fantasy Fighting

Categories:

Welcome to the Dungeon — first released as Dungeon of Mandom — is a push-your-luck dungeon delve in which 2-4 players take turns essentially daring each other to go into a dungeon with less equipment than they start off with while filling the dungeon with monsters. Players can win the game by winning 2 rounds or get eliminated from the game by losing 2 rounds. Each player has a 2-sided players card that has a white side and a red side. The first win taps the player card and the 1st loss flips the card over to the red side. A 2nd loss will have the player turn the card back into the box.The game is played in rounds. The player sets up the base character and all the equipment equipped. This represents every player as a fully equipped dungeon delver.Each round the start player (the person who challenged the dungeon last or the last player to be in a dungeon) can choose to draw a card from the monster deck or pass their turn.If they choose to draw they can do one of two things: (1) keep it and de-equip an equipment or (2) place it face down in the dungeon. Placing it face down in the dungeon creates the dungeon deck and fills the dungeon with monsters that the challenger will have to face later. If they choose to pass their turn they cannot participate in the rest of the round. Once only one person is left after all the other players have passed their turn that player then becomes the challenger and must go into the dungeon with only the equipment he has equipped.The player then flips cards off the dungeon deck and fights the monsters within. Some equipment allow you to null the enemy damage or be able to withstand it by increasing your HP. If the player survives the dungeon with at least 1 HP they win that round. If not they lose. The players then reshuffles all the cards to make a new monster deck and re-equips all the equipment to start a new round.The game ends when someone has won twice or one player is the last man standing.Welcome to the Dungeon includes four different sets of character cards whereas Dungeon of Mandom has only a single character.

Unearth

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Card Game Dice Exploration

Categories:

Long ago your ancestors built great cities across the world. Now your tribe must explore forests deserts islands mountains and caverns to find these lost cities. Claim the ruins build places of power and restore the glory of a bygone age.Unearth is a bend-your-luck game of dice placement and set collection. Designed by Jason Harner and Matthew Ransom it plays in under an hour with 2-4 players. Each player leads a tribe of Delvers represented by five dice (3 six-sided 1 four-sided and 1 eight-sided). Players take turns rolling and placing dice in an attempt to claim Ruins.The game's elegant core mechanic is accessible to players of all skill levels. High rolls help players claim Ruins while low rolls help players collect Stones. This opens two paths to victory: claiming sets of Ruins or using Stones to build Wonders. Delver cards help you affect your dice rolls or dice in play and Wonders can grant abilities that impact the late game.

Paint the Roses

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Deduction Fantasy Novel-based Puzzle

Categories:

Paint the Roses is a 2-5 player cooperative logic deduction game that automatically adapts to your skill during play.Set in the puzzling world of Alice in Wonderland you and your friends are the newly appointed Royal Gardeners. You are working together to finish the palace grounds according to the whims of the Queen of Hearts. Use strategy logic and teamwork to finish the garden whilst staying one step ahead of the Queen otherwise the last thing you hear will be Off With Their Heads!.The Queen's whims are shared via cards secret instructions each player is given into how the garden should be arranged. Her whims are always changing so as soon as you solve one a new one is in your hand.Every turn together as a team you must guess at least one of these secret whim cards. You can't say what your card shows but by carefully placing a new shrub tile into the garden (taken from those available in the Greenhouse) you are able to reveal clues tokens that will show any matches between the arrangement in the garden and the secret whims each player holds in their hands.Although you can't discuss your own secret whim card you can openly discuss other players'. Share your theories at the table and then make a guess. Correctly guessing a whim will move you forward on the score track but the Queen is always following and her speed automatically adjusts based on your current score. Guess incorrectly and the Queen moves twice as fast her axe ever closer to your neck.—description from the publisher

Exit: The Game – The Mysterious Museum

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Exit: The Game – The Mysterious Museum is a puzzle game modeled after escape rooms.Starting with season 3 the Exit series is divided into difficulty levels. The Mysterious Museum is categorized at beginner level.

Railroad Ink Challenge: Shining Yellow Edition

Rating: 7.5 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Dice Trains

Railroad Ink Challenge is a quick-playing roll-and-write game for 1 to 4 players. Grab a board and a dry-erase marker and get ready to reach networking nirvana! Roll the dice and draw the routes to connect the exits around your board. Expand your network with railways highways and stations to collect points but you will be penalized for any open connections so plan carefully!Railroad Ink Challenge has everything you love from the original Railroad Ink games and a lot more with an all-new focus on player interaction thanks to in-game goals! Only those who achieve them first get the reward so you have to keep an eye on what your opponents are doing and try to complete the goals before they do! A different set of goals is available each time so no two games will be the same!But wait there's more! Draw unprecedented mind-bending route configurations thanks to the new dice! Connect special structures to your network to trigger new effects: factories allow you to duplicate a die villages give bonus points if they are close to a station universities unlock extra special routes — use these effects wisely and you'll score big!Railroad Ink Challenge comes in two versions each one including one expansion with an additional dice set that adds new special rules to your games. Use oases to protect your cacti from the arid desert climate in the Shining Yellow Edition!—description from publisher

Sobek: 2 Players

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Categories:

Ancient Economic

Construction is underway on a temple dedicated to Sobek. A huge market has emerged nearby supplied by the continuous flow of feluccas and pirogues along the Nile. Your Guild of Merchants is determined to take advantage of this unbelievable opportunity and ready to use any means to grab sumptuous goods out of the way of your opponent. Beware though as it will be crucial not to have accumulated too much corruption when the time of reckonings arrives.How to play In Sobek: 2 Players both opponents collect and sell Goods to earn the most Victory Points. On their turn the player chooses among 3 options: take a tile on the Market sell a set of Goods or play a Character. When the player takes a tile they select one on the Ankh pawn’s line and add it to their hand. They then place the Ankh pawn in the line that is indicated by the tile they just took which determines the choices available to their opponent. When they have enough in hand a player can sell a set of at least 3 tiles of the same type. These tiles will earn them Victory Points at the end of the game depending on both their quantity and the amount of Scarabs that they feature. A player can also use a Character to benefit from its powerful special ability. In Sobek: 2 Players everything is about timing. Planning ahead and analysing which opportunities you offer to you opponent on their next move is key to playing the best moves and winning the game.—description from the publisher

Star Trek: Catan

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 3–4

Game Type:

Movies / TV / Radio theme Negotiation Science Fiction

Categories:

Settling the Final FrontierSince 1966 millions of Star Trek fans all over the world have watched adventures of the Starship Enterprise Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock. And since 1995 millions of enthusiastic players all over the world have played Klaus Teuber's CATAN - a board game classic. It's time to bring them all together on the Final Frontier!In Star Trek: Catan players start the game with two small Outposts at the intersection of three planets with each planet supplying resources based on the result of a dice roll. Players collect and trade these resources – dilithium tritanium food oxygen and water – in order to build Starships that connect regions in the galaxy establish more Outposts and Starbases (upgraded Outposts) at new intersection points in order to increase resource acquisition and acquire Development Cards that provide Victory Points (VPs) or special abilities.On a dice roll of 7 a Klingon ship swoops in to prevent resource production on one planet while taxing spacegoers who hold too many resources.Star Trek: Catan differs from the basic Settlers in one aspect: a set of Support Cards formerly available only in German as Catan Scenarios: Helpers of Catan. Each Support Card features a special ability and one of Kirk Spock McCoy Sulu Scott Uhura Chekov Chapel Rand or Sarek. Some special abilities make basic actions better such as reducing the costs of Starbase upgrades or allowing the player to trade a resource of their choice at 2:1 for a turn while others break rules such as protecting the player from discarding on a 7 or producing a resource when the player rolls a number that wouldn't otherwise produce for them. Players get a specific Support Card during setup based on turn order with later players getting generally more useful abilities to compensate for early player advantage. When a player uses a Support Card ability for the first time they may trade it in for a Support Card of their choice or keep it for a second use but they may only trade immediately after use.

The Little Prince: Make Me a Planet

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Novel-based Territory Building

Categories:

In The Little Prince: Make Me a Planet each player will build his own planet to provide a beautiful home for the dear animals of The Little Prince – the fox the sheep the elephant and the snake – but make sure there aren't too many volcanoes and baobab trees!Each round the start player chooses one of the four stacks of tiles and takes as many tiles as the number of players. He chooses one of them and appoints a different player to choose another tile. This new player takes the tile and starts building her own planet in front of her. Then she appoints another player and so on until every player gets a tile. The last player must take the only tile that remains. To make up for that this player becomes the start player for the next round.Baobab trees grow on some tiles and having too many of them is bad. If a player has three baobab trees on his planet the three tiles bearing these trees have to be turned face down. Now the items on those tiles won't score you points at the end of the game!By the end of the game four characters will be located around each player's planet earning that player points based on the various items present on the planet. Not everything is risk-free though as the player who has the highest number of volcanoes loses as many points as the number of volcanoes on his planet. The player with the highest score wins!

Mariposas

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Animals Environmental

Every spring millions of monarch butterflies leave Mexico to spread out across eastern North America. Every fall millions fly back to Mexico. However no single butterfly ever makes the round trip.Mariposas is a game of movement and set collection that lets players be part of this amazing journey.Mariposas is played in three seasons. In general your butterflies try to head north in spring spread out in summer and return south in fall. The end of each season brings a scoring round and at the end of fall the player with the most successful family of butterflies — i.e. the most victory points — wins the game.—description from the publisher

Disney Villainous: Despicable Plots

Rating: 7.5 | Players: 2–3

Game Type:

Age of Reason Card Game Fantasy Movies / TV / Radio theme Mythology

Categories:

In Villainous: Despicable Plots each player takes control of one of three Disney characters each one a villain in a different Disney movie specifically Lady Tremaine (Cinderella) the Horned King (The Black Cauldron) and Gaston (Beauty and the Beast). Each player has their own villain deck fate deck player board and 3D character.On a turn the active player moves their character to a different location on their player board takes one or more of the actions visible on that space (often by playing cards from their hand) then refills their hand to four cards. Cards are allies items effects and conditions. You need to use your cards to fulfill your unique win condition.One of the actions allows you to choose another player draw two cards from that player's fate deck then play one of them on that player's board covering two of the four action spaces on one of that player's locations. The fate deck contains heroes items and effects from that villain's movie and these cards allow other players to mess with that particular villain.Villainous: Despicable Plots is playable on its own and its characters can also face off against those in the other Disney Villainous games.—description from the publisher

Agricola: Family Edition

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Animals Farming

In Agricola you're a farmer in a wooden shack with your spouse and little else. On a turn you get to take only two actions one for you and one for the spouse from all the possibilities you'll find on a farm: collecting resources; building meadows; and so on. You might think about having kids in order to get more work accomplished but first you need to expand your house. And what are you going to feed all the little rugrats?Agricola is a turn-based game. There are 14 game rounds occurring in 6 stages with a Harvest at the end of each stage (after Rounds 4 7 9 11 13 and 14). Each player starts with two meeples that can each take an action per round. There are multiple options and while the game progresses you'll have more: each round a (fixed) additional option becomes available. Each action can be taken by only one player each round so it's important to do some things with high preference.In comparison with the family game of the predecessor much has changed: the new action each round is fixed and the game has been simplified by removing stone and vegetables. Similar to 'Agricola: All Creatures Big and Small' there are now buildings (replacing the major improvements) that score points for leftover resources at the end of the game. Also there are no building restrictions (nor player boards). And finally there are no negative points or point limits anymore each player simply scores for all he has achieved.

Timeline: Events

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–8

Game Type:

Card Game Educational Party Game Trivia

Categories:

Timeline: Events is a card game played using 55 cards. Each card depicts a historical event on both sides with the year in which that event occurred on only one side. Players take turns placing a card from their hand in a row on the table. After placing the card the player reveals the date on it. If the card was placed correctly with the date in chronological order with all other cards on the table the card stays in place; otherwise the card is removed from play and the player takes another card from the deck.The first player to get rid of all his cards by placing them correctly wins. If multiple players go out in the same round then everyone else is eliminated from play and each of those players are dealt one more card for another round of play. If only one player has no cards after a bonus round he wins; otherwise play continues until a single player goes out.Timeline: Events can be combined with any other title in the Game: Timeline series.

Infinity Gauntlet: A Love Letter Game

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Card Game Comic Book / Strip Deduction Movies / TV / Radio theme

Categories:

The Mad Titan Thanos seeks the Infinity Stones to bend the universe to his indomitable will but courageous heroes are assembling to stand in his path to ultimate power. Based on the beloved card game and set in the Marvel Universe Infinity Gauntlet: A Love Letter Game features the elegant mechanics of the original re-imagined in a one-vs-many twist for thrilling team play. While one player takes on the role of Thanos on a crusade to change the universe as we know it 1-5 other players must deploy iconic heroes to defeat him before he can achieve his aims.Throughout the game players take turns drawing a card and playing a card then executing its effect. Hero players can call upon the likes of Iron Man Spider-man Thor and Scarlet Witch for their abilities to battle and gather intel about their opponent’s schemes. A worthy adversary Thanos plays with a two-card hand drawing from his own deck of minions and powerful Infinity Stones. The heroes will have to use their abilities in strategic combinations to knock his health down to zero before he can do the same to them—or find all six Infinity Stones and win with a snap of his fingers. Who will prevail in this battle for the universe?—description from the publisher

Tranquility

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 1–5

Game Type:

Card Game Nautical Number

Categories:

Jump on board the good ship Tranquility and set sail for paradise. Take care though because in a land where the day blends into night it's easy to lose track of time and you still need to find that special little island to call home.Tranquility is a co-operative card game in which players must fill the sea with islands — specifically island cards with numbers on them — and guide the ship home before any player runs out of cards. Note that in the world of Tranquility the only way to play is in silence.---The goal of the game is for the team to complete the grid before any player runs out of available actions. Cards must be placed so that the grid ascends in numerical order from bottom left to top right. All the players win if they manage to complete the grid and have placed a Start and Finish card. All players lose if a single player can no longer play or discard any cards legally following the instructions given below. The players may not however communicate.Play is taken in turns moving clockwise with the quietest player going first. On a player’s turn they must do one of the following: 1. Play a card or 2. Discard two cards. Then they must draw back up to a hand of five cards. Cards must be placed so that the grid ascends in numerical order from bottom left to top right. If the card is placed next to an existing card in the sequence then they must discard cards from their hand equal to the difference between the numbers face down in front of them e.g. placing a 5 next to a 3 will require two cards to be discarded from their hand. This applies even if the cards are on different rows.—description from the publisher

Overboss: A Boss Monster Adventure

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 1–5

Game Type:

Fantasy Puzzle Video Game Theme

Categories:

In Overboss rival Boss Monsters emerge from their dungeons to conquer the Overworld. Each turn players draft and place terrain tiles and monster tokens. Their goal: to craft the map with the greatest Power and become the ultimate Overboss!Designed by Aaron Mesburne and Kevin Russ (Calico) this fast-paced game combines drafting set collection and puzzly tile laying. It's set in the retro-inspired pixel art world of Brotherwise Games' best-selling Boss Monster but this is an entirely new experience.Build your map by drafting Forests Swamps Caves Camps Graveyards Dungeon Entrances and other landscapes. Each terrain type has a different point value and some increase in Power as you acquire larger sets. Players must balance optimal placement set values and disrupt their opponents' sets. You'll also need to manage monsters which award points when grouped together or placed on matching terrain.The game includes everything needed for up to 5 players: over 120 terrain tiles over 100 monster tokens 5 double-sided player boards a scorepad and more.—description from the publisher (updated for added content)

Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Action / Dexterity Adventure Travel

Categories:

Welcome to Fireball Island! You may have heard stories. You may have visited when you were younger. Perhaps you even saw a fireball engulf a fellow traveler in a hellscape of horror that makes you afraid to close your eyes at night. Whatever the case welcome back! Turns out that Vul-Kar didn't like having his gem stolen way back when so there has been some volcanic upheaval an explosion in our snake population feral tigers new types of trees bent on ending human life and swarms of bees everywhere. But don't worry — we have top people working on it.Start your day of adventure at the helipad. Be sure to sign the waiver which legally obligates you to take snapshots across the island. You'll race down the many paths avoiding hazards all the while. On the plus side you get to keep all the treasure you find.Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar is a restoration of the classic 1986 game Fireball Island that features a unique 3D island and a host of marble mayhem. This new version boasts an island that is even bigger than the original (and yet fits in a smaller box) and more marbles. It is a family-weight game for 2-4 players (5 with an expansion) that plays in 30-45 minutes. Simple card play replaces the random roll-and-move of the original and the set collection for the treasures offers some interesting choices for players.Remember you don't have to outrun the fireball — just the other players.—description from the publisherCore Game Components: 1 Island 1 Vul-Kar Figure 5 Red Fire Balls 6 Ember Balls 4 Player Figures 1 Die 1 Heart of Vul-Kar Crystal 1 Ladder 2 Bridges 7 Trees 30 Action Cards 12 Snapshot Cards 12 Souvenir Cards 4 Player Reference Cards 36 Treasure Tokens 1 Lucky Penny Token 2 Tokens of the Two Player Game 1 Cataclysm Tracker 2 Scrims 1 Maw ( 4 card board parts ) 1 Hello-CopterBienvenue sur l'Île Infernale ! Vous avez peut-être entendu des histoires. Vous l'avez peut-être visité quand vous étiez plus jeune. Peut-être avez-vous même vu une boule de feu engloutir un compagnon de voyage dans un paysage d'horreur qui vous empêche de fermer les yeux la nuit. Quoi qu'il en soit bon retour sur l'Île! Il s'avère que Vul-Kar n'a pas apprécié qu'on lui vole sa gemme ... alors il y a eu des bouleversements volcaniques une croissance de notre population de serpents des tigres sauvages de nouveaux types d'arbres pour mettre fin à la vie humaine & des essaims d'abeilles partout. Mais ne vous inquiétez pas — nous avons des gens de haut niveau qui travaillent dessus.Commencez votre journée d'aventure à l'Hélipad. Assurez-vous de signer la renonciation qui vous oblige légalement à prendre des instantanés à travers l'île. Vous dévalerez les nombreux chemins en évitant tout le temps les dangers. La bonne nouvelle : vous gardez tous les trésors que vous trouvez.Fireball Island : La Malédiction de Vul-Kar est une restauration du jeu classique L'Île Infernale datant de 1986 qui présente une île 3D unique & des billes chaotiques. Cette nouvelle version dispose d'une île encore plus grande que l'original (tout en tenant dans une boîte plus petite) & plus de billes. C'est un jeu de type familial pour 2-4 joueurs (5 avec une extension) durant 30-45 minutes. Un jeu de Cartes remplace le rouler-déplacer aléatoire de l'original & la collection de trésors offre des choix intéressants pour les joueurs.Rappelez-vous vous n'avez pas à distancer la boule de feu — juste les autres joueurs.

Vaalbara

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Card Game Political Prehistoric

Categories:

Each player plays as a clan leader and has to secretly and wisely play a card from their hand representing a member of their tribe to try to take over some territories. Strategy and timing will be crucial for scoring! The player that scores the most points after 9 rounds wins the game.Subcontinent of Vaalbara Neolithic era. Your tribe sets out to explore uncharted lands in order to establish sedentary villages. Use the various talents of your tribe to optimize your development expand your territory and enforce your hegemony!All players have the same deck of 12 cards representing the members of their tribe. Each turn players choose secretly one card. In the order of initiative of the revealed Characters players will be able to activate their powers and take over one of the available Territories. Each type of Territory has its own way of scoring points (collection pair diversity risk…). Deciding between playing the best powers and high initiatives at the most opportune moment will be difficult. After 9 rounds the player with the most points wins the game and unites the tribes of the continent under their banner!—description from the publisher

Cities

Rating: 7.4 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Abstract Strategy City Building

Categories:

You've been tasked by the city council to put together a plan to transform a whole neighborhood in the city. You have the opportunity to build new housing office buildings parks and leisure areas near the waterfront. It is in your hands to make the city a better place.Cities is a city-building game in which you draft the best projects and arrange them in your own playing area. With action and resource draft mechanisms it will give you the opportunity to visit the cities of Sydney Venice New York Barcelona Rio de Janeiro Lisbon Mexico City and Buenos Aires. Can you design the most magnificent neighborhood?The game is played over eight rounds (or four rounds in a two-player game). Each round players use their workers to collect 1 scoring card 1 city tile 1-2 feature tiles and 2-4 building pieces. City tiles are made up of park spaces water spaces and building spaces. Building pieces are placed on building spaces of the same color to form buildings which can be 1-4 stories high. Whenever a player fulfills an achievement they place one of their discs on the achievement board. At the end of the game players add up the points they have gained from all of their scoring cards and achievements.—description from the publisher

Ishtar: Gardens of Babylon

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

From the award-winning designer Bruno Cathala Ishtar is a game in which you play the role of a gardener aiming to transform the dry desert into the Lost Hanging Gardens of Babylon. To accomplish your mission you will have to plant flowers which if you place them well can help you gather precious gems and activate actions. Whether to buy Trees (which will block the link between two Flower spots as well as earning you points) or to purchase upgrades (such as getting two more points per Tree card at the end of the game) collecting gems will be a crucial part of the game. Get them before your opponents recruit apprentices send them to earn points in the copses of flowers you have created block others and think carefully of the upgrades to purchase if you want to become the best gardener at the end of the game!—description from the publisher

Exit: The Game – The Polar Station

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Deduction Puzzle Real-time

Categories:

An alarm sounded in the eternal ice so the polar station has been evacuated and foreclosed but a small group of researchers has remained behind by mistake — and they have only one hour to find the code that will crack the lock program.Exit: The Game – The Polar Station is a puzzle game modeled after escape rooms.

MicroMacro: Crime City – All In

Rating: 7.8 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Deduction Humor Murder / Mystery

Categories:

With MicroMacro: Crime City – All In the next district of the crime-ridden black-and-white metropolis Crime City now opens up for the players. On a new huge city map which seamlessly follows the previous plans 16 tricky crime cases are again waiting to be solved by one to four amateur detectives. These are brand new stories more sophisticated and criminal than ever before! The aim is to determine motives find evidence and convict the perpetrators. An attentive eye is just as much in demand as creative powers of deduction to unravel everything on the 75 x 110 cm game board. As a little help a magnifying glass is included in the game and the individual cases are again marked with symbols so that parents can decide which cases even the youngest investigators may investigate and uncover. MicroMacro: Crime City 3 - All In can be played completely independently no previous knowledge from the other two parts is required.—description from the publisher

Beasty Bar

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Animals Card Game Humor

The animals are dressed up and ready to enter the Beasty Bar nightclub. Who will actually make it through the door?Beasty Bar is a fun take that card game about party animals. The players play animal cards into a line and each animal has a special power that can manipulate the order of the cards. Whenever five animals are present at the end of a turn the two animals up front get to party while the one at the rear has to go home. Whoever manages to send more of her animals to the party than anyone else wins.

Illusion

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Can you trust your eyes? How much color do you really see? These questions are what drive gameplay in Illusion with rules that allow for gameplay to start immediately. Who has the right perspective not to be fooled?

Rating: 7.8 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Categories:

Adventure Land

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Adventure Fantasy

In Adventure Land King Agamis rules from his castle. Rich cities vast forests and rugged mountain ranges dominate the country. The large river is known to be lined with gold and the forests filled with medicinal herbs but dangers lurk beneath the fog! Only the bravest adventurers dare to face the challenges. When you move your adventurer tactically and bravely fight the fog creatures you'll win the favor of the king. Illustrated by Franz Vohwinkel and designed by acclaimed duo Wolfgang Kramer and Michael Kiesling who between them have won the highly coveted Spiel des Jahres award 5 times.—description from the publisher

Oceanos

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Animals Exploration Nautical

Categories:

Oceanos is a game of underwater exploration with an original take on card-drafting.Each player pilots her own submarine trying to spot the most underwater species and the largest coral reef sending scuba-divers after forgotten treasures collecting precious crystals to upgrade their ship and to escape the fearsome kraken's gaze... Each submarine is divided into five parts each of them independently upgradable from level 1 to level 3 and each one of them controlling a different ability of the player (however there are no different abilities from one player to another). As there are multiple ways to score points and multiple takes on the submarine-upgrading order the game offers several ways to win. The whole game takes mere 15 turns each one of them simultaneous between all players which makes it a fairly quick family game. Even though the submarines have the same abilities game-wise each looks differently and a special attention was obviously given also to the depiction of marine life.

Rear Window

Rating: 7.4 | Players: 3–5

Game Type:

Deduction Movies / TV / Radio theme Murder / Mystery

Categories:

Experience Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece film Rear Window in a game of deduction and suspense. Carefully observe strange clues and ominous patterns in the things going on in the apartments across the way. There are parties knives a saw bickering laughing music...and a mysterious trunk. Do you detect a murder? Or is the secret private world of the neighbors planting frightening ideas in your mind?In Rear Window one player takes the role of director Alfred Hitchcock — the Master of Suspense — and communicates via building windows clues and signs for the other players without ever uttering a word ideally giving them enough to go on that they can figure out who the murderer is — or whether a murder even took place.If a murderer is out there you need to nail down all eight attributes of that person by the end of four rounds without them catching on to what you see and know.

Bullet★

Rating: 8.0 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Fighting Puzzle Real-time Science Fiction

Categories:

Assume the role of the universes' most powerful heroines as you settle their disputes with excessive firepower! Use actions to form patterns clear bullets from your sight and bombard the opponent! Deal with the curtain of bullets coming at you each round and be the last heroine standing to win!Each heroine wields a dynamic power that changes how you play the game! Control fireworks zombies the news and more!4 game modes! Play solo with Score Attack. Free-For-All with 2-4 friends form 2 player Teams or fight each heroine's dangerous Boss Mode by yourself or with others!Combine Bullet⭐ with Bullet♥︎ to play up to 8 players!—description from the publisher

The Fellowship of the Ring: Trick-Taking Game

Rating: 8.0 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Adventure Card Game Fantasy Novel-based

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The Fellowship of the Ring: Trick-Taking Game is a co-operative card game that plays out over eighteen chapters that lead players through the events of the novel The Fellowship of the Ring. The chapters can be played in any order but ideally you play them in sequence.In each chapter each player takes a different character role — Frodo Gandalf Sam Pippin Farmer Maggot etc. — and each character has a condition that must be met in order to pass the chapter and advance in the story. Frodo needs to capture ring cards for example while Pippin wants to take as few tricks as possible. As you advance through the chapters new characters items and challenges are introduced to the game.The deck consists of 37 cards with one card being set aside as lost each hand. Whoever is dealt the One Ring becomes Frodo then other players choose from the available characters based on their hand. The One Ring is the game's only trump card but initially rings can't be led until someone plays one off-suit.In the two-player game one hand of cards is dealt to a dummy player with some cards being face up and others face down. This dummy is assigned a character and one of the human players will play cards for it based on which cards are free to be played.In the solitaire game one player plays four hands of face-up cards with each hand being assigned a character and only a few cards being available at a time. After you play a trick deal each hand a new card.

Mycelia

Rating: 7.4 | Players: 1–4

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Each player starts with the same set of cards in Mycelia improving their deck with better cards over the course of play as they race to clear their playing field of dewdrops first.In this deck-building game you need the support of mysterious forest dwellers to improve your deck develop new and better skills and bring the sacred dewdrops from your forest to the Shrine of Life in order to receive the forest goddess' support.The game includes double-sided player boards for increased variability.

CABO (Second Edition)

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 2–4

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Spy swap and peek to find Cabo the unicorn in this simple card game.Your goal in CABO is to minimize the total value of your cards but you don't know what all your cards are at the beginning of the game. By using certain powers to peek at your own cards spy on your opponent's cards or swap a card with an opponent you can try to minimize the value of your cards. When you think you have the lowest value you can call CABO to end the round but everyone else gets another turn. In the end the player with the lowest total wins; can you shed your cards quicker than your opponents?This second edition of CABO features modified rules a scorepad four player reference cards and all new artwork. Rules modifications include the following:

Pergamon

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–4

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Pergamon is a tactical collecting game with a theme based on excavating archaeological discoveries and managing their exhibition.Set in the year 1878 the first excavations in what is now modern Turkey are uncovering the remains of ancient Pergamon. Soon the precious discoveries will make their way abroad to public exhibitions before a waiting audience eliciting substantial honor and glory.The players attempt to gain federal research grants to cover the costs of their excavations through a bidding mechanism. Whoever is modest and less demanding can travel to the excavating areas before his or her competitors and the rule is first come first dig. Only fragments will remain for the later expeditions. Recovered treasures are placed in valuable exhibitions for which the discoverer receives glory and recognition.The player who accumulates the most glory after 12 rounds wins the game.The combination of soliciting funds and racing for the best locations to excavate makes Pergamon a variable game with rules that are easily accessible. Players are forced to make choices based on the money they can obtain and the sequence in which they choose where to dig.

Coffee Rush

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Contracts Grid Movement

A cup of coffee sure is relaxing — for the customer. For the coffee shop however orders tend to pile up during peak hours and it is no different today at Coffee Rush. Your goal: Complete customer orders to increase your ratings and be recognized as the best barista!In more detail each player moves on the ingredient board to collect the ingredients that they need to fulfill orders — and fulfilling orders boosts your rating. Orders that are not fulfilled in time become penalties which subtract from your rating. If a player has fulfilled three orders they may activate an upgrade that lets them acquire ingredients more easily.The game ends once all order cards have run out or after a barista collects their fifth penalty card. The player with the highest rating wins!—description from the publisher

L.L.A.M.A.

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–6

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In LLAMA you want to dump cards from your hand as quickly as you can but you might not be able to play what you want so do you quit and freeze your hand or draw and hope to keep playing?Each player starts a round with six cards in hand; the deck consists of llama cards and cards numbered 1-6 with eight copies of each. On a turn the active player can play a card draw a card or quit. To play a card you must play the same number as the top card of the discard pile or one number higher. If a 6 is on the discard pile you can play a 6 or a llama and if a llama is on top you can play another llama or a 1. If you quit you place your remaining cards face down and take no further actions in the round. If all players have quit but one that player can continue to play but cannot draw more cards.The round ends when one player empties their hand or all players have quit. In either case players collect tokens based on the cards in their hand. Each different number card in hand gets you white tokens (each worth 1 point) equal to the value of the card while one or more llamas gets you a black token (worth 10 points). (You can exchange ten white tokens for one black token at any time.) If you played all your cards you can return one token (white or black) that you previously collected to the supply. You then shuffle all the cards and begin a new round in which the first player to play will be the one who emptied their hand or was the last one to quit in the previous round.The game ends at the end of the round where at least one player has forty or more total points. Whoever has the fewest points wins!The original title of this game is a German acronym and stands for Lege alle Minuspunkte ab that is discard all minus points with Lama also being the German spelling of llama.The Polish game Lato z Komarami features gameplay nearly identical to LLAMA except that the game has one less llama card and the penalty for llama cards in hand is 10 points per card instead of being 10 points for one or more llama cards.

Sanssouci

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Age of Reason Puzzle

Your task in the tile-laying game Sanssouci is to create a flower garden for the world-famous Sanssouci Palace. Competing against up to three other landscape architects you'll have your own garden layout game board on which you'll build rose gardens and vineyard terraces labyrinths and fountains – but not just anywhere mind you. No the landscapers must meet certain building requirements and unfortunately you won't always have at hand everything that you might need.In game terms each player has a personal garden that's divided into rows and columns; each row shows a color while each column shows one of nine garden elements such as the wells or a pavilion. Players start with one noble at the top of each column. A shared tile supply board has five rows – with colored spaces matching the colors on each player board – and two columns which are unlabeled. At the start of the game ten tiles are placed on this supply board; each tile depicts one of the nine garden elements.Each turn a player plays one of his two cards in hand which determines the tile he can take from the supply e.g. take a pavilion tile take a tile from the red or gray spaces etc. The player has only a single card that lets him take any tile – but if he plays a card showing a garden element that isn't present then he can instead take any tile! The player must place this tile on his player board in the column that matches the image on the tile and the row that matches the color from which the tile was taken. If this space is already filled he flips the tile to show the gardener on the other side then places this tile on any free space in the same row or the same column. After placing the tile he may move one of his nobles along a path of placed tiles as long as the noble ends up in the same column in which it started but on a lower row. The player scores points equal to the row reached.The player then refills the supply and draws a new card. The game ends after 18 rounds. Each player then receives bonus points for each completed row and column. Furthermore each player has received two order cards at the start of the game each of which shows one of the nine columns; each player receives bonus points for the row reached by the noble in that column. The player with the most points wins.

Timeline: Science & Discoveries

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–8

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Timeline: Discoveries is a card game played using 110 cards. Each card depicts an discovery on both sides with the year in which that discovery occurred on only one side. Players take turns placing a card from their hand in a row on the table. After placing the card the player reveals the date on it. If the card was placed correctly with the date in chronological order with all other cards on the table the card stays in place; otherwise the card is removed from play and the player takes another card from the deck.The first player to get rid of all his cards by placing them correctly wins. If multiple players go out in the same round then everyone else is eliminated from play and each of those players are dealt one more card for another round of play. If only one player has no cards after a bonus round he wins; otherwise play continues until a single player goes out.Timeline: Discoveries can be combined with any other title in the Timeline series.Integratable with:

Abandon All Artichokes

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–4

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Abandon All Artichokes isn't your garden-variety card game!A bumper-crop of prickly produce has overtaken your patch and there's only one choice: abandon all artichokes! Prune your deck by harvesting fresh vegetables each with a special power that lets you swap discard or compost cards. You need luck strategy and a green thumb to grow a winning hand!—description from the publisher

Thanos Rising: Avengers Infinity War

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Card Game Comic Book / Strip Dice Movies / TV / Radio theme

Categories:

Thanos Rising: Avengers Infinity War is a cooperative dice and card game for 2-4 players.In the game players recruit heroes and assemble a team to face off against Thanos and his villainous forces in an effort to thwart him from accomplishing his master plan: Collecting all six Infinity Stones to power the Infinity Gauntlet and wreak havoc on the very fabric of reality. Building upon the strengths of the characters on their team as well as other players winning requires critical thinking and communication to reach a common goal.

Exit: The Game – Advent Calendar: The Mystery of the Ice Cave

Rating: 7.8 | Players: 1–99

Game Type:

Deduction Puzzle Real-time

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Your pre-Christmas ski trip definitely hasn't gone as planned: Just as you are taking a break and enjoying the crystal-clear mountain air you hear a noise and see a terrifying avalanche crashing down the mountain towards you. Your heart is in your throat you hastily grab your seven things and race down the slope. With the last of your strength you throw yourself into a nice in the rocks as everything behind you is buried in snow. Your heart races and you pull yourself together. You can hardly believe it but you are alive! Only then do you take a look around: is this some kind of cave?This advent calendar is both an EXIT game and adventure story: in order to free yourself from this predicament you must open a door of the calendar each day. Behind each door you will find a new and exciting riddle the solution to which will bring you closer and closer to escaping the cave!Will you solve the mystery of the ice cave and find an exit?--description from publisherLevel 2 of 5

Bites

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Abstract Strategy Animals

Categories:

New version of the Spiel des Jahres Recommended Big Points with a new theme more engaging components and rule tweak cards to make sure every play is different.Four page illustrated rulebook. 20min play time. Highly interactive with no direct conflict.Players move ants along a trail and collect food as they go. However the value of that food depends on how the other ants move.Shared incentives mean you are always trying to figure out what the other players are up to. Variable rules cards tweak the rules to every game so that each play is fresh.During setup a trail of food is laid out. On each player's turn they can move any ant to the next food in the trail that matches their color (red ant to apple purple ant to grapes etc). Then the player takes the food token directly in front of or behind the ant saving it to score at the end of the game.However players don't know for sure how much the food is going to be worth until the matching ant makes it to the ant hill at the end of the trail. This creates shared incentives as players work together to advance some ants and hold others back.Along the way players also have the chance to pick up chocolate which can be turned into special actions and wine which provides a way to score bonus points.There are four decks of cards that define the rules for the game. Each game one card is chosen from each deck to provide a unqiue combination. Players have to adapt their strategy to the actions the other players are taking and the unique rules for this game. The rule decks are:Your actions will change the incentives for the other players. Can you manage these cascading effects to collect the most valuable food collection?

Love Letter: Adventure Time

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Card Game Deduction Movies / TV / Radio theme

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Adventure Time Love Letter is a game of risk deduction and luck for 2–4 players based on the original Love Letter game by Seiji Kanai except re-themed with characters of the hit cartoon Adventure Time. Players are suitors trying to gain the affections of Princess Bubblegum (#8).In a round each player starts with only one card in hand; one card is removed from play. On a turn you draw one card and discard one of the two using the power of the discarded card to try to eliminate other players from the round. If you're the last player in the round or the player with the highest card when the deck runs out then you score a point. The game is played until a player reaches a certain amount of points determined by the numbers of players.The card art is styled to be Adventure Time characters cosplaying the characters from the Tempest version of Love Letter by AEG.There are two differences in this version. Number 1 is a new win condition. If a player plays a Hero (#5) either Finn or Jake and makes another player (including themselves) discard the other Hero card they win the round. The idea is that you are reuniting the iconic best buds. Number 2 is if you manage to win the round with a companion in your hand you win 2 tokens instead of only one.

Carcassonne: Amazonas

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Animals Exploration Territory Building

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In Carcassonne: Amazonas players sail their boats to the Amazon to discover abundant wildlife. Players score points not only for discovering animals but also for visiting native villages and water courses while their boat moves forward on the Amazon. Amazon is full of caimans and piranhas which often (and somewhat unpredictably) bring points to those who are farthest down the river (you move your boats forward when you encounter boat symbols on your water courses and also when you do not place any meeple on water courses or villages nor huts in jungles). The game ends - as usual - when all tiles have been used up and the two boats fartherst down the river score some bonus points (depending on the number of players).Carcassonne: Amazonas is the third title in the Carcassonne Around the World series preceded by Carcassonne: South Seas and Carcassonne: Gold Rush.

Orichalcum

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Exploration Fantasy Mythology Territory Building

Categories:

Orichalque is a tense and fast-pace strategy game – similar to a short 4X. Each player has their own Island board to explore and develop. On each turn they choose a set of one Exploration tile and one Action : recruit hoplites produce precious orichalcum (a legendary metal from Greek mythology) construct buildings granting powerful bonuses or try to get rid of Monsters infesting your island (and preventing you to build new building).To prevail you will need to erect majestic temples forge orichalcum tokens or win the favors of titans (by creating areas of their favorite landscapes. The first to get to 5 victory points while clearing their Island of all Monsters wins the game.—description from the publisher

Cóatl

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Abstract Strategy Puzzle

The election of the Aztec High Priest is imminent. In order to prove their value and merit the contenders engage in a race for prestige to win the favor of the gods. Will you be able to make the most beautiful sculptures of feathered snakes (called Cóatl) to stand out and gain access to the coveted title of High Priest?In Cóatl players work to build the most beautiful and valuable serpents. The serpents or Cóatl are constructed with a head a tail and a number of body tiles each made from chunky colorful plastic. On a turn players will either take tiles from the central board to their personal board or work to construct one of their Cóatls with the different tiles they've collected.The game end is triggered when one player finishes their third Cóatl. Players receive points for fulfilling objectives and the one with the most is named the new High Priest!•••L’élection au titre de grand prêtre aztèque est imminente. Afin de prouver leur valeur et leur mérite les prétendants s’engagent dans une course au prestige pour conquérir la faveur des dieux. Saurez-vous réaliser les plus belles sculptures de serpents à plumes (appelés Cóatl) pour vous démarquer et ainsi accéder au titre tant convoité de grand prêtre aztèque?Dans Cóatl les joueurs construisent les plus beaux et précieux serpents à plumes qui soient. Ces reptiles appelés Cóatl par les Aztèques sont construits d'une tête une queue et un certain nombre de pièces de corps en plastique épais et coloré. À tour de rôle les joueurs prennent les pièces du plateau central et les transposent sur leur plateau personnel afin d'assembler stratégiquement des Cóatls en fonction des couleurs édictées par leurs cartes d'objectifs.La partie se termine lorsqu'un joueur complète son troisième Cóatl. Les joueurs reçoivent des points pour la réalisation d'objectifs et celui qui en a cumulé le plus est déclaré grand prêtre aztèque!•••In der aztekischen Mythologie ist der Schöpfergott Quetzalcoatl als Gott des Windes des Himmels und der Erde allgegenwärtig. Gefiederten Schlangen Cóatl genannt schmücken antike Tempelanlagen in ganz Mexiko.Erschafft die aufwändigsten und elegantesten Skulpturen geflügelter Schlangen auch Cóatl genannt damit einer von euch zum neuen Hohepriester der Azteken ernannt wird.Während des Spiels erschafft ihr Cóatl indem ihr Kopf- Körper- und Schwanzsegmente verbindet die den Voraussetzungen eurer Prophezeiungskarten entsprechen. Je mehr der Voraussetzungen erfüllt werden desto mehr Prestigepunkte bringt das fertige Cóatl.

The Grand Carnival

Rating: 7.5 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Puzzle

Ladies and gentlemen step right up — the carnival is coming to town! In The Grand Carnival players compete to create the most impressive carnival this town has ever seen. You'll need to carefully plan your carnival's layout build attractions hire staff and manage the crowds all while learning a few tricks of the trade.Each turn players cover a number on their player board then select an action. The covered number determines the effectiveness of their action — and won't become available again until the next round — so players need to think carefully about which number to use. Possible actions include:• Place a Foundation Tile: Select a foundation tile to place on your fairground. The higher the number you cover the more tile options you have. Each tile is a 2x2 grid and is made up of construction sites and walkways. Attractions can be placed only on construction sites whereas guests can move only on walkways so place your tiles carefully.• Build an Attraction: Select a polyomino attraction and place it on the construction sites on your fairground. The size of the attraction you can select depends on the number you cover. Larger attractions can collect more tickets (and can be worth more points) but can be difficult for guests to move around.• Move a Guest: Select a guest token and move it along the walkways on your fairground. The distance a guest can move depends on the number you cover. If a guest moves next to an attraction place a ticket token on that attraction. If you move enough guests you can hire a carnival barker; barkers help guests move quickly through your carnival but take up precious space in your fairground.After taking your action see whether you qualify for any of the three Tricks of the Trade cards. Each trick has a requirement that must be met before you unlock its unique ability. Once a player unlocks a trick each of their opponents has one turn to meet the same requirement or lose access to that trick for the rest of the game.After seven rounds the game ends. Players earn points from sets of the same size attractions sets of each size of attraction carnival barkers guests that move all the way through your park and their tickets. The player with the most points wins!—description from the designer

Flip Ships

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Action / Dexterity Science Fiction

Categories:

It was an ambush. That’s the only way to describe it. The mother ship appeared out of nowhere creating a massive shadow over the city. Within seconds wave after wave of fighters poured out of it filling the sky.We're launching the ships we have ready but they aren't much. Our pilots must fight bravely to defend the planet while we ready the rest of the fleet. Explosions fill the sky and we've taken some hits but we won't give up. Will you?Flip Ships is a cooperative dexterity game in which players take on the roles of brave pilots defending their planet from an onslaught of firepower. Flip your ships to take out the encroaching enemies and to take down the powerful mother ship before it's too late.

Mangrovia

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Area Majority / Influence Hand Management Variable Phase Order Worker Placement

Categories:

In Mangrovia a light gamer's game/family game with a Caribbean mangrove setting a clever role selection mechanism allows the players to choose two different bonuses/actions as well as the turn order in which they want these actions to be carried out — all by placing just one marker. Victory is achievable through a number of viable options which guarantees high re-playability.The game is a fight over acquiring the best locations for your huts in this appealing and unspoiled landscape. If you manage to do so you will become the rightful successor of the old chief and win the game. You gain Chief points by having the most huts (and the secondmost huts) along each of the eight divine paths monitored by the statues of Gods. Additional Chief points are earned by controlling sacred locations by collecting amulets and simply by building huts at lucrative spaces.Building a hut requires that the space's landscape is active and that you can pay the exact price (not overpay) for the space. Therefore the game feels tight even from the very start. The game gets tighter and tighter towards the end of the game as you have fewer choices of spaces and as the actions you choose become more and more crucial.In order to succeed in this game you should carefully choose and time the best possible combination of actions called ritual sites. A boat goes from ritual site to ritual site first on the west side then on the east side (in opposite order) triggering each action. If for instance you choose a ritual site high up you will have an early choice of cards but a late choice of space to build your huts or to collect amulets (and vice versa). A fourth action type is to select active landscapes and become starting player which makes it possible to control the next round. After all players have performed two actions the round ends. The game is usually played over 10-14 rounds and ends when one player builds his last hut.Collecting amulets may be key in this game. Instead of keeping them as Chief points you may use them to build huts on designated spaces which require payment in amulets instead of cards — and still to the exact price. Building huts on such spaces may be exactly what you need to get the majority along one or two divine paths. In order to gain enough amulets — and amulets of the appropriate values — you should position some of your huts on amulet spaces. The more huts you build on such spaces the more amulets you can draw. The probability of getting the amulets you need will therefore increase.The game board is built as a matrix system with some spaces being part of two divine paths while other spaces belong to just one. The spaces that are part of two divine paths are obviously most tempting but can you afford to build your huts there?

Kabuto Sumo

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Action / Dexterity Animals Fighting

Categories:

Spring time in Japan means the return of the rhinoceros beetles — Kabutomushi which is Japanese for helmet bug — and their athletic contests of dominance. Out in the wild you can find them butting heads trying to show off their strength and impress their insect friends with their wrestling skills. This is the origin of the phenomenal World Insect Wrestling Championship.In Kabuto Sumo you are one of the contending beetles that is battling for supremacy in the ring and your place in the pantheon of legendary wrestlers. The gameplay of Kabuto Sumo resembles the coin-pusher arcade games in which you strategically drop quarters and anxiously anticipate coins cascading off the platform. This game features a similar experience with you trying to strategically slide pieces onto the board and push the other players out of the ring. It's an exciting combination of dexterity strategy and luck.—description from the publisher

New York Slice

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Categories:

Party Game

You've just been given a shot at being the head chef at the prestigious New York Slice pizza parlor. Now you and your fellow pizza chef wannabes have to make the most amazing pizzas...one slice at a time!In New York Slice each player slices pizzas into portions giving their opponents first choice while they take the leftovers. There are a dozen kinds of pizza to work with from veggie to hawaiian to meat lover's and each player decides if they want to eat or keep some of the slices building the best collection of pizzas possible!Each time a player slices a pizza there's a different special to go along with it whether it's allocated to one of the portions or placed on its own. Specials provide the player with special powers or points such as calling dibs on a slice before the pizza is divided getting one of the normally-out-of-the-game mystery slices' having an opportunity to sneak a slice by moving it from one portion to another when they choose and many more—there are 14 different Today's Specials in the game.Some slices have anchovies on them (yuck!) which are worth negative points to anyone who collects them — but anchovies might show up on different pizza types you're collecting so in order to have the majority of a type you just might have to collect one with anchovies on it!If you tie another player for the most slices of a type neither of you gets any points — but a bunch of slices have two types of pizza on them with each combo slice being worth half a slice of each type which is great for breaking ties.Most slices have pepperoni on them which you can eat for points (instead of collecting to go for the majority of each slice type).

5-Minute Mystery

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 1–6

Game Type:

Murder / Mystery Party Game

Categories:

5-Minute Mystery is a high-intensity deductive mystery game in which players work together to find a culprit hidden in a line-up of suspects.Just moments before the Museum of Everything was set to unveil its newest exhibit the priceless MacGuffin some criminal snuck in and stole it! Now it's up to you a team of detectives to crack the case find the culprit and recover the missing MacGuffin.Start by searching for hidden symbols in each room of the museum and find the matching symbols on the codex. Once you've found all of the symbols in the room you’ll unlock a clue about the culprit.Match the barcode of the clue tile against the culprit tile to discover valuable information about the crook. Does the miscreant have an umbrella? No? Well that eliminates the shifty Mr. Braxton doesn’t it? Quickly sort through the suspect cards in your hand to narrow down who the criminal can be.You’ll have to make it through as many rooms as it takes to figure out exactly who is responsible for stealing the MacGuffin but remember time is not on your side!Case files change the rules to each time you play making every game a new challenge.Do you have what it takes to be the detective to crack the case and solve this five-minute mystery? Only time will tell!

Skyjo

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–8

Game Type:

Categories:

Card Game Math

Every player has 12 hidden cards (3x4). Two are turned face up. On your turn you can take the top card from the discard or draw pile. You can exchange one card (hidden or open) from your display. Round ends when one player has only open cards. (equal turns). All card will be revealed. Add the numbers of the card for scoring. Game ends after one player has 100 or more points. Whoever has the lowest number wins.Special rule: Whenever one column of 3 cards all have the same value they will be discarded and no longer scored.Cards are ranked from -2 up to 12

Next Station: Tokyo

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Categories:

City Building Trains

Travel to the city of Tokyo Japan and compete to redraw their metro plans in order to meet the tourist challenges of tomorrow.Each turn in Next Station: Tokyo you reveal the next station card and draw a subway line on your map. You have to optimize your network to collect a maximum number of stamps and stay connected to the central green loop to earn as many points as possible.

Unlock!: Mystery Adventures – The House on the Hill

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 1–6

Game Type:

Categories:

At the beginning of The House on the Hill strange paranormal activities have surrounded an abandoned house for the past three days. When an investigation uncovers that these occult occurrences center on an excerpt read from The Book of the Dead you and your companions are tasked to enter the house find the book and stop the curse…Unlock! is a series of escape adventures for up to six players. With one hour on the clock players work through a deck of sixty cards as a team searching for clues combining objects and solving puzzles. The free Unlock! companion app runs the timer while also providing clues offering hints and confirming successes. Once the team has reached a solution and entered the correct code into the app they will escape and win the game.

Capital Lux

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Bluffing Card Game Science Fiction

Categories:

Description from the publisher:Will you play citizens into your hometown for points or contribute them to the capital and benefit from their special abilities? In Capital Lux you always balance on a razor's edge so will you take risks? Bluff? Or follow a carefully laid plan? The choice is yours in this clever card game featuring beautiful art by American painter Kwanchai Moriya.Each round begins with the players drafting a hand of five or six character cards. On your turn you must play a card either in front of you (your hometown) or in the middle of the table (the capital). When you play a card into the capital you benefit from the card's special ability. Each character belongs to one of four professions and their special abilities are:At the end of a round for each profession you are not allowed to have a higher total value in your hometown than the current total value in the capital. If you break the limit for one of the professions you lose all cards of that profession from your hometown. At the end of the third round all characters remaining in a player's hometown are worth points.This means that for every card there's a dilemma of whether to add it to your hometown for possible points or to the capital which not only gives you the benefit from a special ability but also increases the potential points for all players. Since every player is dealt only five or six cards at the beginning of a round every card play is crucial...

Meeple Land

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

City Building Economic Puzzle

Categories:

Build the most renowned amusement park of all time in Meeple Land! Buy the most beautiful attractions offer the best services and accommodate as many meeples as possible with buses and advertising. Meet the expectations of the meeples and success will be yours! Do not neglect any of your meeples however for the unsatisfied ones will tarnish your reputation...—description from the publisher

Treasure Hunter

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Adventure Card Game Fantasy

Categories:

Get as much valuable treasure and coins as you can as everything counts at the end of this five-round game! Watch out for treasure that isn't treasure at all and draft your team of treasure hunters wisely. Only two treasures are available in each of the three seasons so get it while you can!In Treasure Hunter treasures are placed on the game board first. Then all players are given a hand of nine cards from which to draft drawing one card and passing to the left or the right depending on which round is being played. At the end of drafting all players will have a hand of nine cards and a little knowledge of what the other players may have in their hands as well.All players must play any and all cards from their drafted hand of nine for each season they have cards for whether they want one of the two treasures or not.

Dungeon Mayhem: Monster Madness

Rating: 7.5 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Card Game Fantasy Fighting

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In Dungeon Mayhem: Monster Madness you play as one of six epic D&D monsters each with their own way to charm crush disintegrate and devour their foes.Store all your Dungeon Mayhem cards in this monster-sized box then select your favorite character and pit it against any other deck in the game line. Plus you can enjoy bringing more adventurers into the fold with new rules to allow for mayhem with up to six players at once!

Whirling Witchcraft

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 2–5

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Being a witch is all about wielding powerful magical ingredients — but a witch can wield only so much power before everything blows up in their face. Choose your recipes wisely to clear your workbench and stick others with too much raw material because the first player to overflow their nemesis' cauldron with enough ingredients wins!In Whirling Witchcraft you start with a hand of four recipe cards as well as a number of ingredients on your workbench; ingredients come in five types and you have a limited number of spaces for each type on your workbench.Everyone plays simultaneously during each round. You all choose and reveal a recipe from your hand at the same time then you can use as many recipes in play in front of you as you wish to convert and transform ingredients. Maybe you'll turn a mushroom into the harder-to-find mandrake then you can turn two mandrakes (using an older one and the one you just created) to make three mushrooms. You can use each recipe at most once a round and when you're finished place all of the final ingredients into a cauldron then pass it to your neighbor on the right. They must then fit all of these ingredients on their workbench — and if they can't they must return the extra ingredients to you for placement in your Witch's Circle.If you now have at least five ingredients in your Witch's Circle the game ends and you win; otherwise you all pass your recipe cards in hand to the player on your left refill your hand to four cards then start a new round.The game includes personality cards you can use to give each player a unique power in addition to a different set of starting ingredients. Some recipes can be played in either of two directions to help you customize how you transform ingredients and recipes might also have arcana symbols that give you bonus powers when you collect enough of them.Can you put together the right cookbook to land your neighbor in hot water?

Rebel Princess

Rating: 7.4 | Players: 3–6

Game Type:

Card Game Deduction Humor Memory Party Game

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Snow White The Little Mermaid Cinderella and many other fairy tale princesses are celebrating a five-day party. The prince charmings who have not been invited will try to infiltrate the ball to propose marriage to the girls. As a princess you have to avoid marriage proposals and remain single and independent after the celebrations.Rebel Princess takes place over five rounds representing the five days of a party and each round has a special rule that makes each game totally different. The general mechanisms are those of trick-taking games in which each player plays a numbered card into each trick following one of the four suits in the game. The player with the highest number of the suit that started the trick takes all the cards of that trick — but that's not necessarily good as players want to avoid taking cards with prince charmings who each bring one marriage proposal aside from the enchanted frog who brings five proposals. The player with the fewest marriage proposals after five rounds wins.Importantly each player assumes the role of a different fairy tale princess and has a special ability that they can use once per round.—description from the publisher

Pandemic: Hot Zone – North America

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 2–4

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Medical Print & Play

Disease threatens North America and only you can stop it! In Pandemic: Hot Zone – North America players work together against the game to discover cures for three deadly diseases that threaten the continent. Travel to different North American cities to treat local populations prevent outbreaks and share research with your team. Can you discover the cures before it's too late?Hot Zone – North America is a shorter more portable version of the best-selling cooperative game Pandemic.

Favor of the Pharaoh

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–4

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In ancient Egypt even a lowly peasant could seek an audience with the Pharaoh and in Favor of the Pharaoh 2–4 players vie for the Pharaoh's favor by working their way up through Egyptian society gathering influence (represented by dice and powers) to gain entry to the next level of society. Once any player gains the Queen's influence a final contest occurs for the Pharaoh's favor.Favor of the Pharaoh tasks players with building a dice-rolling engine—not to mention adding and manipulating dice—in preparation for a final roll-off between all players to gain the Pharaoh's favor and win the game.Favor of the Pharaoh includes more than one hundred tiles over twenty standard and custom dice dozens of bonus tokens level bars locking pyramids and more. With so many combinations of level bars and tiles no two games will ever be set up the same!

Timeline: Music & Cinema

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–8

Game Type:

Card Game Educational Music Party Game Trivia

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Timeline: Music & Cinema is a card game played using 110 cards. Each card depicts a historical event on both sides with the year in which that event occurred on only one side. Players take turns placing a card from their hand in a row on the table. After placing the card the player reveals the date on it. If the card was placed correctly with the date in chronological order with all other cards on the table the card stays in place; otherwise the card is removed from play and the player takes another card from the deck.The first player to get rid of all his cards by placing them correctly wins. If multiple players go out in the same round then everyone else is eliminated from play and each of those players are dealt one more card for another round of play. If only one player has no cards after a bonus round he wins; otherwise play continues until a single player goes out.Timeline: Music & Cinema can be combined with any other title in the Timeline series.

The Great Split

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 2–7

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In The Great Split you draft cards to collect riches such as gems gold artwork and tomes adding them to your collection to make it the most prestigious of all!You start each round by splitting your cards into two groups then you pass your wallet to the player on your left — but only one group of cards will be given back to you. You split they choose! Don't despair though because while your opponent is looking at your split you also receive a similar offer from the player on your right so choose wisely. When your hand is complete play your cards to add all those riches to your collection.Each type of riches awards you prestige points in different ways so maintain a balanced collection of gems keep an eye on the value of the art market as it evolves and pile up priceless tomes. Depending on how each player builds their collection different riches will take on a different value for each of them. Show off your best haggling skills in crafting your split and create the perfect offer to push your opponent to take what you want them to take...leaving you with the tastiest loot!Be prepared for when the mid-game scorings are triggered. Manage your gold reserves sensibly to get additional riches and make your collection just right!—description from publisher

Corinth

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–4

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Under a blazing sun in 4th century BCE traders come from all corners of the Mediterranean Sea to Corinth to sell their goods; Persian carpets Cretan olive oil Roman grapes and Egyptian spices are highly prized by traders. Players have a few weeks to secure their place in Corinthian lore as its most savvy trader!Corinth is a roll-and-write game akin to a dice-only version of the board game Yspahan. At the start of a turn the active player rolls nine dice then places all the dice with the highest value on the gold space at the top of the chart then starts placing dice from the bottom of the chart up with each value of dice being on a separate level.The active player takes all the dice on one level then the action associated with that level. The top level gives the player as many gold as the number of dice they took; the bottom level gives goats instead of gold; and the middle levels allow a player to deliver goods to a number of market stalls on their personal player sheet equal to the dice claimed. (You have four colors of market stalls and once you start marking off say rugs in one of the blue areas you have to finish marking off all the rugs in that area before you can start marking off another blue area.)The active player can spend gold to roll up to three extra yellow dice and thereby increase the odds of getting to take a desired level; if the active player doesn't take any of these yellow dice they are removed from play preventing others from benefitting at that player's expense.Instead of marking off gold goats or goods you can use the value of the die or dice claimed (1-6) to move the steward on your personal score sheet. The steward starts in the middle of a 5x5 grid on your sheet and you must move it as many spaces as the number of pips on the die value claimed not crossing over any line you've drawn previously. You can pay 1 gold to move the steward one more or one fewer space and you can pay as much gold as you want to do this. You can receive gold goats or goods from where the steward stops but beyond that you can earn points. When the steward stops on a corner space of this grid you count the number of spaces circled to this point with some spaces counting twice then you write down that number scoring that many points at game's end. If you stop in another corner later you do the same thing again which compounds the value of all your previous movement.You can spend gold or goats to construct buildings that give you bonus powers such as collecting two additional gold whenever you collect any gold or moving the steward up to two spaces more or less without paying.After 16 turns (with four players) or 18 turns (with two or three players) the game ends and you tally points for goods delivered spaces visited by the steward buildings constructed and goats and gold still on hand.

No Mercy

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–5

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American West Card Game

Fruit Fight (which has also been released as No Mercy and HIT!) is a press-your-luck game in which you draw cards to get points — but you don't want to draw too often because then you might lose all your gains!In more detail the 90-card deck contains eleven cards each numbered 1-5 and seven cards each numbered 6-10. On a turn you flip over a card from the deck and place it in front of you stealing (if you wish) all the cards of the same number that are in front of other players. You can stop after each draw or you can draw another card. If you draw a number that you already have lying in front of you — and you have at least three cards in front of you — then you discard all cards in front of you from the game.At the start of your turn if you have cards in front of you place them face down in a personal score pile then start your turn. When the draw pile is exhausted all players place all the cards they have in front of themselves in their score piles then they tally the numbers on all their scored cards. Whoever has the highest sum wins.

Savannah Park

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Abstract Strategy Animals Puzzle

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In Savannah Park you each run your own wildlife park and your goal is to group animals with their own kind — but everyone takes turns deciding what to move so you might not be able to shuffle animals into the right spaces.Each player starts the game with the same set of 33 unique animal tiles with those tiles laid out at random in your personal wildlife park. Three bush-fire spaces and one rock space will remain unoccupied in your park for the entire game and six tree spaces and four grass spaces are unoccupied at the start of play.On a turn you name a specific face-up tile that all players must pick up flip face down then move to a different empty space within their own park. Tiles that have been flipped cannot move again and once all tiles have moved the game ends with a scoring round. First tiles adjacent to bush fires are removed if they depict as many animals as the number of fires (1 2 or 3) on the bush-fire space. Score for each grass and tree uncovered on your board. Finally score for each of the six animal species; the bigger the main herd of each of species and the more water holes it contains the more points you score e.g. a herd of five rhinos and three watering holes is worth (5x3) 15 points. The player with the most points wins.Savannah Park includes a solo mode a set-up variant that allows you to place the bush fires and trees where you wish and a scoring variant that rewards you for bumping a lion out of the animals' way.

Machi Koro 2

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–5

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City Building Dice

Your favorite lovably quirky city is back at it again! Welcome to Machi Koro 2 where new adventures await but the bakeries and business centers still abound.In Machi Koro 2 veteran players will notice some big changes. Under the new zoning laws players receive a limited budget to choose their own starting establishments. The available cards are pulled from three decks and arranged for all to see. It's a race to grab the coolest new establishments and landmarks in the land!The cards in this set have exciting never-before-seen effects. But choose what you build wisely as your landmarks might also benefit your opponents! With more variety than ever before no two games will be the same. Machi Koro 2 will have fans visiting again and again!—description from publisher

Adventure Tactics: Domianne's Tower

Rating: 7.8 | Players: 1–5

Game Type:

Adventure Fantasy Fighting Miniatures

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SHARPEN YOUR SWORDS. READY YOUR SPELLS. GATHER YOUR ALLIES.The ruthless Queen Domianne rules the kingdom of Astelia with an iron fist but an ancient prophecy has emerged which threatens her reign. The adventure starts in your humble village and eventually leads to the seat of Domianne's power the peerless and ancient Tower of Greylock.Adventure Tactics: Domianne's Tower is an encounter-based campaign-driven cooperative tactical combat game. Begin your journey as one of 5 Basic Classes and battle your way through a branching campaign where you choose your own path in an attempt to overthrow the evil Queen Domianne. With each encounter you will level up and unlock over 15 Elite Classes adding new actions equipment and abilities.Will your team find the right combination of Classes and powers in time to stop Queen Domianne? Let the adventure begin!—description from the publisher

Pixies

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–5

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In Pixies you move through the seasons to meet little creatures emerging from a flower or sheltering in the hollow of a tree. Choose one of the revealed cards but be careful which ones you leave to your opponents!Place that card in your playing area according to its number. Cards placed one on top of another are validated and earn you points at the end of the round as do your largest color zone and your spirals. Easy...yet you'll find that the other players won't be short of bad advice.—description from the publisher

The Great Heartland Hauling Co.

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–4

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Card Game Transportation

In The Great Heartland Hauling Co. (originally announced as Over the Road) players take on the role of medium haul Midwest truck drivers doing their best to make a living by hauling goods for big suppliers. Players truck to various locations around America's Heartland picking up and dropping off goods using matching cards from their hands. Most locations have native goods that require fewer cards to load; other locations may pay a premium for those goods but may also require more fuel – and time – to get there with the cargo. With limited space in each trailer and only five cards in hand at a time players will have to expertly manage their resources as well as play the odds and press their luck to be the best trucker on the road.The Great Heartland Hauling Co. offers a lot of replay value through the use of cards to create a variable board set-up each game. The game includes 60 goods cubes four thick cardboard trucks and 46 resource cards – required for pick-up and delivery – that are drawn from a shared draft board as well as 20 fuel cards which are used to move about the Heartland.

Rush M.D.

Rating: 7.4 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Action / Dexterity Medical Real-time

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You are one of the doctors that were just hired for the brand-new cutting-edge Medical Center. Alongside your colleagues you have to cooperate well to admit diagnose and treat various patients who need your help. Combine your strengths and treat efficiently the patients arriving at hospital but be careful because mistakes can be of the highest value in Rush MD!'Rush M.D. is an innovative real-time cooperative board game that simulates the challenging and high-pressure nature of medical professions. A worker placement mechanism using hourglasses as workers allows but also limits players to perform a multitude of actions. Each player handles 1 Doctor hourglass running around the hospital admitting patients providing immediate medical care performing different kinds of exams as well as performing surgeries. Additionally there are 4 more Nurse hourglasses which can be used by all players. Nurses provide medicines to patients supply all necessary drugs and equipment that you need to carry out all your exams and medical procedures. Any worker placed on an action space may not be used elsewhere before the sand within the hourglass runs out making each decision important as time is limited.The game plays from 1-4 players and lasts for 4 rounds of 4 minutes each. That means you only have 16 minutes in total to treat various patients overcome many difficulties and challenges and manage to cooperate efficiently with your teammates combine your forces into helping as many of your patients. A highly thematic experience that is equally rewarding for gamers and families filled with fun challenges and sharp decision making!In Rush M.D. pressure is high as human lives are upon your hands! Can you handle the Rush doctors?!

Evo (Second Edition)

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Prehistoric Science Fiction

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In Evo you play a nomadic people in symbiosis with a primitive reptilian species. You travel the wild open spaces of Kumgath with your mounts you will use your knowledge of biology to help them adapt and succeed against both the hostile and changing climate and other competing species.Players will earn mutation points during the course of the game. The player with the most at the end of the game is the winner.

Chakra

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 1–4

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Breathe deeply… Let the whisper of thought come to your ear… Harmonize your chakras and let go so that the negative energies will disappear. Meditate on your strategy and let your feelings guide you towards victory!In Chakra each player has a board that shows the seven chakras they must fill with gems that represent the energy flowing in their body. To score points a player must harmonize each of their chakras in the best possible way. To do so they must take the gems and place three of them of the corresponding color in each of the chakras. During a turn each player (who starts the game with several inspiration tokens) chooses one of the three following actions:When a player manages to align five of their chakras the last turn is played before you perform the final scoring.—description from the publisher

Trambahn

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Card Game Trains Transportation

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In Munich at the end of the 19th century the successful new tramway needs expansion and the two opposing players in Trambahn are competing for the contract.To do this in a grid marked by cards players use their cards in three different ways: as passengers on the trams as suggested stops on new routes to be built and as money to pay for these routes. When laying out cards for suggested stops players need to both match colors and build them in ascending order — but they also need to bring passengers to this tram line in order to score victory points for it.The cards resemble postcards that feature street cars in Munich and historical parts of the city.

Machi Koro Legacy

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–4

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City Building Dice

Machi Koro Legacy features the same gameplay as Machi Koro. You are still rolling dice you are still collecting income and you are still racing to build landmarks — but then you unlock the [censored] and you start earning a little extra income by [censored] and then you start to explore the [censored] and you have to make a choice between [censored] and [censored]. Even if you aren't in contention to win a given game you still have [censored] to set up exciting [censored] for the next one. And then the [paragraph deleted]...Machi Koro Legacy features a ten-game series that tells a complete story set in the world of Machi Koro in which player choices create a unique gameplay experience.—description from the publisher

Switch & Signal

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

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Trains Transportation

All Aboard! — The Cooperative Train GameYou begin this cooperative family-friendly train game by controlling just a few trains on the tracks. At first it’s easy to make them travel where you like. As more trains arrive you have to plan and coordinate your train schedules. Is the signal green? Where is this train going? Oh no the switch wasn’t set! If your train heads off in the wrong direction your goods won’t arrive on time! Only by working together to schedule and move your trains efficiently will you and your team of conductors be able to win the game.The two different gameboards Central Europe and North America each bring fun challenges to overcome. In this cooperative strategy train game work with your teammates to build a network of trains that run at different speeds to transport goods as efficiently as possible. It has simple rules that are easy to learn and allow you to jump right into the action. Switch & Signal features a double-sided game board city tile variants and customizable difficulty levels.

Tsuro of the Seas

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–8

Game Type:

Abstract Strategy Nautical

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The basic game play of Tsuro of the Seas resembles that of Tom McMurchie's Tsuro: Players each have a ship that they want to sail — that is keep on the game board — as long as possible. Whoever stays on the board the longest wins the game.Each turn players add wake tiles to the 7×7 game board; each tile has two wake connections on each edge and as the tiles are placed on the board they create a connected network of paths. If a wake is placed in front of a ship that ship then sails to the end of the wake. If the ship goes off the board that player is out of the game.What's new in Tsuro of the Seas are daikaiju tiles representing sea monsters and other creatures of the deep. Notably daikaiju can move: each tile has five arrows four for moving in each of the cardinal directions and another one for rotation. On the active player's turn he rolls two six-sided dice; on a sum of 6 7 or 8 the daikaiju will move while on any other sum they'll stay in place. To determine which direction the daikaiju tiles move the player then makes a second roll this time with a single die. On 1-5 in the second roll each daikaiju moves according to its matching arrow. On a 6 in the second roll a new daikaiju tile is added to the board.If a daikaiju tile hits a wake tile a ship or another daikaiju tile the object hit is removed from the game. Another way to be ousted! The more daikaiju tiles on the game board the faster players will find themselves trying to breathe water...

Love Letter: The Hobbit – The Battle of the Five Armies

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Card Game Deduction Movies / TV / Radio theme Novel-based

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Love Letter: The Hobbit – The Battle of the Five Armies is a game of risk deduction and luck for 2–4 players based on the original Love Letter game by Seiji Kanai. The deck consists of 17 cards with the Arkenstone being valued #8 Bilbo Baggins #7 and so on down to The One Ring at #0.In each round each player starts with only one card in hand; one card is removed from play. On a turn you draw one card and play one card using the power on that card to expose others and (possibly) knock them out of the round. If you're the final player active in the round or the player with the highest card when the deck runs out then you score a point. In LL: The Hobbit The One Ring does nothing during play but it counts as a #7 when the game ends possibly leading to a tie should someone else hold Bilbo.In addition to the one extra card LL: The Hobbit differs from the original game in that the Baron (#3) is represented by two separate cards: Tauriel and Legolas. When you use an elf's power to compare cards Tauriel knocks out the player with the higher valued card while Legolas targets the lower valued card. (This change isn't in the German edition where Legolas and Tauriel have the same text.)Whoever first wins 4-7 rounds with the number dependent on the number of players wins the game!

Fast Sloths

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Animals Transportation Travel

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You are sloths — cuddly lazy and oh well slothful.All animals (including humans) like to take vacations so everyone is together at a country resort. We sloths are sitting around of course while all the other animals are running throughout the resort. We want to look around too and traveling around the resort to pick up tasty leaves would be great — but running around ourselves is just too tedious. All the other animals are having fun and we want that too but...we are so slothful.And then we have an idea: We'll let ourselves be carried around by the other animals thus getting around nicely. The other animals have so much energy that they'll even gladly carry us. They aren't slothful! Which of us sloths will be the first to get through the entire country and be victorious? We are ambitious but so lazy!Fast Sloths (a.k.a. Faultier in German) is a race game that at its core is a classic pick-up-and-deliver game — except that we ourselves are the cargo being delivered. We are being carried along the whole way and never take a single step on our own!You always play with six out of twelve different animal species and you can place the giant game board in four different combinations. On a turn you draft 2-3 cards of different animal types from the top of their face-up decks then you play as many animal cards as you like of a single type. Each animal provides a different type of movement or interaction with you with ants carrying you along in a chain and the elephant throwing you with its trunk.Fast Sloths is a game free from randomness that evolves only through the interaction between the players doing so without any take that mechanisms — except for you snatching an animal from under the other players' noses because you need to use it yourself.Each race offers new challenges for you to get to the different trees faster than the other sloths. Enjoy all 256 different combinations each with countless starting positions of the animals on the game board...and we are already working on new game boards and more animals for even more fun combinations!

District Noir

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 2

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District Noir — first released as 聖杯サクセション (Throne and Grail) — is a two-player game with bluffing and set collection. To set-up the game remove three face-down cards from the deck of 45 cards from the game then lay out two cards face up to start a line. Each round each player receives five cards in hand and each turn you either play one card from your hand to the end of the line or — once per round — collect the most recently played five cards. Once all the cards from hand have been played deal out five cards to each player and start the next round. After four rounds the game ends.Some cards have positive or negative numbers on them and you score those points directly. Other cards are numbered 5-8 and you score 5-8 points for a value if you have more of those cards than the other player. Additionally you score 5 points for each set of 5-8 that you've collected. And while normally points decide who wins if you collect all three special cards — each of which are worthless on their own — you win immediately.The original edition saw players seeking the Holy Grail with the assistance of various factions. Nasza Księgarnia's version of the game — Fabryka czekolady — features the same gameplay as the original design with players are fighting over chocolates. Spiral Editions retheme the game in a gangster setting with players taking over businesses or seizing control of the city.

Explorers

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Abstract Strategy Exploration

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At the beginning of Explorers you and each other explorer place four landscape tiles — grasslands bodies of water desert or mountains — and three different scoring tiles in your game frame. Then from your starting village you go on an exploratory tour.The exploration cards each of which shows two landscapes indicates which landscapes you are allowed to cross (off). On your turn you reveal an exploration card chooses one of the two types of terrain then cross off three spaces ahead of your current location. Your fellow players must then decide whether to place only two crosses on the same landscape or choose the other landscape and tick off three crosses. All of your crosses must be orthogonally adjacent so you need to plan well to avoid being stuck due to bad landscape choices.Over four rounds you expand your territory receiving a special action for each checked box with an object in it. You receive points for provisions and gems with a map you can place crosses on any type of terrain and lost temples can be explored with keys — but whoever reaches the temple first receives the most points for it...Explorers contains a solo version as well as additional task tiles for experienced players with more than a million possible game combinations.

Fertility

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–4

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You are a Nomarch in Ancient Egypt. The Pharaoh put you in charge of a Metropolis and its region. The flooding of the Nile is coming to an end and the lands of the Valley are ready to offer their riches. Organize the collection of resources build districts with the most lucrative shops supply them with goods and earn the most Debens for the glory of the Pharaoh. The player who will make the best use of the resources of the Nile Valley will win the game.Fertility is a simple resource management game that raises tough decisions for you to take. Each turn you collect some of the riches of the Valley of the Nile and immediately decide how to use them : supply one of your Shop to earn money or spend them to build new districts offering you new opportunities. Be wise because your choices are irreversible. None of the resources already stocked in your shops can be moved or reused until the end of the game. But any resource unspent by the end of your turn will be definitively lost. Optimize your turns and choices if you want to win.A player’s turn goes through three fast and simple steps. They start by placing one of their Valley tile on the central board in order to collect resources : alabaster bovines papyrus flowers grapes or wheat. They then have the opportunity to spend these resources to build a new District tile on their Metropolis board for opening new opportunities. Lastly they supply their Shops in their Metropolis by stocking the remaining resources. Any resource that a player has left unused at the end of their turn is lost. So the aim is to collect as many resources as possible but even more to be able to optimize how to use them. The game ends after 9 turns and each totally supplied Shop is worth money for their owner. The player with the highest amount of money is the winner.

Memoarrr!

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Animals Card Game Memory Nautical Pirates

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Memo...ARRR! You flipped over the wrong card again!To play the match-and-memory game Memoarrr! 2 to 4 players need the power of recollection and the luck of pirates. Only then can they make their escape from the island of Captain Goldfish their pockets lined with rubies before the lava swallows them up.In turn order players reveal locations that are connected via the animal or the landscape to the most recently revealed location. If someone reveals a location without any connection that player is out of the round. The last remaining pirate grabs one of the valuable treasures. Then all revealed locations are turned face down before the search can start afresh.As the cards do not change position during a game players collect more and more information each round enabling them to reveal new connections — but sometimes a little bit of luck is all it takes to get that treasure.For advanced players each animal comes with an additional special action that is triggered when a connected location is revealed — and they make Memoarrr! even more exciting and fun to play.

Rating: 7.8 | Players: 2

Game Type:

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La Boca

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 3–6

Game Type:

Abstract Strategy Electronic

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La Boca the most famous neighborhood in the Argentinian capital of Buenos Aires was populated by many Italian immigrants when first founded. The area is best known today for its eccentric skyline with the houses having been built from scrapped fishing boats and the metal being colorfully painted to create a patchwork effect across the neighborhood.Creating skylines of similar beauty and eccentricity is the goal of the construction teams that play La Boca. In shifting teams of two that sit across from one another players try to create skylines on challenge cards – but the players can see the completed image only from their point of view so they must consult with one another constantly to make sure each colored block ends up in the right location while racing against the timer. The faster the players complete their building the more points they score. Then the next team takes a seat breaks down the blocks then begins building anew. Whoever has the most points after a certain number of rounds will stand atop La Boca and glory in the cheers of the Argentinian public!

A Game of Thrones: Hand of the King

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Abstract Strategy Card Game Fantasy

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Description from the publisher:The king has called for a lavish feast and tourney the likes of which have not been seen in the Seven Kingdoms since the days of Aegon the Conquerer. What's more the king has declared that at this feast he will choose his new Hand — and you have a chance of rising to this lofty position. Of course you're not the only one with eyes set on becoming the power behind the Iron Throne. In A Game of Thrones: Hand of the King you need to scheme and backstab to outwit your opponents and you need the help of Varys the Master of Whispers to do it.Hand of the King is a fast-paced card game of conspiracies and sudden twists of fate for two to four players challenging each of you to gain the most support among the twisted intrigues of the King’s Landing court. Each turn you send Varys to do your bidding moving through the court and inciting iconic characters from A Song of Ice and Fire to support your cause. With the help of some companions and crafty alliances with other players you just might rise to become the king's new Hand!In more detail players move Varys in orthogonal lines in a 6x6 grid stopping it on a character token then collecting that token and any other character from that House that you passed over. Possess as many characters from a House as someone else and you claim the banner from that person. Collect the final character from a House and you immediately use the power of one of six companions; since the game contains fourteen companions the mix of powers will differ each game.

Holmes: Sherlock & Mycroft

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2

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Card Game Novel-based

In February 1895 London woke up to a loud bang. A large pillar of smoke showed that a bomb had exploded in the Houses of Parliament. Security forces were activated immediately and they arrested a suspicious young laborer near the area.Mycroft Holmes at the service of the crown was commissioned to investigate the relationship of the young laborer with anarchist groups. He thinks it will be an easy task that he can do from the comfort of his armchair in the Diogenes Club — until he is informed of disturbing news; his younger brother Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective has been hired by the boy's parents to prove the innocence of his son who believes to be a scapegoat of a dark conspiracy.For the first time the brightest minds in London face each other. Was the young laborer involved in this terrible attack or he is just a scapegoat for a dark conspiracy?A game of Holmes: Sherlock & Mycroft lasts seven turns (days of investigation). At the beginning of each day famous characters extracted from the books of Arthur Conan Doyle appear in London.Each player has three action tokens that move from one character to another to use their special abilities knowing that a player can never have two tokens on the same character. Therefore a character must be freed before reuse. The abilities of each character allow them to obtain Evidence Cards or gain Investigation Tokens in multiple ways. The game has great replay value because it is not known whether a character with a specific ability will make their appearance on the board in the Day 1 or in the final Day 7. Each game is different!

PUSH

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–6

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Push your luck...But not too far! Rack up points by playing cards to the stacks - but watch out! You can't repeat a color or number. Choose when to stop and score the best stack or push your luck and go for more!Total cards: 120 (90 colored + 18 roll + 12 switch)Card Size: 2-1/2 x 3-1/2 (63mm x 89mm) - Magic the Gathering/Pokemon sized

Trek 12: Himalaya

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 1–50

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Adventure Dice Sports

Trek 12 is a roll-and-write alpinism game with progressive difficulty levels and more. To score points you have to create chains of consecutive numbers from 0 to 12 and areas of a same number.A game is composed of 19 rolls of two six-sided dice with one die having values from 1 to 6 and the other from 0 to 5. After each roll the player must combine both die values to obtain the number to place. You can:Be careful as you may choose each of these options at most four times during a game. After placing your first number on the game sheet you must place each subsequent number in a space adjacent to one already filled. You try to make chains and develop areas. Players also have access to several bonus elements to earn during a game.At the end of a game numbers that belong to neither a chain nor an area give you minus points. The same applies if you have to place a number greater than 12...Trek 12 contains three different sheet pads to add narrative with three progressive difficulty levels.—description from the publisher

Fuji Flush

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 3–8

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Be the first player to get rid of all of your cards!Join forces with fellow players to beat cards played by other players...or independently play the highest card to outdo all your opponents together flushing their cards down the drain!Fuji Flush is a fast fun easy-to-learn card game that will have you shouting as your cards are sent down the drain!Fuji Flush is a card game which consists of cards numbered 2 through 20 with higher numbers being rarer. Each player holds six cards at the beginning. In clockwise order players play one card each. If it is higher than another card currently on the table the lower card or cards are discarded and the players who had played the lower cards must draw a new card. However if two or more players play the same number the card values are added together. When it is a player's turn and their card is still in front of them they can discard it without redrawing. First player(s) to get rid of their cards wins!Fuji Flush supports from 3 to 8 players! A great game for large player counts!

Dealt!

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 3–5

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In Dealt! first released as Krass Kariert (Checkered Combos) then later as Combo Up you don't necessarily win by going out first but at least you don't lose the game.To start each player receives three life tokens and two reserve cards at random which they place face up in front of themselves. They then receive a hand of cards the order of which they cannot change. The start player for a round leads by playing a combination of up to three cards and these cards must be next to one another in that player's hand. A player can lay down a single card a pair a triple or a run of two or three consecutive cards. Each player in turn must beat the combination with a pair being beaten by a higher pair or a triple. If you cannot or will not play you instead pick up one of your reserve cards placing it where you choose within your hand. If you have no more reserve cards then you must discard a life token.Once each player has played or passed whoever played the highest combination wins that round and begins the next round. If a player must discard a life token but has none this player loses the game and everyone else wins.Combo Up includes four new special action cards but is otherwise identical in gameplay to the original release.

Unlock!: Mystery Adventures – The Tonipal's Treasure

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 1–6

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The Tonipal's Treasure sets you at the start of a hunt for the treasure of Captain Smith hidden somewhere on Tonipal Island. As your adventure begins you've been arrested by the Governor and thrown into prison — you'll need to escape quickly especially since Johnson a famous treasure hunter is also on his way to Tonipal in search of the very treasure that you seek.Unlock! is a series of escape adventures for up to six players. With one hour on the clock players work through a deck of sixty cards as a team searching for clues combining objects and solving puzzles. The free Unlock! companion app runs the timer while also providing clues offering hints and confirming successes. Once the team has reached a solution and entered the correct code into the app they will escape and win the game!

Trailblazers

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 1–8

Game Type:

Adventure Animals Card Game Puzzle

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Trailblazers are the gutsy folks who pave and brave the trails of the great outdoors. Whether by hiking boots cycling wheels or river paddle these tenacious travelers seek to feed their insatiable appetite for adventure. With a scenic wilderness ever ahead and a freshly charted path upon the heels one mustn’t forget to eventually find their way back to camp. For there are always new environments to explore further expeditions to undertake and more trails to blaze.In Trailblazers players compete to earn the most points by building biking hiking and kayaking loops from their campsites of the matching trail type. Each round players are dealt eight trail cards where they’ll draft two cards arrange those cards in their personal area and pass their hand to the next player three times. Cards must either be placed adjacent to or overlapping other cards. While players can push their luck by aiming to construct long and elaborate trails only closed loops that start and end at a matching campsite will score points. Players also compete to fulfill “First To” and “End Game” goal cards. After four rounds the game ends and the player with the most points from closed loops and goal cards wins.The standard edition of Trailblazers features a second deck of trail & player cards so you can play with up to 8 players. The box also contains two expansions (the Animals expansion and Adventurers expansion) that add another challenging layer of strategy and objectives to the experience. Finally there are three unique solo modes that utilize the goal cards Animals expansion or Adventurers expansion.

Age of War

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–6

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Dice Medieval

Age of War is a quick-playing game of conquest. Fourteen cards are laid out at the start of the game each showing one castle and the symbols required to conquer this castle with the symbols separated into battle lines. Each castle belongs to a clan with some clans having only a single castle and some having up to four castles.A player starts his turn by rolling seven dice the six sides of which show archery cavalry daimyo and 1-3 infantry. He then selects a card and uses the symbols rolled to conquer exactly one of the battle lines on this card (by placing the appropriate dice on that line). If he can do this he then rolls the remaining dice ideally conquering another line; if he can't conquer a line he removes one die from play then rolls again. His turn ends when either he conquers every line on the card (in which case he claims it) or he no longer has dice available to roll.Each card is worth a number of victory points. You can conquer cards owned by other players but you need to conquer an additional daimyo line in the process. If a player owns all the castles of one clan however those castles are secure and cannot be stolen. What's more these castles are now worth more points because you've united the clan under one ruler (you) and strengthened your hold over Japan.When the last card is claimed players tally their points and whoever has the highest score wins.

Hidden Leaders

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Bluffing Card Game Deduction Fantasy Party Game

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The island of Oshra is in turmoil. Following the death of the Emperor the conflict between the Hill Tribes and the Imperial Army escalated. While the Water People try to maintain balance between the old rivals the Undead aim to escalate the war. All hope rests on the six children of the Emperor: Who of them will claim the throne?In Hidden Leaders you take the role of one of six secret leaders each of them is allied with two of the four factions/colors. By playing heroes into your tableau either openly or secretly you influence the outcome of the conflict.Each player who is aligned with the winning faction can claim the victory. However they must have more heroes of this color than any competitor.Hidden Leaders is a quick light strategy card game with direct player interaction. It combines tableau building and deduction elements with its unique winning mechanism. This is a game of great tension with no-down time that’s fast to learn. Its distinctive artwork and character names will make you smile.—description from designer

Ecosystem

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Animals Card Game Educational Environmental

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Ecosystem is a card-drafting game in which players choose cards and place them into their play area turn by turn. The cards in a player's grid make up their own personal ecosystem and at game's end a player will have twenty cards in their ecosystem with the game including eleven types of cards. Bears score by being placed next to bees and trout; trout score by being placed next to streams and dragonflies; and streams are compared at the end of the game with the player who has the largest stream earning points. These are just a few examples of how scoring works in Ecosystem. Don't forget to diversify!—description from the designer

Tokaido Duo

Rating: 7.4 | Players: 2

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Travel

After Journeying the Tokaido road it is now time to discover the island of Shikoku in Tokaido Duo!In Tokaido Duo 2 players pace the fourth biggest isle of the Japanese archipelago. You will discover its many sceneries through the eyes of three different characters and will thus experience a threefold spiritual journey.You will earn points through all three characters' adventures as you slowly become one with their endeavours.

Village Rails

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Card Game Trains Transportation

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In the sleepy English countryside life continues undisturbed as it has for centuries. It is up to you to travel to every corner of this land bearing the promise of modernisation accommodating the oddly specific demands of the locals and ushering in the age of steam.In Village Rails you will be criss-crossing the fields of England with railway lines connecting villages together and navigating the complex and ever-changing demands of rural communities. Connect stations and farmsteads to your local network while placing your railway signals and sidings ever so carefully. Meet the exacting standards of cantankerous locals planning strangely specific trips and weigh their demands against your limited funding. There is much to balance in this tricky tableau-building card game of locomotives and local motives.Microbadge:

Samurai Sword

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 3–7

Game Type:

Bluffing Card Game Deduction Fighting Medieval

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Game description from the publisher:Samurai Sword is a game based on the proven Bang! mechanisms and set in feudal Japan. In this game the familiar features of Bang! are enhanced by more dynamic and fast-paced game play and thanks to a new scoring system – based on honor points and resilience points – there is no player elimination. Everybody gets to fight to the very end! Also weapons and attacks are fused into a single card.

Silver

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 2–4

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Your village has been overrun by savage werewolves which are represented by the number on each of the cards that make up your village. To get rid of these fanged fiends faster than the neighboring villages use your residents' special abilities and your powerful secret weapon: a silver amulet.Call for a vote when you think you have the fewest werewolves but be careful; everyone else gets one more turn to save their own village first...Silver is a fast and engaging traditional card game with a werewolf twist! Everyone starts the game with five face-down cards with everyone being able to see two cards of their choice. Cards are numbered 0-13 with the number showing how many werewolves the character on that card attracts and each character (number) has a different special power.On a turn you draw the top card of the deck or discard pile then either discard it to use the power of the card (but only if it came from the deck) discard it without using the power (ditto) or replace one or more of your face-down cards with this card; you can replace multiple cards only if they bear the same number and you must reveal the cards to prove this being penalized if you're wrong.Silver can be played as a standalone game or combined with Silver Bullet or other Silver decks. Each version of the game has different card abilities.

Set & Match

Rating: 7.4 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Action / Dexterity Sports

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Set & Match is the unique tennis game recreating the sensations of a tennis game away from the court. The game mainly follows the rules of the game of tennis.Set & Match is a game of flicking. The board represents a tennis court and players play with a ball pawn.On their turn a player flicks the ball to the other side of the net and tries to make it reach areas that gives the most pts. If a player scores enough pts they win the point.Points are scored as in a tennis game. The game ends when a player reaches the number of sets / games that was defined at the beginning of the game.

Dice Throne: Season One ReRolled – Barbarian v. Moon Elf

Rating: 7.6 | Players: 2

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Dice Throne Season One ReRolled is a remastered edition of Dice Throne: Season OneDice Throne is a game of intriguing dice tactical card play powerful heroes and unique abilities.It's a fast-paced 2-6 player combat game (1v1 2v2 3v3 2v2v2 or free-for-all). Select from a variety of heroes that play and feel completely distinct from one another. Attack opponents and activate abilities by rolling your hero's unique set of five dice. Accumulate combat points and spend them on cards that have a large range of effects such as granting permanent hero upgrades applying status effects and manipulating dice directly (yours your teammate's or even your opponent's).The Barbarian isn't the most elegant hero around. He loves to smash things. He is known for hitting opponents so hard they are left stunned and concussed. His endless barrage of heavy-hitting attacks shows that even the most simple fighting style can be deadly.The Moon Elf draws her energy from the light of the moon. Her exploding arrows can pierce even the toughest of armor when loosed from her giant long bow. Her quick and nimble stature makes her extremely hard to hit as she picks off her targeted foes from the vale of the forest.Contents: 2 Hero Boards 2 Hero Leaflets 2 Health Dials 2 Combat Points Dials 2 Hero Decks 10 Dice Tokens Rulebook Gametrayz Inserts

Citrus

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Economic Farming Territory Building

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Oranges or lemons or both? Create a new plantation or extend an existing one? Collect landscape tiles or rather build onto a finca in order to cultivate the most points during the next evaluation?Citrus provides players with new challenges and little is left to chance. The moves are simple but the decisions are tricky. Players build citrus plantations for points yet in order to build it's essential to harvest your plantations from time to time as this is the only way to bring new income into your account – but when is the timing right? And most importantly which plantation should you harvest thus taking it out of the race for the important points during the finca scoring?Citrus is a tile-laying game for 2-5 players ages 10 and up with a playing time of about 50 minutes. The game contains a simplified family variant as well as a short version of the game. Citrus is particularly suitable for two players.

Carcassonne: Gold Rush

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

American West Territory Building

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Carcassonne: Gold Rush is the second title in the Carcassonne: Around the World series of tile-laying games with each game being based on the original Carcassonne design in which players slowly create a world by placing tiles on the playing area and scoring for various features in the landscape they create.In Carcassonne: Gold Rush players return to the 19th century in the United States when cowboys drove cattle trappers traded with Native Americans the first railway routes appeared and explorers — that is the players — sent their henchmen to gold mines to laboriously search for gold nuggets. Depending on where you place your tent you might be able to snatch a nugget from another explorer — but sometimes you'll be left holding fool's gold while someone else uncovers a rich gold find...Carcassonne: Gold Rush is the second game of a new series titled Carcassonne Around the World which was preceded by by Carcassonne: South Seas and followed later by Carcassonne: Amazonas.

Bravo!

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 1–6

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Noch mal so gut! is a roll and write dice game in the Noch mal! family adding further rules and possibilities of the popular predecessor. New elements include a seventh dice that can be chosen instead of the other ones (and a row and extra scoring for these dice) with new elements included on this dice - like a bomb (cross 4 fields anywhere) a heart (if crossed it brings bonuses for completed columns) two stars (cross two stars anywhere) etc. Another new element is the rows also being scored besides columns.

Challengers! Beach Cup

Rating: 7.9 | Players: 1–8

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Challengers! Beach Cup is an interactive deck-management game for 1-8 players that plays in about 45 minutes independent of player count. With the tournament gameplay style you meet another opponent every round.In the Deck Phase you choose new members and add them to your deck which might consist of a wizard alien cat gangster and kraken. Dozens of distinct characters with more than forty effects create a unique experience every game. Choose from seven different sets and discover new strategies and synergies every game.In the Match Phase stay in possession of the flag to win the trophy of that round. Try to get the most fans and trophies over the course of seven rounds to be able to qualify for the final. If you can best your opponent in the final you win!Challengers! Beach Cup contains a 16-card Trainers expansion that gives each player a unique power. Some give you bonuses when defending some when you're on the offensive and others can extend your bench or even let you rearrange your deck.Challengers! Beach Cup is a standalone game that can also be mixed with Challengers! to create new set combinations and new experiences.

Break the Code

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–4

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Deduction Math Number Puzzle

Break the Code is a logical deduction game played with number tiles and question cards. You win if you can guess all of your opponent's tiles in a two-player game or if you can guess the face-down tiles in the center for a three- or four-player game. Put on your thinking cap!Place all of the number tiles face down and shuffle them. Place your game screen in front of you then randomly take your tiles. Place them face up behind your screen in numerically ascending order starting from the left. If you have two tiles with the same number place the black tile on the left. Once you have placed your tiles removed any unused number tiles from the game. Lastly shuffle the question cards and place them in a pile face down. Draw the top six cards from the pile and place them in the center of the table.Deduce all of your opponent's tiles (or the center tiles) and correctly guess their colors and numbers in order from left to right.

LUNA Capital

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

City Building Science Fiction

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The dream of maintaining human life on the surface of the moon has now come true. The project to build cities on Earth’s beloved satellite is under way. Things are moving full speed ahead too the possibilities are enormous because this is 1977 the year when lunar living becomes reality. The most enterprising companies have decided to sponsor teams of scientists builders publicists and freelance nightlife entertainers to set out to construct the best client base in the galaxy. On top of this out of the world chance the Lunar Colonization Authority shall assign the capital of the Moon to the best of the projects that are presented making the chance for an even juicier reward!In LUNA Capital the players must optimally manage the elements of the game to build the best possible lunar settlement and to make it worthy of becoming the capital of the entire off-planet colony. They will have a series of construction cards in a common “market” and each of the players shall be tied to a number of project tiles. The players take turns drawing cards and the tiles that accompany them and then place them in their personal playing area. The cards must be laid out in a maximum of three lines and must be placed so that they are always in ascending numerical value. Once the card has been placed the tiles are then put on the spaces for them on the cards in an attempt to group together the various projects in the most efficient way possible.The tiles show what projects are available all of which are essential for the construction of the city worthy of the term. They include oxygen collectors greenhouses residential complexes and (of extreme importance) sales offices to sell apartments with the best views in the galaxy. Each of these categories scores according to how they are arranged within the personal area of each player. Whoever is able to best take advantage of their arrangement and placement shall become the mayor of LUNA Capital.—description from the publisher

Boss Monster 2: The Next Level

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Card Game City Building Expansion for Base-game Fantasy Video Game Theme

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The original Boss Monster challenged players to become the ultimate villains: video game-style Bosses. Now Boss Monster 2 builds on the original in every way! An all-new set of 160 cards Boss Monster 2 is playable as a standalone game or as an expansion to the core set.Dark Heroes and Hybrid Heroes raise the stakes while Epic Spells and cycling rooms give players more options and flexibility. Boss Monster 2 features everything that made the best-selling original a hit with players of all skill levels with fresh new mechanisms and exciting new options.With more Bosses more unique cards and more ways to slay hapless adventurers Boss Monster 2 will take your dungeon to The Next Level!

Inside Job

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Card Game Spies / Secret Agents

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The Mostly Cooperative Trick-Taking GameYou are a group of secret agents and must work together to complete your missions. But beware! An insider is hiding amongst you sabotaging you at every turn and collecting secret information along the way. In this (mostly) cooperative trick-taking card game you slip into undercover roles. Who is acting suspiciously? Who can you trust? Complete a mission with each trick and find out who is the insider.

Rival Restaurants

Rating: 7.6 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Auction / Bidding Contracts Negotiation Real-Time Set Collection

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Your goal in Rival Restaurants is to be the first restaurant to get 20 popularity points and be crowned The Wiener! Players earn popularity points by buying and trading for ingredients and using them to cook (complete) recipes. The more advanced the recipe the more points it's worth.Each day players move through three phases:1. MONEY and MOVE: Players collect their income for the day and decide where they want to move. Turn economy is crucial as players are not permitted to move for the rest of the day once their location has been chosen.2) BUY and BARTER: Players have one minute to buy as much as they want but only from the location they're in. Players can also barter/trade with anyone in the game not just the people in their location.3) COOK and COUNTER. Any player who has all the ingredients required for their recipe can cook it and collect popularity points.In addition each player controls a chef equipped with their own chef power. Chef powers are asymmetrical and allow players to bend the rules in their favor. The base game of Rival Restaurants has twelve chefs and additionally at the beginning of the game each player must choose a restaurant to play with each restaurant having a unique level-up structure with rewards for reaching 3 7 and 12 popularity points. Lastly players can also choose to buy action cards that is development cards that are typically for one-time use.

Middle Ages

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 2–5

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You are the head of a fiefdom and its future is in your hands. Will you develop agriculture with fields and mills? Or will you become a pious church-builder or prefer to feast in your sumptuous palaces? Develop your lands in your image and become the most influential lord in the kingdom.In Middle Ages you explore the economics of medieval urban life through eight distinct tiles: fields farms villages forts markets barracks churches and palaces. Each tile features its own scoring system yet it's linked to others offering an immersive gaming experience. Unleash strategic maneuvers from daring assaults on rival fiefdoms to reserving tiles for future use. Harness the power of tactical combinations to amplify your income and pave your way to triumph! With an ever changing tile board you need to be able to plan ahead but adapt to changing circumstances to make the best moves.The richest player at the end of the 16th round wins.—description from the publisher

Harbour

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Card Game City Building Economic Fantasy Humor

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Dockmaster Schlibble and Constable O'Brady cordially invite you to visit their bustling Harbour town! Attend to business at the Trader's Guild or the Masoner's Hall. Break for lunch at the Sushi Shop or stop off for a drink at the Pub. Don't forget to check out the Wizard's Traveling Imaginarium before you go! But no matter where you go keep on the lookout for a bargain... the denizens of this town are always wheeling and dealing! Collect and trade resources as you visit the various buildings of Harbour and cash them in to buy your way into the town. Whoever has the most points worth of buildings when the game ends wins!Harbour is a worker placement game where players move their worker from building to building collecting and trading Fish Livestock Wood and Stone; and cashing those resources in to purchase buildings (which are the worker placement spots) from the central pool. Once a building is purchased it is replaced from the deck and the central pool is a small subset of the deck and is therefore different every game.The game ends when a player has purchased his fourth building. After that round finishes the player with the most points worth of buildings is the winner!At the heart of Harbour is a dynamic market mechanism. Each time a player purchases a building the value of the resources they used drops while the value of the other resources rise. You'll have to carefully time your purchases to take advantage of the ebb and flow of market prices or be prepared to waste some resources!

Courtisans

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Card Game Medieval

Tonight the queen holds a banquet that everyone will attend. Will they leave a good impression? Backstabbing is fair game and no trick is too dirty if it allows you to place your favorite families in the spotlight.In Courtisans you receive and play three cards on each of your turns. One is played at the Queen's table to sway a family's influence whether in a positive or negative manner. The two other cards are played in your domain and in an opponent's domain and they can be worth positive or negative points depending on their family's status at the end of the game. Choose where best to place your three cards if you want to end up with the most points and win.—description from the publisher

Spring Meadow

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Abstract Strategy Animals Puzzle

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The first delicate flowers herald the end of a harsh winter. The sun shines longer day by day and pushes the snow back. Lush meadows bloom and curious marmots slowly awaken from hibernation. Finally spring is coming into the mountains — the perfect time for a hike. Choose your route carefully watch out for the burrows of the marmots and pack enough snacks. Your chances to earn an edelweiss hiking pin are rather low if you sit hungry in the snow.Spring Meadow is the grand finale of Uwe Rosenberg's puzzle trilogy following 2016's Cottage Garden and 2017's Indian Summer. The complexity of this game — the most interactive of the trilogy — is set in between those two games and fans of the trilogy will find familiar elements combined in an innovative way.Place your meadow tiles with 0-2 holes skillfully on your mountain board to receive extra tiles when creating or expanding groups of holes. Find your way around the burrows of the marmots because they can restrict you during tile placement. Scoring takes place depending on the players' selection of meadow tiles from a central game board. Whoever has the largest meadow during a scoring receives a hiking pin and the first player to earn their second hiking pin during scoring wins.New puzzle challenges are guaranteed with 172 tiles in 49 shapes.

Claim 2

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 2

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The King is dead! What happened? Nobody really knows but he was found face down in a wine barrel this morning. It could have been either foul play or his own thirst that did him in. Regardless the King is dead without any known heirs so it's up to the five factions of the realm to decide who will be the new king: Will it be you or your opponent? Do you have what it takes to win over the realm's factions?Claim 2 is played in two distinct phases. In phase one each player gets a hand of cards that they use to recruit followers. In phase two they use the followers from phase one to compete and win over the five factions of the realms. Each faction has a special power that effects play and powers can be different in each phase! At the end of the game the player who has the majority of followers of a faction wins that faction's vote and whoever wins the vote of at least three factions wins the game!Claim 2 is a standalone sequel to Claim featuring five new factions that can be played on their own or mixed in any combination with the factions in Claim.

Kolejka

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Economic Educational Political

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Get in a queue with your family in front of a store and experience a rush of genuine emotions!The board game Kolejka (a.k.a. Queue) tells a story of everyday life in Poland at the tail-end of the Communist era. The players' task appears to be simple: They have to send their family members out to various stores on the game board to buy all the items on their shopping list. The problem is however that the shelves in the five neighborhood stores are empty.The players line up their pawns in front of the shops without knowing which shop will have a delivery. Tension mounts as the product delivery cards are uncovered and it turns out that there will be enough product cards only for the lucky few standing closest to the door of a store. Since everyone wants to be first the queue starts to push up against the door. To get ahead the people in the queue use a range of queuing cards such as Mother carrying small child This is not your place sir or Under-the-counter goods. But they have to watch out for Closed for stocktaking Delivery error and for the black pawns – the speculators – standing in the queue. Only those players who make the best use of the queuing cards in their hand will come home with full shopping bags.On the product cards are photos of sixty original objects from the Communist era. The merchandise includes Relaks shoes Przemysławka eau de cologne and Popularna tea as well as other commodities that were once in scarce supply. The neighborhood also has an outdoor market but the prices there are steep – unless of course you manage to strike a deal with the market trader. In this realistic game you really have to be savvy to get the goods.Are you brave enough to confront the everyday life of the 1980s?

After Us

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 1–6

Game Type:

Animals Card Game Puzzle Science Fiction

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2083. Humankind died out decades ago leaving behind mere vestiges of its time on Earth. As time went by nature reclaimed land all over. In this resurgent world apes have kept evolving. They've been gathering in tribes growing mastering human items and advancing in their quest for knowledge. As the leader of such a tribe you need to guide it towards collective intelligence.After Us is a deck-building and resource management game featuring an original and intuitive combo system in which players are each leading a tribe of apes. Starting only with tamarins they combine their cards each turn to collect resources and gather victory points attracting new apes into their tribe along the way: powerful gorillas resourceful orangutans versatile chimpanzees and wise mandrills. The first player to obtain 80 points prevails in the race to collective intelligence — and wins the game.— description from the designer

Riff Raff

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Action / Dexterity Party Game Pirates

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A dexterity game where players take turning loading wooden stuff onto a swaying wooden ship. Bottles sailors rats and other cargo are placed on the body of the ship and three yardarms that protrude from the mast.Each player has the same set of objects and a hand of cards numbered 1-10. Choose one card then reveal it simultaneously with the other players. On your turn you place any piece you want onto the numbered space you chose. If the cargo is not balanced the ship will sway to and fro and one or more items may fall off the ship. If you tip pieces off the ship you can save them by catching them but whatever you don't catch is added to the pieces you need to get rid of. The first player to get rid of all his objects wins the game.Similar to:

Dragonwood

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Adventure Card Game Dice Fantasy

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Game description from the publisher:Dare to enter Dragonwood! Deep in the heart of this mythical forest lurk angry ogres giggling goblins and even the famed and fearsome fire-breathers themselves!In Dragonwood you collect sets of adventurer cards to earn dice which you then use to roll against your foes. Stomp on some fire ants scream at a grumpy troll or strike the menacing orange dragon with a magical silver sword. Choose your strategy carefully because the landscape of Dragonwood is ever-changing. Only the bravest will overcome the odds to emerge victorious!Gameplay:On their turn players either draw a card or attempt to capture a creature or enhancement. Players draw from the Adventurer deck that contains cards of 5 different colors all numbered 1-12. With these cards players form combinations to attempt a Strike (cards in a row of any color) a Stomp (cards of the same number) or a Scream (cards of the same color). To capture players roll a number of dice equal to the number of cards they have of the particular combination. Each creature has different minimum values of a Strike Stomp or Scream needed to capture it and a Victory Point amount. The game includes six six-sided dice with sides 1 2 2 3 3 and 4 to reduce extremely lucky outcomes. The Dragonwood deck has 42 cards 5 of which are displayed in the landscape at any time. In addition to creatures this deck also has enhancements that are captured in the same way as creatures which assist players in capturing creatures and contains events that also impact play. When both dragons have been defeated the game is over and the player with the most victory points wins! Is the best strategy to go for several smaller creatures or save up for larger attacks? Should you grab some enhancements hoping they will pay off or go immediately for creatures? Do you take chances on some rolls or go for sure things? Every time you play Dragonwood the deck is different so no two games are the same!

Terra

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Categories:

Educational Trivia

Game description from the publisher:How long is the Golden Gate Bridge? Where has “evidence of the Yeti been found? How many sculptures are on Easter Island?It‘s likely that you don‘t know any of these facts. But you might have a rough idea and that‘s good enough because Terra is the party game where being close counts. And if you have absolutely no idea what the answer is? Take advantage of your friends who do know!Terra is a redesign of Friedemann’s 2009 SDJ-nominated FAUNA which had similar mechanics but was specific to animals. Terra changes the subject matter to general geographic information includes a brand new Imperial measurements map side (retaining the Metric map side for gamers outside the U.S.) has 300 topics (with three categories of questions) on oversized cards and simplifies the scoring. Terra plays in 45 minutes for 2-6 players.(End of publisher's description.)Terra is a trivia game with cards that ask three related questions such as where was the Woodstock music festival? what year did it take place? and how many people attended it? A card is selected and players take turns guessing the answers to the questions by putting tokens on the board in different areas such as on a map of the world a time line or a number line indicating the number of people (as in the example). Points are scored for correct answers but some points are also scored for close answers. Whoever has the most points after a predetermined number of rounds wins the game.

Caesar's Empire

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Ancient Territory Building

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In Caesar’s Empire you will be building Roads to connect Rome to new Cities across the board. Each time you build a Road you score points. Every new City you reach will provide City and Treasure tokens that will be worth points at the end of the game. The game ends when Rome is connected to every City on the board. After adding the value of City and Treasure tokens to the points scored during the game the player with the most points wins!Caesar’s Empire uses a simple network-building mechanic. Each time you build a Road you must connect Rome to a new City by placing one or more of your Road pieces onto the game board. You may build your Road anywhere you like on the board as long as you start from either Rome or a City whose token has already been taken. This means you may be continuing a Road started by another player! When you reach a City you get to take its token which can be worth points at the end of the game. Each City also provides a Treasure token. Treasures you find are added to your player board and will score you points at the end of the game especially if you manage to make collections!Once you’ve taken your City token and your Treasure you score your route back to Rome. Each section of Road included in your route will score 1 point for the player it belongs to. As your route can include sections of Road placed by other players you can end up giving points to your opponents!The game continues until all of the Cities on the board have been taken. Once the final City has been taken players move on to final scoring.At the end of the game you’ll score points based on your City tokens. Each City has a value which is the number on the back. This is the number of points you’ll score for that City. However if you have more than one City token of the same colour you will only score points for the one of the highest value. You then score the value of the different collections of Treasure on your player board. Collections can be of the same Treasure or different Treasures and Gold is scored separately. The player with the most points returns to Rome to be showered with fortune and glory by Caesar himself!

Beyond Baker Street

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Deduction Murder / Mystery Novel-based Post-Napoleonic Print & Play

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A heinous crime has been committed. A team of the Kingdom's finest detectives has been assembled and put on the case. They have a prime suspect they have a motive and they know what the opportunity to commit the crime was. Now all they have to do is prove it.Using powers of deduction and communication the players work as a team to eliminate dead leads and find clues to prove who how and why. All the relevant clues are available to them to do so. They just won't know it. On top of that Sherlock Holmes himself is already on the case. Can they solve the crime before he does?At the start of Beyond Baker Street players select one of the crimes to solve and a number of suspects motives and opportunities will be available for the players to convict of the crime. Each player holds a set of clues but they won't be able to see their own clues — only those of their counterparts. Each turn a player must take exactly one of the following actions:Players win together if they can gather enough evidence to make a conviction before Holmes does; otherwise they crumble under the stress of the case.

Hues and Cues

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 3–10

Game Type:

Categories:

Deduction Party Game

What hue do you think of when we say “apple”? Hues and Cues is a vibrant game of colorful communication where players are challenged to make connections to colors with words. Using only one and two-word cues players try to get others to guess a specific hue from the 480 colors on the game board. The closer the guesses are to the target the more points you earn. Since everyone imagines colors differently connecting colors and clues has never been this much fun!Gather around with three to ten people to play a quick and simple game with a prism of possibilities! First a “cue giver” hides a specific color they’ve chosen out of a deck of cards. There are 480 shades on the board in front of you! After getting one- and two-word cues everyone places their marker on which color they think is being described. “Coffee.” Is it dark brown as in freshly brewed? “Au lait.” With milk. That means I should pick a lighter shade!Use examples from everyday life from nature to pop culture or materials and moods. Everyone around the table gets a turn to give cues and guess. The better your hints or guesses the more points you earn. Play off others' experiences to narrow down what they have in mind!—description from the publisher

Unmatched: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Rating: 7.5 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Card Game Fantasy Fighting Movies / TV / Radio theme

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In battle there are no equals.Unmatched: Buffy the Vampire Slayer features four heroes. Buffy will hit you with Mr. Pointy or summon her Slayer's strength for a cartwheel kick. When it's time for backup she'll take her pick between insightful Giles or reliable Xander. Spike a relentless hunter seeks the shadows and calls on Drusilla's Sight to let him know just where and when to strike. Willow a peerless witch dabbles in black magic and risks her darker self potent but dangerous. At times only Tara can bring her back from the brink of the abyss. Angel once the Scourge of Europe is cursed with a soul conflicted by his victories and taking solace in his losses. Faith is there to make sure things stay Five by Five.Unmatched is a highly asymmetrical miniature fighting game for two or four players. Each hero is represented by a unique deck designed to evoke their style and legend. Tactical movement and no-luck combat resolution create a unique play experience that rewards expertise but just when you've mastered one set new heroes arrive to provide all new match-ups.-description from publisher

Stop Thief!

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 1–5

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An alert pops up on your smartphone: A crime has just been committed! Grab your investigator's license and your keen powers of deduction and hunt down the suspect. But watch out because you're not the only private eye on the hunt and only one of you can slap the cuffs on the suspect and claim the reward. Get enough reward money and you can finally leave this rat race behind and retire to a sunny tropical beach in the Caribbean.Stop Thief is a family game of logical deduction for 2-4 players. An invisible suspect commits a crime. Only the sounds they make give them away. Listen to the clues and figure out where they are hiding. Play cards from your unique deck to move around the board sneak through a window or even get a private tip. Once you have the suspect pinned down swoop in and make the arrest.The obvious first step in this restoration was taking the electronic device and turning it into an app. Doing that allows for better sound quality and a more dynamic platform for different modes of play. Next step was ditching the roll-and-move mechanism and in general stripping out some of the luck and adding in a healthy dose of strategy. By replacing the dice with decks of movement cards it also allows asymmetrical decks which increases the fun and replayability. Game effects were also added to the suspect cards to further spice things up.

Bob Ross: Art of Chill Game

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Card Game Movies / TV / Radio theme

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If you want to paint with Bob Ross you need to be chill so whoever reaches maximum chill first in Bob Ross: Art of Chill Game wins.In the game each player starts with three art supplies cards with each card showing one of seven paints and one of four tools. (Some cards are jokers that serve as any color but no tool.) Take one of the large double-sided painting cards place it on the easel and place Bob on the first space on the painting track.On a turn the active player rolls the die and either draws an art supplies card plays a paint to their palette receives an extra action for the turn (four total) or both draws a Chill card and advances Bob on the painting track. Chill cards give all players a bonus set up conditions that could give players extra points and more.The player then takes three actions. Actions include drawing an art supplies cards discarding two matching cards to claim the matching technique card (which is worth 2 points and 1 bonus point when used) sweep the art supplies card row place a paint on their palette wash half their palette or complete a section of a painting. To take this latter action the player needs to have all of the paint needed for one of the painting's three sections on their palette with no unneeded colors mixed in! The player scores points equal to the number of paints used bonus points if they're the first or second to paint this and additional points if they've painted this feature before Bob (i.e. did you paint this before the Bob figure reaches this space on the painting track.When someone has completed all three features on a painting or Bob has reached the end of the painting track this work is complete! Remove it from the easel and start a new painting. Players continue to take turns until someone reaches a maximum chill of 30 points at which point they win the game instantly.

Kluster

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Abstract Strategy Action / Dexterity Party Game

Categories:

Kluster is a dexterity game for 1 to 4 players very short easy to transport incredibly fun really simple accessible to everyone and still full of strategy!Kluster’s rules can be explain in no time: Magnetic stones are equally shared between players who must in turn place one stone inside the area delimited by the cord. The first player to get rid of his or her magnets wins. But beware when stones kluster together during one player’s turn he or she collects them!That’s all you need to know to play Kluster!—description from the publisher________________________________ VERSION FOR 1-8 PLAYERS LOOK HERE : Kluster XL

City of Spies: Estoril 1942

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Spies / Secret Agents World War II

Categories:

Estoril is small town near Lisbon Portugal. Having a casino beach and wonderful weather the region was a center of diplomacy -- and spying -- during World War II.In City Of Spies: Estoril 1942 players are competing against each other to form the most powerful and influential secret organization of spies. Based on historical facts the game takes place on famous locations in Estoril.Six locations are randomly selected to be used for the first round such as casinos hotels beaches etc. Control of these will be fought over in each of the four rounds of the game. Special Agents are then placed on each location as the reward for who have the most influence on that location.Players begin the game with the same hand of Agents (tiles) and will take turns placing these tiles in the open spaces of the various locations on the board. At the end of each round players check each location to see which player gains the reward for that location.At the end of the fourth round players will total up the points of their Agents plus any special game objective they might have completed. Whoever has the most points wins.

Shamans

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 3–5

Game Type:

Card Game Deduction Fantasy

Categories:

Shamans try to restore harmony in a world threatened by Shadows. You'll need to pick a side.The game combines with ingenuity: hidden roles competitive play and an original card playing mechanic. Each played card allows you to stabilise the spirit world perform a Ritual acquire an Artefact ; and together they will bring you closer to the final showdown between Shadows and Shamans. When time comes the victor will be the one who managed to read through his rivals and stuck to the right side in this never-ending confrontation.—description from the publisher (translated)

Lotus

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Lotus is a beautiful game that grows into a unique work of art every time you play.Clear your head and take in the quiet strength of the lotus garden. It takes skillful care and nurturing to grow these flowers to their full potential but once picked they provide their owner with wisdom. Beware for there are others who will do anything they can to get their hands on these mystical flowers. You'll need to enlist the help of creatures native to this land to take control of the lotus garden and achieve true enlightenment.

Beacon Patrol

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Exploration Nautical

You are captains of the Coast Guard. Together you check beacon buoys and lighthouses to ensure the safety of the North Sea coast.You place your tiles next to tiles that are already placed move your ships and explore the sea.Your goal is to explore as many tiles as possible. A tile is considered explored when it’s connected to other tiles on all four of its sides.Beacon Patrol is a co-op tile-laying exploration game in which you navigate the coast of the North Sea to secure its beacon buoys lighthouses and waterways.—description from the designer

Custom Heroes

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Categories:

Custom Heroes is a card-crafting climbing trick game in which plastic cards are added to sleeves in order to modify the cards already in those sleeves.Please note: Custom Heroes is shipped with a protective plastic film on each card which should be removed prior to play. Once removed the colors will be more vibrant and it will be easier to see cards in a stack inside a sleeve.The players attempt to win rounds by getting rid of their cards as quickly as possible using the classic climbing trick mechanic. e.g. If a player leads with three 4s then the next player must play three of a kind of equal or higher value. When all players pass the last player to have played cards leads a new trick with whatever card or set of equal cards they want. Go out of cards first for first place second for second etc.However you also have advancements you can sleeve onto your cards. These may increase or decrease the value of the cards or even add new abilities such as turning a card into a wild or reversing the direction of the values (i.e. you are now playing lower numbers instead of higher) or making cards count as multiple copies of themselves etc.But since all of the cards are reshuffled and dealt to start a new round the changes you made may end up with someone else (and vice versa) and the common distribution of values will begin to change and shift over multiple hands. Thus a good strategy must factor in not just doing well in the current hand but also managing your resources (card advancements) over multiple hands and maximizing their impact though well timed plays.You earn points and more advancements based on your end of round position. Be the first player to go out each round and gain the most points but draw fewer new advancements for the next hand. To win a player must first get to 10 points and then win a hand.Inspired by the public domain game Daihinmin

Nimalia

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Animals Environmental Territory Building

Categories:

Design the best Animal Sanctuary while playing 5 rounds.Each round players will draw 3 cards place one and pass the rest (simple drafting phase). Each card is composed of 4 biomes each containing an animal. When you place a card you must cover AT LEAST one biome. The whole Sanctuary must not exceed 6 x 6.Each game will have a different pool of scoring objectives. Each round will only count some of the objectives chosen for the game so you'll have to modify your sanctuary throughout the game in order to score the most points.At the end of the 5 rounds the player who earned the most points becomes the winner!-description from publisher

Nine Tiles Panic

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Real-time

In Nine Tiles Panic (ナインタイルパニック) each player has a set of nine double-sided town tiles.At the start of a round three scoring cards are revealed such as most aliens on a single road most dogs visible or longest road. All player then race to assemble their town in whatever pattern seems best trying to score points for one two or three of the scoring cards as they wish. As soon as the first player decides that they're done they flip the sand timer and everyone else has 90 seconds to complete their town then players determine who scores for which cards with ties being broken in favor of whoever finished first. Players score points based on the number of players in the game and players track their score on a chart over multiple rounds.

Cube Quest

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Action / Dexterity Dice Fighting

Categories:

Cube Quest is a dexterity game in which lightweight hollow cubic dice are flicked across custom rubber mats. Cubes that leave the mats are defeated. Play alternates until someone wins by defeating the enemy king. Cubes also risk defeat in enemy territory; if they land shadow side up they have been captured and must be rolled like dice to determine whether they escape.The cubes have different strengths and special abilities such as taking extra flicks immobilizing enemy cubes reviving lost cubes and hiding before strategic re-positioning.The game allows for custom army building using a simple point system. Pre-battle setup involves a tactical selection of cubes worth a total of 40 points maximum to fight alongside their king. Each player also chooses how to position their cubes creating individual attack and defense formations and structures!

Quests of Valeria

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 1–5

Game Type:

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In Quests of Valeria you play the role of a Guild Master recruiting and dispatching Citizens to complete quests posted in a tavern in the Capital City of Valeria to earn Victory Points. The player with the most Victory Points at the end of the game wins.Quests of Valeria is a unique set collection game where players gather Citizens to fill requirements on a Quest. Hire Citizens from the line in the Tavern that provide you with additional actions to build combo's of free actions!Players take turns taking 2 actions from the following: Drawing cards Hiring Citizens Reserving a Quest or Completing a Quest. When Hiring a Citizen players pay the cost by discarding cards in their hand and taking the Citizen from the Tavern to their Guild (tableau). Some Citizens have bonus actions and they trigger as soon as they enter a player's Guild. When Completing a Quest players must send Citizens from their Guild that match the requirements on the Quest to the discard pile. When a player completes 5 Quests the game ends and player's reveal their Guild Master and count up Victory Points.

Joan of Arc: Orléans Draw & Write

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 1–5

Game Type:

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In Joan of Arc: Orléans Draw & Write 1-5 players draft followers that will help them move about France gather goods build buildings establish trading stations make money and contribute to beneficial deeds. The player who can best utilize the followers they choose will score the most points and win.In slightly more detail each round a number of follower tiles are pulled from a bag. Players take turns drafting the followers and taking actions that correspond to the follower they've chosen. After all the followers have been drafted the bag resets until you've exhausted one bag per player.In the solo mode you compete directly against Joan of Arc at one of three difficulty levels.—description from the designer

Wreck Raiders

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 1–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Dice Nautical

Plunge into the glittering sea to recover exotic treasures from a seafloor overflowing with pirate shipwrecks. Send your divers to the deep but be careful; moving too close to other divers lets them get in on the haul too! Gather lost loot and beached baubles to assemble museum exhibits and construct eye-popping aquariums... but don't forget to save the best bits for your personal collection!Wreck Raiders is an innovative dice-drafting worker placement system. Choose a die from the pool then send one of your divers to any spot on the board with that number. But be warned: the spot you choose will help any diver in the spots next to you whether they’re friendly or not. Will you risk letting a rival in on your haul to get that treasure you want or can you find a way to grab yourself some extra loot?Display your treasures to build museum exhibits or send them to your vault for huge scoring opportunities... Don’t forget to visit the beach nearby to gather washed-up baubles and spend them to build awesome aquariums. (All sea creatures are treated ethically and released into the wild; also they are cardboard tiles.)When the game ends you’ll earn coins for your exhibits your vault and your aquariums. The player with the most coins wins!

Dimension

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Puzzle Real-time

Game description from the publisher:In the puzzle game Dimension six task cards are laid out each round with these cards dictating how the balls in the game should be stacked on top of one another and side to side. These challenges aren't easy as some colors shouldn't touch one another.Fast puzzle-solving is important but more than that in the end whoever solves the most of these difficult tasks wins.NOTE: IMPORTANT RULE CORRECTIONGame description from the Thames & Kosmos 2015 Science Kits & Games catalogue:DimensionThe Spherical Stackable Fast-Paced Puzzle Game!Dimension is a fast-paced innovative puzzle game that takes place in three dimensions with 60 colourful spheres.All of the players play at the same time.Everybody tries to position the spheres on their tray to earn as many points as possible. The task cards indicate how the spheres must be placed to earn points: for example exactly two orange spheres must be on the tray black and blue must touch each other and blue must not touch white.Complete these tasks while racing against the timer. You get a point for each sphere you use and a bonus token for using all five colors but you lose two points for each card you don't follow correctly.Prove to your opponents that you are the master of multi-dimensional thinking!

The Builders: Middle Ages

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Card Game City Building Medieval

Categories:

In The Builders: Middle Ages the cards represent buildings or workers. Players score points (and gain money) by completing the construction of buildings while placing a worker on a construction site costs money. Each building has four characteristics (carpentry masonry architecture tilery) rated between 0 and 5 and the workers have the same characteristics valued in the same range. To complete a construction the player must add enough workers to cover the four characteristics of the building.Each player starts the game with 10 ecu and an apprentice. Five workers and five buildings are placed face-up on the table with the others set aside in separate decks. On a turn you can take three free actions then pay 5 ecu for each additional action. The possible actions are:Some completed buildings join your labor pool as they can be used to complete other buildings. As soon as a player reaches 17 points players finish the round so that everyone has the same number of turns then you tally points with each completed card having a point value and each 10 ecu being worth 1 point. Whoever has the most points wins.

Catapult Feud

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Action / Dexterity Children's Game Medieval

Categories:

Build your castles set up your troops load your catapults and use your cunning tactics to win the day! The War for the Floor has begun once more!Catapult Feud (original series was named 'Catapult Kingdoms') is a game of last person standing. Your objective is to knock down all your opponent's troops!Starting with the youngest player choose your family: Chaufort or Cunningfields. Then use your bricks to build a castle to fortify your troops. Using your catapult launch boulders in an attempt to destroy your opponent's castle and knock over their troops. When all troops of one family are knocked over the battle is over. The winning family must have at least one troop standing upright.The game is played in a series of rounds. During a round starting with the youngest player everyone takes a turn. Each player's turn is divided into four phases: Tactics Aim Fire and Cleanup. Perform these phases in order finishing each one before moving to the next. When all players have had their turn the round finishes. You keep on playing round after round until there is only one player with troops on the table.Warning! This is a game of construction/destruction of plastic bricks and figures... NOT your opponent pets or people who may foolishly pass through the field of battle! Please play fair and be careful not to hurt each other or damage anything... other than your opponent's attempt at a impenetrable fortress!In Mar 2022 - a special Ukrainian fundraising edition was added to several crowdfunding forums.—description from the publisherIncludes: - 10 x Miniatures - 2 x Catapults - 32 x Bricks - 2 x Gates - 2 x Player Boards - 8 x Boulder Ammo - 12 x Action Cards - 1 x Rule Book

Codenames: Disney – Family Edition

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–8

Game Type:

Card Game Deduction Movies / TV / Radio theme Party Game Word Game

Categories:

In Codenames two teams compete to see who can guess all of their words correctly first — but those words are hiding in plain sight in a 5x5 or grid that includes the words of the other team neutral words and an game over card that will cause you to lose the game immediately if you guess it. One person on each team is a spymaster and only these two know which words belong to each team. Spymasters take turns giving one-word clues that can point to multiple words on the board. Their teammates try to guess words of the right color while avoiding those that belong to the opposing team — and everyone wants to avoid the game over card. This version also comes with 4x4 grid cards with no game over spot to make it more accessible for families and children.The Disney Family Edition of Codenames combines the hit social word game with some of Disney’s most beloved properties from the past 90 years. Including both pictures and words it’s family fun for Disney fans of all ages.Codenames: Disney Family Edition keeps the Codenames gameplay while featuring characters and locations from over 90 years of Disney and Pixar films..

Ohne Furcht und Adel Sonderausgabe

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 2–7

Game Type:

Bluffing Card Game City Building Fantasy Medieval

Categories:

In Ohne Furcht und Adel players take on new roles each round to represent characters they hire in order to help them acquire gold and erect buildings. The game ends at the close of a round in which a player erects her eighth building. Players then tally their points and the player with the highest score wins.Players start with a number of building cards in their hand; buildings come in five colors with the purple buildings typically having a special ability and the other colored buildings providing a benefit when you play particular characters. At the start of each round each player secretly chooses one of the eight characters. Each character has a special ability and the usefulness of any character depends upon your situation and that of your opponents. The characters then carry out their actions in numerical order: the assassin eliminating another character for the round the thief stealing all gold from another character the wizard swapping building cards with another player the warlord optionally destroys a building in play and so on.On a turn a player can either earn gold or draw two building cards and discard one then optionally construct one building (or up to three if playing the architect this round). Erecting buildings costs gold. At the end of the game each building is worth a certain number of points. In addition to points from buildings at the end of the game a player scores bonus points for having eight buildings or buildings of all five colors.The 2012 release of Ohne Furcht und Adel includes fifteen cards not included in the original base game with seven different types of action cards. These cards are mixed into the building card deck and one action can be played each turn. Action cards in hand are worth one point at the end of the game. The cards their actions and their counts are:

Maskmen

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Categories:

Card Game Sports

Welcome to the world of Pro Wrestling! You must win at any cost or face the wrath of your sponsors. This year there are six new wrestlers debuting so go out and win some matches!Over the four seasons of maskmen whoever has won the most points is the winner. In a round players can play cards or pass on their turn. Players play 1-3 cards on their turn of the same type of wrestler (that hasn't already been played) to help resolve the strength of the wrestler. The faster you get rid of your cards the better your chances of winning. As soon as you rid your cards you get to take the highest point token available then the next player to go out gets the next token. Once there is only one player remaining the round ends and that player gets the -1 token.

Dice Throne: Season One ReRolled – Treant v. Ninja

Rating: 7.8 | Players: 2

Game Type:

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Dice Throne Season One ReRolled is a remastered edition of Dice Throne: Season One with two new characters: Treant and Ninja!Dice Throne is a game of intriguing dice tactical card play powerful heroes and unique abilities.It's a fast-paced 2-6 player combat game (1v1 2v2 3v3 2v2v2 or free-for-all). Select from a variety of heroes that play and feel completely distinct from one another. Attack opponents and activate abilities by rolling your hero's unique set of five dice. Accumulate combat points and spend them on cards that have a large range of effects such as granting permanent hero upgrades applying status effects and manipulating dice directly (yours your teammate's or even your opponent's).

Carcassonne: Star Wars

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Movies / TV / Radio theme Science Fiction

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Description from the publisher:Carcassonne: Star Wars combines the exciting adventures of the Star Wars universe with the gameplay of Carcassonne with the known rules of the game being simplified through clever changes that bring an entirely new feel to the game.This is similar to Carcassonne but with Roads replaced with Trading Routes and claimed by Merchants instead of Robbers Cities replaced with Asteroid Fields and claimed by Explorers instead of Knights and Cloisters replaced with Planets and claimed by Conquerers instead of Monks. There is no farming equivalent. Faction symbols (Empire Rebel Alliance and Bounty Hunters) provide scoring bonuses regardless of what faction your Meeples belong to. Majority control is determined by dice rolling with the highest result rather than the sum determining the winner although tiebreaks and defeats still provide some points. A player receives dice equal to the number of his Meeples involved in the majority control plus an additional one for using his large Meeple and one for any matching Faction symbols but this is always capped at three dice. One notable change is that Planets can be conquered by placing tiles adjacent to the Planet tile where the player now has the options of placing a Meeple on the adjacent Planet tile or on the tile he placed.There is also a four player team variant where it is the two Empire colours (black/Darth Vader and white/Storm Troopers) versus the two Rebel Alliance colours (red/Luke Skywalker and green/Yoda). Orange/Boba Fett is not used.

Wild: Serengeti

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 1–4

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WILD: Serengeti is a board game inspired by the endless plains of the Serengeti. This game combines the joy of puzzle-solving with elements of set-collection and engine-building to create a deep and unique strategic experience. The mesmerizing artwork 3D components and detailed animeeples will guide you straight into the vivid and breathtaking wilds of the Serengeti.In order to gain victory points the player must complete Scene Cards by placing the animals on the Main Board in the same pattern as shown on the cards.To achieve the pattern shown on the Scene Cards players perform actions to either place or move animals on the Main Board. When animals are placed on the Main Board in the same pattern as displayed on the Scene Card the scene can be completed. When completing Scene Cards the player receives ‘Icons’ or ‘Rewards’. With Rewards players can earn points or different resources and with Icons gain continuous benefits throughout the game.-description from designer

Sunset Over Water

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 1–4

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Card Game Environmental

Description from the publisher:THE BEAUTIFUL WILDERNESS Sometimes you need to get off the beaten path to find a beautiful landscape to paint. Wake up early hike deep into nature and find your perfect spot. Some paintings sell for commissions others you’ll keep for yourself but you’re always going that extra mile to find inspiration.OBJECTIVE Over six days players gain Renown by hiking to beautiful locations to paint landscapes which they’ll later sell. Each day players choose a Planning Card which allows them to travel through the Wilderness and paint (i.e. pick up Landscape Cards). At day’s end they can sell paintings to earn Renown (i.e. turn in Landscape Cards to gain Commission cards worth Renown). Players also earn Renown by completing Daily Goals and by possessing Landscape Paintings at game’s end.GENERAL PLAY Each day starts with a simultaneous Planning Phase followed by individual Trek Phases and ends with a Clean Up Phase. After the sixth day a final Scoring Phase occurs.

Kero

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Dice Real-time Territory Building

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June 2471 and kerosene - KERO - is scarce. Two clans are struggling to survive exploring New Territories in their tanker trucks. Running out of fuel is a risk each time they leave camp! Fortunately a local tribe of Tuareks can lend a helping hand…Kero is a two-player game set in a future unfriendly world where players will be clan leaders - managing a camp a tanker truck and 7 Explorers - competing for the same lands. Their ability to win the game will be based on how much kerosene (Jerrycans) they can find and how they use it wisely… Collect as many resources as possible while using as little as possible of the KERO in your tanker-truck to upgrade your camp and claim New Territories! Score the more points (by adding up the points on cards and territories) and become the 2471 Badassest Clan!The game is played in 3 rounds (ending when a Claim card is revealed) each comprising several turns. Making snap decisions and mistakes under time pressure is part of the game!5 MAIN STEPS IN A PLAYER’S TURN1. Fuel up with KERO (if necessary). 2. Choose your dice and roll them. 3. Collect resources shown on the dice and perform actions to upgrade your camp: take cards from the raw take Tuarek tiles send out Explorers on New Territories. 4. Deal with Fire and discard any burnt cards accordingly to the results of your roll. 5. Claim New Territories in which you have a majority at the end of a round.FOCUS ON THE ORIGINAL REAL-TIME PLAYOn a turn choose your dice and roll them in a self-limited time using your tanker-truck. Tip it and roll your dice however many times you want to obtain needed resources keeping results as desired and avoiding fire (the fire dice burns up). When happy with the results replace your truck flat. You can’t tip it up again! Beware of Kero outage! In this case you lost your turn!As soon as your opponent starts rolling the 8 dice hold your tanker-truck (cab facing downwards). You gain only as much time as it takes your opponent to roll fires on all the dice. A simultaneous and interactive way to gain time for your sandtimer!KERO KEY FEATURES• Light tactical & frantic game • Fast & furious play for casual & experienced players • Unique balanced gameplay mixing strategy & chance • Uncommon barren theme with beautiful colored art • Two 6 inch/16 cm tanker-timers inside!HAVE FUN ROLLING YOUR DICE & REFUELING YOUR TANKER-TIMER!

Nekojima

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 1–5

Game Type:

Action / Dexterity Party Game

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In Nekojima “The Island of Cats” in Japan an electricity network is developing to supply the various lively districts of the island. The installation of electric poles becomes more complex due to the narrowness of the territory and its curious population of cats strolling on the cables.Nekojima is a wooden game of skill and dexterity in which you have to keep an entire installation in balance. Players take turns placing or stacking denchuu — 電柱 or electrical poles — respecting the locations without any hanging cables touching. Be careful not to be the one to bring down the structure. This game requires reflection concentration and skill.In competitive mode the player who knocks down the structure loses. In cooperative mode the goal is to go as far as possible.AWARDS:2023 - SWISS Gamers Award Family 2023 - Major Fun Award 2022 - 1st prize Alchimie in Toulouse 2022 - 1st prize Pari Ludique in Paris 2022 - Special Jury Prize at the FLIP in Parthenay—description from the publisher

Timeline Challenge

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 2–10

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Timeline is a card game played using 110 cards. Each card depicts a historical event on both sides with the year in which that event occurred on only one side. Players take turns placing a card from their hand in a row on the table. After placing the card the player reveals the date on it. If the card was placed correctly with the date in chronological order with all other cards on the table the card stays in place; otherwise the card is removed from play and the player takes another card from the deck.The first player to get rid of all his cards by placing them correctly wins. If multiple players go out in the same round then everyone else is eliminated from play and each of those players are dealt one more card for another round of play. If only one player has no cards after a bonus round he wins; otherwise play continues until a single player goes out.Timeline Challenge incorporates the original mechanic of the series into progressive game track of which players can move between 0-4 spaces per turn. Players will have to make use of pre-determined time periods and guess where the incident depicted on the card occurred. There are four different challenges and they are played depending on the color of the game space of the lead player. Additionally there are two further challenges which allow the two players at the back of the pack to catch up. Although the game comes with its own cards it can be integrated with any or all of the previous sets.

Draft & Write Records

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 1–6

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Card Game Music

Do you have what it takes to hit the big time? Can you take your band from performing in your parents’ basement to the largest stages around the world? Draft your lead singer musicians production and backstage staff. Arrange them in the most harmonious ways to unlock more fans money and opportunities. Plan your schedule prioritize your assets and select your travel routes as you grow. Chain your rewards into such an amazing show that you will leave your competitors behind. But as every superstar knows...watch out for those scandals.Draft & Write Records is a draft and write game for 1-6 players aged 10+ taking 45 minutes.—description from the publisher

Disney Villainous: Bigger and Badder

Rating: 7.4 | Players: 2–3

Game Type:

Card Game Fantasy Movies / TV / Radio theme

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In Villainous: Bigger and Badder each player takes control of one of three Disney characters each one a villain in a different Disney movie specifically Syndrome (The Incredibles) Lotso (Toy Story 3) and Madam Mim (The Sword in the Stone). Each player has their own villain deck fate deck player board and 3D character.On a turn the active player moves their character to a different location on their player board takes one or more of the actions visible on that space (often by playing cards from their hand) then refills their hand to four cards. Cards are allies items effects and conditions. You need to use your cards to fulfill your unique win condition.One of the actions allows you to choose another player draw two cards from that player's fate deck then play one of them on that player's board covering two of the four action spaces on one of that player's locations. The fate deck contains heroes items and effects from that villain's movie and these cards allow other players to mess with that particular villain.In more detail just like in The Incredibles Syndrome will face off against Frozone and the Parr family using his minions and advanced technology to come out ahead. To win as Syndrome players need to upgrade the Omnidroid then defeat it and all heroes in his realm. Lotso seeks to control Sunnyside Daycare by reducing four heroes' strength (utilizing a game mechanism new to Disney Villainous) and moving those heroes to the toddlers' Caterpillar Room. Finally those playing as Madam Mim will need to win a wizard's duel against Merlin using Mim's Transformations to defeat Merlin's.Villainous: Bigger and Badder is playable on its own and its characters can also face off against those in the other Disney Villainous games.

Prey Another Day

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Animals Bluffing Card Game Deduction Print & Play

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The large predators hunt the smaller ones but they are nimble and can easily escape. Use your animal instincts to outwit the other players and deduce which animals they are sending on the hunt. The first player to capture 5 food markers will be crowned the munch king!The game takes place over multiple rounds. Each round the players can choose from their 5 animals. The stronger animals can hunt early but the weaker ones will give more points.— description from the publisher

Bandido

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 1–4

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A light-security prisoner is trying to escape through tunnels starting underneath his cell. Will you be able to join forces and cards to stop him? Bandido is a cooperative game of strategy and observation for the entire family.Can be combined with the sequel Bandida.

Pastiche

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–4

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Educational Renaissance

A world of beautiful colors comes alive in Pastiche as players choose commission cards picturing 34 of the finest European art works of the past six centuries. Players score their commissions by mixing primary colors through clever tile placement and recreating the palette of colors used by the masters who created these works. Explore the paintings palettes and pasts of the artists in this unique and challenging game for the whole family.While placing hexagonal pieces to gain palette (color) cards players become familiar with the different color combinations that produce the many hues of an artist’s palette all listed on the Player Reference Card. Players also learn to recognize many great artists and their works as they complete commissions.An International Edition of Pastiche was released in late 2011.

Dice Throne: Season One ReRolled – Monk v. Paladin

Rating: 7.8 | Players: 2

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Dice Throne Season One ReRolled is a remastered edition of Dice Throne: Season OneDice Throne is a game of intriguing dice tactical card play powerful heroes and unique abilities.It's a fast-paced 2-6 player combat game (1v1 2v2 3v3 2v2v2 or free-for-all). Select from a variety of heroes that play and feel completely distinct from one another. Attack opponents and activate abilities by rolling your hero's unique set of five dice. Accumulate combat points and spend them on cards that have a large range of effects such as granting permanent hero upgrades applying status effects and manipulating dice directly (yours your teammate's or even your opponent's).The Monk is a master in the art of Chi. He can channel his ancient energy to absorb incoming attacks from his opponents. He can also use it to unleash a maelstrom of pain. The Monk is not only the calm before the storm but the storm itself.The Paladin's sword of righteousness strikes hard and true. Through faithful devotion he's capable of celestial defense. The Paladin wades into battle assured that the Divine is with him and that victory is his sovereign right.Contents: 2 Hero Boards 2 Hero Leaflets 2 Health Dials 2 Combat Points Dials 2 Hero Decks 10 Dice Tokens Rulebook Gametrayz Inserts

Unicorn Fever

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Animals Fantasy Party Game Racing

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Unicorn Fever is a betting game in which unwitting unicorns and their mindless desire to run on rainbows are exploited by unscrupulous citizen of the fairy realm for profit... and glory!Each player is a wealthy bettor determined to be recognised as a the most skillful unicorn-race wagerer of the Unicorn Racing Championship and hold the title until the next rainbow appears. During 4 races players will try to place successful bets to gain Victory Points and Gold.To reach their goal they will buy Contracts with unscrupulous citizens of the fairy realm to hire their services and turn the odds of the race in their favor play Magic cards to straight up fix it and try to avoid squandering all their hard-earned Gold and be forced to ask the Elf-Mob for Loans. At the end of the Championship the player with the most Victory Points will be the winner!>> GAMEPLAYHOW DOES THE RACE WORK? In Unicorn Fever the race is managed by an AI mechanism. When the race starts you won't be able to perform any action: the unicorns will freely run and sprint on the board. All you can do is watch the race unfold shouting and cheering for your favorite unicorn!WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS OF THE PLAYERS THEN? Players will perform 3 actions before each race allowing them to fix the race with Magic place Bets hire shady characters to gain special abilities or even perform combos between the above. Since the action tokens available are limited you will also have to read the intentions of your opponents and perform the actions you need before it is too late!WHO WINS? Players obtain Victory Points and money with each of their successful Bets over the course of 4 races. Bets can be placed on Victory (5VPs) or Podium (3 or 2 VPs). On average unicorns with better odds run faster than those with the worse odds but successful bets on slower unicorns pay better! Players must take risks and play wisely to turn the odds to their favor!

Cinque Terre

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Farming Transportation

The Cinque Terre are five coastal villages in the Liguria region of Italy known for their beauty culture food and proximity to one another. Produce carts are commonly found in each village marketplace.In Cinque Terre a game of strategy players compete to sell the most valuable produce in the five villages. Players act as farmers and operate a cart in which they will harvest produce and deliver them to the five villages to sell. Additionally players will compete for Produce Order cards which reward Lira points for selling desirable produce in specific villages. Players track sold produce in each village using their Fulfillment Cards. The winner is the player who gains the most Lire by selling valuable produce gaining popularity in the villages and fulfilling Produce Orders.During setup in Cinque Terre colored dice are randomly pulled from a cloth bag and rolled to establish the prices each village will pay for select produce. Each player also begins play with a private order only she can fulfill. Five public orders are turned up that all players can work on though only the first player to fulfill each public order will score points for it. The Most Popular Vendor cards (1 for each village) are placed face up along one side of the board. The first player to fill an entire row with produce cubes for a particular village earns the Most Popular Vendor card for that village which provides bonus points. Four Produce cards are turned face up and each player receives 4 to begin with along with a Fulfillment board and Produce Truck in their color.On your turn you can perform 3 actions in any order or combination you choose:At the end of your turn if you complete a public order or achieve Most Popular Vendor take the appropriate card scoring the points indicated. You can only complete one public order per turn. When you complete a public order you must draw a new card from the Order Deck. If you would like to keep that card as a private order add it to your hand and draw another and place it face up to replace the public order just completed. If you do not wish to keep the card you drew as a private order place it face up instead. Any private orders not fultilled by game end count as negative points against you.Players take turns taking their 3 actions until one player has completed 5 public orders (Most Popular Vendor Cards also count as public orders for determining game end) then everyone gets one more turn including the player who caused the game to end.

Dice Throne: Season One ReRolled – Pyromancer v. Shadow Thief

Rating: 7.8 | Players: 2

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Dice Throne Season One ReRolled is a remastered edition of Dice Throne: Season OneDice Throne is a game of intriguing dice tactical card play powerful heroes and unique abilities.It's a fast-paced 2-6 player combat game (1v1 2v2 3v3 2v2v2 or free-for-all). Select from a variety of heroes that play and feel completely distinct from one another. Attack opponents and activate abilities by rolling your hero's unique set of five dice. Accumulate combat points and spend them on cards that have a large range of effects such as granting permanent hero upgrades applying status effects and manipulating dice directly (yours your teammate's or even your opponent's).The Pyromancer has only way to deal with her enemies: swift hot destruction. Even her defense is offensive. She is a glass cannon who deals massive amounts of damage turning her foes to ash.The Shadow Thief doesn't like to end things quickly much preferring the long con. Gaining CP poisoning his foes hiding and striking from the shadows - that is the way of the Shadow Thief and if their complicated game plans are allowed to reach fruition victims will find themselves in utter ruin.Contents: 2 Hero Boards 2 Hero Leaflets 2 Health Dials 2 Combat Points Dials 2 Hero Decks 10 Dice Tokens Rulebook Gametrayz Inserts

The Adventurers: The Pyramid of Horus

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Adventure Ancient Exploration Miniatures

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Game description from the publisher:Hidden for centuries below the shifting Egyptian sands the Pyramid of Horus sat undisturbed until a research expedition on the limestone plateau of Abu Rawash uncovered it. Filled with treasures as rich as the Nile delta it borders the pyramid is a beacon summoning a group of exceptional Adventurers eager to put their hands on the priceless archaeological relics contained within. But with a myriad of hazards lying in wait once you enter the pyramid you might never come out.Descend into an ancient Egyptian pyramid with The Adventurers: The Pyramid of Horus a standalone board game of danger and exploration for 2-6 players. In this fast-paced and tense experience whichever player escapes from the pyramid alive and with the highest Treasure value wins the game. Will you emerge bearing priceless archeological treasures or will you succumb to the mortal dangers waiting inside?As one of eight Adventurers – each with a special unique power – you can explore the pyramid searching for archaeological relics hidden or buried in four chambers or corridors. But perils haunt your pursuit of treasure and falling stones threaten to trap you inside forever if they obstruct the only way out. Adventurers must also be wary of hidden threats that can wound them and living mummies who roam the corridors!Disturbing a cursed pyramid has its hazards but there is no adventure without risk. Can you make it out alive and wealthy or will this ancient Egyptian tomb be your final resting place?

5 Towers

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–5

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Compete as master architects to acquire cards and use them to build the highest towers. You’ll get cards if you are willing to take more than everyone else. But since you can only build one tower of each of the 5 types taking too many cards at once can limit your options in the long run.—description from the publisher

Dodos Riding Dinos

Rating: 7.6 | Players: 1–8

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Categories:

Choose your favorite Dodo/Dino miniature! Advance with blue or red cards and solve their whacky effects. Some will test your dexterity against your rivals by throwing bananas flicking dodo eggs or making meteors fall.Red cards are extra powerful but if too many players pick them during the same round their effects will be ignored. Green cards allow the Dodo to react at any time.Damage your rivals so they discard cards with no cards in hand their Dodos will retrocede as a penalty and draw some cards.At the end of each round the Dodo in the lead advances an extra space while the rest get to draw a card.The fastest Dodo and Dino will be saved from extinction!One to six players compete in Dodos Riding Dinosaurs a competitive family dexterity game that presents a crazy race.

Familiar Tales

Rating: 7.7 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Adventure Card Game

Familiar Tales is a co-operative deck-building fantasy adventure for 1-4 players. It's an exciting narrative game in which players take on the roles of a wizard's familiars entrusted with saving and raising a displaced princess. They must keep her safe from the evil forces that would see her dead but when it comes to children it is not enough to merely survive! The familiars know that every choice they make will affect the young one in their care. If they are victorious and the throne is reclaimed what kind of woman will sit upon it?Players will explore a massive world through the pages of a fantastical story book filled with branching paths and memorable characters. Fight off enemies and explore the many nooks and crannies of an enchanted world. Experience a professionally narrated fully scored decade-spanning fantasy epic. Easily downloadable for both Mac and Windows this browser-based app is required to play Familiar Tales. Think of it as an automated game master and storyteller! The app also features a digital searchable rulebook.An innovative card play system allows players to level up their familiars by building and customizing their skill decks. Players will use their skill cards to perform all manner of exciting actions throughout their campaign.—description from the publisher

Kingdomino Duel

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Categories:

Dice Medieval

Roll the dice choose the ones you want and put them together in pairs to create your dominoes. Domino by domino fill in your map while entrusting the territories of your kingdom to loyal dignitaries. Gather favors from wizards in order to cast powerful spells that will allow you to rule without having to share.Kingdomino Duel is a standalone game that preserves the essence of the acclaimed original Kingdomino. In this game instead of adding dominoes to your kingdom you will choose two dice to combine into a single domino that must then be drawn into your kingdom.—description from the publisher

Now Boarding

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Aviation / Flight Real-time Transportation

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Now Boarding is a real-time cooperative game in which you work together to fly a fleet of airplanes. You must deliver all the passengers to their destinations before they get too angry — and new passengers are constantly arriving! Upgrade your plane to fly faster and carry more passengers to handle the load. The twist: All players take all their turns at the same time! This allows for clever hand-offs of passengers. It's a whole new level of pick-up-and-deliver game.

Kōhaku

Rating: 7.6 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Abstract Strategy Animals

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Kohaku is a peaceful koi-pond-building tile-laying game. Each turn players will draft both a Koi and Feature tile from the central pond board to place into their personal koi pond.Score points by surrounding flowers with koi containing matching colors placing frogs next to koi tiles that have dragonflies and ensuring that baby koi have a safe place to hide by placing them near rocks.Butterflies score based on line of sight so make sure to line them up with similar-colored koi. Turtles and statues bring a sense of balance to your pond and score points more easily but sometimes aren’t as valuable as some of the other features.You must carefully plan the placement of your tiles because once they are in your pond they can’t be moved! With no restrictions on the shape of your pond you can build a unique layout to maximize your koi pond’s appeal.After there are no koi tiles available to refill the central pond board the game ends. Players will total the points scored by each feature in their pond. The player with the most points wins.—description from the publisher

Gods Love Dinosaurs

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Abstract Strategy Animals Prehistoric Puzzle

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How do you make an ecosystem flourish with just enough of every life form in the chain to supply you with dinosaurs to dominate the lands? Resources are scarce animals can go extinct in an area and everyone must eat to survive — so moves must be cunning. Life hangs in the balance...In Gods Love Dinosaurs a cheeky wild and timeless take on the scientific tale as old as life itself you are a god who has been tasked with designing an ecosystem with a sustainable food chain of predator and prey animals. But you just love dinosaurs so all you really want to do is to make as many of them as possible!Each turn you'll add one tile to your ecosystem which will add new animals and give them room to grow. Every so often your dinosaurs will tromp around your ecosystem eating all the animals. The more they eat the more eggs they lay — and the more points you score! Just be careful not to overeat or there won't be enough food to keep your dinosaurs alive the next time.—description from the publisher

Dragonkeepers

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–4

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Anyone can herd sheep but have you ever herded dragons?In Dragonkeepers you compete against each other as magicians. Two stacks of cards form the Magic Book which indicates which and how many dragons can be herded. With each card taken this information changes but luckily you can cast spells and return your cards to the Magic Book to change it in your favor and score! But which of your dragons can you spare to cast spells?

Imperial Miners

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 1–5

Game Type:

Civilization Mythology Territory Building

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Imperial Miners is a light engine-building card game for 1 to 5 players from designer Tim Armstrong (Arcana Rising Orbis) in which players excavate mines using a clever card activation system. This stand-alone game is set in the popular Imperial Settlers universe and offers beautiful illustrations easy-to-grasp rules and satisfying gameplay full of chain reactions and engine-building synergies.In Imperial Miners players create their own mines by playing cards into their personal tableau. They start from the surface and develop downward. Each time a card is added to their mine it activates itself and all the cards above it rewarding a player with satisfying chain reactions and combos. The cards belong to six different factions and offer various strategies. Players mix different factions in their mines to achieve the best results.While developing their mines players also advance on progress boards. During set-up three out of the six available progress boards are randomly chosen for the game. These boards each offer a different strategic focus. Throughout the game players advance to gain additional bonuses that help them develop their tableaus activate the synergies between cards gain victory points and achieve even more satisfying combos. The combination of progress boards influences strategies and makes the game different each time you play.Imperial Miners offers impressive replayability thanks to its wide range of different cards and modular progress boards. Players also take turns simultaneously so gameplay is quick and lasts no longer than 45 minutes. The straightforward rules beautiful artwork and rewarding engine-building mechanisms make a perfect game for both casual and experienced gamers.—description from the publisher

Namiji

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Travel

In Namiji you are fishers from the Japan of yesteryear navigating south of the Japanese archipelago a few kilometers from the famous Tokaido road. You will need to have a fruitful day at sea to win the game.To do this you will have the opportunity to contemplate magnificent marine species to fish with a line or a net to fill your racks with colorful fish and haul in your crustacean traps.You can benefit from stops to improve your fishing equipment and you will also have to contend with the gods of the sea by setting offerings afloat or by fulfilling their wishes that they express during your contemplation with the Sacred Rocks for which they will reward you.Namiji features gameplay similar to Tokaido. The action spaces are laid out on the game board in a linear track with players advancing down this track to take actions. The player who is currently last on the track takes a turn by advancing forward on the track to their desired action and taking that action so players must choose whether to advance slowly in order to get more turns or to travel more rapidly to beat other players to their desired action spaces. What players are doing on the track differs from what they do in Tokaido.

A Fistful of Meeples

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

American West

It’s Mancala meets worker-placement in this Wild West board game!On your turn you’ll grab a Fistful of Meeples and place them around the street. Take actions such as: mining for gold building businesses dueling in the street and setting off explosive jail breaks! After the dust has settled the player with the most points wins!—description from the publisher

Riverside

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 1–6

Game Type:

Categories:

Dice Economic

Far to the north in a remote winter land rivers are frozen most of the year. When the villages along the riverside eventually are accessible a small river cruise company offers exotic tours like polar bear safaris reindeer trips ice fishing and more. Lucky tourists may even get a chance to see the northern lights.You work as a tour guide trying to attract tourists to your guide boats for spectacular excursions.Riverside is a different kind of roll-and-write game: The game comes with a modular game board which composes the route for the game. On a river cruise boat everyone follows the same route but you can take your tourists on different tours. You may plan ahead but beware the dice may force you to change your plans.You start each round by rolling dice into a common pool. Simultaneously each player chooses one die of one specific color (without physically taking it) and fill seats on the matching guiding boat on their own player sheet. Whenever they have completed a row of seats they have sold a group ticket of the corresponding color (excursion). The longer the row the more points they get. Additionally this ticket is valid for the remainder of the game: Every time they go on an excursion in a village of this color they take this group with them to earn even more points. The player with the most points wins the game.Each dice color represents tourists with a preference for one specific type of excursion. The transparent green die is wild and represents the northern lights something everyone wants to see.Riverside offers tough decision-making within a short playing time: Some rows are short with low points and bonuses while other rows are long with higher points and bonuses. Which one do you start to fill? Within each guide boat you need to score higher and higher so taking too many tourists on your first excursions could be fateful. Players are rewarded if they manage to please all five kinds of tourists so maybe you need to score a new color instead of scoring really high in another color? Higher dice represent tourists who are freezing and cost fire symbols to get. Note that the wild green die always costs fire symbols to get! You have a limited number of fire symbols to use so when will be the right time to use them?—description from the designer

Star Wars Villainous: Power of the Dark Side

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Card Game Movies / TV / Radio theme Science Fiction

Categories:

In Star Wars Villainous: Power of the Dark Side each player takes control of one of five Star Wars characters: Darth Vader Asajj Ventress Kylo Ren Moff Gideon or General Grievous. Each player has their own villain deck fate deck player board and 3D character.On a turn the active player moves their character to a different location on their player board takes one or more of the actions visible on that space (often by playing cards from their hand) then refills their hand to four cards. Cards are allies items effects and other things. You need to use your cards to fulfill your unique win condition.One of the actions allows you to choose another player draw two cards from that player's fate deck then play one of them on that player's board covering two of the four action spaces on one of that player's locations. The fate deck contains heroes items and effects from that villain's storyline and these cards allow other players to mess with that particular villain.Depending on their villain's unique power players can also use their villain's ambition to perform actions that power effects based on the villain's use of the Force strategic leadership or sheer luck. The game also incorporates villain-specific missions and rules for iconic ships and transports from all corners of the Star Wars galaxy.

Bohnanza: The Duel

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Categories:

Give as good as you get in Bohnanza: The Duel!What was that thing about the gift horse? In this two-player variant of Bohnanza both bean farmers give each other gifts of beans they can't use themselves — to make life harder for their opponent if possible. Trying to fulfill their secret bo(h)nus requirements they both need to keep a vigilant eye on the other player's bean fields.In more detail both duelists have bean field mats in front of themselves on which to plant their beans. Between them is a row of eight gift cards. Each player holds five hand cards and three bo(h)nus cards with secret objectives. In this game you have the option of planting more than one type of bean in the same field but when you plant a different bean than the one you've planted previously this new bean type must be the next highest number. When harvesting your beans the beanometer of the card you've most recently planted is what counts.At the start of each turn the active player plants two beans from their hand then reveals bean cards from the deck as usual. Instead of trading however they offer their opponent one bean as a gift by pushing this bean type's gift card in their direction. The other player can accept the gift or decline it but if they don't take it they have to offer a gift in return. You are allowed to bluff but it may cost you if your bluff is called! Important: Only the first player to accept a gift actually receives the bean card in question. After this exchange plant all beans you have received and turned over then draw new cards. Bo(h)nus cards can be fulfilled at any time when the required combination of beans printed on the card can be found in any bean field. Fulfilling an objective earns you bean dollars and the brand new bean cents. When the draw pile is used up the player with the most bean dollars wins.In 2020 AMIGO released Bohnanza: The Duel – Deluxe which replaces the gift cards with a game board and gift tokens. This edition also contains newly designed bean fields and bonus cards.

Leviathan Wilds

Rating: 7.9 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Adventure Card Game Fantasy Fighting Video Game Theme

Categories:

Long ago the once-gentle leviathans lost their minds and tore the world apart. After generations of hiding and struggle humanity discovered that the frenzied leviathans can be restored. Climbers willing to take the risk must explore the wilds and work together to remove a series of binding crystals to heal the leviathans roaming the world.In Leviathan Wilds 1-4 players will confront these colossal beings with each creature being depicted across the spread of a spiral-bound storybook that makes up the game's board. The book also forms the basis of a connected campaign mode built around the game's story with each of twenty included scenarios estimated to last around 45 minutes. Tougher difficulty levels are also available for added replayability.Each character's deck of multi-use cards is unique allowing them to climb jump and glide around the board in different ways. The number of cards left in the slim deck represents their grip on the leviathan's body; if the deck runs out the player loses their grip and begins to fall down the board until they're able to reach a rest space which resets their deck. Moving onto rest spaces also provides a way to regain one's grip without falling. Other spaces reduce a character's health or grip or they increase blight a status that reduces their overall hit points.The leviathan has its own deck of cards which triggers various effects at the beginning of a player's turn from targeted attacks that reduce health to effects that move players between spaces or loosen their grip. As the game progresses the leviathan gradually gains rage which intensifies the effect of its event cards.Players' characters can move around a square grid overlaid on the creature's body by spending action points — the number being determined by a card played at the start of their turn — and their remaining hand of ability cards to reach the crystals and reduce them to zero. Victory is achieved by reducing all crystals which vary in strength to zero.

Exit: The Game – The Enchanted Forest

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Deduction Puzzle Real-time

Categories:

Exit: The Game – The Enchanted Forest is a puzzle game modeled after escape rooms and it includes components meant to be folded written upon or torn so it's marketed as a single-use game.A relaxing walk in the woods takes a very different turn when you suddenly encounter strange fairytale creatures and even stranger puzzles. Will you ever find your way out?!-- description from the publisher

Machi Koro: Bright LightsBig City

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Card Game City Building Dice

Categories:

You've done a great job as Mayor! Machi Koro: Bright Lights Big City shows how popular Machi Koro has become! What started as a sleepy town of cheese factories and wheat fields has become a hot tourist destination!Explore the night life of Machi Koro with a new gameplay set-up that makes each game play unique without ever slowing down the high-paced fun or losing any of the original charm.Machi Koro: Bright Lights Big City is a standalone fast-paced game for 2-5 players. Each player wants to develop the city on their own terms in order to complete all of the landmarks under construction faster than their rivals. On their turn each player rolls one or two dice. If the sum of the dice rolled matches the number of a building that a player owns they get the effect of that building; in some cases opponents will also benefit from your die (just as you can benefit from theirs). Then with money in hand a player can build a landmark or a new building ideally adding to the wealth of his city on future turns. The first player to construct all of their landmarks wins!

Lost Legacy: The Starship

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Bluffing Card Game Deduction Science Fiction

Categories:

Lost Legacy: The Starship is a game of risk deduction and luck for 2–4 players. You start the game with one card in hand from a deck of sixteen cards. On a turn you do the following:By combining different Lost Legacy sets (while keeping only a single Lost Legacy card in play) up to six players can compete at the same time.This is the English release of the 16 cards The Starship set in Lost Legacy. The Flying Garden set is released separately.

El Gaucho

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Animals Farming

In El Gaucho you take the role of a cattle baron sending your gauchos to the Pampa to collect as much and as stately cattle as possible.Your gauchos exercise their abilities at the dice rodeo. The better they do during training the easier they catch cattle in the field. Be smart and get in your opponents’ way with mean tricks by snatching the most valuable cattle from under their noses or swing your lasso to abduct one of their animals. At home sort your cattle by race and assemble them in herds only to sell them later for as many Pesos as possible.The goal of the game is to collect sets of cattle tiles and sell them. Each cattle tile has a value and a race. A set contains only tiles of the same race ordered in ascending or descending value. For each race your cattle tiles are arranged in a line. New cattle tiles are added to the end of the line. When you add a tile that doesn't match the ordering of the existing set that means that set ends and a new set is started.Obtaining cattle is done through a worker placement system. Each player has seven Gauchos which can be placed on various action spaces. The most important of these is the Pampa where Gauchos can catch cattle (which means the player gains a new cattle tile). Other actions include stealing cattle from other players and sorting your cattle (to optimize your sets).Placing the Gauchos on an action space requires dice. Each action requires a specific value. These dice are taken from the Dice Rodeo. At the beginning of each round the dice are rolled. During his turn a player takes two dice from the Dice Rodeo and uses them to place his Gauchos.At the end of the round each completed set of cattle is sold. The game ends when the cattle tiles draw pile runs out. When this happens one more round is played and then all cattle tiles are sold. The player who made the most money wins the game.

Space Explorers

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Card Game Economic Space Exploration

Categories:

The conquest of space was one of the greatest achievements of the 20th century. In 1957 the first satellite—named Sputnik 1—was launched into orbit. Just four years later Yuri Gagarin was the first human in space aboard the spaceship Vostok 1.This game is dedicated to the early space explorers: all the outstanding people who worked to make space travel possible. As Yuri Gagarin said at the moment of his launch: “Let's go!”You are the head of a Research & Development Hub in a Space Research Center competing with other such Hubs in the spirit of the Golden Age of Astronautics. Your goal is to complete large-scale space projects by gathering the best and brightest minds humanity has to offer.Thanks to your efforts satellites manned spaceships and orbital stations will be launched into space!You score Progress points by recruiting Specialists and completing Projects. The game ends when all available Projects are completed or you have recruited 12 Specialists to your Hub. The player who made the most Progress is the winner!

Quirky Circuits

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Animals Maze

Quirky Circuits is a game of robot programming silliness in which each player contributes to the programming of an adorable robo-friend. But be warned — no one knows which commands the other players will be tossing in! Will you be able to help the little robot complete its task or will you unleash automated mayhem? Be careful for you'll have to work together before your robot's battery is drained! With 21 scenarios of increasing intensity Quirky Circuits is guaranteed to provide hours of brain-bending fun.—description from the publisher

King of the Dice

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Card Game Dice Fantasy

King of the DiceYou're finally a king! All your dreams have been fulfilled. You sit content in your castle and look out over your wonderful kingdom. Green meadows rolling fields high mountains and clear rivers stretch as far as your eyes can see... but one thing is missing from your kingdom: citizens! So you announce the merits of the kingdom all over the country – in the rich cities to the crazy gnomes in their workshops to the dwarves in their deep mines and also to the orcs fairies and the sorcerer's apprentices. But they aren't easily convinced; after all there are also other kings trying to win them over. That's why you need skill and luck with the dice to entice the best citizens to your kingdom. But watch out for scoundrels and dragons. Otherwise your thriving kingdom will soon be a wretched wasteland and you'll have to watch as someone else is crowned King of the Dice.Make your kingdom thrive!Step 1: Gain new citizens for your kingdom by fulfilling the various requirements on the cards with three rolls of the dice. Step 2: Special cards provide you with benefits. But watch out for scoundrels and dragons. Step 3: The player with the best citizens at the end wins the game!

Pandemic: Rapid Response

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Medical Real-time

Disaster has struck! Cities around the world are in desperate need of food water vaccines and other supplies. You and your team belong to the Crisis Response Unit (CRU) an elite team of doctors and specialists. With a specially equipped plane you are uniquely capable of providing life-saving aid — anytime anywhere.Pandemic: Rapid Response is a race against time. Roll dice to create supplies fly the plane and make deliveries to cities in need. As the timer counts down you must quickly coordinate and work together to react to new disasters. Will you and your team be able to respond in time?The nations of the world have pooled their resources and assembled a diverse crew. Each of the seven unique role cards features its own ability. The Analyst Adjoua Soro is able to re-roll the dice up to two additional times. The Engineer Soojin Sohn can change any die result with a plane to a different symbol. Take turns as quickly as possible using your role's unique ability and strategically allocating your dice to be as efficient as possible when creating supplies.When you're ready for a new challenge adjust the difficulty level or add crisis cards for a greater variety of obstacles to overcome. Now hurry — the timer is counting down and the world needs your help!—description from the publisher

Orbis

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Civilization Mythology Territory Building

Categories:

Orbis is a tactical game of world development and strategic resource management in which players take on the roles of gods creating their best universes. Utilizing lands lost in the aether players accumulate worshippers to spend on even more fruitful lands — some of which grant game-changing bonuses. The key to victory lies in having the most creation points (CPs) at the end of the game!On your turn you must take a tile from either the nine region tiles in the center of the table or the available God tiles. (A player may take only one God tile throughout the game.) Every time you take a region tile worshippers of the same color as the tile taken are placed on adjacent tiles making the tiles left behind more enticing for the next player. Restrictions apply to region tile placement making each decision tougher than the last!After fifteen rounds the game ends when all players have created their universe at which point CPs are calculated bonus tiles awarded and a winner is crowned. Beautifully simple yet rich in strategy Orbis is a different game each and every time you play it.Become the best god and craft your most prosperous universe!

Kokoro: Avenue of the Kodama

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 1–8

Game Type:

Categories:

Transportation

The enchanted forest of the kodama is flourishing. But with so much growth the ancient paths to the sanctuaries within have become overgrown and lost. Now the forest guardians call upon you their loyal kodama to restore these paths. Help your kodama build these paths gather offerings for the guardians and win their favor.Kokoro is an exciting family game that can be played with up to eight players! Each player has a forest map to draw their paths and turns are simultaneous so the game plays quickly. Connecting your sanctuaries to offerings will gain you favor. Choose wisely because you never know exactly when the sanctuary will score. And you shouldn't be too greedy if a sanctuary is not connected to more offerings than your previous sanctuary you lose points!

Boss Monster: The Dungeon Building Card Game

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Card Game Fantasy Video Game Theme

Categories:

Inspired by a love of classic video games Boss Monster: The Dungeon Building Card Game pits 2-4 players in a competition to build the ultimate side-scrolling dungeon. Players compete to lure and destroy hapless adventurers racing to outbid one another to see who can build the most enticing treasure-filled dungeon. The goal of Boss Monster is to be the first Boss to amass ten Souls which are gained when a Hero is lured and defeated — but a player can lose if his Boss takes five Wounds from Heroes who survive his dungeon.Playing Boss Monster requires you to juggle two competing priorities: the need to lure Heroes at a faster rate than your opponents and the need to kill those Heroes before they reach your Boss. Players can build one room per turn each with its own damage and treasure value. More attractive rooms tend to deal less damage so a Boss who is too greedy can become inundated with deadly Heroes.Players interact with each other by building rooms and playing Spells. Because different Heroes seek different treasure types and rooms are built simultaneously (played face down then revealed) this means that every build phase is a bidding war. Spells are instant-speed effects that can give players advantages or disrupt opponents.As a standalone card game with 155 cards Boss Monster contains everything that 2-4 players need to play.

Survive The Island

Rating: 7.4 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Adventure Fantasy Nautical

Categories:

Survive The Island is a cutthroat game in which players seek to evacuate their adventurers — especially those of a high value — from a sinking island to maximize their score.An island made up of forty hex-tiles is slowly sinking into the ocean as tiles are removed from the board. Each player controls ten people (valued 1-5) that they try to move towards the safety of the surrounding islands before the main island's volcanoes finally erupt. Players can either swim or use rafts to travel but must avoid sea serpents kaiju and sharks on their way to safety.—description from the publisher

King's Forge

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Dice Fantasy Industry / Manufacturing

Categories:

The Chamberlain is searching the realm for a new Craftmaster to the King and sets a contest for all of the smiths and crafters in the land. The first one to forge four items from a list of the King's favorite weapons and trinkets will be honored as First Among Crafters and Smiths. But watch out because the other crafters and smiths will try to outdo you at every opportunity. Are you ready to forge your destiny?In King's Forge players are craftsmen and craftswomen seeking to become the favorite of the King. A variety of dice represent the raw materials (metal wood gems and enchantment) and those same dice can be used to gather new dice and purchase roll-modifiers or saved and rolled in an attempt to meet the requirements to craft the items on the King's list. An early lead is not a sure path to victory and other players will out-maneuver and out-build you whenever possible. Careful dice management advance planning fierce competition and nail-biting luck will carry you to winner's circle.

Welcome to New Las Vegas

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 1–50

Game Type:

Categories:

Rediscover the joy of Welcome To… with a new theme and new mechanisms in Welcome To New Las Vegas!The game plays with a set of two different sheets — one dedicated to the map the other used to keep track of the score and objectives — where you have to build and open casinos in the streets hotels in avenues create golf courses give performances to the tourists and move limousines for VIPs in order to build the greatest and most entertaining city and win the game!Welcome To New Las Vegas keeps the same roll-and-write with dice-without-dice mechanism from Welcome to... Your Perfect Home: you flip cards from three piles to make three different sets with both a casino number and a corresponding action from which everyone chooses one. You use the number to fill in a casino on your street in numerical order. And everyone is racing to be the first to complete public goals. There's lots to do and many paths to becoming the best resort architect in Welcome To New Las Vegas!Because of the communal actions game play is simultaneous and thus supports large groups of players. With many varying strategies and completely randomized action sets no two games will feel the same!

Sea of Clouds

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Card Game Pirates

In Sea of Clouds as captain of a flying pirate ship recruit a cutthroat crew collect relics and unearth the best rum by gathering shares of Loot. Then send your pirates aboard enemy ships to plunder their treasure!In each round of the game players take turns divvying up shares of Loot to gain Rum Relics Objects and Pirates. In some rounds when ships are flying close together they will also clash in a Boarding action using the effects of any Pirates they picked up to gain Doubloons and plunder Loot.On your turn take the first of the three shares of Loot on the table and look at it secretly. You must decide to either take all the cards in the Share then add the top card from the deck face-down to this Loot space or to leave the Share and look at the next one. If you choose to do the latter add the top card from the deck to the Share you declined (or a Doubloon if there's already three cards) thus increasing its value for the next player. If no shares interest you blindly take the top card of the deck.The card backs give you a hint about what’s in the next Shares: Pirates to board other ships legendary Relics to collect Rum to be scored at the end of the game and Items with permanent immediate or secret effects.Every 4 or 5 rounds (depending on the number of players) Boarding action will occur! Add the strength of your Captain and your Pirates apply any bonuses or penalties and face your two neighbors! For each victory your Pirates will gain Doubloons or steal some Loot! After the fight all Pirates are discarded.The game ends after 12 (or 15) rounds. Players then add the value of their Doubloons and their Loot cards to determine who’s the winner.

Zug um Zug: Deutschland

Rating: 7.5 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Trains Travel

Zug um Zug: Deutschland is a stand-alone game in the Game: Ticket to Ride (Official) series. Over the course of the game players collect cards in order to then claim routes on the game board between two cities. Ideally the players create a network of routes that connect the cities showing on their secret ticket cards. Players score points both for claiming routes and for completing tickets with incomplete tickets counting against a player's score. Whoever has the most points at the end of the game wins.Zug um Zug: Deutschland published solely for the German and Austrian market consists of the same map as Ticket to Ride: Märklin – with the game now set at the turn of the 20th century – but the game does not include the passenger mechanism from Märklin in which players scored additional points by moving passengers from city to city. In addition the numbers of destination tickets and train cards differ slightly between the two games.Part of Ticket to Ride series.

The Game: Face to Face

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Categories:

The Game: Face to Face features gameplay similar to The Game with players laying down cards from their hand in ascending and descending piles but now the game is limited to two players who are competing to get rid of their cards first. You want to win on your own but to advance you must inevitably help your opponent...But exactly once per turn you can play a card on one of your opponent’s piles breaking all rules. This ultimately helps them out as it pushes whatever pile you played on away from its upper limit.

Micropolis

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Animals Territory Building

Categories:

Gather your ants in Micropolis and send them through the anthill to do your bidding. What do you want? Fruit? Warriors? A queen? Even more ants?!Each player starts with a central location that will be surrounded by ten tiles over the course of the game with the tiles being connected by a series of tunnels. Over ten rounds players draft tiles one at a time with the player with the largest army going first. They can take the first tile in line or place an ant on each tile they want to pass to get to something better. The tiles have various roles on them: Queens who if alone can improve their space; Nannies who give you extra ant soldiers; Architects who let you take any tile for free; Warriors who attack the first player; Generals who manage the movement of your ant soldiers; and Fruit gatherers who collect fruits which score based on the variety you have.Ants at the end of the game are worth one point each and whoever has the largest army earns an additional 5 points.

Unlock!: Secret Adventures – A Noside Story

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 1–6

Game Type:

Categories:

Noside has returned to ruin your day! A thick smoke lingers over the region — it must be another trick of Noside. It's up to you to stop him before it's too late! A Noside Story is a brand new Unlock! adventure for up to six players.Unlock! is a series of escape adventures for up to six players. With one hour on the clock players work through a deck of sixty cards as a team searching for clues combining objects and solving puzzles. The free Unlock! companion app runs the timer while also providing clues offering hints and confirming successes. Once the team has reached a solution and entered the correct code into the app they will escape and win the game!

Ghosts of Christmas

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 3–4

Game Type:

Categories:

As winter blows in and ghosts start to appear play tricks to the past present and future.As turns progress your foes will play - out of order - to any of these time periods and you will start to figure out who might lead each trick. Even though you can play to the tricks in any order the tricks will resolve based on who was leading. Can you figure out who will be leading or manipulate the leader to set yourself up to win tricks?Points are awarded to whomever has correctly bid on the number of tricks they thought they'd win. If you’ve played as many hands as there are players the game is now over otherwise keep playing! Whoever has the highest score and collected the most wreaths wins the game!—description from publisherTime Palatrix is a trick-taking game played in four rounds of three tricks each. First the cards are dealt out and players bid on how many tricks they think they will win. Each player has a mat with three numbered spaces for cards and on their turn plays a card in one of those spaces. If that card is the first to be played in that number space it sets the suit for that space. Other players must follow suit on that space or play on a different space. Once all three tricks are complete the winners are determined the cards are cleared and the next round begins. Points are awarded if you correctly bid on the number of tricks you won.—user summary

Ticket to Ride: Amsterdam

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Trains

Ticket to Ride: Amsterdam features the familiar gameplay from the Ticket to Ride game series — collect cards claim routes draw tickets — but on a map of 17th century Amsterdam that allows you to complete a game in no more than 15 minutes.You are in the middle of the Gouden Eeuw the Dutch Golden Age. Amsterdam is the beating heart of global trade and the wealthiest city on Earth. Goods from around the world are piling up on the docks in ship holds in warehouses and on the banks of its countless canals. You mean to profit from this!Each player starts with a supply of 16 carts two transportation cards in hand and one or two trade contract tickets that show locations in the Amsterdam market. On a turn you either draw two transportation cards from the deck or the display of five face-up cards (or you take one face-up wild card which counts as all six colors in the game); or you claim a route on the board by discarding cards that match the color of the route being claimed (with any set of cards allowing you to claim a gray route); or you draw two trade contract tickets and keep at least one of them.Whenever you complete a route that has carts depicted on it with these primarily being on the perimeter of the city you claim a merchandise bonus card.Players take turns until someone has no more than two carts in their supply then each player takes one final turn including the player who triggered the end of the game. Players then sum their points scoring points for the routes that they've claimed during the game the trade contract tickets that they've completed (by connecting the two locations on a ticket by a continuous line of their carts) and their standing among those who hold merchandise bonus cards. Whoever holds the most cards collects 8 points with other players collecting fewer points. You lose points for any uncompleted contract tickets then whoever has the high score wins!

Tokyo Highway

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Categories:

Note: This is for the 2-player version of Tokyo Highway. For the four player version please go here: Tokyo HighwayIn Tokyo Highway players compete to place all of their cars on the road — but to do that they will first have to build the roadways!Over the course of the game players construct columns of varying heights by using the 66 squat cylinders in the box then connect those columns with sticks that serve as roadways with the columns not necessarily being the same height when connected. If a stretch of highway is placed well you can place one or more cars on it to score.Description:Goal of the GameYou must construct a highway and place all your cars on the highway by crossing your opponent’s roads. The first player to place all 10 cars is the winner.Playing the GameYou have three things to do during your turn.① Constructing a pillar Pick a location to construct a pillar. You may freely choose the construction point as long as your pillar is reachable from the base point. A base point is the location of a pillar or junction constructed in previous turn. The height of the pillar must be 1 above or 1 below the base point. You may not construct a pillar of the same height 2 stories above or below the height of a base point (following is an exception - 6. Constructing a Junction).② Constructing a road A new road must rest between the base point and the pillar constructed in phase ①. You may adjust the position of the pillar when placing a road. Roads may not cross over previously placed pillars.③ Placing cars on highway When conditions are met you may place a car on the road (Refer to – 5. Conditions for Car Placement). Your turn ends with your opponent’s judge. If there is a problem it must be sorted out on the spot.Game goes on repeating ① to ③ alternately. You may no longer adjust the position of your pillar road or car once your opponent constructs a new pillar.Conditions for Car PlacementThe chance to place a car on the highway occurs only to the newest road you construct. To place a car your newest road must cross your opponent’s road. There are two ways to cross your opponent’s road: crossing over or crossing under it.When crossing over : there exist no other roads over opponent’s roadWhen crossing under : there exist no other roads under opponent’s roadWhen either of the conditions is met you may place a car on the highway. If not you may not place a car but may still connect the road to the next pillar.If the road crosses multiple roads you may place multiple cars depending on the number of roads crossed.crossing over two roads at the same time crossing over and crossing under two roads at the same time【Caution】・ You may not place a car when crossing over/under your own road. ・ You may not place a car on already constructed roads later on in the game. Keep the traffic rules and enjoy driving!Constructing a Junction The yellow pillar is called the junction. Using a junction you may do the following.① Increase or decrease the height of the pillar by any number You may increase or decrease the height of your pillar regardless of the height of the pillar at the base point. However you need to have at least one gray pillar under the junction. You may only construct a pillar of one more or less stories as usual in the following turn.Be careful if the road angle is too steep you’ll have trouble placing cars!② Branching out to two-ways You may branch out your highway from a junction anytime during the game.Constructing Exit to HighwayIf you can ground a road safely to the table from a height of 1 pillar you have created an exit to your highway. You may place an additional car as a bonus point on the exit road. If the road crosses your opponent’s road(s) while grounding you may place multiple cars on the road. You cannot start a new road from the exit.PenaltyIf you drop your opponent’s car or road during construction you must hand over your pillars to your opponent as penalty. You must offer a number of pieces equivalent to the materials you dropped. Game proceeds only after the parts are fixed by the player responsible. There is no penalty for dropping your own pieces.End of the Game1. When all 10 cars are placed on the highway The first player to finish all 10 cars is the winner.2. When construction materials run out If you are out of construction materials you must wait for your opponent to finish the next turn. If the opponent finishes the turn with no penalty the player with no more construction materials is the loser.

Tinderblox

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Action / Dexterity Adventure Party Game

Categories:

The fun mint-tin sized dexterity game that gamers and non-gamers will love!Tinderblox sets players in a campfire setting where each player will attempt to grow the fire. But watch out! Place the blocks badly and you risk burning down the camp!Each turn players draw a card from the campfire deck which instructs them to place a log an ember or any combination of them in various orientations on top of the campfire. Players use tweezers to play with fire and if you drop anything you're considered a fire hazard and you're removed from the game. The player who is the most careful with fire wins!Differences between Tinderblox Day Night and Sunset: Tinderblox Day is the original game. Tinderblox Night is a limited edition version which includes more challenging cards. Tinderblox Sunset includes the Marshmallow mini-expansion (otherwise sold separately) and is made from FSC-compliant materials.

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Card Game Science Fiction

Categories:

Mint Delivery

Rating: 6.2 | Players: 1–5

Game Type:

Economic Industry / Manufacturing

Categories:

Mint Delivery is a mint tin-sized pick-up-and-deliver board game designed to be quick-to-play and easy-to-learn.In the game players take the role of a mint delivery truck driver driving around the area taking orders for mints then delivering them. Each player has two actions on their turn such as moving loading their truck and upgrading the mints they are carrying.Once enough orders have been fulfilled the game ends. Whoever has fulfilled the highest value of orders will be deemed the employee of the month and win.

The Lost Code

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

The Lost Code is a smart deduction game from 2 to 4 players in which you’ll have to figure out which numbers stand on your display while seeing only other player’ numbers! Score the most points you can during the game by placing the right bets on your numbers but don’t lose your final goal: deduce your numbers!

Sonar Family

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Deduction Fighting Nautical Real-time

Categories:

In the depths of the ocean two submarine crews are engaged in a silent war enemies forever.SONAR Family is a submarine battle game in which two teams operate a different submarine. Each player plays a crew member: the Captain or the Radio Operator. The game comes with 4 Double-sided Captain Sheets and 4 Double-sided Radio Operator Sheets. These are maps that are dry erase and are used to track movement and find the opposing team to sink their submarine. The two teams are divided by a screen blocking the view of each team’s maps.If one of the two submarines loses its second structure point its team loses immediately. The team who sunk the submarine wins the game!

Bacon

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 3–6

Game Type:

Categories:

Bacon is a fixed-partnerships climbing game for 4 or 6 players that is all about going out early as a team. The only team that will score is the team that goes out first but their score will depend on when the rest of the team goes out. If your team does NOT go out first your job is simple: make the other team go out as late as possible.The rules also include the Applewood variant for 3 to 6 players: this is the no-partnerships version of Bacon. There are no teams; it’s every person for themselves. Your score will depend solely on the position you go out so go out early.

For Sale Autorama

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 3–6

Game Type:

Card Game Economic Transportation

Categories:

For Sale Autorama is a quick fun game about buying and selling vehicles: cars motorcycles RVs semi-trucks etc. During the game's three distinct phases players first bid to hire advisors with those advisors then assisting them in the other two phases of the game when the players purchase several vehicles then attempt to sell them for the greatest profit possible.—description from publisher

Nile DeLuxor

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Ancient Card Game Farming Print & Play

Categories:

Nile DeLuxor is a reprint of the card game Nile that includes a new expansion in the box. The expansion adds several new cards including two new crop types monuments and turn counter cards. The number of players is also expanded to allow for as many as 6.Nile DeLuxor is available as a published version and a print and play edition through Minion games. The published version is a complete game that includes original Nile and the expansion.

Rattlebones

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Welcome girls and boys. My name is Rattlebones and you have been cordially invited to spend the day at my Fabulous Festival of Dice! Play games! Win prizes! Ride the train! I'll be wandering about the park and if you're the first one to find me you win! Won't that be delightful?Rattlebones is a game about transforming dice. You start with standard six-sided dice and throughout the course of the game you can remove sides and replace them with other sides that let you do all sorts of wonderful things. Every time you score points you get closer to finding Rattlebones and er winning the game. Yes winning! It's an experience to six-sided-die for!Game Summary Setup - Place the Rattlebones meeple at 55 60 or 65 VP space (for 2-4 players). Players each get 3 d6 (black white gray) -- basic d6 but the '1' is replaced by Rattlebones. - Place random tiles on the empty spaces on the board.Your Turn Roll a die. May spend 1-2 gold to roll an extra 1-2 dice. Then use each die one at a time: - if Rattlebones shows move Rattlebones back one space; game ends immediately if it hits a player score marker and most points wins. - if pips or Rattlebones showing move one of your pawns clockwise that many spaces (RB=1) and use the space you land on. Typically you may add a die face matching that space to the die you used (replace any face except Rattlebones). - otherwise take whatever action the face allows (e.g. earn a stock marker or star token which you may later turn in for VP; earn VP; steal stuff from other people; etc.).

Pirate Fluxx

Rating: 6.2 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Categories:

Card Game Pirates

Fluxx with a pirate twist. Getting the Captain's Hat allows you to have a good bit of control but watch out for Scurvy and Shackles which will keep you from winning. Grab lots of Booty keepers maybe some Ships and expect a few new Surprise cards along the way. (From playing the game demo at Origins 2010)A pirate themed variant of Fluxx this game is much like the original. Simply follow the rules that are currently in play. Start by drawing a card and playing a card but even those can be changed. There's no way to win at the begining but once a Goal card is played you have to play the appropriate Keeper cards in front of you or play other cards to keep them away from everyone else like Steal a Keeper or play a new goal card to replace the old one.New to Fluxx are the Surprise cards which can be played at any time to cancel certain plays or steal a keeper as played.

Lions of Lydia

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Ancient City Building Economic

Categories:

The ancient world is changing. The kingdom of Lydia has minted the world’s first gold coin. Bartering and trading will soon be supplanted by coins as the dominant medium of exchange throughout civilization...Lions of Lydia is a bag-management and engine-building game about the dawn of currency. As an influential leader you send merchants out to barter for resources and increase your landholdings. When the nobles arrive they bring their Lydian Lion coins into play—which have unparalleled buying power.To achieve victory you must manage the merchants in your bag and complement their abilities with the cards in your tableau. Traditional merchants produce basic resources which are necessary to build your engine—but if you fail to convert your resources into coins you will not be able to buy the most valuable cards! Thus noble Lydian merchants—and their golden Lion coins—are the key to success. When enough properties are developed the game ends and a winner is declared!Will you draft the best merchants to achieve your goals? Will you be the first to gain the most valuable properties? Will you master the new golden currency: the Lions of Lydia?—description from publisher

Periodic: A Game of The Elements

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Economic Educational

In Periodic: A Game of the Elements players collect sets of elements and advance their research by moving through the periodic table. Players use energy to activate periodic trends and move in the corresponding directions. The conservation of energy forces players to spend carefully and play efficiently. The game ends when someone completes the research track or when a stack of goal cards is depleted. The player with the most victory points at the end of the game wins!

Agility

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Categories:

The sky breaks blue and bright over a mouth-watering field of obstacles. You’ve adopted loved and trained your team of Agility Dogs to share in the joys of a day just like this. Their exuberance is catching as they prepare to breathtakingly weave the poles sail over hurdles blast through tunnels round corners at top speed with fur a-tussle and harness lightning while waiting for your cue on the trust-testing pause box. Your Husky's glacier blue eyes are clear and focused your Golden Retriever mirrors the sun with radiant energy and the feisty little Jack Russell pup is ready to run with the big dogs. Test your wit and instincts in this two-player game of vision and versatility!Agility applies a unique mechanic in which cards that supply resources also select actions. On your turn you play a Training Card that provides one of two types of resources in varying quantities while also granting an action building off of what your opponent just played. This encourages clever planning and timing. Training you need may be at odds with the action you’d like so weighing your options will be crucial. Resources may be used to adopt dogs or to clear obstacles on the three courses you've drafted from the six available each game. Courses can only be claimed once a dog is adopted so there is a race within a race to snatch up Wonderdogs or Underdogs well suited to the available courses. Then it’s nip and tuck as the canine competitors bound over under and through to the finish lines!

The Game of 49

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Starting with $49 apiece players in The Game of 49 bid to buy spaces on the 49-square (7-by-7) game board. Randomly drawn number cards are auctioned one at a time with the highest bidder placing a chip on the matching board space. Wild/Payoff cards give players a choice of where to place their chip and also award cash to all players for their chips on the board: $7 per chip with a maximum payoff of $49.The first player to claim four spaces in a row in any direction wins.Zillionaires on Mars and Zillionaires: Road Trip USA keep the same gameplay as in the game's original release but with dollar values now in the zillions as players bid for lots on Mars or roadside attractions alongside U.S. highways.Luck: The Game offers the same gameplay in a handy travel bag with the game board printed right on the bag. Theme is based on the Skydance movie Luck released on Apple+ August 5 2022.

Henchmania

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Card Game Humor Medieval

In this cross between Game Of Thrones and Monty Python become a medieval Lord and puppet master and use your monstrous and loyal henchmen who will do ANYTHING to help their master satiate his thirst for prestige!Henchmania is a strategic board game taking place in an odd medieval universe. Each player is the Lord of one family among four. With the help of your loyal henchmen capture parts of the city and use your influence to win the battle! The objective is to win as many prestige points as possible in four days or to be the first player to reach 30 prestige points. There are many ways to earn (and also lose) prestige points! At the end of each day everyone counts their points before the beginning of the next day.So battle strut pray denigrate... It's a no-holds-barred war to become the new seneschal of Montfleury!

Flyin' Goblin

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Attack! Catapult your goblin soldiers and plunder the riches of the castle! Gold and diamonds reward the best shots but each room is full of surprises...not all of which are pleasant!To win you will have to fully build you totem first OR accumulate the necessary amount of diamonds!In a round you will perform the following actions in sequence: - Everyone catapults their goblinsThen each players takes turn and: - Retrieve their goblins and apply the effects of the rooms they fell into. - Check if a player fulfilled an end game condition. - Recruit new goblins from their Army board.From round to round spend your earnings buy extra troops and go back to battle! The bravest will build their totem on top of the castle! It will prove your superiority... if it survives the attacks of course.

Sewer Pirats

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Animals Miniatures Pirates

Categories:

Translated from the publisher's website:Deep below the world of wasteful humans lies another yet uncharted world oblivious of the ado of surface dwellers. Only the most courageous creatures from the world above will descend to the mysteries of the underground and board one of the legendary sewer frigates to challenge destiny and to amass immeasurable treasures.In Sewer Pirats deep underground in a maze of domed caverns narrow tunnels and piped passages a motley cast of rodents insects and other vermin sail the treacherous waters of human refuse aboard bizarre vessels in search of discarded booty. In order to claim the best haul from the abandoned flotsam players must make careful use of the unique abilities of their crews' rats cockroaches weasels and other critters. Don't settle for less than left-over fast food and dumped toys. Go for your goal to become a true legend among the sewer pirates.Players compete in deception and tactics to fill the best positions aboard the three pirate frigates. A pirate's rank determines his share of the expected loot – but even the best crew ain't worth nothing without their talismans. Each of the three frigates has its special fetish and no pirate would dare to board her without the matching talisman for fear of terrific calamities.Sewer Pirats includes three levels of difficulty as well as thirty detailed pirate figures twenty Color-Click™ bases and a rich assortment of game boards tokens and cards. Starter rules get you into the game quickly and a Crew Member Auction variant increases the strategic depth and lighthearted action.

OctoDice

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Categories:

The theme of OctoDice is based on Aquasphere and the game mechanisms recall that board game. On your turn you roll six dice (three white and three black); two dice (one white and one black) form an action. Every roll you must pick exactly two dice to take out (any colour). In the end you combine the six dice any way you want no matter in which order you chose to take them out of your rolls beforehand. You can use only two actions on your turn. On your development sheet you enter the actions chosen for this turn and note your points. You can also decide to expand your lab which will give you bonus actions or points. Other players may pick any action combination from your dice roll to add to their sheet. Do not forget to fight Octopodes. The game ends when each player has 6 turns. The player with the most points wins.

Garden Nation

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Area Majority / Influence

Categories:

In Garden Nation the four clans wish to build a city on the seven territories of the garden but each is trying to gain the upper hand.In the game you construct buildings by rearranging coffee pots or bird feeders to complete official projects and secret missions. Each new floor costs more and more inhabitants. However once the goal is reached the colors of these people float there thus validating these common projects. The other leaders might not let this stand however and will invade the buildings of opponents to try to take them back. To impose your choices on others you must master the art of this war deciding who will play after you and where they will have to go.Your main actions during play are to build or abandon a building; validate a common project; and move the Torgrue then choose the next player. Over the course of play the 3D city progressively grows on the board with the location of your action determining where the next action will be carried out and with you deciding who will act.

10 Minute Heist: The Wizard's Tower

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

In 10 Minute Heist: The Wizard's Tower players take turns moving their pawns from room to room stealing items. Players compete for most paintings artifacts jewels and fossils. Players also compete for the most items valued at 3 4 and 5. The first player to exit receives bonus points so it's a race to the finish while simultaneously trying to get sets of items to maximize points. Be careful not to accumulate too many cursed items because they're worth negative points at the end of the game!

Combo Fighter

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Bluffing Card Game Fighting Video Game Theme

Categories:

Called to an exclusive competition on an offshore oil rig by an eccentric billionaire the world's best brawlers and martial artists will compete for lavish prizes and the glory of proving that they are the strongest and most skilled.In Combo Fighter you will play as one of these fighters competing to become the ultimate champion. You will have your own unique 50-card deck and set of combos to bring against your opponents. Each hit removes cards from your hand and deck and the first to run out of cards is defeated!Key Points - Fast Fun Arcade style action card-game! - Learn in 2 minutes and each game plays in 10 minutes. - Many different fighter match-ups to try and wield against your friends.

Boss Monster: Rise of the Minibosses

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Card Game Fantasy Video Game Theme

Categories:

Looks like there's a new threat rising in the land of Arcadia: Minibosses! Boss Monster: Rise of the Minibosses is an all new standalone set that can integrate with the previous two Boss Monster Base sets and all previous expansions.As before players will build up their dungeon (with graphics inspired by classic videogames) in order to lure in heroes and defeat them before they reach your boss. New mechanisms such as the all new miniboss room cards will power up your dungeon in insidious new ways and wreak havoc on your opponents' dungeons.—description from the publisher

Monopoly Gamer

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Economic Video Game Theme

Categories:

Description from the publisher:It's the Monopoly game with a Nintendo twist as it joins forces with beloved Nintendo video game characters. Instead of standard Monopoly tokens the game features Super Mario characters each with their own special powers within gameplay. Play as Mario Princess Peach Yoshi or Donkey Kong. Finish the game by defeating Bowser at the end! It's not just about money in this game; players earn points by buying Properties collecting Coins and beating Bosses. The player with the highest score wins the game.Features Nintendo's Super Mario characters Coins replace Monopoly money Power-up die activates special abilities Battle legendary Bosses

La Viña

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

The grape pickers are fighting to inherit a magnificent but nearly abandoned vineyard. Whoever is able to harvest the best grape yield from the vines will become the owner of this precious land.In La Viña the players advance along the board collecting cards with the most interesting grapes. To collect the cards you advance along a track that represents the rows of a vineyard. Each track has a series of different grape cards on either side and you are allowed to choose the cards next to the space you are on or next to the space you move to. Each turn you can choose a card and advance or advance and choose a card.At the end of the track there are different wineries (each preferring a different kind of grape variety). Get the best reward for your harvest from the local wineries by matching your hand of grapes with their needs. If the players go quickly they may get the best cards but risk not having enough grapes. If they go too slow the competition can beat them to the best vines!Selling your grapes to the wineries gets the players prestige points and each player has a limited amount of deliveries. The end game triggers when a player makes their last grape delivery. The other players can finish moving through their track. Then everyone counts their prestige points gained through their previous deliveries and the player with the most points wins!—description from the publisher

Lost Legacy: Second Chronicle – Vorpal Sword & Whitegold Spire

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Bluffing Card Game Deduction

Categories:

In the distant past a starship from a faraway world appeared in the sky. Damaged in battle the craft broke apart and traced lines of fire across the horizon. These falling stars crashed to the surface and in the ages to come became enshrined in legends as the Lost Legacy. Discover where the Lost Legacy can be found and win the game!Lost Legacy: Second Chronicle contains two sets of game cards: Vorpal Sword and Whitegold Spire. Each set can be played independently or mixed together with other sets to create a unique custom set.As for how to play Lost Legacy is a game of risk deduction and luck for 2–4 players. You start the game with one card in hand from a deck of sixteen cards. On a turn you do the following:By combining different Lost Legacy sets (while keeping only a single Lost Legacy card in play) up to six players can compete at the same time.

Yardmaster

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Card Game Print & Play Trains Transportation

Categories:

The freight is rolling into the yard and it's up to you the Yardmaster to organize and manage it making sure everything is where it's supposed to be and readying the trains for departure.In Yardmaster 2-5 players compete to build trains comprised of railcars of different goods and values. However players are restricted in connecting railcars of only the same value or good type so if you grab a railcar you can't use it needs to wait in your sorting yard until it can legitimately hook up to your train.Five cargo cards provide bonus actions during play such as paying less for new railcars or drawing free cargo cards. The first player to reach 16 points in a 2-3 player game or 18 points in a 4-5 player game wins.

Magic Maze on Mars

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 1–6

Game Type:

Exploration Maze Real-time Science Fiction

Categories:

The first settlers of mars are arriving soon but the colony is not ready yet! You are the robots that are trying to build the colony before the settlers arrive. The goal in Magic Maze on Mars is to build domes where the settlers can live then to guide them to their domes when they arrive. When time runs out they are out of oxygen.To begin place the starting tile in the middle of the table. Deal out the appropriate action tiles and shuffle the four A tiles in a pile face down.Creating resources: A player with blue on their action tile can always create blue resources at the blue factory so long as a resource is not already there. The player simply takes a blue resource from the bank and places it on the resource station next to the factory. The resources of other colors are built on the factories of their color with these factories becoming available when you build new tiles.Moving resources: Players can move resources along the roads with a color that they have on their action tile. A player might have an action tile that shows red and orange so they can move resources along red and orange roads. You move resources from one station to another but each station can hold only one resource and resources cannot move through a station that holds another resource.Note: When moving resources you must physically move the resource all the way so the other players can see what is happening. Even if there is a long stretch of road that you are able to move on you cannot move the resource directly.Building new tiles: To do this you need to have a resource of the station's color on the station e.g. a blue resource on a blue station. Once the resource is there a player with this color on their action tile can remove the resource and place the top tile face up at the position. Place the tile with the small arrow pointing from where it was build.Watching the time: As in Magic Maze players have a time limit in Magic Maze on Mars. To flip the sand timer you must move any resource onto a timer space. Return the resource to the bank and place a timer token on the timer space to show that it cannot be used again. By doing this you send a signal to the settlers that the colony is not ready yet; they will then orbit Mars once more before landing but they can't do this indefinitely.Building domes: Some tiles have spaces available for domes. In order to build a dome you need to place the depicted resources on the dome spot e.g. green yellow and red. When all the necessary resources are placed on the dome any player can put all the resources back in the bank and place a dome (taken from the communication board).When you have built all the domes the settlers arrive. Place all the settlers on the rocket. Then move the settlers just like you move resources. You have won as soon as one settler inhabits each dome. There cannot be more than one settler on each station and they cannot walk through resources. Once the settlers arrive you can no longer flip the sand timer! (It does not help to send them messages about orbiting Mars since they are already here.) If time runs out you have lost.—description from publisher

Superclub: The football manager board game

Rating: 7.7 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Sports

Superclub is a premium football manager boardgame where you compete face-to-face with the ones you love...to beat.You’re the newly appointed manager of a top flight football club. A decent club not a great one. Certainly not a Superclub although becoming one is the objective. The question is: Can you manage?The game is divided in off-season and season. In off-season you go through finance develop talents scout for the next stars invest in bigger facilities and key staff. And off course buy squad improvements on deadline day.When the season starts you choose a strategy against you opponents you play matches with your manager folders and dices. You will challenge injuries and draw both positive and negative game changer cards.There are two ways to crown the winning manager. The first one to reach 100 points. Or a manager wins three season in a row and beats his/her contender in the Supercup.—description from the publisher

Batman: The Animated Series – Gotham City Under Siege

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 1–5

Game Type:

Comic Book / Strip Dice Fighting Miniatures Movies / TV / Radio theme

Categories:

Gotham City’s most infamous villains have put the city into peril once again. Now Batman Robin Batgirl Commissioner Gordon and the Gotham City Police Department along with the unlikely aid of Catwoman are all that stands between restoring peace and the total destruction of Gotham City!Designed by Richard Launius and Michael Guigliano BATMAN – The Animated Series: Gotham City Under Siege is a cooperative game for 1 to 5 players Each player takes on the role of a powerful Gotham City super hero and must defend the city over the course of four acts with each act inspired by episodes from the first season of the show. Players will need to work together to find the right balance between completing challenging story cards or taking down the villains and masterminds running rampant in the streets!

Nyakuza

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Auction / Bidding Auction: Sealed Bid Closed Economy Auction Connections Turn Order: Auction

Categories:

Nyakuza is a competitive game for 2-4 players. Each player is the head of a Cat Yakuza Clan vying for control over the fishing industry. Get ahead of the competition! Bid for Boats to go out and net the freshest catch in the Bay and establish your seafood Stalls before your rivals. The first Clan to build their Grand Market Stall wins the game!Control the Fishing Industry Around Oki-Yo BayThe waters of Oki-Yo Bay are teeming with fish. Such a lucrative spot would be a great place to set up operations for the different Nyakuza Clan. But in the end only one can be top-cat. In Nyakuza players take on the role of heads of their respective Nyazuka clan. They will bid for boats that will catch the freshest fish out in the bay then sell them in their seafood Stalls. Each player is racing to build their own Grand Market Stall first which will prove that they are the best clan and win the game.

Fast Forward: FORTRESS

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Bluffing Card Game Fantasy Fighting Humor Math

A great fortress looms in the distance...and it must be yours! Accept the challenge against all others to conquer the Fortress!FORTRESS is a game about taking risks and out-witting and bluffing your friends to become the dominant ruler of the kingdom.You start a Fast Forward game without reading a rules booklet in advance! Just grab some fellow gamers and discover the rules while playing. The Fast Forward series uses the Fable Game system introduced in Fabled Fruit: With the presorted deck of cards you will discover all cards and rules as you play. It will take twelve games of FORTRESS before your group has explored the entire system. It can then be reset and played again by the same or different groups!FORTRESS is the second of four completely different games in the Fast Forward Series!

North Wind

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Nautical Pirates

Game description from the publisher:In the adventure game North Wind cities are suffering heavily under constant raids from pirates. As freelance trade captains the players bring food and other goods to the cities in addition to fighting the pirates whenever they encounter them. Fighting without cannons leads to poor results however and cannons are expensive. With each success though a player can better equip his three-dimensional ship and strengthen his crew.In the end the player who finds the best mix of trading and fighting will prove to be the victorious captain.

Sheep & Thief

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Breed some sheep and watch them prosper but watch out for those shifty sheep thieves.This is a drafting type game. Players can play sheep cards to add sheep to the board or play the sheepdog card to herd the sheep into their pens. Once they are in the pens they are safe. If a thief card is played the thieves will move if the encounter a sheep they will steal the sheep.

Stew

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Deduction Farming

Stew is a push-your-luck partial knowledge game. You and your fellow players take on the role of a farmer collecting items from the garden to make a stew. There are six vermin that want to eat your stew before you do. Draw a card and add it to your stew or feed some of the vermin to protect your pot. Make sure you do not wait too long or your fellow farmers might eat your stew.Released in the April 2018 Board Game of the Month Club $20+ package.

Mechanica

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Industry / Manufacturing Puzzle Science Fiction

Categories:

Mechanica Inc. will make the world spotless with their Tidybots: ambitious vacuum robots made for global DOMINATION cleanliness! Humans are messy. It’s time they got some help!Build the best Tidybot factory and ship out as many Tidybots as possible to prepare for (the definitely harmless) OPERATION CLEANUP. The player who has sold the most money worth of Tidybots wins!Mechanica is a game of tile-laying and engine building. Each player buys puzzle piece-shaped machines and slots them together to form their factory. The different machines all improve the Tidybots your factory can make: building new Tidybots upgrading them copying them and more. There are many strategies for putting your machines together and everyone has fun trying to build the perfect factory!Players compete to buy the best machines for their factory at the best prices while running their factories shipping out Tidybots for profit completing specialty bot blueprints to fill their vaults with money and turning the rotating shop wheel.Awards & Honors:BostonFIG Fest // 2019 - Most Innovative

Push It

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Action / Dexterity Children's Game

Categories:

Push It is a 2 to 4 player skill game that you can play anywhere with a smooth table. Push your pucks closest to the jack to win!Push It is a tense game of skill that can be played anywhere. To win push flick or judo-chop your pucks so they are closest to the central jack at the end of the round. Sound simple? Well it is! Find any smooth surface (tables are ideal and luckily most people have them) whip out your Push It bag and play with whoever is up to the challenge. The game is quick to learn but hard to master. Come up against a Push It maestro and you’ll soon be put in your place (Warning: friendships can suffer as direct result of Push It). Play Push It either mano-a-mano 3 player 4 player or our favourite and most strategic version is two teams of two.At Push It we want you to unleash your creativity so there are no long-winded rules or measuring; players have to argue amongst themselves to agree whose puck is closest or else a ‘Push Off’ tie-break round decides. Only you can tell if that was really ‘cheek lifting’ and not ‘bum shuffling’. It’s all about having your own house rules playing on different surfaces like car bonnets or pizza trays (tried and tested) and WINNING. So when the pressure is on and you’re going for that extra point (without knocking your opponent’s puck closer) try to remember – it’s just for fun!!

Rory's Story Cubes: Voyages

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 1–12

Game Type:

Children's Game Dice Educational Humor Party Game Puzzle

Categories:

Roll the cubes begin with Far far away... start with the first symbol to grab your attention and tell a story that links together all nine face-up images. There is no wrong answer as the goal is to let the images spark your imagination.Rory's Story Cubes: Voyages – a pocket-sized set of nine cubes depicting 54 icons to inspire epic adventure – is the second expansion set for Rory's Story Cubes while also being a standalone item. Made to the same high quality as the original set the cubes are inked in dark green to allow for easy sorting if you choose to use more than one set during play.As with Rory's Story Cubes you can play Voyages as a game for one or more players as a party game for three or more or as an improv game in which each player contributes part of the story picking up where the last one left off. Win award points for speedy delivery inventiveness imagination drama and humor.Integrates with

Spectaculum

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Game description from the publisher:Immerse yourself in the colorful world of fortune-tellers and snake dancers. Visit a time when traveling circuses of men women and beasts were able to enchant entire villages by means of feats songs and stories.In Spectaculum you determine the paths on which four traveling shows journey through an entire kingdom. On their travels the entertainers are acknowledged with much applause but may also get some jeers for poor performances. You determine which shows are worthy of your financial support but be careful of which entertainers you sponsor - only those with successful shows can help fill your coffers. Whoever turns out to be the most prudent patron by amassing the greatest wealth wins the game.

Noah

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

In Noah (Noé in the French original) the flood is at hand and to save as many species as possible Noah will need your help – with only the most deserving of players being saved from the waters!Each round players start with eight animal cards in hand; five ferries are laid out in a circle with one animal placed on board from the top of the deck. Noah himself stands on one ferry. On a turn a player plays one card from hand onto the ferry where Noah is located following two rules: (1) the total weight of all animals on board cannot exceed 21 and (2) animals on a ferry must be placed either in alternating gender order or must be all of the same gender. After placing an animal the player moves Noah to a different ferry; if he played a female animal Noah goes to either adjacent ferry while if he played a male Noah goes to either ferry on the other side of the circle.If a player can't legally play an animal he must first take in hand all the animals on the ferry where Noah is located then play an animal.In addition to moving Noah to a nearly full ferry players have two other ways to benefit themselves or mess with other players. If a player plays an animal of the same species as the one last played on that ferry (regardless of gender) he moves Noah then takes another turn. If a player brings the weight of a ferry to exactly 21 that ferry launches from shore to meet the ark located in distant waters a new ferry becomes available for loading and the player distributes 1–4 cards from his hand among his opponents. finally some cards have special animals such as the giraffe that lets you peek at an opponent's hand and the woodpecker which stupidly pokes holes in the ferry and reduces its maximum weight to 13. Bad woodpecker bad!The round ends when a player runs out of cards in hand or a fourth ferry launches. Players receive penalty points for cards still in hand scored according to the number of tears on each card those tears representing Noah's sadness at the animal being left behind. Then players shuffle all the animal cards and begin a new round. The player with the fewest points after three rounds wins!

Don't Go In There

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Card Game Horror

It's a fast easy-to-learn game that uses push your luck set destruction. Decide how risky to play as you venture deep into the haunted house. Do you take first choice of the items and risk attracting haunts or play it safe? Collect the right items and you can dispel some of your curses.On your turn choose a part of the haunted house to explore by placing a meeple in one of the 3 rooms. Each room has 5 placement spaces. The deeper you go into a room the more likely you are to get the cursed item you desire but be careful! The further you go the more ghosts will haunt you.When 3 meeples have been placed into a room the ghost dice are rolled. Depending on the result the placement of the meeples players will gain ghosts tokens. Next players will take cards from the room depending on their meeple's position.At the end of the game. The player with the most ghost tokens is haunted! They will gain curses equal to the number of ghosts they have collected. Players will then add up the curses from their ghosts and their item cards.The player with the fewest curses wins!

Friese's Landlord

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Card Game City Building Humor

Categories:

Landlord is back! This first work of Friedemann Friese from 1992 has never lost its appeal with gamers worldwide and now you may at last blast buildings kill tenants and cause trouble for your fellow players.In Friese's Landlord you are all ruthless landlords trying to earn as much money as you can. All sorts of tenants move into your houses: the family a man with a dog sometimes even odd ones. All tenants dream of getting a premium apartment but most often you offer them low rent flats. But beware of squatters! With the help of various action cards you try to get essential advantages or defend yourself against mean attacks at the expense of your fellow players if necessary – or even the poor tenants!Friese's Landlord includes 120 full-colored cards with new tenants brand-new coins and a fully updated rules sheet.In the end the player who squeezes the most money out of his tenants still wins!

Wonder Woods

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Bluffing

Fall is here the woods have been watered by the rain and the mushrooms have sprouted! You and your green-fingered friends are ready to go to your favorite mushroom patches to pick girolles morels boletes and Parasol mushrooms! Be careful though there are others who have found these secret mushroom patches! Use your talent for mushroom picking to make sure you have the most delicious harvest!Will you have the most delicious harvest?—description from the publisher

Copenhagen: Roll & Write

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Puzzle

Copenhagen: Roll & Write features gameplay similar to the Copenhagen board game but with players now finishing the facade of their building thanks to the colors shown on rolled dice not drafted and played cards.In the game each player has a paper scoresheet that shows a building and five colored lines of boxes. A sheet in the center of the playing area shows various polyomino tiles in those same five colors with tiles of two and three spaces on one side of a central divider and tiles of four and five spaces on the other side. The game includes five six-sided dice that feature the above mentioned five colors on five of their sides as well as a sixth color that serves as a joker. Each player starts with two red stars on their scoresheet; you can spend one of these stars on your turn to reroll as many dice as you wish.On a turn you roll the five dice. If you have rerolls in reserve you can use them if you wish. You then choose a group of dice in a single color then you see the shape of the polyomino that corresponds to this choice then you draw that polyomino on the facade of the building with the polyomino needing to rest on the bottom of the building area. One space in this polyomino is brick (represented by an X) while the other spaces are all windows (represented by an O). If you created a polyomino of four or five spaces you cross it off the central sheet of paper as each tile shown on the right side of the sheet can be used only once.Each other player then gets to choose one of the dice that you didn't use to claim that polyomino then fill in the leftmost empty box of that color on their scoresheet. These boxes might have a symbol underneath them. If the box has a + under it then this player can cross off the + on a future turn to add one phantom die showing this color to whatever they rolled that round e.g. if you cross off a blue + you effectively rolled three blue dice that turn instead of two. If a box has a star under it then you can cross out that star on a future turn to use the power of that color:You can use as many stars as you wish on your turn.When you fill in a horizontal row in the facade of your building you score 2 points if all the spaces are filled with windows and 1 point if at least one space holds brick; when you fill in a vertical column you score 4 points and 2 points under the same condition. When you fill in predesignated rows and columns you receive an immediate bonus — either drawing one window in an empty space or crossing off two boxes in one or two color lines on your scoresheet. If you cross out the final space in a color line you score 2 points.Gameplay continues until someone has scored 12 or more points. Complete the round so that each player has had the same number of turns then whoever has the most points wins!

Drakon (Fourth Edition)

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Categories:

Fantasy Maze Miniatures

Game description from the publisher:You have been caught looting the hoard of the dreaded Drakon. For such transgression a fiery death should be the only appropriate response — but Drakon has decided to toy with you before she devours you. You and your rival heroes will each be released into the labyrinth and the first hero to discover ten gold pieces will go free with his treasure. The rest of you will satisfy the dragon's hunger.In every game of Drakon you and your opponents must fight to stay alive in the midst of the labyrinth. On your turn you can either move your hero to another room or add another piece to the labyrinth placing beneficial chambers in your own path and throwing your opponents into harm's way. But you must be cautious. The chambers of Drakon's labyrinth are filled with danger and ancient magics not to mention the dragon herself. To navigate these deadly corridors and survive you’ll need to be quick and careful.On every turn you have a crucial choice to make. You can either move forward into a new chamber or you can expand the labyrinth by playing a new chamber tile from your hand. The new chambers that you play feature unique circumstances and magical objects that you may encounter on your adventures through Drakon's lair.The majority of these chambers offer powerful effects to any hero that enters the chamber. You may gain the power to destroy any chamber in the labyrinth or call a windstorm to carry you along increasing your movement. You may even take command of a floating chamber and fly it to the other side of the labyrinth. Other chambers force more harmful effects on those heroes unlucky enough to enter. A room may cause you to lose a coin as you avoid the dangers within and any hero who hears the siren song of the magical harp is forced to move into its chamber. As you and your fellow heroes play these chambers from your hand they form a cunning maze and only the wise can find their way out.Despite the power of these chambers the central goal of your quest is to find gold: only by being the first player to claim ten gold can you escape the dungeon. Plenty of chambers allow you to find a coin or steal a coin from an opponent but the gold value of coins can vary dramatically. Your most recently stolen coin may have a value of three gold or just one. Because coins are kept face-down hiding their value you'll never know exactly how close your opponents are to victory.Six heroes are trapped within Drakon's sadistic labyrinth and each hero has his own unique abilities to help him survive. Each ability can only be used once per game though making the timing of the ability incredibly important. You may play as the sorceress and escape from a most dire situation by passing through a wall. You may play as the thief and collect the gold you need at the most opportune moment by preying on another hero. You may even play as the ranger and use a burst of speed to race across the maze when necessary. No matter which hero you play in a game of Drakon you'll need to take full advantage of your unique ability at the opportune moment if you want to grab the gold and escape from Drakon's clutches.Of course the heroes are not alone in the labyrinth. The legendary dragon also stalks the halls and chambers of the maze taunting any hero unlucky enough to encounter her. Certain chambers throughout the labyrinth allow you to move Drakon through the dungeon. If you can move Drakon into the same chamber as a hapless hero that hero is immediately sent back to the entrance chamber and loses three coins as Drakon toys with him before releasing him once more into the maze.You and your rival heroes are trapped. Your greatest threat may be Drakon or the other heroes. In this dark labyrinth only one thing can save you: your own greed. Will you ruthlessly grab gold and undermine your opponent’s schemes before escaping to victory? Or will you fail and become just another meal for the dragon? You decide your fate but only one hero can escape from Drakon!

Junk Orbit

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Science Fiction Transportation

Categories:

Space — the final junkyard. Good thing one planet's trash is another planet's treasure! In Junk Orbit you're captain of your own scavenger ship picking up space junk and transporting it to any city that will take it. Launch your junk ... uh *cargo* ... out of your airlock to propel your ship! Race to deliver your cargo as you navigate the orbits of nearby planets and moons! It's astrodynamics for fun and profit! On your turn carry out these three steps:1. Launch junk — Choose any one junk tile in your cargo hold and move it away from your ship (clockwise or counter-clockwise your choice) a number of spaces equal to its numeric value. If it reaches its destination city this way you have made a remote delivery. Otherwise it simply comes to rest after moving its full distance. It is also possible to hit an enemy ship with launched junk causing that opponent to discard one junk tile from their cargo.2. Move ship — Your ship must now move the same distance that your launched junk did but in the opposite direction. When your ship reaches a transfer point between location boards you may choose to switch orbits. If you do your ship changes direction (from clockwise to counter-clockwise or vice versa) as it enters the new orbit. If the space your ship lands on is the destination of any junk in your cargo you have made a direct delivery.3. Pick up junk — After moving your ship pick up all junk tiles present in your current city adding them to your cargo hold. Then refill your current city with one new junk tile from the corresponding stack (e.g. if at a Mars city refill from the Mars stack).Each player has their own ship with a unique ship power that breaks the rules above in some way. The end of the game is triggered when a city cannot be refilled because its stack is empty. When this happens every player gets one final turn then players tally the values from all of their delivered junk tiles and whoever has the highest total wins.

Jetpack Joyride

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Puzzle Real-time Video Game Theme

Categories:

Jetpack Joyride is a real-time competitive puzzle game adapted from the mobile game of the same name! Players need to fly their way through a lab using a stolen jetpack over a series of three rounds. During each round:1) Players receive four new lab cards. 2) All players in real-time and at the same time grab tiles from the common pool and lay them to trace their way through their lab. 3) Points are scored through mission cards or by collecting coins! 4) The first player to reach the end of their lab triggers the end of the round. 5) Scores are totaled and written down for the round. 6) Players starting from the one with the lowest score pick a permanent gadget out of a river of four. 7) A new round begins!Whoever has the most points at the end of the third round wins!—description from the publisher

Penny Press

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Industry / Manufacturing

Set during the tumultuous 'yellow journalism' years at the end of the 19th century Penny Press has players taking on the role of newspaper magnates such as Pulitzer and Hearst as they strive to become the dominant paper in old New York City.Players move up on the circulation track throughout the game by publishing newspapers and they are awarded bonuses at the end of the game for best covering the five news 'beats' or leading news categories of the day: War Crime & Calamity New York City Politics and the Human Condition.To publish newspapers players assign some or all of their five reporters to the popular stories of the day. When they're ready players 'roll the presses' to claim those stories where their reporters have a majority and assemble them on their 'front page' player mat. The score of each press run is determined by the current values in each of the five news beats. Stories also have 'star' values and the player with the most stars in each news beat gets that beat's endgame bonus.The end of the game is triggered when one player publishes his fourth (in a two- or three-player game) or third (in a four- or five-player game) newspaper. The player who moved farthest along the circulation track is the winner of Penny Press.

Gravity Superstar

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Categories:

Video Game Theme

At the edge of known space the most famous adventurers converge on a strange little planet that is uniquely capable of attracting precious stardust with its befuddling gravity. These adventurers are there to collect as much of this rare resource as they can while their rivals constantly try to steal it. You are one of these superstars on a quest for wealth and you must overcome the gravitational challenges set before you!What is really original about Gravity Superstar is the manner in which the players' pawns move: Each turn they move one or two spaces then they are affected by gravity which makes them fall until they are stopped by a platform. This effect is made possible by the fact that the pawns are used lying down on the board. Thus they move up (above their head) down (below their feet) left or right.During its movement a pawn can collect stars (to score points at the end of the game) or replay tokens (to take a second consecutive turn) and eject opponents' pawns from the board.

Stellar Conflict

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Action / Dexterity Card Game Fighting Real-time Science Fiction

Categories:

Stellar Conflict is a fast-paced space combat game with real-time elements set in the Among the Stars Universe.In this game which reimplements the James Ernest and Tom Jolly design Light Speed players take over the role of an alien race taking part on a space battle. Each player has their own fleet and based on the size of the battle they choose which ships will be deployed for combat (deployment phase). Each race has its own power and abilities which grants it different advantages in combat.After both players have deployed their forces in this time-limited real-time phase the combat phase begins.The Combat Phase lasts a random number of Rounds based on which ships have been deployed on the battlefield. Each Round different ships fire their weapons and perform their abilities trying to destroy enemy ships and/or complete objectives.Stellar Conflict offers a more advanced deeper alternative to Light Speed. Each race has its own fleet of different ships and abilities guaranteed to offer lots of replayability.

La Morada Maldita

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Action / Dexterity Math Party Game Real-time

Categories:

La Morada Maldita is the story of a ancient gem-collecting explorer who dies. The villagers inherit all the gems. A weird magic emanates from a large purple jewel... do you dare to take it? You shouldn't but it's so pretty...Each player is placed on the table with their challenge cards face down in front of 65 gems of various shapes and colors including a large purple gem.All at once will turn over their first card which corresponds to a specific gem. You have to find it and pick up the next one and so on until a player is the first to get all the gems that his cards have. And that player will have to take the great purple jewel.Each player checks his mistakea taking each correct card to his victory point and each incorrect card is discarded. Those that have not been completed will remain as a bonus for the next round.The player who got the purple jewel will receive a curse card and play the next round with a handicap. If the event variant is also added ... the game becomes very crazy with players having to do real tricks with their bodies.Don't miss out on the gems!—description from the publisher (translated)La Morada Maldita es la historia de un pueblo que recibe la herencia de un anciano explorador recolector de gemas. Una extraña magia emana de una gran joya de color morado... ¿te atreves a cogerla? No debes pero es tan bonita...Cada jugador se coloca en la mesa con sus cartas de reto boca abajo delante de 65 gemas de distintas formas y colores incluida una gran joya morada.Todos a la vez darán la vuelta a su primera carta que corresponde a una gema concreta. Hay que buscarla y levantar la siguiente y así todos hasta que un jugador sea el primero en conseguir todas las gemas que dispongan sus cartas. Y ese jugador tendrá que coger la gran joya morada.Cada jugador comprueba no haberse equivocado llevándose cada carta correcta a su reserva de puntos y cada carta errónea se descarta. Las que no se hayan terminado de conseguir se quedan de bonus para la siguiente ronda.El jugador que consiguió la joya morada recibirá una carta de maldición y jugará la siguiente ronda con un handicap. Si además se añade la variante de eventos... el juego se vuelve muy loco teniendo los jugadores que hacer verdaderas virguerías con su cuerpo.¡No te quedes sin las gemas!—description from the publisher

SoYou've Been Eaten.

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 1–2

Game Type:

Adventure Card Game Dice Science Fiction

Categories:

NOTE: This is a game for 0 - 2 players. The BGG database does not allow a player count of 0.So you've been eaten.Don't worry this is simply an occupational hazard. In fact it is fairly common among Deep Space Miners (5th class) and some say that it is almost unavoidable. And well it is. Especially since the crystals that you seek happen to be inside giant space beasts. To mine them you need to well be eaten.But no reason to panic. We are here to help you deal with the physical and mental challenges of being eaten. This handy simulation/survival guide is standard issue for all recruits and will eventually lead to a productive if not potentially brief career in space mining.Should you achieve your objective and mine enough crystals to meet your quota it is then cost-effective for the company to activate your jet pack and extricate you from the proverbial belly of the beast. While the beast’s immune response was not enough to prevent its demise its contribution to human progress and corporate profitability are most definitely appreciated.In the eventuality that the bacteria present in the beast overwhelm you and you are digested do not worry. Your non-organic parts will ultimately provide much utility to future space miners. In fact you may encounter some such pieces of equipment in your expedition remains of attempts by evidently less-than-qualified recruits.Finally it could transpire that you do not collect the necessary crystals by the time you reach the end of the beast's digestive tract. In this case the so-called ending #2 you will then exit the beast from the other end than the one you entered. Alive and yet forever changed. In this case and after a thorough decontamination and quarantine period we will have to evaluate your performance versus that of the beast’s efforts to consume you.In So You've Been Eaten. the Miner and the Beast face off against one another. The Miner earns points by collecting crystals and the Beast earns points by developing immune responses and by its bacteria attacking the Miner.The Miner wins instantly by collecting all eight different crystals and the Beast wins instantly by digesting the Miner after the attack of four bacteria of the same type. Of course there's always the possibility that the Miner will simply pass through the Beast's system in which case the player with the most points wins!—description from the publisher

Kodachi

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

In 12th century Japan you rested after the Gempei War retiring your ninjato sword desiring a life of peace. But once again the ruling families call for your special skills to establish their honor. You will need stealth and strength cunning and intrigue and the swiftness of a Kodachi sword!In Kodachi you seek to steal treasures by facing guards in one of two ways — with strength which requires you to play cards with higher numbers than the guards or with stealth playing cards with lower numbers than the guards. Successfully acquired treasures can be used to generate rumors bribe envoys and strengthen your skills.Clan tokens are gained by playing envoys and when the last clan token is taken the player with the highest score wins!—description from the publisher

Cubist

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Dice Educational Puzzle

In Cubist you and your opponents are architects competing to build a grand and inspiring new Modern Art Museum including its interior sculptures or installations. Aptly enough your building materials are cubes or more precisely dice!On each turn you roll two dice and place them in your studio as raw materials for your cubist sculptures. From there you position these dice to complete commissioned installations for the museum. Dice with identical numbers can be stacked on top of one another to give your sculpture elevation and grandeur. Dice with adjacent numbers go next to one another to construct unconventional footprints of modernism. You can press your luck by committing to a certain risky commission — hoping that no one else will complete it first — or play it safe by locking up your dice for later use.You can also use your dice to enlist the aid of masters of modern art like Juan Gris Franz Marc and Olga Rozanova. Each installation you complete allows you to contribute dice to the building of the Museum itself. You will have to sculpt cleverly but quickly to get the new Museum named after you!

Darwin's Choice

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Animals Card Game Educational Environmental

Categories:

After millions of years of wasteland on Earth animal life is finally emerging. But the world is still forming and undergoing a constant change. Only those species able to adapt to the ever-changing conditions will survive to leave their mark in history. Here is your chance! Do your best to become Darwin’s Choice.Darwin's Choice is a competitive card game in which players create their own animal species from more than 230 animal cards. These animal species will be placed in biomes that differ strongly in their requirements and the food supply. The highest possible adaptation of animal species to their biomes not only ensures their survival but is also rewarded with the coveted Darwin points. In addition to a high adaptation the species with the highest competitive strength are also awarded across all zones.Between the 3-4 eras played conditions can change completely due to biome changes and event card effects. The task now is to adapt the successful animal species of the past eras to the conditions of the present either through sophisticated mutations or smart migration to other biomes. However you must always keep an eye on the animal species of the other players in order to anticipate their actions because anyone who acts too quickly or imprudently might be unable to react at the decisive moment.In Darwin's Choice the victory points (Darwin Points) are assigned to the animal species and may only be collected by players after the last era has ended. With this mechanism the game remains exciting to the very end because the extinction of a species also means the loss of its associated Darwin points.Darwin's Choice is a strategic allocation game in which you must think carefully about how to use your cards. The large number of own possibilities and the ones of your opponents lead to a high variability which makes thinking through each action and thinking ahead indispensable. The randomness caused by drawing cards (animal cards biomes event cards) requires flexibility and fast rescheduling. This results in each played game being completely different and guarantees a high replayability.All pictures icons and symbols of Darwin’s Choice are hand-illustrated by the French illustrator Rozenn Grosjean giving the game its very own style.—description from the publisher

Ilôs

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Card Game Exploration Nautical Renaissance

Categories:

The new world of Ilôs has just been discovered. Endless forsaken islands amazing wealth and many temples overflowing with gold are waiting to be explored. You embody one of the great naval powers. Through your cards you will explore new islands bring more ships along gather wealth and raise its price build fortifications to slow down your opponents and establish trading posts to improve your production. Your goal is to become the richest explorer of Ilôs.Ilôs is a card game of hand management for 2 to 5 players. Simple accessible yet with a great strategic deepness Ilôs is a strategy and resources production game for the whole family.

Birdwatcher

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 1–5

Game Type:

Animals Card Game Educational Environmental

Categories:

Birdwatcher is a fast competitive game in which players are rival wildlife photographers on a hunt to snap photos of the elusive and illustrious birds of paradise.Each player has three actions on their turn with which they can call birds to their tree from the central clearing and jungle snap photos of birds in their tree or run into the jungle to flush new birds to the clearing. Players can also use their actions to set up a zoom lens to capture a bird from another player's tree or to publish a paper. Photos and publications are assembled from left to right in a player's photo journal where they will score points at game's end.

Floor Plan

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 1–100

Game Type:

Categories:

Dice Print & Play Puzzle

In Floor Plan players take on the role of an Architect designing a house for a client. Each round a pair of dice are rolled and then players will act simultaneously using the dice to either draw a new room onto their floor plan or add crucial architectural and landscaping features.The game ends when any player has completed six client demands or is unable to use all dice in a turn. The player with the most points is the winner – the client likes their design best and they earn that lucrative commission!-description from publisher

One Key

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Card Game Deduction Party Game

Categories:

The Key is missing and it is up to the players to find it! The team leader tries to communicate with the other players proposing clues by indicating their degree of affinity — strong medium/weak — with the object that the team must find. With good team-play the other players remove the wrong cards step by step until the Key is all that remains. Removing the Key results in instant defeat so be careful!One Key is a family game for all kinds of players a light game that offers a co-operative experience based on the association of ideas and deduction. All the objects are like little universes of their own. Find the right one to solve the enigma! One Key is best played with an app with a three-minute timer and background music to add tension to your games.—description from the publisher

San Francisco

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

City Building Trains

For San Francisco the first half of the 20th century is an era of dynamic growth and new opportunities. It's also a chance for you — junior urban planner — to take part in a contest for the most amazing reconstruction plan of the city. Sit down with your sketchbook and create a project that will make you stand out from the competition. Design a beautiful city in this game by Reiner Knizia world-famous board game designer.In the board game San Francisco you become an urban planner whose goal is to create the greatest redevelopment plan of the famous city in California. Design districts in each of the five types racing against all the other planners. Choose the right moment to take on new projects — but be careful if you take on too many projects it'll be harder to gain more. Earn more prestige by cleverly designing a system of cable car connections. Lay foundations and carefully design the nearby landscape allowing you to build new skyscrapers. Create a new vision of San Francisco that will gain the most rewards and win through fame and recognition.

The Golden Ticket Game

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Movies / TV / Radio theme

Categories:

Willy Wonka is opening his factory at last –but only for a lucky few! He has hidden Golden Tickets in his Wonka Bars. If you can find a Golden Ticket then you win the big prize.Use strategy on every move and play your Wonka Candy cards to collect as many Wonka Bars as you can to better your odds of finding a Golden Ticket! When the last Wonka Bar is picked up everyone opens up their collection to see who’s got a Golden Ticket! This family strategy game requires planning combo-making and a little bit of luck.On a player's turn they can do two actions. The actions consist of playing cards from their hand discarding a card to move one space or refilling their hand back up to their draw size. When a character lands on a gameboard space they can also use the do listed action on that space as part of their move. At the beginning of the game a limited number of golden tickets are added to the Wonka Bars depending on the number of players. The bars are then mixed up. The whole point of the game is to try and earn as many Wonka Bars as possible throughout the game to better your chances of ending with a Golden Ticket.When all Wonka Bars from the pool of bars are claimed the game is over. At this point all players will unwrap the bars they have earned.Any player that ends with at least one Golden Ticket wins! Any player that does not end with a Golden Ticket loses.

Sebastian Fitzek Safehouse

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Card Game Murder / Mystery Real-time

Categories:

In a mid-range hotel in the harbor quarter something terrible has happened — but the perpetrator did not go unnoticed. There are witnesses but now the perpetrator is at their heels. Time is running out and the way to the safehouse is still far. Can the players get rid of their pursuer and get themselves to safety? Sebastian Fitzek Safehouse is a nerve-racking chase through five game maps which are packaged as a book. You must play together and reach the safehouse before time runs out.The game includes three levels of difficulty and if you scan the QR code the game can play the original music of the Sebastian Fitzek anniversary show.

Half-Pint Heroes

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–7

Game Type:

Categories:

Card Game Humor

In the Half-Pint Pub tempers are running hot. You can almost feel the tension in the air. Most patrons have already chosen sides with very few even trying to stay out of the conflict. So far they're still just throwing insults instead of bar stools but any moment things could break down into a full-out brawl...Half-Pint Heroes is an easy-to-learn but hard to master card game for 2-7 players. Players will play sets of cards from their hands each round to beat the sets of their opponents. You'll also need to be able to correctly assess the strength of your hand in order to predict how many sets you'll win each round. Once the predictions are revealed players will also be able to bet against each other reaching their goal.You'll need to stay alert and keep an eye your opponent's plays to avoid letting a brawl break out. If that happens only one player will walk away a winner...The game is played over 10 rounds. Points are scored for each winning card set for correctly predicting your number of winning sets and for correctly betting against other player's predictions. Additionally bonus points are scored at the end of the game for the longest streak of correct predictions.

Fine Sand

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Categories:

You are at the beach during your vacation. Everything is peaceful and in harmony. Out of a pure love of life you start to build a sand castle. Wait...what are your neighbors doing? Everywhere sand castles rise up but it was you who wanted to build the best highest biggest sand castle. Suddenly everybody is in the middle of a competition.Everybody builds by themself with the materials on hand. Who will deplete all their materials and win the sand castle competition? Every player for themself and all against each other that's what's going on here. Frequently you can off-load on your neighbors some unwelcome materials but ultimately you are your own builders and only the player who uses their options best wins!Deck-building is over; Fine Sand is deck deconstruction!Fine Sand uses the Fable Game System introduced in Fabled Fruit and in addition to a stack of starting cards each player receives a presorted stack of Fable cards. With these cards you change your card stack from game to game. Continue to play or reset and play the game again with the same or different groups. Fine Sand includes an addictive solo campaign!

Fairy Tile

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Children's Game Fantasy Medieval

Categories:

Welcome to Fairy Tile a kingdom of magical lands where a daring Princess a devoted Knight and a dreadful Dragon roam looking for adventure. They need your help to discover the kingdom! Help them move further and further to fulfill their destiny and tell their story page after page.Develop the kingdom of Fairy Tile by putting new land tiles in play and moving the Princess Knight and Dragon across different places such as mountains forests and plains. Help them have extraordinary adventures by accomplishing objectives written on the pages of your book. As soon as you complete an objective develop your story and read the page of your book aloud.Be the first to read all the pages of your book to win the game.

Gaïa

Rating: 6.2 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Territory Building

Gaïa is a 2-5 player game in which you create a world instill life in it build cities try to satisfy their needs and use godly powers to shape the world to your benefit.In game terms Gaïa involves tile placement area control and influence with a twist of power cards. Each player has five wooden figures and if you're the first to place all five of your figures on the board you win!Gaïa includes two levels of rules with the basic rules allowing for play with those as young as eight thanks to the game's simple mechanisms and non-attacking nature. The advanced rules give you the opportunity to use godly powers — lightning volcanoes rain sun earthquakes etc. — to shape the world after it has been created. You can even steal an opponent's cities making it a more aggressive game with a higher level of strategy.

Hungry Monkey

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Categories:

Once upon a time Hungry Monkey searched for his lost breakfast bean in the jungle. He asked the other animals for help from Swift Sparrow to King Tiger but they all ignored his pleas. Until Tiny Ant climbed into Tiger's ear and ordered him to help. King Tiger was scared by the voice in his ear. He commanded all animals to look for the bean and no one dared to refuse. Eventually Swift Sparrow found the bean and Hungry Monkey was finally happy.Hungry Monkey is a card game where the goal is to get rid of your hand cards and collect beans. You have animal cards both in hand and in a face-down row. You must be the first to play all your cards first from your hand and then from your card row.You have to play cards with the same or a higher number. You can trigger an effect with a powerful animal.If you want to play multiple games you keep track of the scoring with Bean cards. The player with the most beans at the end of the last game wins.—description from the publisher

Flock Together

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 1–5

Game Type:

Adventure Animals Fantasy Fighting

Categories:

Flock Together is a beautifully immersive cooperative experience for 1-5 players. During the game each player takes on the role of a unique chicken with asymmetric abilities and works together to drive off the invading predators before the third season ends.Every turn players choose their own strategy to progress their cause by selecting two of their eight available actions. Along the way players will also have to manage leveling up predator loot drops traveling grubs and adverse weather conditions. However players must plan carefully because as the seasons change every predator that is still alive grows stronger and gains new abilities.With eleven asymmetric characters to play and ten unique predators to defeat Flock Together offers immense variability that can be enjoyed with quick turns and an experience that lasts 25 minutes per player.-description from designer

Sheepland

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Abstract Strategy Animals Farming

Categories:

Sheepland is set on the beautiful island of the same name where for centuries the population has taken care of sheep. While inexplicably working in the same field two to four shepherds try to move sheep into the right areas to score points. During a turn you must take three actions chosen from these possibilities: - Move your shepherd - Move one sheep - Buy one terrain tileYou must move your shepherd at least once during your turn and you can't take the same action twice in a row without moving the shepherd in between the two actions.Six different terrain types are available with five tiles of each type and increasing costs (from 0 to 4 dinars). When you buy a tile you're not claiming land on the game board but rather investing in that type of landscape as that's where you expect the sheep to end up grazing. At the end of the game you score 1 point per tile of a terrain type for each sheep in a region of this type; you also score for coins still in hand.The map on the game board shows regions separated by roads: three regions of each terrain type for a total of 18 regions. Numbered rest stops lie along the roads with each rest stop between exactly two regions. Shepherds move from one rest stop to another with the first movement being free and all the others on the same turn costing 1 coin. When you buy a terrain you can purchase the top tile of either of the two terrain types next to your shepherd. When you move a sheep you move one sheep from a region adjacent to your shepherd to the other region adjacent to that piece i.e. you lead the sheep across the road to a greener pasture – well greener for you if all goes well.Each time you move the shepherd you place a fence in the rest stop from which it started moving making that location off-limits for the rest of the game. During the game some regions become inaccessible and if they are full of sheep a rush for the tiles takes place. The only black sheep in the game which is worth two points serves as a semi-random element possibly moving to an adjacent region each turn while still being movable by shepherds as long as it's not fenced in.After twenty fences have been placed you end the round so that all players have the same number of turns then you count up the points.

Arena: For the Gods!

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Categories:

Dice Fighting Mythology

Arena: For the Gods! has two phases. First players use their life points to bid for the best equipment mounts and weapons. Second they fight! When one player dies the game ends and whoever has the most life points left wins.All cards in the game have a mythological theme featuring some of the most famous members of various cultures' myths and histories such as Mjölnir Osiris and Quetzalcoatl.

Elawa

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Card Game Prehistoric

In Elawa you have to assemble your prehistoric tribe while collecting the elements necessary for its development but the opposing chiefs will do you no favors and your choices around the campfire are already full of dilemmas...Each turn pick one card from those surrounding the campfire on the table add it to your tribe face up and get a resources from the central display based on the number in the lower right of the card. Take these resources in order from where you picked up the card getting a bonus if you take the last resource from a stack after which the resource is re-filled. With these resources you can build cards from your hand whether for an immediate effect resource storage or endgame scoring.When the central resource pile is empty players tally their scores.

Fortuna

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–4

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Fortuna is situated in the Roman Empire during Caesar's reign.The players are ambitious Romans striving for influence in the Roman Empire. While striving for power happiness and wealth they leave their own village and travel towards the City of Rome. The road to Rome is long and there are many ways to reach your life purpose. As a hardworking farmer you can work the land and grow large quantities of grain and wine. A clever farmer irrigates the land to improve the yield of his harvest. Trading your harvested goods for the best price may bring you the means to move up the ladder of the Roman hierarchy. When will you decide to move on and buy yourself an army of Centurions? Or will you choose the sacred way of Religion and serve the ruthless Roman Gods? Along the way you will have the opportunity to find happiness and wealth in marriage. Will you take this chance to become happy or not? If you contribute well to the Roman Empire you will grow in the favor of the Emperor and move further to Rome. Will the citizens of Rome welcome you jubilantly?Coming nearer to Rome and the Emperor's Palace the tension in the game becomes higher. Which of the players has contributed most to the Empire? And which of the players has saved the city in times of crisis? Just when water and food supplies become exhausted or Centurions are needed to protect Rome against a hostile invasion only the most prestigious Romans show their courage and value. The Emperor will reward this Roman with golden Fortuna coins and the deeper the crisis the richer the reward. When a player has reached the centre of Rome only the player who has done most for the Emperor and the People of Rome will become Victorious.Make sure to be in the City of Rome so you are able to take that triumphal march to Victory!How to win the game? The player with the highest number of Victory Points at the end of the game wins. The game ends when one player gets to the Center of Rome (the Palace of the Emperor) then this final round is completed. Scoring in the game is partly based on the number of steps you have made towards Rome = each step is one VP. The other Victory Points are scored by collecting the right combination of privilege cards and resources. The VP scored with the privately held privilege cards stays a secret till the end of the game when the total scoring is revealed.

Ravine

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 3–6

Game Type:

Categories:

Card Game Party Game

Ravine is a strategic and cooperative survival card game. You and your friends survived the plane crash but will you survive the night? Work together to forage for food craft a fire and build shelters but be wary: every step you take in the ravine could be one step closer to madness.During the Day players risk their hearts to leave camp and forage for food and supplies. Before sunset players work together share what they found and craft supplies. If you prepare well enough you may survive the Night.Be prepared for more than just bumps in the night. Weather animals and other wild things will put you and your team to the test. BEWARE: Fall below two hearts and you will go mad.Lose all of your hearts to risk or the elements and you lose the game. Survive all of the Night cards in your deck and you win.

Ristorante Italia

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–5

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In Ristorante Italia each player owns an Italian restaurant a restaurant that he wants to make better than everyone else's in order to have the most points at the end of the game. To do this a player must set up the menu draw recipe cards go to the town markets to collect needed ingredients improve and enlarge the restaurant improve the staff's cooking skills (as indicated by the cook-o-meter) and otherwise do whatever is necessary to have the most exemplary restaurant in the city.Ristorante Italia lasts four phases with each phase being comprised of three rounds. In each round players can perform two actions from this list: draw recipe/wine cards buy ingredients buy rooms take a personal touch cube buy a bonus card or buy a cooking training course. Special events during the game include VIP visits culinary reviewer visits and the final National Cooking Contest in which players will compete with their best recipes.To achieve victory players can follow an economic strategy – focusing on a menu which provides a strong revenue – or a quality strategy in which the restaurant features special recipes matched to unique wines. Both strategies can lead to victory and a balanced strategy can also be a good idea.Ristorante Italia scheduled for release in October 2011 can be played in two versions: Recipes for Novice Cooks (lighter version) and Recipes for Great Chefs (complete version).

Clubs

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–6

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Clubs is a card game about taking calculated risks. The goal is very simple: win as many club cards as possible - that's the only suit that scores points. The lower the club card you take the more points you could win. But there's a catch: The last player to go out for the round does not score ANY points. So players who get too greedy might pick up a pile of clubs but end up with 0 points for the round!First there was Hearts then there was Spades and now North Star Games is bringing you Clubs. The suit of clubs finally gets some respect!How to Play Clubs is a climbing game similar to Tichu Haggis Big Two and The Great Dalmuti. It can be played with 2 - 6 players in less 30 minutes. There are two ways to earn points in Clubs:To play a round deal out 10 cards to each player. Players may call Double or Nothing anytime before playing their first card. The player to the left of the dealer leads with a Trick-Type. Legal Trick-Types include any singleton pair 3-of-a-kind 4-of-a-kind or any run of 2 or more cards. Players can either pass or follow with a similar hand of higher rank. When all of the players have passed consecutively the pile is taken by the person who played last. That player leads with a Trick-Type of their choice.Players score bonus points for playing all of their cards each round. A 6-player game has all of the following Bonus Cards:The last player out for the round does not get bonus points and does not receive points for any clubs he may have taken. The points for clubs varies from 5 points (for the 1 of clubs) to 1 point (for the 10-15 of clubs). The first player to 50 points wins the game.

Trieste

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 3

Game Type:

Bluffing Card Game Renaissance

Categories:

Trieste from designer Matthew Ma is a boxed card game in which three players take on the roles of Thief Merchant or City Watch. Each role has its own unique deck and victory conditions. Turns are played out simultaneously with each player selecting an action without knowing those chosen by opponents.The City Watch player levies taxes on the Merchant and patrols the streets for the Thief looking to fill the city's jail with ne'er-do-wells. Players in the role of the Merchant are out to cut deals and line their coffers in a quest for untold riches. As the Thief that player is attempting to pilfer coins from the Merchant while earning infamy and the respect of the secretive Foxtail Gang.The coastal city of Trieste is a flurry of trade and activity but where there's power there are always those who will compete to grab as much of it as they can. Conflict erupts in the streets shops and back alleys. Only one can truly rule Trieste. Will it be you?

Ship Shape: It's a Smuggler's Bounty!

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Bluffing Card Game Pirates

Categories:

In the late 17th Century mighty ships sailed the seas and brought all manner of goods back to port. As a savvy captain you must skillfully utilize your crew to fill your ship's hold with the best combination of treasure cannons and (ahem) other items to earn gold. In the end the player who amasses the biggest bounty will be declared the greatest smuggler...uh SEA CAPTAIN...of all time!In ShipShape 2-6 players each control a ship. Over the course of three voyages (rounds) you bid using numbered crew cards to claim unique crate tiles off the central stack. Fill your hold with gold cannons and contraband and cover up what you don't want. At the end of each voyage score coins by comparing your holds with everyone else looking only at what is visible in your hold.

Fleet Wharfside

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Animals Card Game Nautical

Categories:

Fleet Wharfside is a standalone card game based on Fleet and Fleet: Arctic Bounty. Players compete to complete contracts by selecting contracts from the Market and by collecting fish from their fleet at the wharfside. It's what happens when the fleet comes home!Tales of the bountiful harvest at Ridback Bay have traveled far attracting merchants to the local wharfside who wish to pay handsomely for your haul. A successful fisherman’s day is not done with the catch; keen business decisions will determine if your fleet has amassed a rich profit! Merchants have offered generous contracts for the catch but which offer the greatest benefits? Choose and complete the most lucrative contracts and reap your reward!In Fleet Wharfside players fulfill Contracts from local Ridback Bay businesses. Each turn players will either collect fish from their fleet at the wharfs (by taking cards) or choose to purchase a Contract from the Market. Contracts provide a bonus while in play but once they are completed the bonus goes away too! The player who collects the most VP from Contracts Trophies King Crab final Goods and their Captain Bonus wins the game!Fleet Wharfside is game #8 of the E-G-G Series!

Tucano

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Bananas papayas pineapples ... The rainforest is full of juicy and delicious fruits just waiting for you. But be careful: at the end of the game some fruits may turn out to be spoiled ... Harvest the best fruits wisely to avoid the bad ones and use your Toucan cards to protect your stash ... or steal fruit from your opponents!Making a move is simple: choose one of three piles of cards then place a new card on top of each pile. It's up to you to make the best tactical decisions to secure victory and leave the spoiled fruit to your opponents. A colourful and clever strategy game with easy-to-understand rules for children and adults!—description from the publisher

Antidote

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–7

Game Type:

Card Game Deduction Medical Print & Play

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In Antidote you are a laboratory scientist working for a giant chemical research conglomerate. When a deadly toxin suddenly infects you and everyone in your lab you must work quickly to share your research and discover the Antidote before it's too late.In the game players take turns deciding what action all other players take: either discard from their hand or trade research with other players. Eventually all your cards will run-out and you will be left with just one that you must drink and hope it's the Antidote. If this card is the true Antidote you're cured and live to play again! If not... you die but you can always try again!Antidote has 6 core elements:

Trek 12: Amazonia

Rating: 7.4 | Players: 1–50

Game Type:

Categories:

Adventure Animals Dice

Explore uncharted and mysterious lands: can you thwart their dangers? Map undiscovered areas trace new trails in the rainforest and observe the vivid flora and fauna.Trek 12 Amazonie is a roll-and-write exploration game with evolutive gameplay and content. Every player plays simultaneously. To score points you have to create trials (chains of consecutive numbers) and zones (areas of a same number) and to observe the fauna. The player who scores the most win.During their turn a player rolls dice and chooses the result to create trials and zones. They can also observe animals to get bonus points. But be careful to avoid as many bad encounters as you can.

Extraordinary Adventures: Pirates!

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Categories:

Nautical Pirates

While playing Extraordinary Adventures: Pirates you become a pirate captain sailing three ships through the Caribbean in search of rich merchants to plunder and friendly ports in which to trade your booty for riches.In more detail you have one ship on each of the three tracks i.e. pathways through the Caribbean Sea. On each turn you play three cards from your hand to move your ships. Your cards have a basic movement number and often a secondary action. You may use one or the other to move your ships down the track or gain special advantages.Each of the three tracks winds through the Caribbean islands toward your ultimate goal: the Spanish Treasure Galleon at Trinidad. Along the way there will be detours that lead to merchant ships that may be plundered and towns that may be visited to cash in your plunder for treasure. Plundering merchant ships and visiting towns also allows you to recruit more crewmen (cards) for your crew (deck). The better your deck is the faster that your ships are able to move so deciding when to take detours for plunder and recruiting and when to sail on toward your ultimate goal is an important decision that every pirate captain must make.The first pirate captain to reach the Treasure Galleon at the end of any track ends the game. Each pirate ship scores points based on what place they finished on each track as well as for the treasures earned by selling plunder. The richest captain goes down in history as the Pirate King!

Gorus Maximus

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 1–8

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Gorus Maximus is a bloody trick-taking game of gladiatorial combat in which the trump suit can change mid-trick! The game can be played player vs. player or in teams.Dispatch your strongest gladiators and most ferocious beasts to earn crowd favor! Match the rank of the last gladiator played and the trump suit changes immediately!Players are dealt a hand of ten gladiator cards and must contribute one gladiator to each bout (trick). There is a preferred school (trump suit) and the strongest gladiator from this school wins the bout. If no preferred gladiator entered the fight then the strongest initiating gladiator (suit called for) wins. Players must follow the initiating school if possible or they may challenge by matching the strength of the last gladiator played immediately changing the preferred school to that of their gladiator!Players compete to collect gladiators with positive crowd favor and avoid those with negative favor. The player with the highest favor at the end of the round earns 1 crowd support. The first player to earn 3 crowd support has won the support of the masses and earns the title: Champion of Gorus Maximus!

The Witches

Rating: 6.2 | Players: 1–4

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Categories:

Fantasy Novel-based

The Witches: A Discworld Game is the second of three games by Martin Wallace set in Terry Pratchett's Discworld the first being Discworld: Ankh-Morpork.The Witches is set in the magically charged land of Lancre. Players take on the role of trainee witches such as Tiffany Aching and Petulia Gristle learning their craft and dealing with all the problems both petty and serious that life on Discworld can throw at them. A subtle blend of headology magic and of course the all-important cup of tea will see our heroines tackle everything from a sick pig to a full-blown invasion of elves. Each player tries to be better at everything than the others while also cooperating to prevent crises from escalating.Life can be tough for a young witch in Lancre. Fear not however as some of Terry Pratchett's most famous characters will be on hand to aid your quest. Along the way you'll meet Granny Weatherwax Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick as well as a rich supporting cast of familiar faces from the Discworld series. When things get really tough and you feel you are turning Black Aliss you can always have a cup of tea with one of your fellow witches.The Witches can be played competitively cooperatively or solo.

Loco Momo

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Abstract Strategy Animals Fantasy Puzzle

Categories:

As photographers players are invited to the forests of Loco Momo to see who can capture the best shot! But the local animals aren’t quite prepared for their group photo and are scattered about. When calling them over one by one to line up in front of your lens they may just bring along a friend or two to really help you fill out your photo. Then position them in the best spots to create a charming photo worthy of the best photographer of Loco Momo!Loco Momo is a competitive game featuring drafting tile placement and set collection elements falling under the broader mechanic of “tile drafting.” Players first choose an animal tile and based on its unique movement the animal moves to a different clearing potentially allowing you to take even more animals of the same background color. Players then place your newly obtained tiles on your scoring board which scores points based on specific arrangements (e.g. number of identical/different animals in a row matching animals vertically linking background colors etc.). Like any good drafting game take which benefits you most but maybe keep an eye on what others may need! But distinguishing itself from others in the genre Loco Momo offers an approachable theme and (family) friendlier atmosphere as the scoring system removes some of the bite of “hate/spite” drafting.

Silver Coin

Rating: 7.5 | Players: 2–4

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Your village has been overrun by savage werewolves which are represented by the number on each of the cards that make up your village. To get rid of these fanged fiends faster than the neighboring villages use your residents' special abilities and your powerful secret weapon: a silver coin.Call for a vote when you think you have the fewest werewolves but be careful as everyone else gets one more turn to save their own village first...Silver Coin is a fast and engaging traditional card game with a werewolf twist! Everyone starts the game with five face-down cards with each player being able to choose and see two of their cards. Cards are numbered 0-13 with the number showing how many werewolves the character on that card attracts and each character (number) has a different special power.On a turn you draw the top card of the deck or discard pile then either discard it to use the power of the card (but only if it came from the deck) discard it without using the power (ditto) or replace one or more of your face-down cards with this card; you can replace multiple cards only if they bear the same number and you must reveal the cards to prove this being penalized if you're wrong.Silver Coin can be played as a standalone game or combined with other games in the Silver series by Bézier Games. Each version of the game has different card abilities and a different silver token ability.—description from the publisher

UGO!

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–4

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Categories:

In UGO! players try to found a mighty kingdom. Eagerly they expand their empire with more and more countries – but only the areas that are well maintained by farmers shall ensure that a truly flourishing kingdom will be founded.UGO! is a trick-taking game. The starting player plays a card from hand then in clockwise order the other players play a card of the same color if possible while playing a different color otherwise. The one who plays the highest card takes all the others. In a tie the player who follows suit wins. If none of the players followed suit then the first one wins.The winner places the cards on his kingdom cards starting from left to right and sorted by color. If you have nothing on your kingdom cards yet you can sort the cards from left to right in any order. However if you do have cards already on your kingdom you must place them on top of the other matching colors (countries). As soon as you have placed the cards and started a new game round you may not change them anymore. The winner of the game round is also the starting player of the next one.

Big Monster

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Categories:

You are an explorer who has been traveling through space looking for new planets for the Federation and you have just discovered one not yet indexed! This is an opportunity to identify new creatures discover rare resources and fulfill intergalactic missions. This is the challenge you are facing: Earn the most victory points in order to make your exploration successful!Big Monster is a smart drafting and tile-laying game that's played in two rounds. On a turn each player (simultaneously) chooses a tile from their hand places it face down in front of them then immediately gives their remaining tiles to another player of their choice who hasn't already been given tiles. That is what's defined as smart drafting.At the end of the game each player owns 18 tiles in their exploration space. You earn victory points by finding monsters completing crystals and achieving missions. The player with most victory points at the end of the second round wins.Big Monster can also be played in teams and when doing so the score of each team is the score of the team member with the fewest victory points.Big Monster is also a two players game and when doing so you do not use smart draft. There is a special rule for 2 players.

The Wizard Always Wins

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–5

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Categories:

The Wizard Always Wins…but the question is WHO is the true Wizard? Round by exciting round players jockey for new roles –from the Trader and the Oracle to the Apprentice and more. Each of the seven roles offer different abilities that are useful for leveling up your power. Yet only the player who is the true Wizard will pull their own gem from the Bag of Fate and claim victory!

Momiji

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 1–4

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Categories:

In Momiji you attempt to fulfill objectives by collecting the most valuable autumn leaves from the Imperial Garden in ancient Japan.You start with a hand of six leaf cards and a series of three landscape powers that combine to form a unique panorama. (For the first game landscapes are assigned but they can be drafted in subsequent games.) Leaf cards come in 4-6 types depending on the number of players with values of 0-3 in each type. Start with four random cards in the central playing area sorted by type. Place 4-6 randomly chosen objective tokens in the center of play; sample objectives are collecting the most 0s having the most cards of a specific type or having the highest sum of visible cards at game's end.On your turn choose one of these three options:Once during a turn you can discard two cards from your hand for one acorn token or spend an acorn to use a landscape power or do both of these actions. You can use each landscape power at most once during a game.When the leaf card deck is empty or after 4-6 leaf piles are closed with a torii token the game ends. For each pile of leaves you score points equal to the value of the topmost card multiplied by the number of cards in the pile. Remaining acorn tokens are worth 1 point each. For each activated objective you see who best meets the condition and therefore scores points; if the player holding the token scores they receive 10 points whereas anyone else who scores that objective receives 3 points. Each player scores in case of a tie. The player with the most victory points at the end of the game wins.

Suspend

Rating: 6.2 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Categories:

In Suspend you want to be the first player to get rid of your share of the 24 notched rubber-tipped wire pieces that come with the game. How do you get rid of them? Throw them away? Hide them under a cushion? No – you must hang them from a shared tabletop stand using only one hand to place the piece on an unoccupied space. If anything touches the table after you place your piece you must remove and reposition it; if anything falls off you have to keep those pieces and try to hang them again on future turns. The first player to suspend all of her pieces wins!

Forage: A 9 card solitaire game

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 1

Game Type:

Abstract Strategy Card Game Print & Play

Categories:

Forage is the final instalment of the 9 card solitaire game trilogy (following Orchard and its sequel Grove).Its 18 cards show different types of woodland areas where you'll find wild blackberries sweet chestnuts and edible mushrooms. Some areas are split into two types which together with the custom dice featuring hungry wood mice offer new opportunities and different strategies to increase your harvest.The card backs have recipe challenges to provide a win/lose condition (as an alternative to the standard game's ‘beat your own score’) for those who prefer it adding even more replayability.-description from designer

Wacky Races: The Board Game

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Humor Movies / TV / Radio theme Racing

Categories:

Wacky Races: The Board Game puts players in the driver's seat with control of their favorite drivers from the cartoon series including The Slag Brothers The Gruesome Twosome Penelope Pitstop Peter Perfect and more each with their own car equipped with special abilities. They compete against each other as well as the game-controlled mustachioed Dick Dastardly and his wheezy pup Muttley.Races are simple yet strategic as players place cards indicating the terrain tiles to which their racer will move with the last card played indicating where Dastardly and Muttley will end up. However it wouldn't be wacky without a little trouble standing in the way. Racers need to dodge or negate traps set by Dastardly as he attempts to stay ahead of the pack. Racers can choose between single races lasting 10-15 minutes or the Championship mode which offers unique rulesets changing from race-to-race before a winner is named.Wacky Races: The Board Game will be released in both a regular and a deluxe edition with the deluxe edition including pre-painted miniatures while the regular edition will have one-color miniatures.—description from the publisher

Solstis

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Categories:

Tile Placement

PROVE YOUR WORTH AND EARN THE MOST ⭐️ POSSIBLE by traveling the mountain and assembling as many landscape tiles as possible meeting the forest spirits and lighting fires on the peaks creating a path through the valley.The tile capture mechanics are taken from the hanafuda mechanics. Collect a tile according to the column or row then place them in your landscape. The goal of the game will be to reconstruct a landscape by combining its tiles to score as many points as possible. You will have to be careful not to leave tiles to your opponent while optimizing your landscape according to your opponent's choices. Also create tile squares to collect spirits that will help you during or at the end of the game. The experience is... zen and very quick to set up! For adults and children!—description from the publisher

Little Factory

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Card Game Industry / Manufacturing

Categories:

Little Factory first released as Goods Maker is a resource management and building construction card game for 2-4 players with a playing time of about 30 minutes.Players increase their assets by processing resources into other resources such as turning wood into wood or charcoal or turning charcoal and flour into bread. If you increase your assets you can build a building and use that building to acquire resources and victory points more quickly.The more buildings players construct the more actions that become available on future turns. On a turn players take one of two actions:In addition players can use the effects of each building they own once per turn (including on the turn during which they were acquired). An example of a building effect is: exchanging a thread card in hand for cloth available in the play area. Chain together cards buildings and actions to create more victory points. The player who collects 10+ victory points first wins!

Kitara

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Area Majority / Influence Area Movement Hand Management Open Drafting

Categories:

Kitara is a strategy game that mixes conquest movement and battle. Manage your cards to plan your actions: the more territories you control the more options you get! Strengthen your army of hunters cheetah-centaurs and heroes! Protect livestock and crops move your troops and go to war. Kitara is a dynamic strategy game full of tension and suspense.A play turn consists of drafting kingdom cards recruiting pawns moving pawns and attacking neighboring areas. A successful attack garners one or more hero tokens which allots victory points. Attacking and retreating is based on the number of pawns in each group. The player with the most victory points wins the game.—description from the publisher

Sultaniya

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Arabian City Building Puzzle

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The sultan has issued a decree: Whoever can build the most amazing palace in the city of Sultaniya will be made Grand Vizier. Become a character from 1001 Arabian Nights and build graceful minarets dazzling gates and soaring cupolas to draw the eye of the sultan and carve your name in history. Players will carefully select the best building tiles to erect the most impressive structures scoring points for following patterns and fulfilling secret objectives. Earn sapphires and use them to secure the services of the mighty Djinn whose aid will be invaluable in your quest to create the most stunning palace the city has ever seen.Game play:Players start out with a board with a triangle of 3-tiles worth built and have to expand that out to make the best (most VP-earning) palace. There are separate stacks of tiles for each layer of the palace color coded (blue red green and sky). Besides the color-coded levels there are attributes that have to match up like doorways and columns.To get tiles players reveal tiles from one pile and display them in front of the pile (up to 3 can be showing - the top of the pile is face up but can't be taken) and then choose a tile from any of the available tiles in any color. You try to choose a tile that will give you points and/or gems. The gems let you buy genies which have special powers like building twice in one turn or moving a tile you previously placed.Players are limited by the edges of the starting board including the bonus tiles (question marks). You have to have at least one tile beneath you to build and you can't make a hole in the palace so things are somewhat constrained. The tiles are two-sided and can be flipped if you need the mirror-image tile.Each player board has attributes that score points like windows or plants. You also have 2 hidden objectives/bonuses which might be points for making a column of windows. The game ends when someone builds their fifth sky tile. The player that scores the most points is the winner.

Brew Crafters: Travel Card Game

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–4

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In Brew Crafters: The Travel Card Game you've opened your own brewery and are competing with other brewers in town to be named the Brew Crafter of your city. You'll build your brewery by installing equipment and hiring workers and then get to work brewing your beer! The player that earns the most reputation as the city's best brewer will win! Brew Crafters: The Travel Card Game is based on the Dice Hate Me Games release Brew Crafters.

Brikks

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 1–4

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Dice Puzzle

Brikks can be viewed as tabletop Tetris with each player trying to place falling blocks into their grid to score the most points.To start the game each player draws a different quadromino at the bottom of their individual game sheet. On a turn the active player rolls two dice — a colored d6 and a numbered d4 — then optionally rolls both dice again. The two dice determine which specific quadromino — that is which colored shape and in which orientation — all players must drop into their grid. To represent this you draw an outline of the block at the bottom of your sheet as if you had dropped it in from the top then X out the spaces covered by the quadromino.If you cover a circle on the grid that's the same color as the quadromino just placed there you collect two energy points. By spending one energy point on a turn you can possibly rotate the quadromino to be placed depending on what dice were rolled; by spending five energy points you can place exactly the quadromino you want ignoring the result of the dice. As you collect energy you might cover an X on the energy chart; if you do you track these Xs on a separate extra point bar with the points escalating for each X you collect. If you complete 2-4 lines through the placement of a single quadromino you collect an additional 1-4 Xs for this extra point bar.Each player has three bombs they can spend to blow up a block instead of placing it but by doing so you give up endgame points.As soon as you can no longer place a quadromino in your grid your game is over. Once everyone has filled their grid to the top tally your points. In addition to the extra points bar and any bombs unused you score 1-5 points for each horizontal line that contains 8-10 Xs with these line points doubling or even quadrupling as you go higher in the grid. Whoever scores the most points wins!Brikks also contains rules for a duel mode and a solitaire mode.

Neotopia

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–4

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City Building Puzzle

In Neotopia a competitive fast paced tile placement pattern building game you are part of a team of Visionaries who are building a futuristic pilot city focused on the fields of Energy Technology Community and Sustainable food.You will be building elements on the three regions of the city in order to complete feature cards that you have in hand. A good combination of tile placement and card management can result in very impactful turns where several cards are completed and the city expands. Interaction between players is important because all players are building on the same board and can take advantage of what other players have built on their previous turns.You will try to build the most harmonious city possible because that will be vital for your score: in the end of the game you will score normally the regions where you have your two highest scores but you will triple the score of your lowest scoring region. So be aware! Even if it’s tempting to build on regions that are more developed and where you have already scored a lot points if you don’t start working on the development of the other regions you will not be able to win the game. Balance is the key point on Neotopia just like the type of future that the players are trying to build.—description from the designer

Stellarion

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 1–2

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Cooperative Game Hand Management Solo / Solitaire Game

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You are the director of the Observatory. With your telescopes aimed at the stars planets and nebulas of the Oniverse you are ready to launch daring spaceships into the skies.Stellarion the seventh entry in the Oniverse series is a deck-management game. All the cards you need are split into eight decks and you know the contents of each one. You'll need to manage all these resources to ensure that you have the right cards available at the right time.—description from the designer

Biblios Dice

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–5

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Bluffing Dice Medieval

As a medieval monk you are charged with increasing the prestige of the abbey's collection of historical and sacred texts. By acquiring the resources for manuscript illustration and reproduction your abbey produces and sells its valuable works thereby bringing in finances necessary for maintaining a fine abbey. Will you succeed in making your abbey the most prestigious of all?Biblios Dice is a revision of Scripts and Scribes: The Dice Game which is itself a dice version of Biblios (originally called Scripts and Scribes).The object is to acquire gold and to collect resources – scrolls manuscripts pigments quills ink – to exchange for gold. It follows the same basic theme as Biblios but with interesting changes due to the use of dice. As in Scripts and Scribes players compete in five different categories and the values of the categories change during the game. In addition depending upon the dice roll there may be many or few auctions during the game in which players auction their resources for gold or auction gold for resources.Biblios Dice differs from its earlier version Scripts and Scribes: The Dice Game in a few important ways. Regarding the production and components Biblios Dice has much nicer artwork the game board has been divided into separate boards and the resource dice are etched. Regarding the rules Biblios Dice has a few important changes. The goal of the game is now to collect the most VPs rather than gold. There is only one type of auction in this game and the first and second place winners of the auction get dice (not winner take all). The auctions also do not happen as randomly but can be predicted based upon the progress of the mule on the market board.

Harry Potter Strike Dice Game

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–5

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Harry Potter Strike Dice Game combines elements of Strike and Impact with players rolling dice into an arena to attempt to cast spells and win dice back from the arena.In more detail each player starts with the same number of six-sided dice and one die starts in the arena. On a turn the active player rolls a die into the arena. If no die faces in the arena match the player can end their turn or roll again; if the player rolls an X (or hits any dice that then show an X face as a result) those dice are removed from play; if two or more dice have matching non-X faces then the player casts the spell matching the die face then recovers those matching dice from the arena (unless the spell says to do something different).If you run out of dice then you're out of the game. The last player with dice wins!

Wishland

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 1–4

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Wishland is a worker placement eurogame based on the management of a theme park. Through a series of rounds players will purchase different cards from the board to create their own and unique theme park.The game last 7 rounds. At the end of the game the player with the most victory points is declared the winner.There are 5 different types of cards in the game:Restaurants: Increases the base income of players.Actors: Add additional workers happiness and visitors. They also earn victory points at the end of the game with a set collection mechanic.Rides: The heart of a theme park. You need a minimum amount of rides in order to enlarge your theme park. They also provide victory points.Hotels: Some allow you to ignore some game rules while other give you end game objectives or direct rewards related to the other types of cards.Mascots: Can make a big difference in the end game. All cards of the game have an icon on them. Each of the 12 different mascouts gives you points at the end of the game for each card sharing icons with them.-description from designer

Moon River

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

American West Territory Building

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Moon River uses the Kingdomino game system — but without dominoes.In the game you will build a personal landscape of tiles to score points but instead of tiling dominoes in your landscape the game uses half-dominoes in which one edge has a jigsaw puzzle-style connection. You combine two of these half puzzle pieces to craft your own dominoes. This mechanism is meant to provide more variability and randomization in each play.Instead of building your landscape around a central castle you start from the river and expand away from it. Also the crowns (i.e. the victory point multiplier) from Kingdomino are replaced by cow meeples with players being able to use cowboys to move them.

Scooby-Doo! The Board Game

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 1–5

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Horror Humor Movies / TV / Radio theme

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Ruh-roh Shaggy! There's a monster on the loose and it's scaring everyone out of town! It's up to the Mystery Inc. gang to stop them! Scooby-Doo! The Board Game is a co-operative family game for 1-5 players that brings the beloved cartoon series to life with amazing miniatures of the whole gang.Players take on the role of Scooby-Doo Fred Velma Daphne or Shaggy and ride the Mystery Machine around town building traps to catch the villains before they frighten all the citizens away — but just like in our favorite episodes even the best plans can go awry as the monster which is controlled by the game itself may make a move the players never expected!Each member of Mystery Inc. has their own unique special ability to help them during the game and they'll need all the help they can get because the villains all operate differently as well! The gang can succeed only if they coordinate together as a group.Scooby-Doo! The Board Game has three levels of difficulty (easy/medium/hard) and special rules for playing as a two-player game or a solo game.—description from the publisher

Ramen Fury

Rating: 6.2 | Players: 2–5

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Rush to prepare and slurp up delicious bowls of ramen filled with tasty ingredients in the use-your-noodle card game Ramen Fury. Collect combos of cards to score for different recipes while adding garnishes to boost your points. At the same time watch out as other players throw spicy chili peppers your way or swipe foods right from your bowls! It's take that fun that will have you calling for takeout!—description from the publisher

Déjà Vu

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–6

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Action / Dexterity Memory Party Game Real-time

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Forgetting something you saw only seconds earlier is one thing; remembering something that has never happened is the opposite experience. Both of these feelings come together in Déjà Vu with players reacting to cards as they pass to grab repeated objects.In more detail the 36 object tiles are spread out around the deck of cards. These objects are each pictured on cards in the deck exactly twice. The cards in the deck are revealed one by one and if you think that an object on a card has appeared previously then you can grab the corresponding object tile and place it in front of you. Are you sure of what you saw? You better hope so because if a newly revealed card matches an object tile lying in front of you — and an opponent spots that tile in time and identifies your false memory — then you're out of the rest of the round.Once you finish going through the deck players score points for the items they collected. A total of three rounds are played and with each subsequent round players might find it harder to remember exactly what they've seen. Was the object shown before or am I thinking of the previous round? Whoever collects the most points after three rounds wins!

Elevenses

Rating: 6.2 | Players: 2–4

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Card Game Print & Play

Elevenses is a card game in which respectable 1920s socialites strive to serve the finest morning teas!Each player starts the round with an identical set of eleven morning tea cards. Each card has a point value as well a special action which must be carried out when it is played. The lower the point value of a card the better its power. The powers lead to surprising interactions between the players! Cards must also be played to a specific position on the table. Whenever a card is played in most cases you pick up the card that was previously in its position requiring you to plan your morning tea carefully!The round ends when a player plays the Elevenses card. It's time for tea! The players compare the value of their cards. Points are awarded to the highest scoring morning teas. The game continues until a player has 7 or more points. She has served the finest morning teas of all and wins the game!The six-card expansion Elevenses: The Special Guests is included in the game. With this expansion each player is dealt one special guest card in secret at the start of each round. Each guest will come to your morning tea only if you serve certain things. If you play the right combination of morning tea cards the guest arrives you reveal the card and your morning tea goes up in value!Game #2 in 'The Mike Line' of games from Grail Games.

Matryoshka

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 3–5

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Some rare Matryoshkas composed of seven dolls each were spread during the years and ended up distributed randomly among some antique collectors. These collectors arranged a meeting to exchange dolls and try to reassemble the rare Matryoshkas. Obviously each collector wants to leave this meeting with the most valuable collection. But who will succeed?Matryoshka is played in four rounds. In each round each player shows a Matryoshka from his hand and all other players make a hidden trade offer. After checking all offers the player trades his card with another player.At the end of each round players must show a part of their collection by placing Matroyshkas on front of them. That way other players know what they're looking for. The player with the most valuable collection at the end of the game wins.

Enigma

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Adventure Puzzle Real-time

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In Enigma players are exploring an ancient temple solving different problems to make their way from room to room.Problem solving is done simultaneously in four different categories — tangrams block-stacking canal-building and balance problems — and those who succeed expand the temple with the problem tile they solved thus adding a new chain of rooms inside the temple or extending an existing chain of rooms. After placing a tile a player can occupy a room on that tile with one of his three archeologists as long as no other room of the same color is already occupied in that chain. When the chain is closed — that is when the chain has no loose ends that can be expanded upon — any archeologists in that chain's room return to their players and players score 1 point for each archeologist they receive. The game ends when somebody reaches 15 points and the player who has the most points wins.

Ratland

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 2–6

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Animals Bluffing Humor

Make your rat clan the most powerful gang of the sewer!In Ratland each player controls a rat clan and tries to turn them into the most crowded one. To achieve such a task you have to outwit your opponents to get the most food possible even if you have to snatch it from your neighbors! But beware they will try to do the same to you...•••¡Consigue que tu clan de ratas sea la más poderosa de la cloaca!Cada jugador se pone al frente de un clan de ratas e intentará hacerlo crecer hasta convertirlo en el más numeroso. Para ello tendrás que tomar muchas decisiones y conseguir toda la comida que puedas incluso robársela a tus vecinos. Pero ten cuidado ellos también intentarán hacer lo mismo.

Space Escape

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Animals Children's Game Science Fiction

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In Mole Rats in Space you and your teammates are mole rats on a research station that has been invaded by snakes. You need to collect your equipment and escape the station before you're bit or time runs out.On a turn you carry out the instructions on the card in front of you perhaps moving yourself or your teammates moving one or more snakes or adding a new snake to the board. Land on the bottom of a ladder and the character (or snake) advances one level toward the escape pod; land on a chute and you descend a level — or are shot out into the vast reaches of space where you die slowly of asphyxiation. Make sure that only snakes suffer this fate or you lose the game!If you land on a snake you're bit and must return to your starting location; get bit a second time and you die. Run out of cards you die. Let a snake board the escape pod you die. In case that threat of death isn't enough for you the game includes a pack of cards to add to the deck once you've triumphed a few times so that you can increase the challenge.Designer: Matt Leacock Artist: Jim Paillot

Caravan

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Abstract Strategy Arabian

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1300 A.D. Western Africa — the desire for goods such as ivory in Europe drives the development of many trade routes here with caravans of camels delivering goods across the desert landscape.In Caravan players must use their camels to deliver goods where they are wanted. Each player starts with five camels in their color (or six in an introductory game) and the game board is seeded with eight goods on the spaces numbered 1-8 with demand markers placed on the goods at spaces 1 2 7 and 8. The first player in the game takes one action the second player two and so on until someone takes four actions after which each player can take up to four actions on their turn. Actions are:If you move a good to a camel located in the city that wants that good (as indicated by color) then you remove that good from the board and keep it. As soon as four goods have been picked up (not necessarily delivered) pause the game and place a demand marker on each good still on the board; in addition refill the empty numbered spots with a good from the bag.Once the final four goods have been drawn from the bag the game ends immediately following the next delivery. Players score points based upon what they've collected: Rare goods (of which there are three each of four types) are worth 6 points each; common goods (nine each of four types) are worth 3 points each; and each demand marker is worth 1 point. Whoever scores the most wins.

El Valle Secreto

Rating: 7.5 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Card Game Territory Building

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The nomadic clans of the highlands were migrating together to new territories in search of the mysterious Secret Valley. After months of travel an explorer shouts the news: Fertile lands! The great valley stretched as far as the eye could see and the long-awaited promise of prosperity was everywhere.In The Secret Valley each player takes on the role of a clan venturing into mysterious new lands. In each round the players take possession of different territories in the valley represented on the cards trying to be the player who best locates their settlements at the end of the game. Each territory card has a different scoring criteria that the player must fulfill as best as possible in the card grid that is formed at the table. At the end of each round (when the grid is completed) each player counts the points obtained for each card he put into play. Whoever gets the highest score after three rounds of play will be the winner of the game.Los clanes nómadas de las tierras altas estaban migrando juntos hacia nuevos territorios en busca del misterioso Valle Secreto. Luego de meses de viaje un explorador grita la noticia: Tierras fértiles! El gran valle se extendía hasta donde alcanzaba la vista y por todos lados se veía la tan ansiada promesa de prosperidad…En El Valle Secreto cada jugador toma el papel de un clan aventurándose en nuevas y misteriosas tierras. En cada ronda los jugadores irán tomando posesión de distintos territorios en el valle representados en las cartas intentando ser el jugador que mejor ubique sus asentamientos al final del juego. Cada carta de territorio tiene un criterio de puntuación diferente que el jugador debe cumplir lo mejor posible en la grilla de cartas que se forma en la mesa. Al final de cada ronda (cuando la grilla se completa) cada jugador contabiliza los puntos obtenidos por cada carta que puso en juego. Quien obtenga la mayor puntuación luego de tres rondas de juego será el ganador de la partida.-description from designer

Sakura

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–6

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Every year the Emperor walks through the imperial gardens to greet the spring every year he stops beneath the Sakura trees and every year you try to paint his picture. This will be your year. Artists from near and far will step over their rivals to be closest to the Emperor as he reaches the cherry blossoms hoping to paint a portrait that will please him. However should one of them accidentally bump into the Emperor they would be sure to earn his ire!Sakura is a light tactical game of pushing your luck and pushing your friends. Each player will simultaneously decide how far to move both their character and the Emperor. The player closest to the Emperor when the Cherry Blossoms are reached will gain a huge amount of prestige but if you push too far you risk bumping into the Emperor and walking away in disgrace.

Träxx

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 1–4

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Line Drawing

Each player in Träxx has an erasable game board that features lots of colored hexagons shaped into a larger hexagon with the numbers 2-10 being scattered across this playing area. While the color and number arrangement is the same on all player boards the starting point differs on each board. (The second edition of Träxx includes a pad of individual score sheets instead of erasable boards.)To play shuffle the deck of fifteen cards then reveal the top card which will show four or five colored hexagons. Playing at the same time each player takes an erasable pen and draws a path on their game board — with this path starting at or at least passing through the starting point on their board — that covers up to as many hexagons as were revealed with the colors of the hexagons in your path matching those shown on the card. Thus if the card shows two gray hexagons and one each of blue red and yellow then your path can cover at most two gray hexagons and one each of blue red and yellow.Once all players have drawn their path reveal the next card continuing the path in either direction and covering only as many hexagons of the proper colors as is shown on that card. A path cannot cross itself.When your path crosses a number call out that number. If you're the first one to reach it you'll score that many points at game end; if others have reached it first you score half this many points rounded up. Once you've finished all fifteen cards the game ends and you lose one point for each space not covered. Whoever has the highest score wins!

HerStory

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–5

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Card Game Educational

In HerStory you're an acclaimed author writing a book to tell the stories of remarkable women of history. Players take turns doing research drafting chapters and completing them for points and possibly for research symbols or special powers. The game ends when a player has written eight chapters and the player with the highest scoring book wins.The game is a light strategy game featuring engine-building and set collection. You do research by collecting research tokens and by doing the right research you can complete chapters about different historical women for points.Completed chapters grant abilities that make you a better writer and allow you to score even more points as the game progresses. You can set yourself for big point windfalls with the right combination of powers.The game comes with 120 oversized linen-finish cards with beautiful illustrations of the featured historical figures on the fronts and stories about their lives on the backs.—description from the designer

10' to Kill

Rating: 6.2 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Animals Bluffing Deduction Murder / Mystery

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10' to Kill is a deduction game for 2-4 players that's played in about ten minutes. There are 16 characters on the board and each player secretly embodies one of them. Each player also has three secret targets they must eliminate without being discovered. The players have two actions each turn from the following choices: move any character anywhere on the board eliminate a character (different ways of doing this) or make an identity check by the police. The trick is that when a character is eliminated nobody says by whom or how! You must apply yourself in blending your true hitman in a crowd of possible suspects or guess which character is the hitman of the other players.As time goes by in 10' to Kill you will feel pressure and suspicion weigh on your shoulders. Ten minutes is a short time but it can sometimes be very long when all eyes are on you! You'll have to bluff and use discretion to eliminate your targets...and maybe the competitor's hitman!Are you ready to become the most prestigious hitman?

Exoplanets

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Science Fiction Territory Building

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Exoplanets is a medium-light game where players create their own planetary system on the table. Players add to the common star tiles which represent various planets or moons (that protect planets or help create life). Each of these tiles/planets give a different number of tokens (water atmosphere asteroids and light) and each planet has their climatic condition which allows us to create life on these planets. Players can also interact trying to interrupt opponents planets by using space effects by space tales or fulfill goals to earn more points at the end of the universe. But the players need to know that they are all creating mutual planetary systems.

Hellas

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–4

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Ancient City Building

Hellas 480 BC. It’s the rise of classic Greek civilization. After the overwhelming victory of Xerxes’ army at Thermopylae the Greeks return to their country and continue the hard work at the islands. The building and development of large cities is the next step into a new era.Found settlements on a Greek island and let them grow into large cities. Build statues in honor of the Gods or finish one of the various temples on the island. All this work needs a lot of marble which can be found in the many quarries. Houses next to a quarry can mine marble but some quarries produce more marble than others.Each round in Hellas players choose an action in the display. When choosing to build a house palace or square on the island all others can perform that action too. Deciding to mine marble (to get more money) will also help other players because they'll earn money too through their houses next to mines. Building pillars in temples or raising a statue are the only type of actions you'll perform by yourself but at the end of the game all players might score points because of your work.Strategically build your settlements on the island to gain the most profit from quarries. Timing is crucial: most of your chosen actions can also be immediately performed by all other players. Think ahead to outsmart your opponents and score the most points with your cities.

Vienna

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 3–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Dice Post-Napoleonic

Game description from the publisher:Having just arrived in 19th century Vienna one is struck by the many possibilities offered by this great city and you need to ask yourself how best to get ahead. Should you try to win some fast money or take a long-term approach by trying to win over influential patrons in the city?You'll be faced with many important questions in Vienna many of which involve where best to place your dice so that you can get hold of as many victory points as possible? Naturally these tactical decisions will be influenced by the plans of others and by the favor of the dice. In the end whoever best plans wisely and use her resources will win!

Quick Cups

Rating: 6.2 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Action / Dexterity Children's Game Real-time

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Haim Shafir's most famous game design Halli Galli includes one of the best-known game props in existence: a bell. Players both young and old love to hit the bell after spotting a winning combination so it's no surprise to see the bell return in yet another Shafir design: Speed Cups a.k.a. Quick Cups.In this game each player receives a set of five plastic cups each a different color; a deck of 24 cards is shuffled and placed face down in the center of the table next to the bell. One player flips over the top card which depicts colored objects – trains birds cups etc. – stacked vertically or horizontally then everyone tries to recreate this colored sequence with her own set of cups. The first player to do slams the bell revels in the soul-brightening ding then (if correct) claims the card. Someone then reveals the next card and the players start shuffling cups once again.Once all the cards have been claimed whoever holds the most cards wins!

Catan: Ancient Egypt

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 3–4

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Civilization Negotiation

For Catan: Ancient Egypt designer Klaus Teuber has transformed his best-selling game The Settlers of Catan to a new location and time with players now living in the time of the Pharaohs and using their oxcarts to move resources to build small villages and great temples styled after some of the most interesting buildings of Egyptian antiquity. As always you must beware of the robber! His chariot can interrupt production at your cattle pastures papyrus groves and quarries.After you master the Catan: Ancient Egypt base game you can try these variants:

Sapiens

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Prehistoric

The time has come for the tribe to leave its shelter and head for new lands. As the chief of your clan it's up to you to guide your prehistoric people through the valley: Take advantage of the environment pick and hunt for food discover big and safe caverns for the upcoming winter gather your tribe and discover the valley!Sapiens is a short and easy-to-learn tile-placement game that can prove much deeper than it seems for gamers. Each player has a personal game board that represents the valley on which they will play tiles to determine the journey of their tribe through several prehistoric life scenes. Their aim is to gather food points on the plains and in the forests of the valley and to get shelter points for reaching caves in the mountains. A player's turn consists of two steps:Sapiens relies on instinctive domino-like mechanisms that are improved by interesting twists:

JamSumo

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Action / Dexterity Dice

Jam is a game where everyone is trying to flick their dice to get them down the hole in the middle. When one player has got all their dice into the hole everyone scores points for the uppermost faces of any dice they have still in play (any not used yet or knocked off the sides count as a 4). Lowest aggregate score after 1 round per player wins.Sumo is a game where you start with all your dice on the board and try to flick your opponents' dice off the board (or down the hole). When someone has all their dice knocked off everyone scores for the uppermost faces of dice still in play. Highest aggregate score after 1 round per player wins.

Infiltraitors

Rating: 7.4 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Card Game Spies / Secret Agents

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Your organization has been infiltrated by moles nefarious informants from the enemy. As faithful agents you must work together to uncover and eliminate all the traitors.Infiltraitors is a challenging deduction card game with twenty missions. Suspect cards are set aside at the start; these are the traitors who must be identified by suit and numbers. Players must manage their hands to give clues on the suspect cards. Clues may match with a traitor by having the same suit or where the number is either a multiple or a factor of the traitor's.As the clues accumulate players may deduce the identity of a traitor card but can you catch them all before the time runs out?

Feudality

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–6

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A long time ago in Europe ages were pretty dark. The distribution of wealth back then left a lot to be desired. Greedy people banded together to take things from other people so that the rich could get richer and the poor could have even less. 'Twas ever thus. Step into the middle of the normal state of human affairs as a Baron or Baroness somewhere almost in Europe a long time ago. Thanks to your birth you have a lot of little people working to make you richer and you in turn are doing your best to make your king even more prosperous. If you do things right you might someday be king.Each player starts with a Fiefdom Management card divided into 64 squares (49 of which can have tiles played on them). Into four of these squares you deploy your Keep in which you will put your fortification of some sort and your soldiers. Elsewhere in your land you deploy assorted resource gatherers and buildings in an effort to grow prosper and score victory points. Along the way there may be wars invasions tournaments taxes and a lot of other nonsense.

Twenty One

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Categories:

Each player in Twenty One receives a different score sheet at the start of the game; each sheet has five horizontal rows with six colored dice pictured in each row and while the numbers are identical in each of the rows on each sheet the arrangement of colors differs.To score points a player needs to fill these dice with numbers but they have to fill (or mark off) all six dice in a row before they can move to the next row on their score sheet — and to write numbers on their sheet they'll have to depend (at least somewhat) on the luck of the dice.On a turn the active player rolls six colored dice that match the colors depicted on each score sheet. They must keep all 1s that they roll but they can choose to reroll all non-1 dice twice. After the second roll all players can use the rolled dice to fill one or more of the dice on their sheet — but only if the die of the matching color shows a value equal to or less than what's on the score sheet.For example if your row shows a yellow 6 blue 5 white 4 etc. and you or the active player rolls yellow 3 blue 6 white 4 etc. you can choose to write 3 in the yellow space (earning yourself 3 points at the end of the game) but you may choose not to since you could score up to 6 points for that space. You can't write anything in blue since the die is higher than the number shown. You definitely want to write 4 in the white space since 4 is the most points you can score there. What's more since you had an exact hit you x the box as well and you score bonus points in a row for the number of xs that you have.If you can't or don't want to fill in a number you must cross out the leftmost space in your current row earning no points for this space. As soon as all spaces in a row are filled or crossed off you start the next row with the next roll of the dice. The game ends the turn that someone completes the fifth row after which everyone tallies their points to see who wins.

Catan Histories: Merchants of Europe

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 3–4

Game Type:

Civilization Exploration Negotiation

Categories:

In the late Middle Ages trade flourished in Europe. Economic groups like the Hanseatic League the Welser and Fugger families and merchants from Northern Italy established trading posts and factories in all of the important cities throughout Europe. These businesses provided the population with goods of all kinds such as fur from the north cloth from Flanders wine from the south and spices from India. The most important commodity of all was salt. In the Middle Ages salt was highly prized it was used to preserve food.In Catan Histories: Merchants of Europe you are a powerful merchant! Start your trading posts in three cities. Recruit new merchants and send them to distant cities to establish trading posts and expand your interests. The more trading posts you have the more commodities are at your disposal which you can sell profitably in foreign cities. To ensure that your commodities arrive safely at their destination you must open up trade routes and equip caravans. You win the game if you are the first to deliver all of your commodities to foreign cities.Catan Histories: Merchants of Europe is a twist on the 2010 release Settlers of America: Trails to Rails from designer Klaus Teuber and publisher Mayfair Games. Game play is similar in both games: Players start with three locations on the game board collect resources depending on a die roll spend resources to move and build and branch out to new locations with a long-term goal of delivering goods to opponents' cities. The first player to deliver all of his goods wins the game.Instead of being played on a fixed game board showing a Catan-ified map of the United States Die Siedler von Catan: Aufbruch der Händler is set on a Catan-ified map of Europe – which isn't a surprise given that Kosmos is a European publisher. Instead of moving from east to west to mimic the settling of the U.S. by Europeans players start in the middle of Europe namely Germany.

The Tea Dragon Society Card Game

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Animals Card Game Novel-based

Categories:

Discover the ancient art form of Tea Dragon care-taking within The Tea Dragon Society Card Game based on the graphic novel The Tea Dragon Society. Create a bond between yourself and your Tea Dragon that grows as you progress through the seasons creating memories to share forever.Each player's deck represents their own Tea Dragon. From turn to turn players choose to draw a card — triggering effects and strengthening their position — or buy a card improving their deck or scoring points. The game takes place over four seasons starting in spring and ending in winter. At the end of winter the player who has the most points wins.

The Bears and the Bees

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Animals Card Game Puzzle

Come join the Hive! Compete to link honeycomb shaped cards to the growing hive. The more sides you match the greater the payoff. Special cards help earn extra plays and deliver stings to your rivals. Just be careful to avoid those pesky honey-grubbin' bears!—description from the back of the boxRules: Play down a card with two sides matching other cards (i.e. blue touching blue and green touching green). Honey sides are wild. First player to put all their cards down ends the round and scores 0. Other players score according to cards still in hand. Lowest score after 3 rounds wins. Honeycomb: Normal cards have varying patterns of colors. Drone Bee: Has 3 honey sides and 3 colored sides. Worker Bees: Make other players draw cards. Draw amount increases with number of matched sides. Flowers: Make all other players draw cards according to number of sides matched. Bear: One side has to touch honey. No other cards can be played on the bear.—user summary

Sherlock 13

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Card Game Deduction Novel-based

Categories:

In Sherlock 13 first published as Holmes 13 the players take the role of a detective trying to unmask the famous thief Arsene Lupin who is among them in disguise.The game consists of 13 character cards with 2 to 3 characteristics each. Each characteristic is shared by 3 to 5 characters. The cards are shuffled and one is drawn and put aside. This card represents the disguise chosen by Arsene Lupin. The other cards are distributed evenly among the players. The players now tally the total of characteristics they have on their cards (e.g. 2 detectives 1 female 0 genius etc) and note them for later use.Players now take turns asking a question to gather new evidence:a.) To all players: Who has (at least one) of (this characteristic)?ORb.) To one player: How many of (this characteristic) do you have?Using these clues the players try to figure out which disguise Arsene has chosen (i.e. which card is missing). Instead of a question a player may announce which character he suspects to be Arsene in disguise. That player then secretly checks the hidden card. If the suspicion was correct this player wins the game otherwise the player is eliminated and the other players continue.

Cat Café

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Animals Dice

Make your corner in the Cat Café the best one possible! Entice cats by literally drawing toys for the cats to play with. Place the toys in the most favorable way possible and you win by attracting the most cats!Cat Café is a reimplementation and slightly altered version of the Korean game Cat Tower by Mandoo Games. Cat Café is a light roll-and-write game in which players draft one die each round then use the final unused die as well. Both dice are then used to 1) Draw a particular type of cat toy and 2) Place it on that level of a particular tower.Placing each toy in a particular position is important as it gives a player points in specific ways. Place a bowl next to different and unique other toys or place a cushion high up so that cats can sleep and watch from high up or even give the cats yarn to play with giving you potential majority scoring.—description from the publisher

Awkward Guests 2: The Berwick Cases

Rating: 7.9 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Deduction Humor Murder / Mystery

Categories:

Awkward Guests 2: The Berwick Cases is a title of the Awkward Guests series specifically for two players or teams. It is a dice mystery and deduction game that challenges you to solve the murder of one of the Berwick twins... and to plan the murder of her sister.The games recreate the two murders of the Berwick sisters in different ways. The players take different roles in each case. In one they act as the mastermind PLOTTING how the murder occurred and in the other as the investigator SOLVING the crime. The first investigator to correctly answer these questions firstWHO killed Beatrice/Berenice Berwick? HOW did the murderer end her life? WHY did the murderer kill her?wins the game.In their turn the investigator:—description from the publisher

Inheritors

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Animals Card Game Number

In the dark of the night whispers spread throughout the court: The King is dead!Inheritors is a 2-4 player open drafting hand management card game. As one of the King's Inheritors you will seek influence among five clans spy on your competitors and tip the courts in your favor to win your rightful place on the throne.Build Influence in the 5 Realms. Gain the support of Clan leaders - each with unique abilities. Use Advocates to outthink your opponents. Race to claim Honors. Journey on Quests to prove yourself to the Realms.Inheritors provides a big game experience in a small box you can take with you anywhere. Let the games begin!

CVlizations

Rating: 6.2 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Card Game Civilization Humor

Categories:

In CVlizations you take the role of a leader of a tribe and you are charged with the task of writing its CV (Curriculum Vitae - résumé). To do so you choose which orders to give and which inventions tools buildings and ideologies to develop. The happiness of your people depends on you.Gameplay is built around action selection. Each turn every player chooses two order cards and the strength of the action depends on how many other players have chosen that action. Players manage their resources to develop ideas and in the end the one who collected the most happiness points wins.

Gateway Island

Rating: 7.5 | Players: 1–12

Game Type:

Categories:

Party Game Wargame

Gateway Island is your Introduction to Board Games! Featuring 21 different games and a variety of game mechanics Gateway Island is just the game you need to introduce friends to the world of board gaming. The simple and accessible rules are quick and easy to learn. Find out if you (and your friends) like drafting worker placement bluffing racing party games dungeon crawlers and much much more!Gateway Island contains 21 beautifully illustrated jumbo cards and other game components like cubes disks a die and everything you need inside of a portable box that can be taken anywhere. It includes a rulebook to cover the rules for all 21 games and also a Supplemental Book that teaches new board gamers a glossary of terms they may hear or components they may run across.Lastly and perhaps best of all after playing a game the rulebook will recommend 1 or 2 new games for you to try if you liked the mini game! Featuring over 30 game recommendations from a variety of publishers you'll know exactly what games to add to your collection next based on the fun you had with Gateway Island!

Squire for Hire

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 1–2

Game Type:

Animals Card Game Fantasy Print & Play

Categories:

Your day has finally come — a famous adventurer has hired YOU to be their squire! When your hero completes quests defeats baddies and takes all the credit they also earn loot which you get the great honor of carrying!Squire for Hire is an 18-card tile-laying inventory management game for 1-2 players that takes about 15-20 min to play. Players compete to get the highest scoring bag of items for their hero by the end of the story deck.Each player takes on the role of a random squire card taking turns completing story cards and adding loot to their bag for points. You can complete story cards one of two ways: 1) having enough item value (the combined number of spaces an item type takes up in your bag) or 2) using an item (covering up an item in your bag with a new loot card). If you can complete a story card you get to pick one of two loot cards to add to your bag; to do so at least one full item must be placed within empty or full squares. You can cover any number of other items in your bag as long as the entire item is covered.Once all story cards have been exhausted players add up their scores. Add 1 point for each regular item 1 point for each pair of identical items side-by-side and extra points for conditions met on your squire card. Visible junk items reduce your score by 1 point each so cover them up whenever possible!Keep vital items in your bag for when you need them pack efficiently for extra points and eliminate junk to be the squire with the highest scoring bag! Play solo to beat your own high score with all of the cards.—description from the designer

Gardens

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Environmental

Game description from the publisher:In Gardens the players work together tile by tile to plant reshape and grow a garden. As opportunities arise more and more beds will be planted. Whoever is most adept at placing his favorite plants in the garden with the help of two gardener figures and creating a majority of flowers in the most beds wins.In SpanishEn Gardens los jugadores trabajan juntos pieza tras pieza para plantar repoblar y hacer crecer el jardín. Las oportunidades surge más y más parques serán plantados. Quienquiera sea que pueda plantar sus plantas favoritas en el jardín haciendo que dos de sus plantas puedan crear una mayoría de flores el que tenga más jardines ganará.

Tiny Ninjas: Original

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 1–2

Game Type:

Categories:

Card Game Dice Fighting

Tiny Ninjas: Original is a 1-2 player fast-paced card & dice dueling game. Players start with 10 health and battle to reduce their opponent's health to zero. Players take turns using Ninja Cards to either attack or defend as each Ninja can be used in both ways. Hand management becomes critical as players decide which Ninjas to attack with and which to defend with. Many attacks and abilities are determined by rolling the TN Dice which can be done right inside of the Game Box. Tiny Ninjas: Original offers highly-engaging lightning-fast gameplay that will have players wanting a rematch again and again.

How to Rob a Bank

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Bluffing Card Game

One player is the bank and controls the guards while the other players are a team of robbers. Take turns planning your actions by playing cards – but keep your strategies secret. Then take turns revealing your actions by moving picking up money bags triggering alarms and more!Will the bank win by protecting its loot? Or will the robbers make off like bandits? Find out in this suspenseful game of teamwork and competition!—description from the publisher

Natives

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

American West Card Game

Hello from the Great Valley! We are greeting you from the proud tribe of Cosmodrome Games! In our village in every house we are enjoying its crafty yet unforgiving nature. This game offers you a chance to become a chief of one of the four ancient tribes. And chief's goal is to bring the prosperity to his people. Expand your tribe find food and praise the great spirits of nature!Natives is a card game where each player take a role of tribe leader guiding his tribe to prosperity through clever management of resources. Each turn player adds one or more cards to the parries - the open market and then chooses one of professions in clan to activate. Professions allow player to take different card from players and add them to tableau - chiefs help to recruit people warriors collect spoils shaman provide totems and so on. Each card grants a player some points but new people in clan also helps to collect more cards when activating their professions. So each player must decide when it's time to stop building tribe engine and start to gather resources and prepare for the winter.—description from the publisher

Lisbon Tram 28

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Transportation Travel

A love letter to the city of Lisbon.Lisbon Tram 28 is a game in which you travel through Lisbon with this iconic tram pick up passengers and take them to visit some of the city's monuments.Handle your tickets strategically so that you can move your tram around Lisbon's historical area. Set the best route so you can get the right passengers to the most valuable monuments. Optimize your tram's space unlock bonuses that will improve the way you can play during your turn and connect the tickets from the monuments you will visit.You receive points via the cards from visited monuments and the connected tickets and whoever earns the most points wins.—description from the designer

Fast Forward: FEAR

Rating: 6.1 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Bluffing Card Game Math Number

Categories:

Do you fear ghosts? Or are you confronting the danger and scaring your opponents?FEAR is a fast-paced and straightforward hand management game of tension-filled ghost chasing.You start a Fast Forward game without reading a rules booklet in advance! Just grab some fellow gamers and discover the rules while playing. The Fast Forward series uses the Fable Game system introduced in Fabled Fruit: With the presorted deck of cards you will discover all cards and rules as you play. It will take 10-15 games of FEAR before your group has explored the entire system. It can then be reset and played again by the same or different groups!FEAR is the first of four completely different games in the Fast Forward series!

Why First?

Rating: 6.2 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Categories:

Racing

Why First? is a racing game in which players vie to be second in order to win.The game lasts five races with each race lasting five turns. At the start of each race players receive a hand of five cards with each card bearing a value from -4 to +5. The players' pawns start each race on 0 of the racing track. Each turn players choose a card from their hands and choose which pawn to move with this card then reveal them simultaneously and move the selected pawns forward or backward based on the cards they played.After five turns the race ends and the player in second place on the racing track wins scoring a number of points equal to his position on the race track. All other players score nothing. (If the winner is in the negative portion of the racing track he loses points instead.) After five races sum all of the points scored; the player with the second highest total who has won at least one race wins.This revised version of Why First? has new rules including simultaneous actions by players that cuts down the playing time from the original release.

Harvest Island

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Animals Card Game Farming

Categories:

At the intersection of northeastern and southeastern Asia exists a mysterious and peculiar island it's called Formosa. Throughout this wonderful landscape mountains plains and hills of all shapes and sizes exist under a subtropical environment that is especially optimal for growing fruits. In fact fruits are available for harvest every season on this island and with the proper cultivation delicious crops can be produced throughout the year.In Harvest Island players take on the role of cultivators sowing seeds in different types of fields under varying weather conditions in order to maximize their harvests. Using the knowledge gained from weather forecasting players must harvest their crops at the proper time in order to become the best cultivator the land has ever seen!

3000 Scoundrels

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

American West Bluffing

The Traveler brought much change to our small frontier town in the last five years. He showed us marvels beyond imagination and taught us how to use his strange machines. Now that the Traveler has vanished a storm is coming. Who will control the destiny of the American Frontier?In 3000 Scoundrels players assume the roles of rival leaders attempting to steal precious technology left behind by the Traveler. By overlaying clear cards you create unique scoundrels and use them to outsmart your foes. In short hire scoundrels to build powerful combos steal technology and outsmart your foes.Each turn you play a poker card from your hand face down in front of your player board then use all abilities matching your claimed number. You don't need to tell the truth when claiming a number but if an opponent catches you bluffing it will damage your reputation and decrease your odds of winning the game.Each leader has a unique perspective and motivation in the conflict of Graystone Gulch. Are you driven by money fame or the deep-seated desire to improve the world? Advanced rules add unique strategies to each leader that reflect their unique strengths and cunning tricks.—description from the publisher

Pick-a-Dog

Rating: 6.1 | Players: 1–5

Game Type:

Action / Dexterity Animals Card Game Children's Game Party Game

Categories:

While Farmer Henry is enjoying red wine in his newly-built colossal basement the piggies in the barn are also partying for fun! Impish as they are they're really organized when it comes to forming groups for games. Recruit your team carefully but not too slowly!Pick-a-Dog (first published as Formissimo) features the same gameplay as Pick-a-Pig with the only difference being that dog noses in one game are replaced with piggie snouts in the other. An individual game supports 2-5 players while combined they support up to eight players.To set up the game lay out 30 cards in a grid (49 cards with 6-8 players) and give one card face down to each player. Each card has five attributes with each attribute having two states: large/small light/dark one/two arms with/without sunglasses and with/without popcorn. (As noted above combining the two games adds a sixth attribute: pig/dog nose.) Someone shouts Go! then everyone looks at their card in hand. Players then start grabbing cards from the grid and stacking them in hand. The card grabbed must be identical to the top card in hand or differ from that top card in only one way. Thus as you grab cards the attributes of that top card will keep changing forcing you to look for matches in new ways.Once a player thinks he can't grab any more cards he yells Stop!. The round ends and all players check their card stacks. If someone made a mistake when grabbing cards that player keeps none of the cards gathered that round. If the player who stopped the round made no mistakes he earns an extra card (two cards when playing with 6-8). If however he stopped the round when he could have collected more cards then he loses all the cards he's collected during this round.Whoever has collected the most cards when the game ends wins!

Dollars to Donuts

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Abstract Strategy Puzzle

Donuts must be made whole! That's the spirit driving your actions in Dollars to Donuts a delectable tile-layer where you can play off your mat! Match half donuts for cash and full donuts to score. Fry up a tasty win today!To set up the game place four 1x1 starting tiles on the 6x6 game board that represents your donut shop and take five dollar tiles from the bag; on their backside dollar tiles have either a half donut (plain chocolate sprinkle) or a set of donut holes (again in the three flavors). The starting tiles depict half donuts in these three flavorsOn a turn you can purchase a 1x4 donut tile that depicts half donuts along its edges from the six available tiles for a cost of $0-5. You then add this tile to your shop — with some of the tile hanging off the edge of the board if you wish — ideally lining up the half donuts on that tile with those already on your board. If you make a matching donut i.e. putting two sprinkle halves together then you take a sprinkle scoring token; if you make a non-matching donut i.e. a plain half combined with a chocolate half then you draw a dollar tile from the supply bag. Note however that jelly donuts give no dollar tile if paired with a non-jelly donut because who in the world would reward something like that?To end your turn you can place a dollar tile on your shop board to complete a donut (and score) or fill a space with donut holes (which might also score). Additionally you can serve a customer in line by offering them scoring tokens that match their desired donuts which will earn you more points than the tokens on their own.When one player has filled every space in their shop or the donut tiles run out the game ends with you scoring for satisfied customers neighborhoods served donuts still on hand and donut hole pairs in the shop while losing points for empty spaces in your shop. The player with the highest score clearly has the most popular shop in town!

Spell Smashers

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 1–5

Game Type:

Fantasy Fighting Word Game

Categories:

Harness the power of your vocabulary in this exciting monster-battling loot-collecting word game. In Spell Smashers you combine your letter cards to spell words smashing fearsome monsters and their even more fearsome adjectives!When you deal damage to a monster you gain precious coins. When you defeat a monster you collect that monster as a trophy...and gain a new letter to use later on! But beware — as you battle these dangerous creatures you receive wounds which are difficult letter combinations that could ruin your day.Between battles visit the local town and spend your hard-earned loot to outfit yourself with powerful gear take on new quests buy devious potions or grab an ale at the tavern as you boast about your battle scars. Set your sights on fame and glory as you smash monsters with your spelling skills and rid the world of evil!

Musée

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Musée is a 30-minute card-laying game for 2-4 players. Collect and curate! Score by filling up and carefully theming your art museum!In this fast-paced card game you collect impossibly valuable works of art and put them on display in your own personal art museum the Musée. The only problem is that your opponents are doing the very same thing! Each gallery must be organized properly by exhibit number but to succeed you must balance your passion for order with the need for public acclaim. Impress visitors by tastefully positioning works of art side-by-side showing similar themes. Make sure you don't get too greedy for applause though — doing so might disorganize your collection and keep you from displaying any more paintings. The first player to complete each separate gallery will open the exhibition early and receive extra recognition. The player who displays the most compelling combination of artworks in the most artistic manner wins.Musée includes sixty unique fine art images from artists ranging from the fifteenth to the early twentieth centuries all licensed through Bridgeman Art Library.

The Last Spike

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Categories:

Economic Trains

In The Last Spike players must cooperate to build a continuous railway from St. Louis to Sacramento. Different routes are possible and some towns never get a railway link. Each player competes to accumulate the most money from land speculation before the last spike is laid.Each player has a hand of four track tiles with each tile showing a particular location on the game board and a cost. The game board depicts nine cities in a diamond shape with St. Louis at one tip and Sacramento at the other and locations where track can be built are marked on the game board.On a turn a player places one of their track tiles in the appropriate space paying the cost while doing so. (If a player can't afford to place track they must sell one or more of their train deeds to raise cash.) If the player is the first to place adjacent to a city they gain a deed to that city for free. After placing a tile a player can purchase one deed for a city.Whenever two cities are connected all holders of the deeds for those two cities receive funds from the bank based on the number of deeds they hold. A city will pay out 0-4 times depending on where it is and how track is built during the game.When a player places a tile that creates a contiguous track from St. Louis to Sacramento this player receives a $20,000 bonus everyone receives a deed payout for the cities just connected then the game ends. Whoever has the most cash wins.

Puzzle Strike 2

Rating: 7.4 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Card Game Fantasy Video Game Theme

Categories:

The cast of Fantasy Strike has acquired magical gems which give power but at what price? Those who hold too many gems are cursed forever. What’s worse the ultimate gem to rule them all has been forged into a single mighty scepter. Whoever holds it wields even more power at an even greater price.In Puzzle Strike 2 players build their deck as they play giving them the tools to arrange and manipulate their set of colored gems. These gems can be “crashed” (destroyed) in order to build up power for four different super moves as well as to flood other players with more gems. As this process unfolds gems will fly back and forth between players as they desperately try to remain under the threshold of corruption. Holding the scepter “helps,” but can also doom the greedy.—description from the publisher

VOLT: Robot Battle Arena

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Fighting Miniatures Science Fiction

Categories:

In 1994 the first national robot competition took place in San Francisco. Competitors from across the country brought their radio-controlled creations made out of spare parts. Several years later the first televised robot combat competition was aired which introduced the general public to the budding sport of robotic combat.Decades have passed since those early competitions. The robots have become more technologically advanced. The base of spectators and fans grew at an unprecedented rate. Large technology firms took notice and injected significant sponsorship capital into the sport. Prize pools for robot battles grew to dwarf those of other televised competitions. Professional robot operators gained celebrity status as their matches became the most watched sporting events in the world.The stakes are higher than ever. Do you have what it takes to step into the robot battle arena?VOLT: Robot Battle Arena is a tactical game of robotic combat. Be the first player to score five victory points. Players earn victory points by having their robot on the active control point at the end of the round or by destroying opposing robots. You must use your wits to out-think and out-maneuver your opponents to win!—description from box cover and rulebook

Costa Rica

Rating: 6.2 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Exploration

Different sets of exotic animals different terrains and the omnipresent danger of mosquitos await in the jungle of Costa Rica and the player explorers are here to collect sets of rare and exotic animals to rescue them from poachers. Collecting as many as you can of one kind is valuable but having one of each kind can be beneficial too. Just avoid being bitten too badly by the mosquitos!In Costa Rica all player take part in an expedition with the active player of a turn deciding where to go and exploring a new tile. In clockwise order each player must decide whether to leave this expedition and collect all of the animals seen so far or whether to remain with the group to (hopefully) collect more animals later? Once a player does leave the current expedition they remove their pawn from that group collecting nothing else from it.

Castles of Caladale

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Fantasy Medieval Puzzle Real-time

Categories:

Description from the publisher:In a forgotten time when magic could move mountains the Kingdom of Caladale was home to people of all kinds living in castles of unimaginable beauty — but on one fateful night an ancient spell of great power was cast by one unable to control it. By daybreak all of the castles were destroyed their walls and towers torn apart twisted together and scattered across the land.The people of Caladale must now rebuild competing for walls and towers from the broken and twisted remains of each other's homes to rebuild their castles and reclaim the glory of Caladale!In Castles of Caladale players lay tiles to construct beautiful castles and rebuild the kingdom. Building the most complete and largest castle earns a player glory throughout the land!

Coney Island

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

There's still much left to do in order to become the world's largest and most diverse amusement park! Your family (one of four) has a small but steady income that should suffice to hire a few showmen to bring life to the oh-so-empty park site. As you earn more you can afford a favor or two: the police officer is kinder to you you can hire a migrant worker to do extra work and you can even finagle the attention of a promoter or a journalist!The families will need to co-operate from time to time; after all those grand attractions don't build themselves. In the end the grand attractions are what will impress the crowds and bring about euphoric headlines in the newspapers!To set up Coney Island each player takes two money tiles a random building material and a player board covering most of the spaces on that board with showmen tiles. At the start of each turn a player receives income. At the beginning of the game a player's income is one VP one money and one randomly drawn building material; as the game progresses the player can remove showmen tiles to uncover VP money and material spaces thereby boosting his income. A player can never have more than five money tiles and five materials.A player then takes one to three main actions and up to five special actions:By spending two money a player can acquire one of five character tiles (either from the supply or another player); each character provides a special action that the player can use each turn such as spending money or VPs for material or buying newspaper tiles (which are worth points and can be spent for an additional action).Each main action may be executed at most once per turn unless extra actions are used from newspapers or from bonuses earned by placing certain building site tiles.After one player reaches 60 VP and each player has had the same number of turns the game ends with players scoring their newspaper tiles and losing points for each showman on their player boards. The player with the most points wins.

The Key: Theft at Cliffrock Villa

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Categories:

There has been a shocking string of robberies at Cliffrock Villa. Valuable works of art have been stolen! The players start their investigations and combine clues about the perpetrators time of the crimes stolen items and escape plans. They need to generate the right number code to put the thieves behind bars. In the end it’s not necessarily the fastest investigator who wins the game but the most efficient one.—description from the publisherEine schwere Raubserie erschüttert die Cliffrock Villa wertvolle Kunstobjekte wurden gestohlen! Die Spieler nehmen die Ermittlungsarbeit auf und kombinieren die Hinweise zu Täter Tatzeit Beute und Fluchtweg. Schlussendlich müssen sie den richtigen Zahlencode generieren und bringen so die Räuber hinter Gitter. Am Ende gewinnt nicht unbedingt der schnellste sondern der effizienteste Ermittler.—description from the publisher (German)

Hanamikoji: Geisha's Road

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Categories:

“Yoko… What lies ahead for us?” asked her friend Tomoyo. Yoko stared out into the sea calm and serene. “Today we are just maiko. But one day we will complete our training and become known as geisha.” “Yes artists of the highest order. But then what?” “Okaasan said that one day perhaps some of us may be lucky to inherit the teahouse... if fortune favors us and our hard work.”Welcome back to Hanamikoji! In Hanamikoji: Geisha's Road is a two-player based on “Hanamikoji” with a new Geisha movement and roundel system added to the game design to make the strategy more diversified. It’s competitive strategy game full of implicit intentions veiled messages and hidden actions players represent rival but friendly patrons supporting Yoko Tomoyo and others along their journey from apprentice (maiko) to full geisha (artist) and perhaps even the owner (okaasan) of their own establishment.To do so players help their favored geisha advance and build prestige through performing their art at different teahouses. Geisha start as apprentices (maiko) but become full geisha and score prestige points after accruing the necessary patronage to return to their original teahouse (ochaya) for the graduation ceremony (erikae). Some geisha may continue their path further and eventually inherit the teahouse (upon a second return) to become the new okaasan recognized with more prestige points.At the end of the game the player who provides the most support to each geisha is recognized. The player who has supported the most prestigious group of geisha wins the game.

Unlock!: Mystery Adventures – The Nautilus' Traps

Rating: 6.0 | Players: 1–6

Game Type:

Categories:

The Nautilus’ Traps brings you to the bottom of the sea. When a sea monster attacks your submarine at the outset of the adventure it's up to you to make your way through the depths and back to the surface if you're going to escape…before your oxygen runs out.Unlock! is a series of escape adventures for up to six players. With one hour on the clock players work through a deck of sixty cards as a team searching for clues combining objects and solving puzzles. The free Unlock! companion app runs the timer while also providing clues offering hints and confirming successes. Once the team has reached a solution and entered the correct code into the app they will escape and win the game!

New York

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Categories:

New York has the same game play as Dirk Henn’s Spiel des Jahres-winning Alhambra but with the Spanish architecture being replaced by the skyscrapers of Manhattan. As in the original game players collect four types of currencies and use those funds to purchase tiles that they assemble into their own mini-metropolis connecting the paved street edges on the tiles to create a coherent network of roads. The building tiles come in six colors and players score for their holdings three times during the game earning points for having the most of a color as well as for their longest road.Aside from the theme change and the associated new artwork the gameboard is now larger with spots for both face-down and face-up tiles and a scoretrack that circles the edge of the board instead of zigzagging back and forth.

Panic Lab

Rating: 6.0 | Players: 2–10

Game Type:

Humor Party Game Puzzle Real-time

Categories:

Amoebas have escaped and are slithering around in all directions! Catch them fast!In Panic Lab the player-scientists have their hands full trying to figure out which amoeba to catch and where it might have oozed off to. To set up the game shuffle the 25 cards then lay them out in a circle.At the start of a round one player rolls four special dice which indicate the color shape and pattern of the amoeba being sought as well as the color of the lab it left and in which direction it was traveling. Competing at the same time players need to find the lab then move in the right direction to spot the amoeba (which may of course be striped and not spotted).But wait! If you encounter a vent after leaving the lab you need to skip to the next vent in the circle before continuing your search. (Amoebas prefer to travel in the dark when possible.) Plus if an amoeba passes through one of three mutation devices in the circle you need to alter the criteria for your search looking for a tentacled amoeba instead of one with a tail for example or an orange/red amoeba instead of a blue/purple one. Zap!The first player to lay her hand on the correct card collects a token and the first player to collect five tokens wins!

DIG

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Abstract Strategy Animals Card Game Deduction

Categories:

In DIG each player is a dog that will run throughout the Yard dig up bones and attempt to return them to the matching colored Dog Bowl with the greatest efficiency. All players will score once at the end of the game based on the cumulative value of the Bones that they returned to the matching Dog Bowls.There are 4 Bones in each of the 5 colors in the game. A Bone's value is determined at the end of the game based on the distance of its corresponding Dog Bowl to the Dog House. The Dog Bowl that is closest to the Dog House will yield a value of 5 for each bone of that color. The Dog Bowl that is second closest to the Dog House will yield a value of 4 for each bone of that color and so on. The Bowls and Bones will be swapped from the end of the Yard into the place of a recently dug up bone continuously moving the 5 Bowls to the end of the Yard nearest the Dog House.Each Yard Card has a Scent with 2 colors. The Bone on the opposite side of the Yard Card matches 1 of the colors of the Scent. This will help players determine which color Bone might be dug if that Yard Card is selected for digging.One of the most interesting aspects of DIG is the unique Leap Frog Yard replacement mechanism. When a Bone is dug up the Card that is furthest from the the Dog House is removed and fills the empty spot created by the Dog. This action creates some interesting ways to influence which Bones and Bowls each Dog has close access to but also makes timing critical for influencing Bone value for scoring.On a player's turn they may perform three of the following actions in any combination:MOVE: A player may move their Dog a maximum of 4 cards along the Yard Cards and 1 less for each Bone they hold prior to movement. For example if a player holds 2 Bone cards they may move their Dog up to 2 Cards moving below or above the Yard cards. A player may move their Dog in any direction. There is a movement legend on the bottom half of the Dog House for easy reference.DIG: A player may dig up a bone and place the Bone card in their hand. Bones that are in the hand are kept secret until they are dropped off and placed in front of the player. The empty space created from the Yard Card removal is filled with the last Card at the edge of Yard. A player may have no more than 3 Bones in their hand at any time.DROP: Drop a Bone into a Dog Bowl and place the Bone card from your hand to the playing area in front of yourself face up with the Bone visible to all players. A Dog must be AT the Bowl of the corresponding color in order to drop off any Bones of that color.Game End and Scoring: When Bowls are the only remaining Cards in the Yard (next to the Dog House) the game ends immediately and players total their scores. Any Bones still in a player's hand are removed from the game and do not count for scoring.Number 12 in the Pack O Game series.

Psychic Pizza Deliverers Go to the Ghost Town

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 3–5

Game Type:

Deduction Exploration Maze Puzzle

Categories:

In Psychic Pizza Deliverers Go to the Ghost Town players are divided into Pizza Delivery Professionals and a mayor (GM) who controls the ghosts and builds the town. The pizza delivery professionals have to find a pizza and deliver it to the right house in town all while avoiding ghosts barriers and mystic teleportation runes. The first player to find and successfully deliver a pizza wins. Luckily for them the pizza delivery professionals all possess mild psychic powers. They must use their abilities to sense and divine what's around them if they hope to deliver their pizzas.The main role of mayor is to moderate play and make the town. The mayor wins if no one is able to deliver their pizza. The game begins with the mayor building a unique town map that includes the starting location for each player pizza and house. On a player's turn they may choose to move one space in any of the four cardinal directions attack in any of the four cardinal directions in hope of banishing a ghost or use a psychic power. The mayor then resolves the action tells the player the location of any barriers adjacent to the player and whether or not the player senses any ghosts/pizzas/houses in any of the eight spaces surrounding the player.Attacking removes ghosts from the board and lets players draw one psychic card. Psychic cards allow players to make special movements on the board such as diagonal hop step or warp back to start.The players have only twenty turns to locate a pizza and deliver it to the matching house. The players have a gridded sheet of paper and a pencil to draw and record information about the town. The mayor has a special log sheet to track all the players moves and results.The game also includes several variant tiles that can be added to the town to vary gameplay.

Castle Party

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Fantasy Horror Mythology

Every year the Pumpkin King invites us to his castle to celebrate the autumn ball in his honor. Castle Party is the craziest shindig in town and without a doubt the most not to be missed soiree for any monster worth something in scarebusiness. You can’t miss it for the world! The guests are arriving at the castle of the Pumpkin King. As usual they gather together in groups.This is a “flip and write” game meaning we draw cards and then write on a board. The active player turns over a card with a polynomial shape and then everybody places a monster card on the table in the attempt to match the shape on the card. Finally and in correspondence with their own place around the table and their perspective on the shape the players draw the monsters on their own personal boards and try to group the monsters into families to obtain the best score.Castle Party has three scoring phases during which the players get points depending on how they have arranged their guests. When the old cuckoo clock plays for the third and terrifying time. At that moment everyone has to say goodbye until next year and leave the party. However whoever organized the wildest and most fun Castle Party will win a special place in the Pumpkin King’s heart and shall win the game.—description from the publisher

Jolly & Roger

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Card Game Nautical Pirates

Categories:

Description from the publisher:Captain Red Beard the infamous Pirate King is lost without a trace after an unfortunate rendezvous with a mermaid. The power-hungry Pirate Lords have waited for this chance for a long time and seek to seize his throne. After following the old pirate code mentioning a rum cask the reckless Julienne Jolly Garçon and the eccentric Jack Roger Hummingbird were the only ones who could still stand up. The so-called Double-Boarding contest shall now determine the winner between the two of them – and thus the new Pirate King. Prepare to be boarded you landlubbers!Jolly & Roger is a card game for two players featuring the well-known I split you choose mechanism. On their turn a player draws five pirate cards and splits them into two sets. The other player then chooses one of the sets and the player who split the cards takes the leftover set.With their pirate cards players try to board the four merchant ships by adding their matching-colored crew members on their side of the ship. The player who has the most powerful crew on a ship puts one of his captains on the ship (possibly removing the opponent's captain) and may then use further pirate cards of that color to steal gold from the ship. After eight rounds the game ends. Each player's captain on a ship at the end of the game captures this ship as a bonus. The player with the most gold wins.Jolly & Roger includes three types of special cards – the Kraken the Skeleton Pirate and Tortuga – for use in the expert variant to spice up the game.

Tumult Royale

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–4

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Real-time

Description from the publisher:Tensions are high all across the lands. The royals erect statue after statue while their loyal subjects starve. But this time the peasants have had enough. There are whispers of a revolution. Calls for an uprising ring out and the kingdom is thrown into a tumult. Down with the king! Take that you greedy blue bloods!In Tumult Royale you play the royals. Round after round you collect taxes from your subjects in order to build statues of yourself across the country thereby securing your rank. If you leave enough commodities for the people after taxation all is well and you can continue to build monuments to your own vanity. But if you take too much the greediest of you will be punished. Who will build the most statues and win the game? Remember: the greedy shall rule but the greediest is a fool!

Monster Crunch! The Breakfast Battle Game

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Card Game Horror

It’s ok to play with your food! Pick your favorite Monster Cereal character and battle to see who can “eat” the most cereal.In this fast-paced game of luck and strategy players collect as many Cereal Cards in their Bowls as they can. Each Monster has special powers to give you an advantage and help you gobble up the most cereal. Use Milk Tokens to combine Cereal Cards and take bigger bites. The Monster Cereal character that munches the most wins the game!Monster Crunch! The Breakfast Battle Game features Boo Berry Count Chocula Fruit Brute Fruity Yummy Mummy and Franken Berry.—description from the publisher

The Key: Sabotage at Lucky Llama Land

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Deduction Murder / Mystery

Categories:

A series of sabotages has shocked Lucky Llama Land! Multiple attractions at the theme park were tampered with. Players start their investigations and combine clues about the days of the crimes perpetrators tools and crime scenes. They need to generate the right number code and use the key to put the saboteurs behind bars. In the end it’s not necessarily the fastest investigator who wins the game but the most efficient one.The 3rd game in The Key series by Thomas Sing this one introduces new clue types and puzzles for players to solve. A replayable mystery game.-description from publisher

Bark Avenue

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 1–5

Game Type:

Animals Puzzle Transportation

Categories:

Bark Avenue is a competitive route optimization pick up and deliver game centered around a day in the life of a dog walker in upper Manhattan. Players balance walking several dogs at once with competing needs - including walk length preferred activities bathroom breaks and compatibility with your other dogs.You will be challenged with solving the puzzle of returning dogs on time and determining which dogs to walk next! In between walks use public transportation to your advantage to position yourself for the best walks.As you progress in your dog walking career your good ratings will unlock new abilities such as walking more dogs simultaneously going off leash at the dog park and taking more end-of-turn actions including pickups and activities like visiting pet shops. Be wary of returning dogs late because you could lose out on most the pay!At 45 minutes - 1 hour this Gateway+ game is targeted at all players and pulls in dog lovers providing fun for new gamers and critical thinking and optimization problems for seasoned gamers.—description from the publisher

Undermining

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Science Fiction Space Exploration Transportation

Categories:

In Undermining players dig for resources on an alien world making the best of the actions available to them to achieve short term goals (such as obtaining particular resources) while upgrading their Universal Mining Vehicles—UMVees—and fulfilling contracts in the long term. To win you need to earn more star bucks than anyone else and you earn those by completing contracts upgrading vehicles finding alien technologies and having resources on hand at the end of the game.Upgrading your UMVee also provides it with special abilities that can come in handy throughout the game.Undermining is a highly interactive game with player actions sometimes benefiting and sometimes impacting the future actions of others. Competition for resources is important of course but using open tunnel spaces to get where you need to go—and blocking those spaces from opponents—is also key. Players can still move through other UMVees but doing so costs battery power and managing your batteries—which allow extra actions—is another important aspect of playing well.Undermining comes with a double-sided game board with player interaction being significantly different from one side to the other. With a random layout of resources UMVee upgrades contract variability and one-off special bonuses from the finding of alien technology no two games of Undermining are ever the same.

Dorfromantik: The Duel

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2

Game Type:

City Building Environmental Puzzle

Categories:

After the great success of Dorfromantik: The Board Game the next part of the Dorfromantik world is no longer about working together but about friendly competition. The basic principle of the Spiel des Jahres 2023 is retained but now both sides continue to expand their own landscape with the tile they have just revealed. Two new types of assignments also come into play with double and all-around assignments which can also be combined with Dorfromantik: The Board Game. Two independently playable modules also provide more challenge more variety more interaction. Four of the new special tiles can also be integrated into Dorfromantik: The Board Game and played cooperatively.Dorfromantik: The Duel allows two players or two teams to compete. And with two copies even up to four people can play. Who will create the most beautiful world of hexagonal landscapes? Who will be better at fulfilling the villager's orders while also mastering the challenge of new assignments?—description from the publisher

Zen Garden

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

End Game Bonuses Pattern Building Tile Placement

Categories:

An Emperor's life is stressful and full of tough decisions. He absolutely needs a place of solace where he can relax and recover. A beautiful garden filled with paths statues and flora is just what he needs.In Zen Garden the players assume the role of architects working to build the most beautiful garden for the Emperor. To do this they need to pay careful attention to the Emperor's preferences while trying to stay one step ahead of the competition.A turn in Zen Garden is simple: The first player selects one tile from the selection board pays its cost then adds it to their garden adjacent to a previously placed tile. Each player does this then the board is refilled and a new starting player begins the next turn.Zen Garden comes with five preference boards that determine which features of the garden score in that game. The boards selected (and their number) will greatly change the objectives players will strive for in that game.—description from the publisher

Criss Cross

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 1–6

Game Type:

Categories:

A super-simple and addictive game where players have to transfer the symbols rolled to the grid of the block sheet. The more identical symbols are grouped the more points can be scored. The game is as simple as Sudoku and can also be played alone. How it is played: 2 dice are rolled and each player has to draw these symbols into their sheet following very simple rules: - the two symbols have to be drawn in orthogonally adjacent fields. (Single fields previously surrounded with symbols will never be filled.) - as long as there are adjacent spaces the symbols must be entered. The game ends when the sheets are filled or there are no legal adjacent spaces left. Each row and column are scored separately: 2 3 4 or 5 adjacent symbols of the same type score 2 3 4 5 points PLUS 4/5 bonus points for 4/5 symbols.The Grail Games edition of Criss Cross also includes Advanced rules which add a layer of complexity to the base game.

Doodle City

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 1–6

Game Type:

Categories:

Doodle City is a quick family game of city building. By drawing a network of roads on their play sheet players are building a city and trying to score points for their hotels shops and taxis — all while avoiding pollution.Working out an ideal road network can be quite the puzzle so before the game begins roads through parks are randomized making sure that no two games will be alike. Each round one white die per player one additional white die and a blue die are rolled onto the table. The blue die indicates which column the players must use while each white die indicates a row. In turn each player picks a white die and draws in the given space. In most spaces you draw roads but in parks you instead build houses. You can draw only once in each space and if on your turn you cannot draw you gain pollution.A building is scored the moment you draw in its space. For example when you draw a road through a hotel space you score points equal to the length of the road passing through that hotel. Shops score according to how many houses are currently connected to the shop. There are also bonuses awarded to the first player who connects a shop to a certain number of houses.The game ends when one player completes the highest possible hotel or shop score or when a player loses his last tree due to pollution. Final scores are for connected taxis and for having least/most pollution.

Monolyth

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Every player builds their own block of stones in Monolyth using 3D polyominoes to create patches of particular colors complete levels and a structure that matches a pattern.To set up choose a structure card at random then place it on the main board along with the appropriate structure tokens level tokens and prophecy tokens based on the number of players. Place the crystal marker next to the main board then draw twelve random polyominoes from the box and place them in a circle around the main board. The polyominoes come in five colors and all 1x1 blocks in those colors are placed to the side.On a turn move the crystal 1-4 spaces clockwise then take the polyomino in that space and add it to your 4x4 player board with nothing placed outside that grid and no part of the polyomino hanging over an empty space; alternatively you can remove this polyomino from the game and take a 1x1 block of the same color then add that to your player board. In either case draw a random polyomino from the box and place it where the crystal started this turn.Instead of moving the crystal you can choose a prophecy token from the main board and add it to a side of your player board. Each player board has four different colors around the four edges e.g. blue orange black and teal.When you fill all the spaces of a level on your player board take the largest level token from the main board. If your construction fits the guidelines of the structure card then you claim the highest available structure token.Keep taking turns until someone has completed their 3D monolith which is 4x4x3 in a 3-4 player game and 4x4x4 in a 1-2 player game after which you finish the round. If a prophecy has been fulfilled e.g. if you placed a 12 on the orange side of your player board and you have at least 12 orange blocks on that edge of your player board then you score points equal to that prophecy token.Sum the points of your structure token level tokens and valid prophecy tokens to see who has the highest score and wins.

Touria

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Adventure Fantasy Humor Medieval Renaissance Travel

Categories:

In Touria Princess Tara has decided to marry – but not just anyone of course. She expects a lot from her husband-to-be: Heroic deeds and precious gifts are a must.A group of bold adventurers set out to pit themselves against dragons dig up gems from the haunted mines of the country – and make a good deal from time to time since the father of the bride demands an appropriate price for his daughter's hand. Touria's dancing towers show the heroes the way so the brave men and women go from one adventure to the next. Brave women? Of course – or have we forgotten to mention that Tara's handsome brother Prince Talan is also of marriageable age?

Bling Bling Gemstone

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Action / Dexterity Children's Game Party Game

Categories:

Bling Bling Gemstone features the same game play as Justin Oh's Toc Toc Woodman but now players have more to aim for when they're swinging the axe.To set up the game players create a pillar of discs with each disc having four colored plastic gem pieces slid into notches on its side. On a player's turn the player takes two swings at the disc tower with a plastic pickaxe. If any gems or discs fall from the tower the player must keep them. Red gems are worth 3 points pink gems 2 and transparent gems 1 while the center disc is worth -10 points.When no gems remain in the tower the game ends and the player with the most points wins!

Mercado

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Economic Renaissance

Welcome to the market of beautiful things! As well-to-do citizens in Mercado gamers wander around the stalls always on the lookout for special items to enhance their reputation. Noble shawls elegant jewelry or golden trophies — with such a selection the decision is difficult. But those who do not carry matching coins can also be unlucky because the other players have the same goal and might grab the valuable items from under your nose.In more detail different market stalls each with one product are laid out as panels in the center of the table. Each player has a personal bag containing different coins. On a turn you draw three coins from it blind and place them at the market tables of your choice. If a player has paid all the necessary coins of a product they receive the board and thereby increase their reputation. Some tablets bring extra privileges or seals others bring counterfeit money that might wander into a bag. Who can buy the most valuable goods?

Quirky Circuits: Penny & Gizmo's Snow Day!

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Animals Maze

Help Penny and Gizmo have the best snow day ever in Quirky Circuits: Penny & Gizmo's Snow Day a co-operative programming game for the whole family.Program lovable robots with your friends and family but make sure to complete each task before batteries run out.All players must work as a team to complete unique scenarios across a 20-page game book with each scenario being quirkier than the last. Chase down naughty dust bunnies around the house with Gizmo! Slide into action and collect all the flags with Penny the newest resident robot in Robotopia. Use movement cards to program robots across each map but be careful! Players have only limited information as to which cards their teammates have played. Program wrong and your robot could be left spinning its wheels in a corner. Move too slowly and your robo-friend will run out of battery!—description from the publisher

Untold: Adventures Await

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Untold: Adventures Await is the customizable storytelling game powered by Rory's Story Cubes. Players become the heroes of a thrilling tale that unfolds in under 60 minutes. Think of Untold as your favorite TV series except rather than just sitting back and watching you're right in the middle of the action!Every game of Untold is an episode of five distinct scenes each featuring intriguing locales dangerous threats and shocking plot twists that propel the action toward an epic showdown. Scene Cards and StoryCubes provide the elements of the adventure while Reaction Cards reveal what happens when the players take action.Untold takes collaborative storytelling in a whole new direction allowing players of all ages to unleash their creativity thanks to a unique game engine that's extremely accessible always unpredictable and rooted in inspiration. Players can also craft multiple-episode story arcs that will see their characters and their world grow as new challenges arise.Whatever genres of story you enjoy Untold lets one to four players experience endless and unforgettable tales. What amazing adventures will you have? They await you in Untold!

Salmon Run

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Every year thousands of salmon are compelled to leave the ocean and return to the river of their birth. This perilous journey can span hundreds of miles and is fraught with danger. Strong rapids waterfalls hungry bears and eagles all await the salmon on their quest to spawn. Only the most fit will complete the salmon run!Salmon Run is a fast-paced racing game in which you'll maneuver your salmon upriver avoiding obstacles and jumping over waterfalls. Behold the immense power of the river's currents! Avoid ferocious bears! Beware of stealthy eagles waiting to snatch victory from your hand! Most of all pace yourself to avoid debilitating fatigue. Salmon Run features:

Garum

Rating: 7.4 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Abstract Strategy Ancient

Categories:

Garum was a fermented fish sauce used as a condiment in the old ages; its manufacture and export was an element of prosperity and perhaps an impetus for the Roman penetration of Lusitanian and Hispanian coastal regions.Garum from today’s Portugal and Spain was highly prized in Rome and has now inpired a versatile strategy boardgame for the whole family ages 8 and up that plays 2 to 4 players. Garum is a tile-laying game which plays in about 30 minutes it is language independent and features endless replayability due to its board system that ensures no two games are alike.In Garum each player represents a master in the preparation of a specific type of fish sauce and receives a set of 16 Cetarian Tiles; each one has 4 spaces filled by 4 colors in different proportions though the color that the player is defending is the predominant one.The goal of the game is to play Cetarian Tiles strategically in order to get a huge number of his own colour symbols in selected rows or columns - the greater the influence the higher the reward! While placing the tiles players may apply to score collect some bonuses and also block their opponent’s intents. Whoever scores most points is the winner.-description from designer

Museum Suspects

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Bluffing Deduction

DRRRiiiiiiiiinnnnng! Hurry close the doors a museum piece has been stolen! The director calls in a number of highly skilled investigators to find the thief or thieves amongst the 16 suspects held inside the building. Some clues are more valuable than others. Find the best ones to solve the case while obstructing your competitors' investigations!The culprit and his possible accomplices may still be around!What will be the outcome of this case? Will you find the culprit(s) unless they have escaped before the closing of the doors?—description from the publisher

Hot Lead

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Lead the undercover investigation against five criminal groups to gather enough evidence to convict them. However if you investigate too aggressively the criminals will smell a rat and go dark!In each round of Hot Lead criminal cards are displayed in a column equal to the number of players. Players then make their bid by simultaneously revealing an investigator card from their hand. The highest investigator bid takes the criminal card closest to the deck the second highest takes the second closest and so on. These cards are worth points equal to their face value (0-5).Gather enough evidence on one criminal organization to convict them when the game concludes after ten rounds; in game terms by having exactly three of a suit you earn 10 bonus points. Ten bonus points are also awarded to those who acquire criminal cards of all five suits. If you investigate too aggressively and grab the fourth card of a suit those criminals will sense a rat and you'll scare them underground thereby losing all of those cards. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins.—description from publisher

Bali

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Card Game Economic

The inhabitants of Bali regard their island as a world of gods and demons. The people sacrifice much of the harvest to appease these gods and the spirits of their ancestors. Farmers collect goods on the fields. When a shrine is built these goods can be sacrificed. Priests help with these sacrifices and also chase away any demons.The Bali game system is refined and novel: Take one card from the general display and reveal the card lying underneath — which could be disastrous for all! Only those who make the right decisions will please the gods best and score the most points.Bali a new edition of Rapa Nui contains two new variants: The Demon and The Oracle.

Paupers' Ladder

Rating: 7.9 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Exploration Fantasy Fighting

Categories:

Garolium Scraggart beloved ruler of the people has died. Despite an upbringing of real hardship she rose to the highest rank in the royal court and did what she could to make sure the poorest in Brighthelm were not forgotten. She died too young her work half done. A tournament has been announced to find her successor. Brave knights have travelled down royal highways. Bold paladins have knocked on royal doors. So too have bards lords and heroes. All looking to take over Scraggart’s reign and rule the realm to their desires. And every one of them has been sent back to whence they came. Because Garolium herself had devised the tournament. It was the last thing she did and she decreed it would only be open to those of the most limited means. Those whose potential had been locked by the chains of ill-fortune and poverty. Brighthelm's paupers. She had spent her whole life building their ladder and nobody was going to kick it away.In Paupers' Ladder players are a pauper in Garolium's tournament. Along with your bird companion explore the wild and treacherous land of Brighthelm as you strive to learn three of the five virtues: generosity fellowship bravery knowledge and magnificence. Battle a bestiary of creatures undertake quests find ingredients to craft powerful recipes and discover the sights and wonders of an exciting new world along the way. But beware! You're not the only pauper in town. the land of Brighthelm is illustrated with a playing board and over 400 cards depicting equipment quests recipes monsters ingredients encounters cities villages and more besides.On your turn you use both your Pauper and your Bird in either order. Each character may move from the Region they occupy into any adjoining Region or stay where they are. Paupers’ can pay to travel extra Regions. Your character now explores the Region they occupy.The aim of Paupers’ Ladder is to learn any 3 of the 5 Virtues. Virtues are learned in different ways. For instance you learn the Virtue of generosity by discarding a certain amount of gems from your purse. When a player has learned 3 Virtues they have won the game.

Kingswood

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 1–5

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The King has assembled the most prominent village Guilds and issued a challenge: rid the surrounding forest of monsters to earn your Guild widespread fame and glory!Players take turns controlling the guild's adventurers moving about the village. The purpose of traveling to different locations is to either build up new or refresh your existing resources. For example you will visit the Blacksmith for your swords the Academy for your spell books the Market for coins and the Tavern for your hearts. Liquid courage perhaps? There are also 7 other locations in the game of which you will use one per game. This adds variety to the playing experience as these special locations have a wide range of abilities.Once you feel like you have enough resources you will venture out into the Forest. There you'll encounter a variety of monsters. These monsters will give you points to add to your glory and some of them provide immediate benefits when they are defeated. The first player to gain 20 glory triggers the end game and once all players have had an equal number of turns the guild leader with the highest glory total is declared the victor!Kingswood features an action rotation mechanism that puts players at the heart of the game.Each turn you select an adventurer and move them to a new location taking the actions associated with both the starting and ending locations.Since every player controls the same adventurers your choices change your opponents options on their turn.Kingswood: A guilded quest for 1-5 adventurers! The game is designed by Henry Audubon (Space Park & PARKS) and illustrated by Tristam Rossin (3 Laws of Robotics & Rune).

Siberia: The Card Game

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Card Game Economic

After the release of Siberia from Reiner Stockhausen and dlp games in 2011 the search for resources – gas charcoal petroleum diamonds and gold – in the wilderness of Siberia continues in Siberia: The Card Game with players using investors salesmen and workers to extract the most profitable resources.Eight resource cards start on the table with the three leftmost face-up and resources of the same type must be extracted from left to right. Each player starts with one worker cards on the table and five action cards in hand; an action card shows a combination of one of the five resources and one of the three workers. On a turn the player first reveals one of the face-down resource cards then chooses one of the following:What do the characters do? Each investor has a different resource symbol and when you extract that resource in the future you need to play only one card instead of two. The salesman either boosts the value of a particular resource or the value of a character type at the end of the game. The worker allows you extract more resources.When you extract resources you take one card from the resource row (starting at the left) for each worker you have in front of you then replace those cards with face-down cards from the resource deck. When the last resource card is revealed each player takes on final turn then they tally their scores scoring $1,000 for each character and the printed value for each resource card (unless a salesman modifies those values). The player with the highest total wins!The five salesman cards in Siberia: The Card Game can be used as an expansion for Siberia and rules for this expansion are included.Expands (while also being a standalone game)

Rossio

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Area Majority / Influence Hand Management Modular Board Pattern Building Pattern Recognition Tile Placement

Categories:

The Portuguese King has called the finest stonemasons of the country to pave one of the most important squares with calçada tiles (worldwide famous black and white tiles that pave several squares in Portugal). But the task is enormous and players will have to count with the aid of helper cards who will help them score points and/or collect money.In Rossio players start the game by drawing five cards and keeping three of them on their hands.On a player's turn players will first recruit a card from their hands placing it on the rightmost space under their player board sliding to the left all cards previously recruited discarding the card that slides off their boards (under each player board there are only 3 card slots). If the newly recruited card is played face-up players must pay its cost in coins. If the card is played face-down no money needs to be spent.Then ALL cards under a player board will activate: face-up cards will give the player Points for each time the pattern depicted on the card is found on the square. Face-down cards will provide the player 1 coin each.Then players must build the leftmost calçada tile of their player boards. Players can never voluntarily change the order of the tiles on their board. At any moment players can however spend 1 coin to swap 2 pieces on their board that are orthogonally adjacent. The tile must be built in the square orthogonally adjacent to at least 2 elements: 1 tile and 1 wall or 2 tiles. And must be built on the leftmost available space of the line it is being built. If the players manage to build orthogonally adjacent to a similar tile they can as bonus build the next leftmost tile and so on until they decide to stop or until they can't build more. Players collect then 1 coin for each coin depicted on the spaces that were left free on their player boards after tiles were built.Finally players end their turn by drawing 1 card into their hand from the 4 cards available on the market. However the amount of cards players can choose from depends on the number of tiles that they have built. So if players build only 1 tile they must take the 1st card. If they build 3 tiles for example they can choose between the 1st 2nd or 3rd cards. Players end their turns by refilling the empty spaces of their player boards with tiles from the facedown stacks.As the square is being cooperatively built certain patterns appear more often than others and the scoring of face-up cards becomes exponential. Also when players complete a column they collect a bonus that can be either 1 coin or drawing more cards. Money is very tight in this game so gaining an extra coin can be crucial to recruiting a card from your hand face-up.The game ends when the square is finished and the player with most points wins the game.Rossio is all about timing: Recruit a card face-up late in the game and then it will score fewer times than expected. Recruit it too early and it will score you a few points since there are few tiles built on the square. To many cards recruited face down will give that extra amount of money but they won't score any points. Build several tiles and you're probably helping your opponents. Build fewer tiles and you probably won't have money next turn to recruit a face-up card.Rossio is a game with very simple rules but with high interaction between players and interesting decisions every single turn.—description from the designer

Cardline: Globetrotter

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–7

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Like its predecessor Cardline: Animals players of Cardline: Globetrotter want to rid themselves of cards as quickly as they can with the first player to have an empty hand winning the game.The game includes approximately 100 cards. Both sides of each card depict a country while only one side of the card includes information about that country's size population GDP and CO₂ emissions. For each game players decide before playing which of these four country traits they'll compare.At the start of the game each player places a number of country cards on the table in front of her with the characteristics hidden. One card is placed in the center of the table with its characteristics revealed. Players then take turns placing a card from their tableau in a row on the table; a player can place a card between any two other cards or at either end of the row. After placing the card the player reveals the characteristics on it. If the card was placed correctly – that is with the particular characteristic in numerical order compared to all other cards on the table – the card stays in place; otherwise the card is removed from play and the player takes another card from the deck and adds it to her tableau.The first player to get rid of all her cards by placing them correctly wins. If multiple players go out in the same round then everyone else is eliminated from play and each of those players are dealt one more card for another round of play. If only one player has no cards after a bonus round she wins; otherwise play continues until a single player goes out.

Mush! Mush!: Snow Tails 2

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–8

Game Type:

Categories:

Animals Card Game Humor Racing Sports

No brakes. No speed limits. Just husky racing at its most extreme.Gordon and Fraser Lamont say that Snow Tails was their favorite design of the past decade so in celebration they've decided to revisit husky racing with Mush! Mush! - Snow Tails 2 a fast-playing follow up to Snow Tails that allows you to dive in for a single race or compete over a three-route championship—the choice is yours!Mush! Mush! includes a massive oversized board with multiple tracks on both sides new bonus movement four polyresin buildings proper scale model trees with bases no brakes (as advertised above!) and less math and gameplay that fits up to eight at the table—you and seven losers. Now hop on the sled and get moving!

Dogs

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–4

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In Dogs each player owns a kennel and want to turn it into the largest and most comfortable shelter for city dogs. Each game round is divided into three phases:In Phase 1 players move their vehicles (trucks) through two different scenarios of the board Field and the City collecting stray dogs rewards will be worth it and abandoned dogs of various races who need medical care and food but yield valuable points at the end of the game.In Phase 2 players select special cards and perform important actions in five places: the City the Warehouse the Pet Shop Veterinary Clinic and Trade Show Dogs. The number of players who can use each location in the round is limited and therefore choosing the right action is essential to bring good results kennel player. In addition there are four types of resources in the game (money gasoline ration and medicines) and is essential to keep them under control and avoiding penalties disorders.In Phase 3 players feed the dogs in their stalls pay the salaries of assistants and kennel organize the board for the next round.Upon completion of a certain number of rounds the kennel with the highest score wins the game!

The Little Flower Shop

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 1–4

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You're working for the little flower shop in the heart of the village. To attract customers you'll need to arrange the most beautiful display of flowers in the shop's window.The Little Flower Shop is a light yet strategic set collection game featuring stunning artwork by botanical artist Sarah Wry. Mechanically the game employs a familiar card drafting system of picking a card and passing the rest. The cards are then used according to their type. Vase cards are placed in a player's shop window. Flower cards are tucked under the vases provided they meet the vase's requirements. Basket cards may be hung at the top of a player's window but only if they can buy the baskets first. Salary cards provide free income. Sale cards allow players to sell flowers to put additional funds in their register. At the game's end players score points for the best display of flowers in their windows.

Birds of a Feather

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 1–7

Game Type:

Animals Card Game Educational

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Every year the most enthusiastic (or maybe just crazy) birders across the country embark on a big trip where they try to see as many birds as they can. For some reason you've decided that this year will be your big year. You'll explore wonderful habitats on a quest to see as many beautiful birds as you can. But whenever you see a bird word will get out. Anticipate the crowd to see more birds than anyone else!Birds of a Feather is a fast friendly easy to learn card game for 1-7 players. The game is easy enough for children to learn and enjoy but surprisingly strategic making it a great filler for more hard core gamers.At the beginning of the game each player is dealt a large hand of cards. The game takes place over several rounds. In each round each player chooses a card to play simultaneously. This determines not only which bird that player sees that round but which habitat that player visits. Players check off the birds they see on a score sheet seeing their own bird plus any other birds in the same habitat. Additionally all birds are available to be seen for an additional round giving players the opportunity to see rare birds they missed the first time.Once all players have played through their hands scores are tallied based on which birds each player saw. Seeing all birds in a habitat gives a substantial bonus. In the end whoever saw the widest variety of birds is the winner!

Rainforest

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Abstract Strategy Animals Environmental Puzzle

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In Rainforest your aim is to create a jungle environment that offers a rich variety of vegetation which will allow you to reintroduce and protect the region’s iconic species: Monkeys frogs butterflies and parrots. Don’t forget to secure the long-term survival of your totem animal and you’ll be able to earn some precious extra points. Can you make your jungle a cradle of diversity?

Silver Dagger

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 2–4

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Card Game Zombies

Silver Dagger is the fourth standalone game in the Silver series of fast and engaging card games.In Silver Dagger as in the other Silver card games everyone starts the game with five face-down cards with everyone being able to see two cards of their choice. Cards are numbered 0-13 with the number showing how many werewolves the character on that card attracts and each character (number) has a different special power.On a turn you draw the top card of the deck or discard pile then either discard it to use the power of the card (but only if it came from the deck) discard it without using the power (ditto) or replace one or more of your face-down cards with this card; you can replace multiple cards only if they bear the same number and you must reveal the cards to prove this being penalized if you're wrong.Silver Dagger contains 14 new roles and abilities not seen in the previous titles some of which allow you to strategically switch the direction of gameplay the #4 zombie in particular! As might be expected zombies are tough to get rid of; in game terms you can't place them on top of the discard pile and they need to be face up in order to pass them to the previous player. The game also includes helpful roles such as the debt collector which subtracts a point for each card held by your opponents and the halfling who has the power to divide your entire score for the round in half.As in other Silver games call for a vote when you think you have the fewest werewolves circling your village. Your opponents will then have only one more chance to save themselves — or to sabotage you!The Silver series is made to mix and match! Pick out roles to fill the 0-13 slots from Silver Amulet Silver Bullet Silver Coin or this title to create your very own custom deck.—description from the publisher

Saboteur: The Duel

Rating: 6.0 | Players: 1–2

Game Type:

Bluffing Card Game Exploration Fantasy

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Saboteur: Duel is a standalone version of the famous card game Saboteur for one and two players. When playing alone you want to collect as much gold as possible by digging new tunnels in the mine; when playing with an opponent you'll just want to collect more than that player but naturally your opponent will try to block your progression by all means.In this card game you play path or action cards. The path cards form a maze in the direction of the six goal cards which contain a variable number of gold stones. The action cards are used to hinder your opponent or to help you to repair broken equipment. A greedy troll also lurks in the mine and you will have to pay him to progress and he doesn't give back any change!

My Happy Farm

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Animals Card Game Children's Game Farming

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My Happy Farm is a game in which players strive to become the best farmer.All players have their own farm with four nice animals. They feed those cuties. Animals which are fed well fill their stomachs with tasty food grow and become longer and longer even reaching unnatural lengths. The longer your animal the better a farmer you are. The owner of the longest animal receives bonus points. Animals which aren't fed even one time lose their weight take offense and leave their bad master. Moreover they will take some victory points from the bad master to punish him so players have to be good and careful farmers and feed their animals well to create Their Own Happy Farm.

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial: Light Years From Home Game

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Movies / TV / Radio theme Science Fiction

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E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial: Light Years From Home Game is a co-operative game in which you play as Elliot Gertie Mike or Greg as they try to find parts for E.T. to create a communication device to contact his home planet. You race around the neighborhood using ramps and shortcuts to avoid federal agents bent on capturing E.T. To win you must find all the parts of the device and get E.T. to the clearing when the mothership arrives to pick him up.—description from the publisher

Cover Your Kingdom

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–8

Game Type:

Card Game Fantasy Party Game

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Cover Your Kingdom is an absurdly ruthless set-collection party game for 2-8 players ages 9+. The game's cutthroat mechanics which make the game a highly-addictive riot-inducer are blunted by the punderfully-whimsical theme.The pace of play is fast with very little downtime as interactions may occur involving any player at any moment keeping all players on the edge of their seats and prompting loads of impish banter gloating and murderous glares. due to its competitive nature it might not be the best choice of game if you've got a table-flipper in your group.However as long as everyone has a good (or evil) sense of humor the game will take you on a boisterous ride you'll want to repeat. Cover Your Kingdom is an excellent game for building relationships... or ending them. (Perfect for family reunions!)GAMEPLAY OVERVIEW:In Cover Your Kingdom you and your rivals will each become Rulers of your own fantasy Kingdom. Regrettably the Kingdoms are creatureless and vacant and no creatures means no magic. To remedy this problem you'll contend with the other rulers as you try to convince lengenderpy Creatures (such as Pigxies Hentaurs Uniquehorns and Sighclops) to join your Kingdom.You can add them to your Kingdom by forming clans of two matching creatures (or one paired with a Wild Creature) or by recruiting (ahem- stealing) Clans from other Ruler's Kingdoms. Each Creature is worth a certain amount of Magic. The Ruler with the most Magic in their Kingdom at the end of the game wins.Kingdoms are divided in two different regions the Mountains and the Valley and most creatures will only live in one region or the other.As Clans are acquired they are stacked one atop the other offset by 90 degrees. Each Ruler's Kingdom mat indicates where each kind of Creature may be placed. Only the top Clan in each stack is vulnerable to being recruited by rival Rulers and each new clan you add is an added layer of defense to those beneath it (yes Clans are layered like ogres).To attempt to recruit another Ruler's Clan you may show a matching Creature or a Wild Creature from your hand. Your rival may counter with a Creature of their own to which you can respond again. This continues until one Ruler cannot or chooses not to respond.The winner takes (or keeps) the Clan adding ALL Creatures used to recruit or defend it. This increases the Clan's value (sometime's drastically) and its allure to other Rulers and if they have the opportunity the will try to swipe it for themselves.Rulers take either 1-2 actions per turn forming Clans attempting to recruit Clans adding Creatures to existing Clans replacing unwanted Creatures by discarding and drawing. and employing the services of Free Creatures.Free Creatures do not join Kingdoms but instead perform an action. Things like forcing another ruler to swap a top Clan from their Kingdom with one of yours or move a Clan from the top to the bottom of its stack or remove a Clan from the game entirely.The hook of the game lies in its ability to conceive a roller-coaster of emotions with bursts of elation and despair occurring repeatedly for each player throughout the game. The actions you take and the order in which you take them on your turn can have a tremendous impact on your success or failure.The end-game is also super intense as the outcome of the entire game can often be decided in the last few turns or even with the final card played. It'll keep you all on the edge of your thrones and also make it difficult to put away without just one more round.Cover Your Kingdom is as fun (and violent) as the people you play it with.—description from the publisher

Dragon Farkle

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Dice Fantasy

Gather your courage! The long-enjoyed peace of Yon has been disrupted by a ferocious and mean-spirited dragon — he's terrorizing the locals and eating their livestock without their permission! Fortunately a few wannabe heroes (that's you!) have risen to the challenge of slaying the beast. Get yourself a brave companion gather a powerful army and enter the Dragon's Keep for cheese and country in Dragon Farkle!To play you gather an army of loyal soldiers or steal them from your opponents hire suspicious-looking companions and gain allegedly useful items (most of which aren't even cursed) then fight that dragon you've heard so much about — or don't if you hate winning...

Holly Jolly

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Gather your friends and family together around the Christmas tree to collect beautiful ornaments gifts and stockings.Cards are arranged in the center of the playing area forming a tree with presents placed below. Players will choose and place either a light or tinsel card onto the tree. Using the point total from all lights or tinsel cards on the tree (of the type just placed) will determine your selection value. That selection value is then used to pick an ornament hanging on the tree or select a present/stocking from beneath the tree. Ornaments and presents/stockings all score points in a variety of ways.—description from the publisher

30 Rails

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 1–8

Game Type:

Categories:

Print & Play Trains

A pencil and paper game of building railway networks for one or more players.30 Rails is played on a 6 x 6 grid of squares. First each player draws mountains a mine and four stations on their sheet. The game then consists of thirty turns which will fill the remainder of the grid with track. Each turn two dice are rolled. One die will determine which track type is placed the other gives constraints as to where the track can be placed. The winner is the player who can connect most stations to each other and to the mine.The advanced game adds shares. Players are required to buy shares in any particular line in order to score for it but choosing the right moment to do so gives flexibility to track placement.Designed for the 2016 One Page PNP Contest

Herbalism

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 3–4

Game Type:

Card Game Deduction Medical Memory Mythology Puzzle

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Description from the publisher:In the game Herbalism players take on the role of a group of novice pharmacists hoping to find the cure to the pandemic that is currently plaguing the country. Players must exchange information with one another in order to gain more insight into the ingredients of the cure; however only one can earn the title of God Farmer so be careful not to share all of your knowledge too easily!

Pit Crew

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–9

Game Type:

Categories:

Racing Real-time Sports

While the driver gets all the attention the pit crew are the unsung heroes of racing…Pit Crew is a lightning-fast game where up to three teams of players must work together to get their race car back onto the track as quickly as possible. There are no turns in Pit Crew as cards can be played at any time but teams need to work together to make sure that their tires are properly replaced fuel tank filled up and engine repaired without making any costly mistakes. And will your team just go as fast as they can to get back out on the track? Or will you play smart and earn the Turbo Bonuses that can mean the difference between the checkered flag and last place?Pit Crew challenges players to balance speed and skill in a fast-paced game of teamwork and communication.Admin Note:Pit Crew: A Geoff Engelstein Game by Stronghold Games is not the same game as Pit Crew by BGC Editora.

TSCHAK!

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

TSCHAK!' is a card game in which everybody gets to play with exactly the same hands. But who will be the most successful in avoiding the troglodytes and bigger monsters while going for the fattest treasures or even better the legendary rings of power?The card deck in TSCHAK! is composed of twelve wizards (blue) twelve warriors (green) twelve dwarfs (red) and four artifacts (purple). Before the first round a player receives three wizards warriors and dwarfs and one artifact. (When playing with fewer than four players deal out hands to virtual players; these are not used during the current round.) Set up the keep by placing one monster and one treasure tile face up on each of the three levels.Players now assault the keep trying to avoid the monsters and claim treasure. On the first level players choose one card from their hand reveal it choose another reveal it choose a third and reveal it. A player must create a team of adventurers with three different colors and the strengths of these teams (the sum of the cards' values) are then compared. (The chameleon wizard with a ? equals the strongest wizard on the table. The artifact doubles the weakest character on your team.) The weakest team gets the monster card which costs points and the strongest team gets the treasure card usually positive points. Ties are broken in favor of the strongest wizard then in favor of the wizard with the wand then the strongest warrior and so on.On the second level players reveal one card then a pair of cards then compare strengths. On the third level players reveal three cards at the same time. Players then compare the last card in hand gaining 0-3 gold depending on the strength of that final card.Once all ten cards have been played each player passes his whole hand to his left neighbour a new dungeon is created and you now play with the same cards as the player sitting to your right. After four rounds the game ends and players tally their points. Some treasures and monsters are worth a set number of positive or negative points; others are worth the square of the number of them you've collected (whether positive or negative); additional treasures have special abilities like eliminating one monster card from the tiles you've collected. The player with the highest score wins.Good hand management double-guessing a tad of luck and the victory is yours!

Topito

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Action / Dexterity Animals Children's Game

Categories:

In Topito players manipulate the circus animals and workers — represented by giant wooden blocks — to complete objective cards in their hand. The game includes a number of circus rings in which activities take place and on a turn a player adds a block to a stack or moves part of a stack onto another stack. If any player whether active or not has one of their objective cards met by this move then they reveal it and draw a new card. If a player drops a block they must discard a previously met card as a penalty.The first player to have seven cards in front of themself wins!

Gang of Dice

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Dice Party Game

The boss is going to retire. As one of his lieutenants you need to take over the reins of the family. But you're not alone in this race... Gather as many minions as possible to show that you are a true leader. Don't be too power-hungry though as it would displease the boss-he could even get rid of you with a bomb! How far will you go to take his place?Each round players reveal a Warning card that displays a particular dice combination or threshold. Each player chooses any number of their dice and rolls them. Your goal is to obtain the highest result without triggering the combination indicated on the card. The player who manages to do that wins the round and gains the dice rolled by all players. At the end of the game the player with the most dice wins.—description from the publisher

HUE

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Abstract Strategy Card Game

Categories:

Secretly choose 3 colors and build the largest color sections in this fast-playing tile-laying strategy game. Players build an area of color sections together. In the end the winner is the player who chose the most valuable 3 colors.First in the Pack O Game series.

Expedition: Famous Explorers

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Categories:

Exploration Travel

Expedition: Famous Explorers is an updated version of two award-winning Wolfgang Kramer games – Wildlife Adventure and Expedition – with a new theme: discovery and exploration. Players lead three expeditions to various locations by placing arrows on a map. When an expedition arrives at a location that matches either a location card held by that player or a public location that player scores that card by placing it in front of him.Expedition: Famous Explorers retains all the core rules of earlier versions of the game but adds optional advanced rules that allow players to score additional points based upon purchasable explorer and event cards. Another game mechanism introduces secret locations.

Oz Fluxx

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Categories:

Does life seem drab and humdrum? Let the cyclone of Oz Fluxx the ever-changing card game whisk you away to a magical world of fun and wonder! Mingle with Munchkins make new friends help them with their quests and follow the Yellow Brick Road to seek the Wizard's help for your own heart's desire – but beware the flying monkeys fighting trees and fields of poppies! Don your green spectacles to enter the Emerald City and keep a bucket of water handy: You never know when you'll run into a Wicked Witch that needs melting. Next stop...the land of Oz!Game description above from the publisher.Fluxx is a card game where the cards themselves determine the current rules of the game. By playing cards you change numerous aspects of the game: how to draw cards how to play cards and even how to win.At the start of the game each player holds three cards and on a turn a player draws one card then plays one card. By playing cards you can put new rules into play that change numerous aspects of the game: how many cards to draw or play how many cards you can hold in hand or keep on the table in front of you and (most importantly) how to win the game. There are many editions themed siblings and promo cards available.

World of Yo-Ho

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Adventure Nautical Pirates

Categories:

World of Yo-Ho is a fantasy game of adventure and piracy on the high seas combining the tangible elements of a board game with the interactive mechanics of a video game. The game features a board with a gridded map of the world of Yo-Ho and a downloadable app that turns your smartphone into a ship. Simply place your phone on the map and set sail for adventure!Become the most famous captain of Yo-Ho a parallel world teeming with intelligent animals lost islands and wild magic! In search of fame and fortune you will explore the mysteries of Yo-Ho and battle sea monsters and other booty hungry corsairs in tactical naval engagements. Fill your holds with plunder you can use to upgrade your boat and acquire useful items and more powerful weaponry. Stock up on swag and fly your colors high.You're the master of your own destiny: Will you be a bloodthirsty swashbuckler brazenly hoisting the Jolly Roger as you plunder all those you cross? Or will you choose to stand as defender of the innocent and a peaceful merchant? Whatever your freebooting predilection may be the stage is set and you will play a vital role in the saga of Yo-Ho if you are but bold enough...

Karuba: The Card Game

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Adventure Card Game Puzzle

Categories:

Guide your adventurers skillfully through the jungle!Each turn in Karuba: Das Kartenspiel you carefully select two path cards from your hand to try to outwit the other players. Whoever has the lowest sum loses a card then all players use their cards to create a network of pathways to connect their adventurers with the temples. Who will best guide their adventurers through the jungle? In the end the player who collects the most points with valuable treasure and temples wins.

Port Royal: Unterwegs!

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Card Game Nautical Pirates

Categories:

Port Royal Unterwegs is a standalone stripped-down sequel to the press-your-luck card game Port Royal with new characters that can also serve as an expansion for that game.

Zuuli

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 1–6

Game Type:

Categories:

The fierce and friendly pick and pass card game.Collect enclosures rescue animals and install upgrades over 3 years and build the highest scoring wildlife park you can in this fast paced card game. Don't let the cutesy looks fool you into thinking this is going to be easy though! Can you keep the Lions away from the Anteaters on the Savannah plains? Are your sloths lonely or living a happy life on an Open-Air island? Your Zuuli adventure awaits!—description from the publisher

Tajuto

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Religious

In 532 Buddhism arrived in Japan and took its place alongside Shintoism which is the official religion. Prince Shotoku seduced by this new religion commissioned Buddhist monks to construct a village endowed with an immense garden in which 8 pagodas (tajuto) would be erected. He announced that once the fourth tajuto was complete it would make this city an important pilgrimage destination for all Buddhists around the world. The Buddhist monk who has attained the highest level of Spirituality through deep Meditation and other mental qualities at this precise moment will be rewarded and the Prince will name them Great Guardian of the Sacred Garden of the Eight Pagodas and this monk will become the overseer of pilgrimage.In Tajuto players take on the roles of the Buddhist monks trying to achieve the highest spirituality. On their turn they can activate their action tiles to draw (and build) pagoda tiles from the bag make offerings to gain meditation points and acquire tiles that will help them progress more quickly or earn them spirituality points. Activating more than one action tile or acquiring tiles costs meditation points. The game ends once the fourth pagoda is finished. The player with the most spirituality points wins.The key feature of the game is drawing the pagoda tiles from the bag. The pagoda tiles have a decreasing size per level. Players are welcome to blindly rummage around to try to recognize the floor by its size but they aren’t likely to be able to detect the color this way so drawing the floor size they want depends on their tactile recognition but they have to weigh their odds to draw the color they want.—description from the publisher

Little Alchemists

Rating: 7.9 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Deduction Fantasy Puzzle

Will you surpass your teachers' knowledge and grow up to become the best alchemists in the land? Let's find out! It's time to grab your potion ingredients sharpen your deduction skills and get mixing!Little Alchemists is a family-friendly deduction game that's designed to grow with the curious minds of young players. The game starts with simple concepts and mechanisms; you'll start by gathering and combining ingredients for brewing potions to sell. However as you collect keys by achieving your potion-making goals you'll unlock new chapters that gradually add more components mechanisms and complexity to the experience.Not sure how to make potions? No sweat! Potion craft takes mere seconds with the free Little Alchemists companion app. To make a potion players select two ingredient tiles then scan them using the companion app loaded onto a tablet or smartphone. This reveals the combined result and lets players acquire and mark the corresponding potion knowledge on their secret player board.With each potion you make you'll begin to discover the secrets that lie at the heart of alchemy. Players will have to use clever deductions to figure out the arcane properties of each ingredient then they can use that knowledge to their advantage throughout the game!Over the course of seven chapters that unlock over multiple playthroughs players will learn and master many new facets of the alchemy trade preparing them for what's to come. Each chapter is designed as a replayable experience that expands on the previous chapter with new layers of game mechanisms that add more subtle depth and complexity over time. Also fully exploring the world of Little Alchemists will introduce you to many of the concepts from and better prepare you for the original Alchemists game.—description from the publisher

Call to Glory

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Call to Glory packaged in a mid-sized tin box is a fast and fun card game in which players try to collect Japanese characters of different values. When a player has two or more cards of the same character in his hand he can (possibly) lay these cards on the table and score them at the end of the round. If however an opponent lays out more cards of the same type then characters of that type already on the table are discarded. When the game ends players score for the types of characters they have on the table.Call to Glory comes with two variants:Unlike Crazy Chicken Call to Glory is playable with 2 to 4 players. Drive is playable with 4 players but does not have the two variants.

The Lady and the Tiger

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 1–6

Game Type:

Bluffing Card Game Deduction Maze Print & Play Puzzle

Categories:

The Lady and the Tiger is five games in one!Doors: A 2-player deduction game by Peter C. Hayward. Favor: A 2-4 player auction game by Allysha Tulk and Kevin Carmichael. Hoard: A solo game by Ken Maher. Labyrinth: A 2-player maze game by Philip Tootill. Traps: A 2-6 player bluffing game by JR Honeycutt.Inspired by the classic short story The Lady or the Tiger? by Frank R. Stockton each game offers a unique experience. Five amazing games packed into just eighteen unique cards!With stunning evocative art by Tania Walker The Lady and the Tiger is perfect for couples families ladies tigers and anyone who enjoys bluffing games.

Spellcaster

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Legend speaks of the enchanted Sapphire Island. Shrouded in mist and magic the island summons mages to battle in the ultimate test of magical combat — but only those who survive the supernatural duels are granted great prestige and riches.Spellcaster is a card game pitting two to four mages in a duel of supremacy. You win by exhausting your opponent's energies or by collecting enough sorcery sapphires to overpower them. Sixty different spells are included from four fields of study: Combat Conjuring Healing and Sorcery. Cast one or more spells each turn to overcome your opponent and become the Grand Master Mage!

World Monuments

Rating: 6.2 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Renaissance

Description from the publisher:Dive into the world of master builders and construct monumental buildings of historic significance.In each game of World Monuments you and your fellow players choose one of four buildings and start constructing it from the ground up: The Capitol in Washington the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris the basilica San Pietro in Rome or the Taj Mahal mausoleum in Agra. Only the most talented master builder among the players gains many points and has a chance of winning the game after the building is completed.

Keltis: Das Würfelspiel

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Keltis: Das Würfelspiel recreates Reiner Knizia's Keltis gaming system as a dice game with players once again trying to blaze through regions of negative points to reach sweet VP-rich territory.Keltis: Das Würfelspiel has five dice (with a different colored symbol on each face) a game board 40 wishing stone tiles and 16 wooden playing pieces. On a turn a player rolls all the dice rerolls any number of dice once then chooses on which of the five tracks on the game board he advances one of his four playing pieces.The first spaces on a track are worth negative points to whoever sits on them at game's end so players must make sure to advance their pieces far enough to score points. Along the way they also collect wishing stones either by rolling two wishing stone symbols or by moving a playing piece onto a wishing stone field; a player also earns or loses points based on the number of wishing stones collected.After a certain number of playing pieces reach the far fields on the track the game ends and the player with the most points wins.

The Alpha

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 3–6

Game Type:

Abstract Strategy Animals Bluffing

Categories:

Lead your wolf pack as you claim territory search for food and hunt prey. After a successful hunt you may enter a conflict with another pack. If that happens you will have to decide whether you want to risk injury by fighting to keep the food for your own pack or risk giving up all the food found in the region by sharing with the other pack.At the end of 5 weeks (rounds) the wolf pack with the most food will be declared The Alpha.—description from the publisher

Dungeon Dice

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Adventure Dice Medieval Negotiation

Categories:

Dungeon Dice is a competitive all-dice game with a classic adventuring feel in which players battle monsters and try to collect more dice than their friends. Players equip dice drink dice potions and kill dice monsters. If you've killed enough monsters grab a level-up die. You get the idea.In the game players take turns drawing monster dice from a bag. To defeat a monster players roll their dice and compare them to the monster's dice. The totals change as players use abilities and attempt to aid or sabotage one another. With each victory players earn more dice from bags full of potions weapons and magical artifacts. Players race to collect enough impressive dice to gain a claim on the throne thereby winning the game.

Bohemian Villages

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–5

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Categories:

Who will collect the most money in the Bohemian villages? As a merchant you want to have as many stores as possible. As an innkeeper you can earn money only if there are enough people in the village. As a miller or factory owner cooperation is key. And to become rich as mayor you need the support of the entire village. Every decision you make might also depend on the roll of the dice.Bohemian Villages is a tactical dice-rolling game that allows you to claim different types of buildings in a shared village and use the powers of those buildings. In the end the player who evaluates their options best and pursues the correct strategy will be the lucky winner.

Dairyman

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Dice Farming

Moo moo!! Milk a cow produce some milk!You are a dairyman milking fresh milk everyday working hard to fulfill the orders given by the farm owner. But be aware! If your milk spoils an entire day's work will go down the drain! Or maybe you can turn milk into cheese or ice cream products increasing their value and prevent them from spoiling! Can you become the best dairyman of the farm?In clockwise order players take turns to roll all dice and must lock one set of dice that have a sum of exactly 10. They may repeat this process until they want to pass. They may then trade their dice of 10s for milk tile(s) of equal value. If they fail to roll a sum of 10 their turn ends immediately and they will get a snow token as a compensation which may be used to flip the milk tiles later in the game to earn extra points or gain special abilities. When the stack of milk tiles is depleted the player with the most points on their milk tiles wins the game.

Bohn to Be Wild!

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 1–7

Game Type:

Card Game Farming Negotiation

Categories:

In Bohn To Be Wild! a standalone title that celebrates fifteen years of the classic Bohnanza card game players want to do what they've always done: Plant beans in their fields and sell them for as many coins as possible while trading cards with other players to get around the restriction of not being able to rearrange cards in your hand.Bohn To Be Wild! mixes things up however by including eleven new types of beans – including Jamaica helmet and horse beans – rules for solo play and special wild beans. Unlike the original German Bohnanza this game allows for play with up to seven players.

The Legend of the Cherry Tree that Blossoms Every Ten Years

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Deduction Fantasy

Do you know the legend of the cherry tree that blossomed every ten years? The story goes that once every decade the cherry tree would shroud itself in beautiful flowers during the first days of spring. Thousands of buds grew on its branches and stretched elegantly toward the sky before becoming magnificent flowers of inestimable quality.When the flowers on the cherry tree begin to fall softly to the ground you rush to collect them before they wither: The one who can gather the most flowers will have their wish granted by the cherry tree. But if you are too greedy the cherry tree will find you unworthy of its gift and you will lose the chance to make your dream come true...The flowers on the cherry tree have begun their delicate fall and are ready to be collected. Each turn draw one or more flowers from the bag and try to gather as many as possible without being too greedy. At the end of your turn put your flowers either in front of your screen to gain victory points based on your sets of flowers or behind your screen to gain victory points by having the largest groups of flowers.The player who has the most victory points at the end of The Legend of the Cherry Tree that Blossoms Every Ten Years wins.

Purrrlock Holmes: Furriarty's Trail

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–5

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Categories:

Furriarty is terrorizing London and it's up to Purrrlock Holmes to stop him before he completes his plans and escapes! However Purrrlock cannot do it alone and you as a newly inducted Inspector at Scotland Pound must help bust members of Furriarty's gang in order to help Purrrlock get closer to the bewhiskered baddie that's been bullying all of Baker Street.In more detail each player in Purrrlock Holmes: Furriarty's Trail draws a hidden suspect card. Players take turns making guesses using a clock mechanism about their unknown suspect’s identity. The other players (who can see every suspect but their own) will tell you whether you've got a lead on your suspect; if not it's a dead-end. Figure out enough leads to deduce the suspect's identity and you get to snag a clue that leads to Furriarty. Each clue is labeled with a variable number of victory points. Every round Furriarty pads his way closer to escape putting tension on the players to guess — quickly! — to solve the case. If you can deduce enough suspects and collect enough paw print tokens you may be able to overtake Furriarty before he scrams.Get ready Inspector as the game is officially afoot — or a-paw if you will...

Bees: The Secret Kingdom

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Animals Card Game Educational

Categories:

Bees: The Secret Kingdom is family game based on Bees. In the game players will choose between creating a honey card or playing a flower card to get pollen tokens. This simple game has 2 modes the first is for families and younger players and second the advanced one is for adults.The basic rules are really simple – players can draw two Gathering cards and play one of them or make Honey using their gathered Resources. Playing Gathering cards grants all the players Resources tokens but the player who was using this card will gain the greatest benefit. Despite the small cooperative touch this is a fully competitive game and only the player who gains the most points wins.—description from the designer

Sky Tango

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

In Sky Tango you trace the cycles of the moon and the sun by creating series of cards that illustrate the passing of time. Eclipses can appear and ruin your paths but don't let them discourage you for the sun and moon will always reappear. Will your solar and lunar cycles lead you to victory?In game terms the deck of cards consists of numbered sun and moon cards (some of which feature animals) as well as eclipse cards. Players place the cards in stacks in ascending order either in front of themselves or in front of others. When a stack is five cards high it can be removed and scored for points. Stacks can be interrupted by eclipse cards which in turn can be covered by the appropriate sun or moon cards. Playing a card with an animal allows a player to play again which is sometimes advantageous but sometimes not. The player who removes the most cards from play wins!

La Fallera Calavera

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Card Game Fantasy Humor Zombies

Categories:

After dying in a fireworks exhibition due to lack of security a young Fallera -a girl dressed in traditional valencian costume- comes to life as a zombie. She feels furious and wants revenge. Therefore she awakens dozens of traditional valencian characters now turned into zombies. There is only one solution to save humanity from the apocalypse: to find five ingredients to cook a tasty paella that calms the rage of the fallera.A unique game based on a 100 cards deck. Players (2 to 5) must find 5 ingredient cards to win the game. Ingredients as well as other kind of treasures can be stolen by other players. They can use battle cards to fight and achieve other's possessions comparing attack and defense points of the two cards in the battle. Bluffing is also a must as the player who is attacked can't see the character that is using his opponent. Players may also use very different kind of special cards not only to strengthen their soldiers but to fiercely punish their competitors.

Bloom

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 1–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Flowers are power in the freshly-picked dice game Bloom! Roll the dice choose a color then circle the number of matching flowers. Each roll offers a bouquet of possibilities: Should you try to snag all of a certain color or attempt to fill a mixed dozen instead? Choose wisely — the dice you pass might score for your opponents! With a little luck and a lot of pluck you'll be the blooming best!—description from the publisher

HexRoller

Rating: 6.2 | Players: 1–8

Game Type:

Categories:

HexRoller is a roll-and-write game in which each round players draft two of the dice rolled then fill in spaces on a hexagonal grid attempting to both complete regions and create lines of identical numbers in order to maximize their score. Who can use their bonuses at the right time to zoom into the lead?

60 Second City

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Abstract Strategy Environmental Real-time

Categories:

Team-up work together and strategize to build your city. You have 60 seconds… GO! Both players draw tiles & quickly place them on the game board at the same time. Work together to complete building goals while protecting your city from space-blocking pollution. The clock is ticking… Win together or lose together in this collaborative strategy game. If you can complete all the building goals after 5 rounds of play you both win. This addictive game takes quick thinking exceptional communication strategic collaboration and fast action to build the ultimate city!

Wonder Bowling

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Categories:

A slightly unusual bowling alley is open! Its name is Wonder Bowling. Don't roll the ball here bang the lane! and hit. Of course the pins are knocked over but the important thing is the remaining pins. Because if you kill all of them it's a penalty and if you leave only one it's a strike! The secret to victory is control of the ball stick neither too strong nor too weak! No bowling experience required! It's an action game that will make you laugh!Wonder Bowling is a bowling game with a difference. The ball doesn't roll it hits the lane and knocks down the pins with vibration. The important thing is not the number of knocked down pins but the number of standing pins without falling down. Strike! Participants take turns hitting lanes and aim to be the first to clear all their goals.

SHH

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Deduction Word Game

Players cooperate as a single team to spell words in order to rid their hands of as many letters as possible. The catch? Silent play proves challenging when one doesn't know his teammate's hand. Shh!Vowel cards are placed in the playing area along with several PASS cards. Players are dealt the remaining alphabet cards (consonants) and may not share them. Players take turns adding a letter to the active word until it is valid. Each turn a player may either contribute a consonant from their hand or use an available vowel card or PASS card. Players try to score as close to 26 points as possible.Number 7 in the Pack O Game series.

The Liberation of Rietburg

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Gors Skral and other creatures have invaded and now occupy King Brandur's fortress known as Rietburg. Only by working together can the heroes of Andor complete four of six tasks to free the Rietburg. What tasks await the players will be revealed only during the course of the game...The Liberation of Rietburg is a standalone game set in the world of Legends of Andor. During their efforts to complete quests players will each control a hero with special abilities and will find helpful items and meet new friends who support them. By using cards heroes move from place to place and fight creatures but while fulfilling their duties the players must not lose any time or else they will lose together.

Longboard

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

It's a beautiful day at the beach and the surfers are out shopping for new boards. Create the coolest and biggest longboards to establish your surfboard-shaping shop as the best in town. Surf's up!In Longboard players draft and trade surfboard pieces as they attempt to build the tallest and most surfboards. More specifically on a turn you take two actions with three types of actions being possible:Each board card features 1-3 stickers which count as points when the surfboard is complete that is when it contains at least four cards. When a player has 3-4 complete boards at least one of which contains 7+ cards they can choose to end the game. If that doesn't happen before the deck runs out the game ends at that point. Players then score sticker points on completed boards lose points for incomplete boards and score bonus points if they have the longest completed board or the most completed boards or if they have completed any of the four random objective cards put into play at the start of the game.

FTW?!

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Categories:

March 14th 13:37: The perfect moment to play FTW?!In each round of FTW?! you try to play your cards so that you preferably keep only one card with a high number. It is possible that you get rid of fewer cards than the other players. As soon as a player has only one card left in their hand you score plus points for your highest card but minus points for all additional cards in your hand.FTW?! has easy rules but offers a very tricky game experience!—description from the publisher

Urbania

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Game description from the publisher: In Urbania the city center has seen glory in its past. But the future calls to you for renewal! Build the new city upon the old and forge ahead with progress hammering new profits from those old foundations! Plan a new landscape and garner power and prestige to yourself!In Urbania players renew buildings and hire specialists while trying to accomplish goals set in their submitted projects.Both renewing buildings and hiring specialists are done with the resource cards which consist of construction helmet (renewing) or coin icons (hiring) - or both. After you have used cards for renewing a building you get to keep the cards with coin icons left in front of you for later use in hiring a specialist. On the other hand if you hire a specialist with cards from your hand you discard the cards and lose the construction helmet icons.

Dungeon Time

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 1–5

Game Type:

Card Game Fantasy Real-time

Categories:

Are you brave enough to accept the dungeon challenge?In Dungeon Time a real-time cooperative card game you will enter a fantasy realm with only five minutes to complete your missions. Find the equipment get the mission — while frantically trying to beat the clock and avoid being over-burdened by your equipment – and level up to higher challenges if you do!In more detail players play and draw cards with each card showing either an item or a mission. Players call to one another for the items needed to fulfill missions; everybody plays their items on the stack then you can play your mission on the stack and it will be fulfilled... Easy isn't it? Except you have only five minutes to go through the whole deck and each item played at the wrong time will burden your backpack and risk bringing you one step closer to failure...

Around the World in 80 Days

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Adventure Novel-based Racing Transportation

Categories:

October 2 1872 Phileas Fogg is asserting that it’s possible to go around the world in 80 days. The gentlemen of the Reform Club have made a bet on his failure since they don’t believe this eccentric dandy could ever succeed! However the most troubling part of this story is the strange coincidence between the rash departure of Phileas Fogg accompanied by his loyal valet Passepartout and the theft of 50,000 pounds from the Bank of England!The first lady or gentleman to return to London wins the game. However since you left the British capital suspected of stealing from Her Majesty’s bank you will have to return to London without any Rumor cards and 10£ or less in your pocket (or rather in your hand) in order to prove your innocence in the eyes of the world! Players will quickly discover that moving too fast drains their wallet just as fast. To win you will have to alternate between cautious and ambitious advances waiting for the right moment to return to the city!Around the World in 80 Days is a beautiful and modern reimplementation of the first ever Spiel des Jahres winner (the most prestigious Game of the Year award in 1979) thematically revisited around the timeless and beloved novel of the same name by Jules Verne.

Pirates of the 7 Seas

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Pirates

Pirates of the 7 Seas is an innovative fast and competitive board game full of events from everyday pirate life: plundering old maps and horrible gigantic krakens. Adventures new ports and powerful rituals are waiting for you. Sometimes pirates have to rely on the other pirates but don't forget that you can get stabbed in the back anytime.As the waves break on your ship take a turn for the topsy-turvy motion of the ocean by rolling your ship dice — but remember that where they land on the board means as much as what you roll! Choose to remain an independent vagabond or maybe cut a deal with a Governor to become all official-like in your pirating ways. Consult with a shaman to curse the other pirates or pay a visit to the cartographer to find a map with some hidden treasure.In the game the turn begins with players choosing the character card whose action they want to play — because each character has its own ability to help you get rich quickly — and places it facedown in front of them. When everyone has chosen their character cards the first player announces the characters one by one. When you hear your character you reveal your character card and play your adventure curse or port card and everyone gets involved in a new adventure which usually ends with a grandiose sea battles or some curse or finding a new port.The pirate with the most booty wins the day but a pirate's life isn't always on the up and up. Savvy?

Eruption

Rating: 6.1 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Categories:

The inhabitants of the villages surrounding a dormant volcano were happily living in peace until — KABOOM! — the old volcano sprung back to life unleashing rivers of molten lava in every direction and blasting volcanic rock into the sky. The villages now faced with destruction must do whatever they can to protect their homes from the incoming surge of lava.Your village is about to burn up — can you take the heat?Eruption is a competitive survival game in which each player struggles to save his or her own village from destruction caused by an onslaught of lava from an erupting volcano. As lava enters a village its temperature increases until it has burned up completely. Players can protect their own villages by placing lava tiles defensively and strategically building walls of various materials to hold back the lava. They are also rewarded with action cards for directing lava to other villages. Action cards allow players to rotate replace or remove the hexagonal lava tiles as well as cool down and fortify their own villages. Once the volcano has fully unleashed its fury the player whose village is at the lowest temperature wins.

Bridge City Poker

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

In Bridge City Poker players compete to get rid of the cards in their hands (or shed) by playing different sets of cards (or “melds”) over a series of tricks before the deck runs out. Players will have to manage their ever-growing hands with game-breaking power cards. At the end of a round players will burn a bridge (or “suit”) of choice completely from their hands. Finally all players will score points based on their remaining cards and after a set number of rounds lowest score wins.—description from the publisher

Avatar: The Last Airbender – Fire Nation Rising

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 1–5

Game Type:

Card Game Dice Movies / TV / Radio theme

Categories:

Avatar: The Last Airbender Fire Nation Rising is a cooperative card and dice game for 1-5 players who take command of Avatar Aang Katara Sokka Toph and Zuko as they fight back against the Fire Nation to restore balance to the world.During the first part of the game players will recruit Heroes from the four nations and battle a variety of Villains leading up to the Day of Black Sun all while advancing their position on the Balance Track while the Villains advance on the matching Ruin track. When either side reaches the top of their track the Day of Black Sun event is triggered giving a significant advantage to the side that reached the top.At the start of each turn the active player will choose one of three locations to visit. The Fire Nation will then attack activating villain abilities in one location and damaging Heroes in play.After resolving the attack the active player will assemble a pool of dice based on their starting set-up and additional Hero card abilities. Players will roll and assign these dice in order to match symbols on Hero and Team abilities Hero cards they wish to recruit Villain cards they want to attack and in Phase 2 Final Battles they must complete. Players match all of the symbols shown on a card to complete the related task.The difficulty level can be adjusted based on players’ familiarity with the game and the degree of challenge desired.—description from the publisher

Yeti

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Adventure Dice

Yeti is a quick family dice game with extraordinary components and funny illustrations.In Yeti players are competing adventurers and mountaineers looking for traces of the Yeti the legendary Snowman in the Himalaya. They want to find its footprints — or even better take photos of it — in order to collect points. To achieve this they need to improve their equipment and acquire the help of Sherpas to lead them up the mountains. Most importantly though they should hope for good weather because if too much snow falls the search of all players comes to a halt...

Kameloot

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 3–6

Game Type:

Categories:

Card Game Math Medieval

But which tavern will you choose; The Hooting Owl tavern where paladins and magicians rub shoulders with rich merchants OR The Black Cat tavern home of conniving crooks and scheming sorcerers?Watch out for turncoats there’s no mercy in the taverns!In short:But once again watch out for turncoats... You don't need to stay loyal to the same tavern owner!—description from the publisher

Checkpoint Charlie

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 3–5

Game Type:

Card Game Deduction Spies / Secret Agents

Categories:

Description from the publisher:Checkpoint Charlie is a game of observation deduction and mental agility. Watch all the suspects carefully and find out which of them is the chief of spies using the clues that you and the other investigators uncover. Be the first to find the chief of spies and become the best hound dog!In the game each player receives a clue that reveals one out of five possible traits of the chief of spies. Each player keeps revealing cards indicating whether each character is a suspect or not. As the game progresses players gather more and more clues to lead them towards the chief of spies. This chief of spies will coincide with five out of five possible clues and his aides will match four out of those five. Whoever accuses the chief of spies on time gets the most points. Players who accuse the aides will also earn some points while the other players might not receive any points at all — or even negative rewards. The game includes two optional rules that add more strategy to the gameplay.Checkpoint Charlie is set during the cold war and the subject of detectives and spies is applied using cartoon-stylized dogs and cats.

Kosmonauts

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Science Fiction

In Kosmonauts players take on the role of space cadets who need to complete one final challenge before they can become officers of the Space Forces. The challenge? A race through space during which they demonstrate their spaceship-controlling skills and problem-solving abilities. This race is not linear and spaceships can pass checkpoints on the planets and comet in any order. Once a ship lands the player claims the appropriate planet/comet token; the earlier you arrive the more victory points (VPs) that token is worth. Each game turn is divided into four phases:The game ends when someone returns to Earth after visiting all but one planet. Players receive VPs for their landing tokens and completed missions and whoever has the most VPs wins!

Rumble in the House

Rating: 6.1 | Players: 3–6

Game Type:

Bluffing Deduction Fighting Humor Party Game

Categories:

Living together in a small house is difficult and sometimes trouble arises. It's time for a big rumble in the house! Will you able to beat the other characters out of the house stay inside and keep your identity secret?Rumble in the House is a game of bluffing and deduction for the whole family. Each player secretly owns two of the twelve characters in the house and each character starts in a different room of the house. On a turn a player either moves any character that is alone in a room into an adjacent room or starts a fight in a room that contains at least two characters. Well it's not much of a fight really as the player removes one character from the room and places it in a line with other removed characters. Once a single character remains the round ends. The first two characters removed are worth zero points while the third through eleventh characters are worth 1-9 points; the character that remains in the house is worth ten points. Each player collects points only for his most valuable character.The player with the most points after three rounds wins.

Dead Drop

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Card Game Deduction Memory

Categories:

Dead Drop is a game that involves elements of memory deduction and crafty maneuvering. As secret agents working for different organizations players scour the globe seeking information that will help them find the location of a hidden explosive device. Agents must trade information and sell secrets in order to learn the location of the device and grab it before it falls into the hands of another agency! On a player's turn you must choose one of the following actions:At the end of a turn after performing a regular action the active agent may choose to Grab The Drop: Place two cards from your hand face up next to the card in the middle of the table. Then secretly look at the card in the middle to determine whether this card is equal to the sum of the two face-up cards. If you guessed correctly you win the round; if you're wrong you're out of the round. (In a three- or four-player game if an agent is eliminated she must place her cards face up in front of her. Other agents may trade with an eliminated agent's cards by placing the card traded from their hand face up in place of the card they take.) The first player to win three rounds wins the game.•••Dead Drop includes three sets of cards with different artwork (Spies Monsters and Kids). Dead Drop Deluxe features the same gameplay as Dead Drop but it includes eight decks of cards instead of three each illustrated by a different artist with a different theme. These extra sets are:Dead Drop Deluxe contains a cloth travel bag and silkscreened wooden tokens instead of plain cubes and it comes packaged in a UV coated box sleeve.

Saboteur: The Lost Mines

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 3–9

Game Type:

Card Game Deduction Fantasy Maze

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Saboteur: The Lost Mines is a board game inspired by the famous Saboteur card game. While it uses ideas of the basic game the expansion and the two-player game it is also very different.In this game players are divided in two clans; each clan contains loyal dwarves selfish dwarves and a saboteur secretly working for the opposite clan. Players have their own pawn and the dwarves must move over the paths in order to physically reach the four goal cards one of which contains a sleeping dragon that you don't want to wake so try to avoid that one if possible. The (non-dragon) goal cards yield a variable number of points depending on the displayed but secret treasure cards.Sabotage isn't performed against a specific player but directly on the board by playing blocking path cards or adding tokens. In this way the sabotage affects always all players including yourself. As opposed to Saboteur: The Duel path cards you play don't have to be linked to your own start card which offers many more sabotage options. Even so no player is ever out of the game either temporarily or permanently.—description from the designer

Dice Hunters of Therion

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–4

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Dice Fighting

In Dice Hunters of Therion a.k.a. Würfelhelden players slip into the role of a dice hero and take hold of the villains who are up to mischief in the kingdom. With their dice players secure the rewards or find valuable treasures. With courage and the favor of the dice they will succeed in claiming glory and honor in the name of Therion.

Om Nom Nom

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 1–6

Game Type:

Animals Bluffing Card Game Dice

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All those carrots look so tempting that you might just snatch them – but what if the wolves have been expecting exactly that a greedy rabbit just like you? You never know...In Om Nom Nom during the game you will roll dice which will represent various kinds of prey. By clever play of your hunter cards you will try to eat the prey and thus gain victory points. At the end of the game the winner will be the player with the most points.The game consists of 3 rounds. Each round is divided into 4 phases – roll play score and cleanup. During the Roll phase one of the players rolls all the dice. After rolling the dice are arranged on the game boards. During the Play phase all players will play all 6 of their predator cards one by one. When everyone has selected their first card they are revealed simultaneously. This is where the action happens. Did You manage to guess what everyone else will play? Were You the only one brave enough to sneak Your mouse after the cheese? Or did You like everyone else play the wolf because no rabbit surely could resist that amount of carrots. During this phase players resolve all their played cards by capturing dice and cards of other players. During the Score phase players score points for captured cards and dice. And during the Cleanup when all 6 cards have been played players gather all their cards back in hand and a new round can begin. At the end of the third round player with the most points is the winner.

Tiny Turbo Cars

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

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Puzzle Racing

Tiny Turbo Cars is a frantic race game for 2 to 4 players in which you program the movements of your tiny toy car in advance with a sliding puzzle acting as your remote controller.Choose your car grab your remote controller create the track and get ready to race! At the beginning of each round players have to work their way through their sliding puzzle controllers simultaneously trying to create the sequence of actions they want their car to perform during the round.Each symbol on the puzzle corresponds to one of the possible actions — but only the two middle rows of commands on your controllers will be applied so there's room for maneuvers but be quick! The first player to put down their controller will be the first to move their car during the round. Each player then executes the program they created and the sooner you play during a round the safer you are that your actions will actually play out as planned rather than crashing into unexpected obstacles...or other cars!But trying to be quick might also increase your chances of making mistakes and every time you take damage you lose battery power which will slow you down. But hey mistakes happen right? You can always recharge and be back in the race.This is a fierce race with pitfalls around every corner and unscrupulous adversaries! Don't miss your chance to shoot your missiles at your opponents — before they hit you! The first player to cross the finish line wins!—description from publisher

Mammut

Rating: 6.2 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Animals Negotiation Prehistoric

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The tiles are then divided by a unique mechanic: When it is your turn you may either A) Take any number of tiles from the pool or B) Claim that another player has been too greedy taking all of that player's tiles but returning at least one tile to the pool (you must of course show yourself to be a little less greedy).The next player without tiles then follows in turn. This way the size of the pool will gradually increase and the round is over once the last player without tiles decides to take what's left in the pool. Every player will then have a share of tiles and a scoring phase follows.Tactical play will help you get the meat fur tusks animals and tools you want (each tile has a different way of scoring) but you may also play cards for immediate effects or to secretly influence the scoring.- Game material is language independent -

Glastonbury

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–4

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In Glastonbury the players are witches and wizards who shop for ingredients for their magic potions. Your token moves around the perimeter of an array of ingredient cards and you pick one from the row or column where you stop. The number on the card you pick dictates how many spaces you move on your next turn.To score points you need to collect sets of four matching ingredients; if you have only one of a particular ingredient you'll score penalty points instead. The scoring rules can be made more complicated if the players desire but for most the basic rules are satisfying. A touch of memory is involved since you can see only the most recently chosen ingredient on your stack of cards.Glastonbury is a new edition of the 2001 release Kupferkessel Co. with slight changes to the game. Now the game can be played by up to four players instead of being strictly a two-player game. The game includes additional ingredient cards and new spell cards that allow special actions.

Meduris: Der Ruf der Götter

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Dice Economic Fantasy Mythology

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Description from the publisher:Following the call of the gods the players settle at the base of mountain Meduris. Building huts bringing offerings to the druid gathering precious runestones and building monumental temples is the only way to earn the favor of the gods in Meduris.1. Skillful use of the workers lets you obtain valuable materials. These are needed to build huts and temples.2. The larger the settlement,the more expensive it is to build a hut there. But if you can get in the good graces of the druid by presenting an offering then your effort pays off.3. Keep an eye on the other players: Who will secure the best building sites at the right time and collect the most valuable rune stones?4. Only a player who skillfully places their huts and temples and keeps enough materials ready for the big final round of offerings will win the game.Game description from the publisher: Dem Ruf der Götter folgend machen sich die Spieler auf um den Fuß des Berges Méduris zu besiedeln. Hütten bauen dem Druiden Opfergaben darbringen wertvolle Runensteine sammeln und monumentale Tempel errichten – nur so können die Spieler die Gunst der Götter gewinnen.

Hollywood

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Card Game Industry / Manufacturing Movies / TV / Radio theme

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In the movie-making game Hollywood each player is a studio boss who tries to produce the most successful blockbuster. Players construct movies from game cards that they draft or purchase. Players compete to get the most popular stars to perform in their movies because this brings them more money and more Hollywood Awards (which are pictured on some cards).First players take turns choosing cards with the aid of drafting. Second players purchase additional star cards (the strongest cards in the game) at the auction. Third each player uses his nine cards in hand to make one or several movies. A movie must have a minimum of three cards: a Script a Director and an Actor (or Actress). Additional cast members are optional but they add to a movie's total box office. Quality films bring a large amount of profit to the player.Players go through three production years then after the third year Hollywood Awards bring extra money to the players and the richest player wins.

Little Devils

Rating: 6.1 | Players: 3–6

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Everybody is fond of teasing and challenging each other from time to time. In this game you try to saddle opposing players with negative cards and every little devil scores a penalty point. But take care: You will not escape the diabolical plans of your opponents either. Little Devils is a devilishly fun trick-taking game you keep on playing...

Lady Alice

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 3–5

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Bluffing Deduction

In Lady Alice – a game of intrigue flair bluffing and mischief – the players are the Baker Street Kids children under the tutelage of Sherlock Holmes who must deduce the culprit behind the kidnapping of Henry Morton Stanley as well as the time and place the kidnapping occurred and which object was stolen at the same time.Holmes gives each player the solution to one of these categories at the start of the game and players must keep such information secret. On a turn the active player voices his suspicions in the form of a sentence – I suspect ....... of having been seen at ....... at around ....... hundred in possession of ....... – filling in the blanks with one of the eight possibilities in each category. All players then secretly note whether or not they hold the evidence card for one of the four things named by placing a verdict card inside a folder. The active player shuffles these folders to disguise who answered in which ways then reveals them. If all four items guessed were false then you cover those four guesses on the game board with Holmes' business cards; otherwise players mentally note how many of the items were correct and try to decipher which ones those might be.Players then participate in a deduction round in which each player can:If all players pass successively the round ends and the next player in clockwise order then voices a suspicion. Otherwise a player can pass then place a deduction token or attempt an accusation later in the same round.Each player has nine deduction tokens in his color three each of 0 1 and 2. To place a token you place it face-down on the clue of your choice to the right of any tokens already present; if any of those tokens are face-down you reveal those tokens. At most four tokens can be placed on a clue.To attempt an accusation you say I accuse (suspect) of having been been seen at (place) at around (time) in possession of (object) then all players submit their verdict cards the same way they normally do. If all of them are positive you've solved the case – but not necessarily won the game. All tokens on incorrect clues and all tokens belonging to players who made a false accusation are removed then players tally the numbers on their tokens scoring bonus points if they have a token on each piece of evidence or if they made a correct suspicion or accusation. The player with the most points wins.With three or five players you decrease (increase) the number of evidence cards handed out at the start of the game and the number of tokens that can be placed on a clue.

Skyline

Rating: 6.0 | Players: 1–4

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City Building Dice

City building has never been so easy: Just roll the dice then build a building. However each die must be selected carefully to fit the building requirements. Push your luck too far – or select carelessly – and a player may find himself demolishing his city instead of building it up. Choose each die wisely and build efficiently in order to erect magnificent skyscrapers and create the best skyline!Skyline is a quick push-your-luck dice game involving set collection. Unlike other dice games that provide no relationship from turn to turn and no player interaction this game allows players to literally build upon their decisions each turn and react to their opponents' actions.Each turn players choose to roll dice from either the Construction Yard or the Abandoned District with the goal of erecting urban buildings. Buildings are made up of three types of dice: Ground Floor dice Mid-Floor dice and Penthouse dice. Some buildings are safer to build but provide little reward while other buildings have poor probabilities but can have substantial impact on the success of a player's skyline.After rolling their selected dice the player must use at least one of these dice to take one of three possible actions: Abandon Build or Cancel Construction. The Build action is the desired outcome of course but can be carried out only if the die result matches what they need to build. For instance all Ground Floor dice can be built without restriction but a High-Rise Mid-Floor die result can be built only on top of a High-Rise Ground Floor die. Likewise a Mid-Rise Penthouse die can be built only on a Mid-Rise Mid-Floor die. If the rolled results do not allow them to Build then the player must Cancel Construction on one of their existing buildings. If a player does not want to Cancel Construction then they must Abandon by placing that die in the Abandoned District which gives their opponents the opportunity to capitalize on this failure.At the end of the game points are rewarded for completed buildings according to their height. A Level 3 building – that is a building comprised of three dice – is worth 9 points while a Level 4 building is worth 16 and so on.Remember the dice control the results...but the players control the dice.

BUS

Rating: 6.2 | Players: 2–3

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Transportation Travel

You’ll need absolute effiency in this quick “Pick up and Deliver” game of balancing speed and maximum capacity. Don’t get too distracted dropping off passengers because your opponents might beat you to the bus stop or change your route through road construction!In BUS each player controls a bus card and will navigate it throughout the city grid. A player's maximum speed which is the number of street spaces he may move is 5. When a player stops at a Bus Stop he may pick up a customer card which contains 2 different customers. The customer card's point value directly correlates to the speed in which a bus' movement is reduced to when carrying the customer card. Once a bus moves through a space with a customers' destination the customer on the card is considered delivered. Two street tiles may be swapped if the construction space is used and a player may hold several customer cards for maximum efficiency. The end game is triggered once a player has completed 5 customer cards and the bus driver with the most points wins!Number 8 in the Pack O Game series.

Clue

Rating: 5.9 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Bluffing Deduction Murder / Mystery

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Refresh of classic Clue/Cluedo game. Significant change: Adds a new character Dr. Orchid. Also includes two-player rules.This version of the game plays faster than older versions of Clue with the help of bigger spaces on the board special Red Cards and a new layout of the mansion so you can walk between rooms. The bedroom has an ensuite and you can wander from the kitchen straight into the dining room.All new artwork brings this classic murder mystery to life with a high level of detail.It also comes with cool red dice!Note: In this version of Clue when playing with the 2-player/Team rules: before you deal the black Clue cards to the players you take the top four black CLUE cards from the deck and place them face down in a row at the side of the board. When the other player/team cannot answer your question you get to secretly look at one of the four cards at the side of the board.You also don't use the Red Bonus cards in a 2-player/Team game.

Desperados of Dice Town

Rating: 6.1 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

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American West Dice

Desperados of Dice Town has the same setting as the Dice Town game from the same authors but this is a prequel of sorts with players now trying to free their fellow bandits from jail in order to do any number of ill-considered deeds. We'll figure that out later though — first let's free some desperadoes!Each player has five desperadoes in jail at the start of the game each with a different symbol on them. On a turn you roll four dice up to three times putting aside any dice you want to save. If you combine a hit with a symbol on a desperado you rotate that desperado disc moving him one step closer to freedom. Each desperado requires a different number of steps to reach freedom and once free when you hit that same desperado he now robs money from the other players.Certain dice combinations allow you to draw multiple bonus cards and choose one or two that you like and if you skunk out and don't do anything else you take the top card as compensation. The cards let you take special bonus actions like not paying opponents and using symbols in different ways.Win by freeing all of your desperadoes before anyone else or by being the last one in the game.

Fairy Trails

Rating: 6.1 | Players: 1–2

Game Type:

Fantasy Puzzle Territory Building

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Life isn't easy in the enchanted forest. Elves and gnomes each have their own network of hidden paths. They don't want to be disturbed and will move into their houses only once they're protected from outsiders. Will you find your way or be lost in the forest?In Fairy Trails players play cards that expand the road network. Once a road is completed that player may place a stone on each of their houses that are bordering that road. The player who places all their houses first wins.—description from the publisher

Tutankhamun

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Abstract Strategy Ancient

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The Great King Tutankhamun has passed and arrangements are being made to fill his Tomb with Artifacts that will travel with him to the afterlife.Prepare to collect your offerings and cleanse your spirit as you take on the role of priests and priestesses traveling down the Nile River to gather Artifacts for the great King’s tomb. Along the way enchanted idols from the mighty Egyptian Gods may assist you in your journey.Your primary goal will be to locate parts of Artifact sets. When these sets are completed they are placed inside King Tut’s tomb to help the preparations for his burial. The priests who collected the most parts of the set will cleanse a portion of their spirit as their reward.If you are the first player to completely cleanse your spirit (indicated by reducing your points to zero) you will so impress the new Pharaoh that he appoints you to be the next High Priest of Egypt. Will you meet the challenge and earn the new Pharaoh’s favor to become the most powerful priest in the land?Tutankhamun features familiar gameplay from the earlier versions while adding new Egyptian god powers and implementing a modified scoring system with new Scarab Rings and a new two-player scoring change.

Bring Out Yer Dead

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–5

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Horror Renaissance

Bring Out Yer Dead is a morbid game of grave family plots.As the head of your family you must get the dying members of your family into the best plots in the city's newest cemetery. Each day the Grave Keeper brings the cart around the city and you must vie to get your family members in the cart before other families do. But be careful! The Grave Keeper is a lazy guy and any coffins he can't fit in the cart are tossed aside in the river; he'll never bother to bury them at all!Get your recently departed family members buried in the best plots in the cemetery to gain influence in the city. You may even have to resort to some early morning grave swapping — or you could just rob the graves of all the jewelry you can dig up...it isn't like they're going to need it anyway! Influence is everything! The player with the most influence at the end of the game wins.

Exploding Minions

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Animals Card Game Comic Book / Strip Humor Movies / TV / Radio theme

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Introducing: Exploding Minions! Play the all new Minions themed version of your favorite explosive card game featuring new card types and magical bananas.Exploding Minions is a Minions-powered version of Russian Roulette. Players take turns drawing cards until someone draws an Exploding Minion and loses the game. The deck is made up of cards that let you avoid exploding by peeking at cards before you draw forcing your opponent to draw multiple cards or shuffling the deck.The game gets more and more intense with each card you draw because fewer cards left in the deck means a greater chance of drawing the Exploding Minion.The Minions bring a new game-changing card with them that allows players to Clone cards.

HomeStretch

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–6

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Animals Racing Sports

Game description from the publisher:Buy your own stable of horses and race them at various courses. Bet on horses to win place or show and collect big race purses when your horse wins!More than twenty unique track cards are included in HomeStretch so every game will be different. Luck and skill in picking the winning horses can bring you riches. HomeStretch is a fast-paced family game that will have you shouting for your horse to make it across the finish line!

Neptun

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 3–5

Game Type:

Ancient Mythology Nautical

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Take the role of a Roman merchant in Neptun delivering goods to cities and temples. Earn the most favor from the temples and win the game!The game is played over three game rounds each consisting of three phases. Navigate the sea and coast to deliver on contracts you have acquired. But there is a catch. You get to determine the order of your contracts but they must be filled in that order. So as you are acquiring and placing contracts you must take into account where you are traveling.Phase 1 Acquire ContractsWhen you fulfill a contract (in phase 2: Fulfill Contracts) you receive either favor at the temple or gold which can be used to buy favor but also may be used to extend your ship's range. Thus gold can help you bridge that key leg of the journey so that you can deliver that contract in a timely fashion and be well positioned for the next part of your journey.Phase 2 Fulfill ContractsBy laying out your contracts efficiently and navigating the sea and coastline effectively you will earn the most favor (in phase 3: Scoring) from the temples and win the game.Phase 3 Scoring

DOG Royal

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–6

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Racing

Dog Royal plays like its predecessor DOG in that the object of the game is for a player (or team) to move his (their) tokens from home to the target area as quickly as possible. Tokens are moved in a clockwise direction along the track on the game board according to the value on the cards played. The first player or team to move all of its tokens to the target area first wins.What distinguishes Dog Royal from Dog are two twists: First Dog Royal includes a number of special cards not present in the previous game. You can move 1-7 spaces switch the location of two tokens draw one token to another like a magnet equal the value of the card previously played and more.Second each of the four tokens controlled by a player bears a symbol – king knight citizen jester – and each such token has a special power. The king for example cannot move more than seven spaces on a turn so all cards with a higher value cannot be used to move the king but the king cannot be bumped off the track by any token other than another king. (Players can choose to keep the symbols face-down and treat all tokens the same if desired.)

Vikings on Board

Rating: 6.2 | Players: 2–4

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Nautical

Vikings on Board is a family-strategy/worker-placement game in which your objective is to set sail with your clan of Vikings on board the ships best supplied for a successful voyage while simultaneously placing bets on which clan you think will control each ship as they set sail.Ships are divided into three sections: the front (bow) the middle (body) and the end (stern). During the course of the game you will place supplies on the ships’ bows while moving around their body pieces so that your clan has majority control of a ship when it sets sail. Stern pieces are used to show which ships have already set sail.Each turn the active player will perform one of the remaining available actions. Actions include: taking first pick of actions next round rearranging ships' pieces (x4) placing bets on ships (x2) adding supplies to a ship (x2) increasing the value of supplies in the market or setting sail.When a ship sets sail players will share its supplies in order of how many times their clan's shield appears on the body pieces of that ship. Starting with the player with the most shields players will claim a supply token of their choice from the bow of the ship and place it facedown on their scoring circle. These supply tokens will score points based on their value in the market at the end of the game. Additionally if a player placed a bet on the clan that had majority control of the ship then they take their winning bet and place it facedown on their scoring circle.The game ends after seven ships have set sail. Players calculate their final scores by adding together the value of their supply tokens with the value of their winning bets. The player with the most points wins.

Dominant Species: The Card Game

Rating: 6.0 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

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Card Game Prehistoric

15,000 B.C. – a great ice age is ending. Another titanic struggle for global supremacy has unwittingly commenced between the animal species.Dominant Species: The Card Game is a fast-playing game that abstractly recreates a tiny portion of ancient history: the ponderous rescinding of an ice age and what that entails for the living creatures trying to adapt to the slowly-changing earth.Players will use six major animal classes – mammal reptile bird amphibian arachnid or insect – to further their goals in various terrain. Through wily card play players will strive to become dominant at as many different terrestrial and sea biomes as possible in order to claim valuable victory points: It is survival of the fittest.All of this leads to the end game – the final descent of the ice age – where the player who has accumulated the most victory points wins the game.But somebody better become dominant quickly because it's getting mighty warm...Dominant Species: The Card Game consists of ten rounds of competition each round occurring on ten of the twelve different Biome cards. The player who starts a competition must choose to either play one Action card or pass.Play proceeds clockwise around the table in like fashion until every player has passed consecutively or when any one player has passed with an empty hand. At that point Element cards and the current Biome card are scored with victorious players recording their gains on the Victory Point Track. If the competition is at a Tundra one or more dominant players will advance one space on the Survival Track.The current Biome card as well as all played Action cards are then discarded and a new Biome card brought into play. Finally each player draws (and perhaps discards) new Action cards based on his position on the Survival Track and a new competition round begins. Play proceeds from Biome to Biome in like fashion until the game ends and a winner is determined.

Five Cucumbers

Rating: 5.9 | Players: 2–6

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Five Cucumbers is a trick-taking game with the goal of NOT winning the last trick!It's not easy. You have two choices on your turn: Take over a trick by playing a equal or higher card or you must play your lowest card. It is not enough to keep a low card in your hand for the last trick as you will also need some high cards for taking over key tricks.The player who wins the final (seventh) trick screwed up and must take cucumbers. Each player collects their cucumbers at the end of a round and if a player has more than five cucumbers he is out of the game; five cucumbers is the most you can have! In this way more and more players are excluded from the game until the final two are playing for victory!Five Cucumbers is a modern variant of the trick-taking game Cucumber (Agurk Gurka) which is well-known primarily in Scandinavia. We are excited to bring you our new version!

Dingo's Dreams

Rating: 6.0 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

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Animals Fantasy Puzzle

Dingo and his friends have gotten lost on Walkabout! Visit their dreams to lead them home!Dingo's Dreams is a delightful and clever family game for 2-4 players. Each player competes to be the first to successfully guide his animal through the dream world.Each player starts with a grid of 25 tiles set up at random in a 5x5 dreamscape. Each player also starts with one extra tile with a picture of their animal on it. The opposite side of all dreamscape tiles also has a picture of the animal. Each turn a random card is drawn telling players which tile they should flip. When a player flips a tile it means their animal is traveling through a part of the dreamscape. Each player's goal is to guide their animal through the dreamscape by positioning him in a specified pattern (which is different each game). After a card is drawn a player takes their extra animal and slides him into the dreamscape shifting one row or column of tiles until a new different tile emerges from the opposite side. The player will use this tile to shift another column or row on the next turn and so on until one player's dreamscape tiles match the goal. The player then shouts their animal's name-- Dingo! for example to win the round.Advanced rules add Hazard Tokens which increase the challenge substantially: to complete the required dream pattern the player may not have his animal in any of the Hazard spaces marked on the dream card.

Kim-Joy's Magic Bakery

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–5

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Your favorite British Baker Kim-Joy has moved to a magical forest and opened up a small bakery. Now she needs your help to keep customers happy. From sly foxes to needy cats gossipy ducks to clumsy dinosaurs you’re about to have your hands full keeping this bakery running smoothly!Kim-Joy’s Magic Bakery is a light cooperative card game for 2 to 5 players that tells an adorable story over 10 unique scenarios. No baking experience required!The game takes place over a series of 10 scenarios that get progressively tougher. Each scenario adds a new challenge to the game that will force you to adapt and change your strategies. Every time you play you can work your way through the Scenarios to experience the story or you can play in freeplay mode to mix and match scenarios for the ultimate co-op baking challenge!—description from the publisher

Kami-sama

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Mythology Territory Building

Categories:

A gentle breeze… The soothing sounds of a flowing river... The glow of the moon... A bountiful harvest… Fear... Rage… and even death. Each of these forces affect the world around us and are in fact personified by a spirit. These Kami work together to form the natural order of things but each aspires for influence over those that worship them.Kami-sama is a beautiful and intuitive strategy game set in rural Japan during the Edo period. You assume the role of one of the many Kami the spirits of the land. Using a combination of asymmetrical powers area control set collection pattern building and light card drafting you will work to balance your Favor with the people and your connection to Nature in order to be crowned Kami-sama the chief deity of the land.Key Points - Beautiful and intense area control game with set collection and light card drafting. - Asymmetric Kami abilities allow you to play with a different strategy and tactics every game! - Unique rotating board and elegant gameplay.

New Haven

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–4

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In New Haven set in colonial New England players must develop the riches of the land and build a thriving settlement. Players place tiles strategically to a shared game board to cut timber quarry stone plant fields of wheat and fill pastures with fat sheep. Players then use these resources to erect buildings on their own village boards attempting to complete rows and columns for population points. Whoever can build the biggest and most prosperous town will end up with the biggest population and win the game!New Haven is a tile-laying game with a drafting component. The center board is the land between the player villages from which resources will be gathered. Players select from their two hidden tiles and play on this board to generate available value in some of the four resources. Once per game each player can get a shipment which delivers a large value of one specific resource type.This value is then used by the player to play building tokens on his personal village board. However he can play only building tokens already owned behind his player screen with restrictions on how buildings must be arranged. He can elect to play a token face down for more flexibility but this means a lower score if he successfully completes that row or column of buildings.Once a player is done building any value he hasn't used is available for his opponents to use to build! Thus the goal when placing resource tiles is to generate just enough for what is needed not the most that can possibly be created. Finally the player drafts new building tokens for use on future turns; plan your creation and consumption of resources to perfectly match your needs and you'll be rewarded with additional tokens.The base game lasts ten turns and the player who attracts the most colonists to his village by completing roads and avenues of buildings wins the game.New Haven plays well with 2 3 or 4 players lasting about 15 minutes per player with a bit more time needed for learning games. The game includes a side B game board with some twists as well as rule variants that can make the gameplay either more forgiving or more strategic.

Broom Service: The Card Game

Rating: 6.1 | Players: 3–6

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Broom Service: The Card Game focuses on the brave/cowardly mechanism used in the Broom Service board game (and before that Witches' Brew).Additional CommentThis game is #2 in the Alea very small box series. It includes an expansion for the Alea big box series game Broom Service.

Medici: The Dice Game

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 1–4

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Dice Renaissance

Medici: The Dice Game is a new design by Reiner Knizia that shares the setting and feel of his classic Medici board game but using dice!Fast to learn and simple to play Medici: The Dice Game is a dice-selecting roll-and-write game. Over the course of three rounds 2-4 players will fill their ships with the goods presented at the wharf. They will earn money for having the most valued loads as well as for collecting majorities of the different goods.—description from the publisher

Full Throttle!

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–6

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Card Game Humor Racing Sports

The wild moped riders are ready to race with their souped-up mopeds! Knowing that neither your courage nor your health insurance lets you take part in such a dangerous race you and your friends instead choose the safe way to enjoy these races and start betting on the mopeds.While the six mopeds race three times around the racetrack trying to avoid getting stuck behind other mopeds or at the choke points you assess the situation round by round and bet on your favorite mopeds. Who will finally win place or show?In Full Throttle! no one controls the mopeds with them racing around the track in a self-controlled manner. Each round reveal racing cards and move the mopeds around the track. Then draft the racing cards to be used as your hidden bets. The undrafted cards are reused for future movement of the mopeds. Choose your bets carefully because the cards you choose will make those mopeds go slower.After three exciting laps around the racetrack the race ends after the first three mopeds cross the finish line. Have you collected the best set of racing cards to win Full Throttle!?

ARGH

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–4

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Animals Bluffing Card Game Deduction

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Revolt! Yes my dear fellow animals revolt against the humans who exploit us! I am a lab rat who broke free and I will have my vengeance over those humans! Join me and together we shall blow up this place the symbol of our oppression! —Ratchet Leader of Animals Revolt aGainst Humans a.k.a. ARGHIn ARGH a minimalist game with bluff and deduction your mission is to find allies and the components to build a bomb. Avoid the humans and the animals that remain faithful to them. Make smart deductions and careful propositions and thanks to you ARGH will become a landmark in the history of the struggle for animal liberation.

Nouvelles ContRées

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–6

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Novel-based Party Game

What if you could explore books browse the texts of novels cross literary landscapes and their imaginations surprise yourself with a few incredible sentences.Nouvelles ContRées is a cooperative game that invites you on this dreamlike journey. You become novel explorers navigating your best through the jungle of words until you find at the heart of the novel the incredible hidden meaning of the book.At the start of the game players set up their Camp represented by a bookmark somewhere in the book. During the game they will advance the Camp to a Lost City bookmark located further away.One player plays as the pathfinder (Pagefinder): they read the first six lines of one page of any book in your library (as long as it has at least 60 pages). The other players have to guess which fully-illustrated bookmarks among 4 Dixit like bookmarks face up is the one chosen by the pathfinder. If the other players find the good bookmark all the players succeed: they travel through the jungle of words by the same path (they advance pages in the book.).At the same time each player can try to accomplish an individual mission like I guess the text contains 5 words with a X I guess it contains 3 words related to the nature ...To win players will need to successfully explore this city and gain access to the Hidden Meaning of the book.

Expressions

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 2–5

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Embark on an emotional journey with Expressions a cooperative card game for 2-5 players. Dive into the world of emotions as you decipher the hidden feelings in your friends' hands.Expressions features five emotion-themed suits of cards: anger sadness joy fear and disgust. Your mission? Maintain emotional balance by correctly guessing cards in other players’ hands. Harmony leads to victory while agony threatens your success.Choose wisely each turn – Either play a card or guess a card. Although talking about the cards in your hand is OFF LIMITS each card can be played in one of 4 orientations to convey different information about your hand. Playing cards to provide clues will increase your Agony while correctly guessing your friends’ emotions will earn you Harmony. Be careful incorrect guesses will increase your Agony even further.Can your team overcome this emotional rollercoaster and emerge victorious?—description from the publisher

Lemminge: Wer Springt Zuerst?

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–5

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Animals Card Game Racing

With a name like Lemminge you know you're going to be racing little rodents across a finish line of some sort and this design lives up to that promise. Each player controls two lemmings that must make their way across a game board of hexagonal spaces; most spaces contain grassland and can be entered no matter which card a player lays down but some spaces contain special terrain (water hills etc.) that can be entered only when the appropriate card is played.Each player starts with 2-6 cards in hand with the number dependent on the player count. On a turn a player either:Each card is one of five landscape types and numbered 0-4. If the card played is equal to or lower than the value of the top landscape card of the same type then the player adds the values of all landscape cards of this type then moves her lemming up to this many spaces crossing grassland and the depicted landscape type freely. If the card is higher than the top card of the depicted landscape type then discard all cards of this type and start a new pile. Before moving her lemming though she places a bonus landscape hex of this type on the game board — ideally stifling the future movement of her opponents while scooting her own lemming further toward the goal.If one or more lemmings are in your intended path of movement you can push them aside before moving into the space spending one point of movement for each lemming so moved. You can push your own lemming if you set them up right — even across the finish line.The first player to move both of her lemmings across the finish line wins.

A Fistful of Penguins

Rating: 6.0 | Players: 1–6

Game Type:

Animals Children's Game Dice

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A Fistful of Penguins is a quick engaging family dice game of gathering animals to add to your zoo. After three rounds the person who has made the most money displaying animals wins.To play roll the special animal dice to get a selection of animals to add to your zoo. Each animal has a unique way to earn you money: Kangaroos score by the square of their number so if you want to score them you should try to get a large group; lions are worth big bucks but if you score lions then only the lions score; camels are a decent $5 each but they score zero if any lions are present; squirrels steal money from the other players; and moose score the most but each moose must be paired with a squirrel in order to score.Penguins don't earn you money but they get you penguin tokens. A penguin token can be used to add another die to your group or to reroll as many of your dice as you wish. This makes it very valuable to start your turn with a fistful of penguins...The basic version is intended for casual family play and to teach gamers the faces of the dice. If you are rating the game for a BGG audience please play the advanced version before rating the game.

Say Anything Family Edition

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 3–6

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Humor Party Game

Say Anything Family will feature the same game play as North Star Games' 2008 release Say Anything.To summarize game play one player asks a question (e.g. Which magical power would be the coolest to have?) each other player writes an answer they think the asker will choose the asker secretly chooses an answer everyone else bets on which answer was chosen then the asker reveals his choice. If players guessed correctly then they score one point for each chip they placed on the correct answer; the player whose answer was chosen scores one point; the asker scores one point for each chip on the answer chosen up to a maximum of three. After a certain number of rounds the game ends and the player with the highest score wins.Say Anything Family will include 360 questions on topics that kids can handle as easily as adults. The game includes components for six players as opposed to eight in the first game.

Ghostel

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–4

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Ghostel is a semi-cooperative family game for 2-4 players that plays in 60 minutes.Prey on the phobias of guests by turning into their worst nightmares. Work with other ghosts to combine forces and scare away the hardiest of hotel patrons to earn upgrades and get even scarier!The randomised guest and dice roll mechanic means each round is different from the next but there’s more than luck to winning the game.Creepstone Manor has been closed for nearly a hundred years standing dark and silent above the town of Creepstone and that’s just the way resident ghost Spookie likes it! But now the manor has been reopened and turned into a hotel for the living. You play the part of one of Spookie’s ghostly minions charged with ridding the house of these warm-bodied usurpers. Use your skills of terror to send them fleeing into the night and win Spookie’s patronage. Who will be top ghost?The game of Ghostel is made of rounds and each round is split into a Day Phase and a Night Phase.During the day new people will enter the hotel whilst those who already spent the night and survived will calm down from their twilight visitations. Meanwhile the ghosts are hiding in the attic preparing for the next night by buying more Terror Dice Scare Tactics to improve their scaring and Spookie favours to give those extra little bonuses.During the night the ghosts walk the rooms using all their creepy tactics to frighten the humans away and show off for Spookie himself. At the start of the night Phase each player rolls their Terror dice to determine how scary they are for that night. Players can move one room per turn leaving behind a Terror die as they move. If the total of all dice in a room exceeds the courage of the human in residence of that room they're scared out of the hotel! Players then score based on who placed the highest scoring dice; however scoring is graduated so even a single pip die will still score the canny player some victory points.

Timeline: Polska

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–8

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Timeline: Polska is a card game played using 110 cards. Each card depicts a historical event from Polish history on both sides with the year in which that event occurred on only one side. Players take turns placing a card from their hand in a row on the table. After placing the card the player reveals the date on it. If the card was placed correctly with the date in chronological order with all other cards on the table the card stays in place; otherwise the card is removed from play and the player takes another card from the deck.The first player to get rid of all his cards by placing them correctly wins. If multiple players go out in the same round then everyone else is eliminated from play and each of those players are dealt one more card for another round of play. If only one player has no cards after a bonus round he wins; otherwise play continues until a single player goes out.

Ninja Taisen

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2

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Dice Fighting

Ninja Taisen is a two-player dice-driven open information abstract game with a random set-up. Both players have identical sets of ten fighters with three fighters in each of three colors with values 1–3 along with a tri-colored boss valued at 4; these fighters are placed in small stacks of varying size onto a line that's eleven steps long. On a player's turn he rolls the three colored dice and can make up to three moves accordingly with the blue die moving a blue fighter etc. Moving a fighter that has other fighters on top of him moves these other fighters as well.If as a result of movement his fighter (or stack of fighters) encounters an enemy a fight between the two top cards in each stack occurs the result of which is decided primarily by the color (via a rock-paper-scissors mechanism) and secondarily by the number (highest wins). If the boss wins a fight its power is reduced by the enemy's power for the remainder of the current fight; if two fighters draw they both retreat one step toward their own village possibly precipitating other fights on the same turn. The fight continues until either pile is depleted.The first player to either defeat all of the opposing fighters or reach the end of the line (and clear out the opponent's fighters in his village) wins.

Loot N Run

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Adventure Ancient Bluffing Exploration Party Game

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Ah the great pyramids! Full of treasures just waiting for you! It would be so easy without the other explorers waking up the Mummies Werewolves and Franks and sending them after you. But you are quick and clever so it shouldn't be a problem right?Loot N Run is a subtle bluffing game in which you have to know when to take risks. On your turn take one of these three actions:The first player to score 35 points wins!

Trollhalla

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Fantasy Humor Medieval Nautical Transportation

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Game Description You and your hideous troll-friends have decided that it’s time for a career change. You are tired of guarding bridges and shaking down weary travelers all for the sake of a few clinking coins! Tolls are down bandits are up and besides living under your bridge is damp and uncomfortable-—and breathing all that crumbling bridge mortar is taking a toll on your lungs...It’s time to venture forth and find some fresh sea air! In Trollhalla you join forces with your fellow trolls to sail the seas in search of islands filled with pillage and plunder. Crunchy livestock nervous monks panicked princesses piles of gold and casks of grog await you! But watch out for Billy Goats--if you’re not careful they will knock parts of your precious stolen cargo out of your boat!With so many goodies lying about on these islands it feels like you’ve died and gone to troll heaven or perhaps someplace even better -- Trollhalla!Object Players take turns placing trolls on the board. Trolls emerge from below each ship’s deck ready to plunder and scout the seas of Trollhalla! Trolls placed on ships claim plunder from nearby islands when a ship sails. Trolls placed in the sea will scout for destinations and determine where these ships sail and also award players cards that perform special actions. The player who uses his trolls to fill his private boat with the most valuable collection of plunder wins the game!

Gasha

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–6

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You put a coin in the machine and crank the handle but you can't predict which Gasha you will get! These Gashas will be used to collect set rewards for points and sometimes bonus tokens. You win by obtaining the most points!On your turn in Gasha you either draw two Gasha cards or trade Gasha cards for a set reward card which counts as points while also being half of a ticket. As soon as you have two ticket halves you draw a bonus token. When the last bonus token has been taken or when the set reward pile is empty the game ends and whoever has the most collection bonus and Gasha points wins.

Titan Race

Rating: 6.1 | Players: 2–6

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Dice Fantasy Racing

In Titan Race each player is a rider astride a titan racing on one of the many wild circuits of Neverworld. It's a short brutal three laps as you jockey for position ram your opponents and leverage bonuses and your titan's abilities to race across the finish line!The game board is an infinite circuit that wraps around at opposite sides. Each circuit has specific features that allow for interesting tactical maneuvers. Movement is governed by drafting dice from a pool rolled at the beginning of each round. If you choose a die that matches the color of your titan you regain a life point.When you ram into another titan by moving into the same space you push that titan and deal them damage. There are also ways to lay traps on the circuit that will damage titans who encounter them. If you get KO'd due to taking too much damage you'll spend a turn resetting right where you were knocked out but you're not out of the race.Each titan has a special ability that can be activated once each round. Moving into certain bonus spaces on the circuit also grant players bonus cards that can be played for additional effects.

GAP

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–6

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You play several rounds. In each round you play cards in front of you in order to secure suitable cards from the middle and place them in front of you. The number of your most collected color cards minus the least collected color cards is your score at the end of a round. You collect points over several rounds until someone has exceeded the total target number of points. This ends the game. Whoever has the most points at the end wins.

Wizards Wanted

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–4

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Economic Fantasy

Enter the magical workforce as a nomadic wizard wandering the fields and valleys to complete spell jobs. What is the ultimate goal? The greatest reward of all: fame.As one of these enterprising wizards in Wizards Wanted you must gather magical experience and coins for your work. Resourcefulness is essential as you pick up helpful mushrooms buy magical dust from tricky pixies and navigate the twisted paths and teleportation stones. But don't meander too much. You need to be in good standing with the Royal Palace and earn your Spell License by the end of the game so get to work!

Tahiti

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Exploration Mythology Nautical Transportation

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Your small island is peaceful and prosperous – so prosperous that your tribe has grown beyond its ability to sustain you! Fortunately being a peaceful people you have chosen not to fight over what little there is. Instead you set out in your seagoing Wa’a (canoe) to fish and gather crops from the many nearby islands. The fertility goddess Haumea has blessed these islands and they are rich with fruits vegetables and spices. It is a matter of pride to collect the finest harvest for the village. Can you win the race against time and the sea and prove that you are the best gatherer of all?In Tahiti the goal is to collect crops (coconuts taro bananas spice) and fish from the surrounding islands to score points with bonuses for making full sets and acquiring the most of their family favorites which are hidden from the other players.During all this the players travel by Wa’a from island to island using action points to collect the crops they want or can get to before the others take them. As the Wa’a fills it becomes slower limiting the number of actions they have. There are also treacherous reefs around the islands that require you go around them or risk losing some of the crops aboard your Wa’a. At the end of the year the one who most efficiently gathers food for their family wins.

Lucky's Misadventures: Episode 42 – Lost in Oddtopia

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–4

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Adventure Card Game

Lucky's Misadventures Episode 42: Lost in OddtopiaYou and your dog Lucky should not have taken that shortcut through the woods that night. How were you to know that you would be taken through a portal to Oddtopia — a surreal world of Tinkerers Wickeds and Oddlings? The Great Mechanical Toad reveals the fates to all.What is your fate? Will you and Lucky find a way home or will you stay build your power and become the Witchard of Oddtopia?

Tsuro: Phoenix Rising

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–8

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Long ago a vengeful god stole the stars from the night sky. To illuminate the night hopeful people sent glowing paper lanterns floating toward the heavens. Out of nowhere clever magical phoenixes appeared soaring through the sky. As they flew from lantern to lantern their enchanted touch changed the lanterns into new stars! The phoenix who can create a constellation of seven new stars will be the champion of a world looking for light!Tsuro: Phoenix Rising is a new entry in the classic Tsuro series. The game shares a bond with the foundations of the venerable original: play tiles move pawns and stay in play but it introduces a revolutionary board that allows for the double-sided tiles to flip and rotate throughout the game creating diverging paths and opening up new strategies.Featuring gorgeous phoenix miniatures beautiful lantern tokens and unique gameplay elements such as life tokens that allow your phoenix to be reborn from the ashes once per game Tsuro: Phoenix Rising is a new chapter in the legacy of Tsuro!

Plato 3000

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–4

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Card Game Civilization

In Plato 3000 a revised and improved version of the print-and-play game Utopian Rummy players have the opportunity to rebuild the world into a new utopia. Players take turns playing sets of Job cards shaping the new world and giving them powers to break the rules of the game. Other players can join in – adding their matching Job cards – to gain the power for their side and lay more cards of their own.

Penny Papers Adventures: The Temple of Apikhabou

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 1–99

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Penny Papers Adventures is a series of small strategy games in which all of the players use the same result of three dice to explore a location more thoroughly than their opponents by writing numbers in their grid in an optimal way to make the most victory points out of it. Challenge your ability to manage space and wisely use the special effects of the dice. Oh and don't miss an opportunity to mess up your opponents' grids when dangers appear! The number of players is unlimited as everyone plays at the same time!In The Temple of Apikhabou you must make your way through the temple to discover its treasures and secret passages...while avoiding wandering mummies.

Dwar7s Winter

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Adventure Fantasy Miniatures

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You built and defended your kingdom and now that winter is here you need to battle the harsh elements and chillingly scary monsters.Dwar7s Winter is a hand-building resource management game with tower defense elements in the gameplay. Each player wants to achieve more victory points but the only way to survive the winter is to work together.While Dwar7s Winter is a sequel to Dwar7s Fall it is an independent standalone game that includes 64 highly-detailed miniatures.

BITS

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 1–4

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Puzzle

In Reiner Knizia's BITS – a successor to his own FITS – all players are active at the same time and have their own board on which they will place multicolored tiles each turn. The game last three rounds with players scoring points at the end of each round.At the start of each round players reveal a communal task card which is added to any other task cards in play. If a player creates the shapes depicted or create colored groups of the appropriate size she'll gain or lose points as shown on the task card(s). Each player then randomly determines a different starting tile for the round and places it on her board. Then the building cards are revealed one at a time and all players take the tile shown and add it to their board by placing it in the top row of their row then letting it slide down into place among the other tiles. This continues until all tiles have been placed.Players then score (or lose) points for the round and the player with the highest score after three rounds wins! Players can complete an optional fourth round if desired and the rules also contain scoring targets for solitaire play.

Fire!

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 1–2

Game Type:

Card Game Fighting Video Game Theme

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The Aliens attack and only you can defend Earth. Charge your Weapons and destroy all Aliens before you lose too much energy! Level by level danger raises ... are you ready to accept the challenges and win all 9 Levels?In Fire! you can play either in Solo Mode playing all 9 Levels on your own or in Team Mode fighting cooperatively with a friend against all Aliens!Fire! uses the Fable Game™ system introduced in Fabled Fruit. With the presorted deck of cards and a rules booklet separated in 9 sections you will discover all 9 challenging Levels step by step. You can reset the game at any time and play it again!

Kharnage

Rating: 6.2 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Card Game Fantasy Fighting Medieval

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Kharnage is a fast and fun fighting game in a med-fan world in which you are the warchief of the mighty humans the strong (and alcoholic) dwarves the amazing horde of goblins or the ferocious orcs (and their giant!). Your goal in Kharnage is to take control of something strategically essential astoundingly beautiful and envy of all other nations: a hill. Yes just a hill. Admittedly it is a nice hill. It may have a very commanding view of the surroundings or it may not. You won't know until you get up there! To do so you're going to have to drive off the armies of the other players by simply causing as much mayhem and bloodshed as possible.Each turn you choose one battle card. The player with the lowest initiative value begins and:The next player then begins their turn doing the same. After all players have taken their turn the player who destroyed the largest number of units wins 5 domination points the second 3 domination points and the third 1 domination point. The last one has only their eyes for crying.Each time a player totally destroys an opponent army they must yell KHARNAGE! loud and clear and stomp the table. They then take a Kharnage token worth 1 domination point. The other players must cheer them on by yelling YEAH!; if not they lose a Kharnage token if they have one.After four rounds the warchief with the most domination points wins!

Family Inc.

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–7

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Mafia

Once a year all family members of the notorious Azzardo family meet in the warehouse of the Tutti Frutti seafood restaurant to divide up the stolen goods according to an old family tradition. Everyone can try their luck but only one will leave the meeting with a full suitcase. Who will prove to be the most skillful player in the hot-blooded game of gamblers skillfully challenging luck and risk?At the start of each round in Family Inc. if you have face-up chips in front of you you score them advancing your counter on the score board then removing those chips from the game. Next you reveal one new chip after another from the middle of the table placing them face up in front of you.After each new chip you decide whether to reveal more chips or whether to end your turn. If you reveal a new chip during your turn that matches one of your face-up chips your turn ends collecting only a diamond in compensation if your turn ended after your second or third chip reveal. (If you collect a third diamond return all your diamonds and score 50 points.) When you end your turn voluntarily collect all face-up chips from in front of other players that match the values of your chips.When a player reaches the 100 space on the score track the game ends and this player wins.

23

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–4

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1 to 23—these are the cards that will be played in ascending order over the course of the game but doing so is trickier than you might expect as there are limitations in doing so—not to mention opponents who will love to thwart you. In 23 whoever makes too big a jump from one number to the next must take penalty chips and whoever collects the fewest chips after two passes through the deck wins the game.23 is played with a deck of cards numbered 1 to 23 with one 1 card two 2 cards and three each of the cards 3–23.The game is played in two rounds. At the start of the first round each player receives three bonus chips. At the start of each round each player is dealt a number of cards. He then discards three cards face down back to the box. The player that has the 1 begins the round by playing it. After that each player has to play cards in ascending order.On his turn a player can play one or more cards with the same value. If these cards have a value that is equal to or one higher than the last card this is allowed without any penalties. If the cards are more than one higher than the last card the player receives one penalty chip for each point of difference. If a player pays a bonus chip he may play cards that have a value up to five lower or higher than the last card. A player who plays his last card may discard three penalty chips.Instead of playing cards a player can also pass. If he does he receives one penalty chip. Alternatively he can pass and force the next player to play cards. In that case he gains two penalty chips.If a player does not want to play any more cards he can leave the round. In that case he receives one penalty chip for each card he has in hand.After the second round each player may discard two penalty chips for each bonus chip he has remaining. The player who has the fewest penalty chips wins.

Rail Pass

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Action / Dexterity Party Game Puzzle Real-time Trains

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In Rail Pass 2-6 players work together to deliver as many goods as possible in ten minutes with goods being represented by cubes and with the color of the cubes indicating their destination city.During set-up and before the clock starts players scramble the goods and arrange them in a row across the top of the city boards. The player controlling that city can see all the cubes that must be delivered but can pull goods only from the right or left end of the row when loading them on the trains.Once the clock starts all players take their actions simultaneously in any order and repeating any action as often as necessary. To transport cargo a cube must first be loaded onto a short or long train piece that is at rest in the player's home city train yard. No train can move without a crew peg and no crew peg may travel beyond the adjacent city. In order to transport cargo to more distant cities a train needs to stop and have the crew peg swapped or cargo exchanged between trains. While all this is going on players must avoid dropping or spilling cubes when picking up or handing the train to another player. Additional terrain components such as tunnels and bridges can be placed between cities and act as additional obstacles to negotiate. When time runs out calculate the score by multiplying the TWO LOWEST counts of cubes delivered to a city. Points are subtracted for dropped cubes or cubes delivered to the wrong city and also for crew pegs that traveled beyond their adjacent cities.With six players each takes one of the six main cities each producing goods which are delivered to the other five locations. In some scenarios with fewer players each player may control multiple cities.

Inflation!

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 3–4

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Zimbabweee Trick also known as ジンバブエトリック is a trick-taking game that aims to simulate currency hyperinflation and uses a deck of cards consisting of one 1 two 2s three 3s etc. up to ten 10s.Players must follow the rank of the card played by the start player if possible and cards are not removed after the trick is over. Rather the next card a player plays will be set on top of the previously played cards. That is if a player first plays a 2 then a 9 and then a 5 in this game the player has played a 2 to the first trick 92 to the second and 592 to the third.At the end of the game the player who has taken the most tricks will lose for having devalued their currency too much. Otherwise points are earned for winning tricks and for matching the number of tricks bid by a player at the start of a hand.

Nyctophobia

Rating: 6.1 | Players: 3–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Horror

Welcome to the experiential table top game that is going to redefine what it means to play a game. Nyctophobia which means fear of the dark is a cooperative game of survival in which up to four players must work together to escape a maniacal predator chasing them in a pitch-black forest. But there's a wrinkle: Would-be survivors play the game with blackout glasses. Players cannot see the board and have to rely on touch to navigate their way to safety. So are you afraid of the dark?In more detail Nyctophobia is a cooperative tactile maze game for 3 to 5 players. All but one of the players play the game completely unable to see the board. The blinded players make up the Hunted team. They are tasked with finding the car space on the board and surviving until the police arrive to rescue them. The sighted player is the Hunter who is tasked with chasing down the Hunted and reducing one of the Hunted to zero health before the police arrive.Nyctophobia includes two versions of the Hunter that you can use: the axe murderer and the mage. The axe murderer is stalking you and your friends in the forest plodding forward without care or thought chopping down the trees that separate you to get to you all the quicker; this is the most basic and carnal of all of the experiences you can encounter in Nyctophobia. The mage by contrast is a trickster. It's not enough for the mage to hunt her victims. Messing with their mind manipulating the forest around them and leaving the blind opponents more lost than when she found them is her aim. The mage can rotate the map move trees around the forest and generally confuse the players.

Fold-it

Rating: 6.2 | Players: 1–5

Game Type:

Action / Dexterity Puzzle Real-time

Categories:

The race is on to find out who’s the best chef in town and only the cook with the fastest hands and the cleverest plan will win!Your goal in Fold-it! is to cook recipes the fastest based on the order cards. When an order card is revealed everyone starts cooking at the same time. In order to cook the order each player takes their individual recipe cloth and folds it so that it shows only the items displayed on the order card. The round ends once all players have finished their order and if you made the order incorrectly or were the last to finish you have to give up a star token. If you lose all three of your stars you're out of the game.Once only one player is left with a star token they’ve won the game!

Mutant Crops

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Economic Environmental Farming

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In a near future agrotoxics and contamination created some strange mutant plants... who are really scary! But hey profit is profit so you have to be the best farmer and make them grow.You have 12 actions in the table (half face down half face up) that allows you to gather resources (tokens) get plants and nurture them. Each turn you have 2/3 actions and what you use and what you block stop your friends to do the same. You need to take care of your resources and you don't know exactly what action is available next so your plans can be hard to reach. You have to get your crops well nurtured to score and they do crazy stuff together so keep and eye in other players crops to be sure you have the best mutants to score points and win the game.Mutant Crops is a fast and light resource manager a perfect introductory game to euros mechanics who plays in half an hour.

Évora

Rating: 7.7 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

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The Roman temple of Évora was probably built in honor of Emperor Augustus. It was built in the 1st century AD in the main square (forum) of Évora - then called Liberalitas Julia.In this game players will play the role of builders of the Roman Empire and the action takes place in Évora in the 1st century AD. The objective: Build the 14 columns that still exist today on the site.Players move their workers around the rondel to define the action they intend to perform: Build (stones and capitals) improve the columns already built (points multiplier) and request the influence of important characters (cards).The player who obtains the most prestige points based on the stones placed in each column and also on bonuses wins the game.—description from publisherNeste jogo os jogadores desempenharão o papel de construtores do Império Romano e a ação ocorre em Évora no século I d.C. O objectivo: Construir as 14 colunas que ainda existem nos dias de hoje no local. Este jogo tem a sua mecânica principal baseada num rondel e os jogadores movimentam os seus trabalhadores para definirem a ação que pretendem executar: Construir (pedras e capiteis) aperfeiçoar as colunas já construídas (multiplicador de pontos) e solicitar a influência de personagens importantes (cartas). Estas personagens são: O Imperador que valorizará as construções no final do jogo. O governador que inspecionará as construções e durante o jogo compensará o jogador. O centurião que mantêm a ordem no estaleiro e oferecerá maior mobilidade ao jogador. O arquiteto que ajuda no processo de construção tornando-o muito mais eficaz e rentável.Vence o jogador que obtiver mais pontos de prestigio baseado nas pedras colocadas em cada coluna e também nalgumas bonificações.

RattleBattleGrab the Loot

Rating: 6.0 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Dice Humor Nautical Pirates

Take to the high seas as the captain of your very own pirate ship. Seek out valuable merchant ships and raid them for their goods! Hire new crew upgrade your ship and give your treasure to the Pirate King for fame and glory!Rattle Battle Grab the Loot takes the fun of rolling dice and combines it with a rich scenario deck to make each game play differently. Each round the players battle it out with merchant vessels and other ships trying to grab as much loot as possible. One player takes dice from all the players rattles them in their hand then tosses them into the game box to resolve the battle. Where your dice land in the box in addition to the symbols rolled determines the results of the battle then players claim their loot. Players may now return to port to upgrade their ship hire new crew or give their goods to the Pirate King for his favor.When upgrading their ship players use physical pieces to assemble their vessel making each ship look different. In the box are dozens of punchboard pieces to customize your ship. In addition to common items and crew members there will be unique item upgrades and crew that can make your ship stand out among the crowd!At the end of the game the player who earned the most favor from the Pirate King wins! *Note: Per the publisher unfortunately there's a misprint in the components list in the rulebook:The correct numbers of Loot tokens in the box are: 10 Spices 18 Rum 18 Fabrics 10 ValuablesAlso the correct number of Special Loot cards from the mini-expansion is 5 (not 8).

Woodlands

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

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Puzzle Real-time

Woodlands transports you to the wonderful world of legends and fairy tales with four different stories of increasing difficulty. Each story consists of several chapters with each chapter showing a plastic overlay that features various collectibles obstacles and that chapter's goal. Each player then builds their own network of pathways on their personal playing board to beat the chapter and score as many points as possible. Once players are satisfied with what they've built the overlay is placed on top of each player's pathways to check which goals they've met.Two additional overlays may be used to increase the difficulty of any chapter — and to increase the difficulty further players may use the back side of their path tiles for a greater challenge.

Händler der Karibik

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Card Game Nautical Pirates

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The merchant players in Händler der Karibik which won the Austrian Game Designers Competition are trying to earn as much as they can out of the Caribbean Sea but if they set their goals too high they might take home nothing for the day.The 110-card deck depicts a coin on the back of each card — with players earning and paying coins throughout the game — and different items on the card fronts. On a turn a player can first draw as many cards as he likes one at a time from the deck placing them in the harbor (an area near the deck). Each card shows one of the following:If the player draws a ship with the same name as a ship already in the harbor he's spent too much time dilly-dallying and his turn ends (after using the ship to attack if possible) with all the cards in the harbor being discarded. Otherwise the player can stop whenever he likes then use/acquire one card if three or fewer ships are in the harbor two cards if four ships are present and three cards if five ships are present. Players rob ships collecting the number of coins shown on them then discarding the card while they hire people paying the number of coins depicted. After the active player takes his 1-3 cards each other player may pay the active player one coin in order to take one card in the same way.When one player has at least ten influence points — which are on both people and expedition cards — and has fulfilled at least one expedition the game is played to the end of the round giving everyone the same number of turns then the player with the most influence points and at least one Expedition wins.

Zoo-ography

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Abstract Strategy Animals City Building Puzzle

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In Zoo-ography players take turns drafting building tiles to construct a zoo while drafting sets of animals as they arrive on boats into the game. Players have to balance building pens to support the animals available while also building sufficient attractions to keep guests engaged. Each zoo can earn up to 10 stars by meeting a variety of specific goals involving biodiversity attractions features and aesthetics.

Piratoons

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Nautical Pirates Real-time

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Build the biggest baddest best Pirate ship on the high seas. Plunder your way to glory and fame!In Piratoons each turns begins with a treasure of boat parts and equipment being revealed. All at the same time each Pirate rushes to allocate crew in an effort to plunder the best loot by placing their crew meeples on individual items as bids. Each piece of treasure goes to the player with the most crew invested in the item but only after removing all tied bids. Therefore Pirates need to stay alert for sneaky opportunities to cancel out an opponent's efforts or for chances to swoop in and steal a disputed treasure.The unclaimed loot is auctioned off with doubloons earned by your crew and then the ship construction begins. Pirates score points for having the most money or equipment or having the fastest best or largest ship. Sets of tiles and unfilled boat sections also add and subtract from your score. The player with the most points after eight rounds is the most notorious Pirate.A featured component of the game is the central loot chest formed by two double-sided boards with raised edges. Before each turn this treasure chest gets loaded with random face-down treasure then it's sealed flipped and revealed simultaneously to the eager Pirates by removing the board on top. The mad rush of plundering in real-time (there is a 15-second sand timer included) and the spatial puzzle to build the best ship possible are the key ingredients of the game's experience.

Samara

Rating: 6.2 | Players: 2–5

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City Building Medieval

Travel back through history to a settlement called Samara where you lead a group of builders. At the start of the game they can build only a sandcastle cave or huts. For more complex buildings you first invest time in skills strength or new workers. Building special projects gives you benefits or hurts all your rivals. In the end you want to have the most prestigious buildings.The worker timetrack is the key mechanism. Each of your choices costs a number of your workers a number of months. Your workers can spend time on:The spaces on the game board determine how many workers (1-4 on the left board axis) are occupied how many months (1-9 on the bottom board axis). Players plan to let their workers spend time effectively choosing when to invest and when to build for prestige. The prestige points determine who is the best foreman of Samara.

Qwantum

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Dice Rolling Paper-and-Pencil

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Players in Qwantum need to enter numbers in their personal grid that always go higher within a particular color — well until those totals need to go lower once again...

15 Days

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 1–4

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In 15 days you will take alternating turns until a player completes all 4 Season sets or when 1 of the 2 season stacks is empty.On each turn players choose 2 out of 4 possible actions:Take 2 Season cards from any of the two season stacks to your hand. You may choose a different season stack for each card you draw.Take 1 face-up card from either the market by drafting the topmost card of one of the 3 Market columns or the topmost card from the discard pile.Place cards in one of the four corners of your player card considering each corner can only contain a single season composed of one card of each number. Placing cards can be done by discarding other cards from your hand.Finally you can discard 2 cards from your hand that are identical to any of the season cards already played in front of you to take a wild card. Immediately place the wild card in a position of your choice where a number is missing. The wild card replaces the missing number.By having the majority of Season cards of 1 type take the corresponding wooden animal. Wooden animals give different small advantages like increasing your hand limit or getting a discount when placing cards.At the end of the game score: 1 point per card counting only the longest uninterrupted sequence of numbers in each season. 2 points for every Wooden animal you own and -2 points for every empty corner on the player card.-description from publisher The player with the most points will win the game.

Dungeons & Dragons: Adventure Begins

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Adventure Exploration Fantasy Fighting Miniatures

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The Dungeons & Dragons: Adventure Begins co-operative board game is a fast entry into the world of D&D.In the game players choose their characters then journey through the lands of Neverwinter working together to overcome fantastic obstacles battle monsters and defeat the Boss monster terrorizing the realm. The role of Dungeon Master passes from player to player with each turn so everyone gets to be part of the storytelling.—description from the publisher

Johari

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–4

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Johari is a world famous jewelry market in Jaipur so naturally in the game Johari you and your fellow players will try to buy and sell gems in order to come out tops on the market.The game lasts ten days with players taking three actions each day. At the start of each day the market is seeded with new gems gold and prestige cards with the stores holding only items of the same type and bazaar booths holding whatever comes to them. A new noble visits the market each day offering a special power to whoever wants to pay for the privilege with his price dropping each day.Each player chooses one of the seven action cards in hand then they resolve them in order of who has the most gold. They then do this twice more getting discounts now for the cost of taking certain actions. The action cards let you earn gold take all the cards from one store or bazaar booth hire a noble swap gems protect yourself for inspections in case you have fake gems copy your previously played action or (most important of all) sell gems.In addition to points from nobles and prestige cards most of your score will come from gems that you sell — but you need to sell the right gems in the right way. When selling to a jeweler you need to sell four different types of gems (or three types and gold) but you score only for one of the gem cards sold; when selling to a collector you sell gems of only one type but you have to hold the most gems of that type and you score only the difference between what you hold and what the player with the secondmost gems of this type holds. Status matters in the collector community!Whoever has the most prestige points after ten days wins.

Suspicion

Rating: 6.2 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Categories:

Bluffing Deduction

You are a jewel thief and you've been invited to the mansion of someone who doesn't know that you engage in such nefarious doings. While at that mansion you're going to try to nick as many jewels as possible but *gadzooks* the mansion turns out to be filled with jewel thieves who are all trying to do the same thing. Can you out them publicly while staying unknown yourself and bagging a nice collection of gems?In Suspicion ten characters start on the perimeter of the game board and each player is secretly one of these characters. On a turn you roll two dice then move the two characters shown (or characters of your choice if you roll a joker). After this you play one of the two action cards in your hand and carry out one of the actions on that card: stealing a type of gem in the space where your character is located moving any character asking someone else whether their character can be seen by someone on the board and so on.Gems come in three types and when one of the piles is empty the game ends. Everyone guesses who is which character then all identities are revealed. For each player you've guessed correctly you score 7 points; for each set of three different gems you score 6 points; and for each individual gem aside from the sets you score 1 point. Whoever has the most points wins!

HereKittyKitty!

Rating: 6.2 | Players: 3–6

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In the crazy cat-collecting game Here Kitty Kitty! your neighborhood has a cat problem the problem being that the cats don't all belong to YOU! Unfortunately you can't just grab them for yourself as everyone in the neighborhood wants to claim those adorable kitties. Outwit your fellow feline fiends as you lure cats onto your property move cats into your house and steal cats from your neighbors. All's fair in love and cat-collecting!In the game each player chooses a Property board which contains three zones: the Yard the Porch and the House. At the end of the game cats in the House are worth 5 points each cats on the Porch are worth 3 points each and cats in your Yard are worth 0 points. However having cats in your Yard does have advantages for special scoring conditions such as having the most cats of a single color or the most cats overall. All 40 cat miniatures are placed in the center of the table and represent the Neighborhood. Each player is dealt 2 or 3 cards depending on the number of players in the game.On each player's turn they perform two Actions: moving a cat playing a card or discarding cards. Cats can be moved 1 space for 1 Action by picking up the cat and putting it in the next zone of the property. For example a cat can be moved from the Neighborhood to the Yard for 1 Action or from the Yard to the Porch or from the Porch to the Yard (and vice versa). Playing cards may allow a player to move multiple cats at once to move cats multiple spaces to steal cats from opponents or to make opponents give up cats. A player may also choose to discard 1 2 or 3 cards as an Action. Once both Actions have been taken the player draws back up to a full hand and play passes to the person to the left. If an Instant card (red border) is drawn it is played immediately and affects the entire group. The player then draws a replacement card for the Instant card until a full hand is achieved.The final round is triggered when a player draws the last card from the draw pile. From that point every player including the player who drew the last card has one final turn to maximize their score. Then the cats are counted and a winner is lauded for their purr-procurement proficiency.

Monster Trick

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

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You won't play just one trick at a time in Stichling but up to four! This introduces many exciting choices: Serve this here? Those cards there? Do I open a new trick? With so many options you need to plan ahead carefully and find the right time to secure the most points.Can you predict the number of tricks you will win? There are other trick prediction games but none where you must watch up to 4 tricks at the same time. Make exactly the number of tricks you predict not one too many nor one too few. If you lose your concentration for even a minute your wily opponents will take your tricks away … The winner is the player who has the most victory points at the end of three rounds.

NUT

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–3

Game Type:

Abstract Strategy Animals Card Game

Categories:

Collect acorns and store them in trees in your playing area. You may count each color only once and you'll need squirrels to multiply your sets for big points. You'll go nuts for this tiny set collecting card game!

Lift Off! Get me off this Planet!

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Environmental Science Fiction

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Lift Off! Get Me Off This Planet! is a fast-paced gateway game where you use the moon and spacecraft to get your Aliens off the planet before it explodes!The game has a casual space theme and never takes itself too seriously. Lift Off! Get Me Off This Planet! is easy to learn fast-paced game where everyone feels engaged and in it until someone has won or the planet explodes!The objective of Lift Off! Get Me Off This Planet! is to be the first player to get their Aliens off the planet using resource cards action cards and phases of the moon to escape. If the planet explodes before everyone escapes the player with the most saved Aliens wins.What’s special about Lift Off! Get me off this Planet is that lift off points (space vehicles) are all different and often require multiple players to work together to take off. For example a rocket ship takes a lot of resources and can carry 6 aliens from various players. This creates a great dynamic where initially all players are working together to get say the first half of their aliens off the planet but once it starts thinning people become more competitive and tricky about things using action cards to manipulate the moon change the board create tornadoes etc.

Rolling Japan

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 1–99

Game Type:

Categories:

Dice Number Puzzle

Rolling Japan is a light multiplayer solitaire dice game. Each player has a map of Japan that's divided into the 47 prefectures which are then bunched together into six differently colored areas.On a turn a player draws two regular six-sided dice from a bag and rolls them; the bag starts with seven dice six matching the colors of the areas on the map along with a wild purple die. All players now write down each number rolled on any prefecture of the matching color i.e. if the blue die shows 4 and the yellow a 2 write a 4 in one blue prefecture and a 2 in one yellow prefecture. If the purple die is rolled you can place this number in a prefecture of your choice; additionally three times per game you can choose to use a non-purple die as any color. However neighboring prefectures — including those in different areas connected by blue lines — can't have numbers with a difference larger than 1; if you can't place a number without breaking this rule then you must place an X in a prefecture of the appropriate color. (If all the prefectures in an area are filled you can ignore the die or use one of your three color changes to place the number elsewhere.)After six dice have been rolled mark one round as being complete then return the dice to the bag and start the next round. After eight rounds the game ends and whoever has the fewest Xs on her map wins.

Cavemen: The Quest for Fire

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Card Game Prehistoric

Cavemen: The Quest for Fire is a card-drafting game in which players take the role of tribal leaders. The tribes compete for opportunities to hunt dinosaurs recruit tribesmen and discover new technologies vying to be the first with enough knowledge and prestige to invent fire and usher in the age of modern humanity!You have two resources to manage: Food and Teeth. You must spend Food each turn in order to keep your Tribe from starving. Teeth indicate prestige among the tribes. Use Teeth to bid for the conch and to acquire Cavemen and Caves.Each turn cards are drawn from the deck to fill a common Card Pool. Players take actions based on what is available in the pool. For example if a Beast is drawn into the Card Pool you can hunt it for Food and claim its Teeth as a sign of your bravery.If you hold the conch during the Action Phase you benefit by taking your Action first and taking a second Action after everyone else has gone once. Players can bid Teeth to take control of the Conch from another player. This can be important to get the first pick of the cards in the Card Pool.The game features 21 different inventions that allow players to evolve diverse strategies capitalizing on their tribe's individual strengths. There are challenging decisions every turn as players must evaluate what resources are available guess what their opponents will do and weigh the amount of risk they're willing to take.

Heldentaufe

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Adventure Exploration Fantasy Negotiation

Categories:

The day that you have been waiting for has come. At last you can prove that you are worthy of being a member of the Hero‘s council. Show them your skills by collecting the golden monster teeth. But be aware - the lands of Taora are not as peaceful as they seem. Rumor has it that in the dark and gloomy Netherworld some friends become enemies...Now get up and hurry! The Heldentaufe already started. Be the first who returns the teeth of glory.The unique experience of Heldentaufe arises due to two distinct but connected realms: The Upper world and the Netherworld. Heroes can travel back and forth to the separate worlds through so-called portals.Events and activities taking place in the Upper world are mostly serene and peaceful. You will harvest natural goods carry out missions and trade items that you find. Somewhere hidden in the Netherworld lies a bright and shiny treasure. But what underworld would be complete without monsters and traps?Players will change perspective frequently since they not only have to tell their hero which move to make next but also command the monsters in the Netherworld as soon as an opponent enters the dark realm. In a game with three or four players forging an alliance to increase a player's odds in combat against monsters can be a smart choice. However players should choose their swordmates wisely - once unearthed the treasures of the Netherworld might lead even their most trusted allies to suddenly turn against them...Due to the two distinctly different worlds both aggressive warmongers and pacifistic characters will embrace the gameplay of Heldentaufe.Heldentaufe is easy to learn and lets you experience all the key elements of a true adventure role-playing game (discovering treasures collecting items completing missions and battling monsters).A game for tactical players who can count on their luck in critical situations.

Sausage Sizzle!

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Animals Dice

What's that delicious smell?!?!The humans are having a Sausage Sizzle and it’s drawing a crowd of hungry Aussie critters! One by one a Quokka Crocodile Platypus Echidna Snake and Kangaroo will try to sneak food away from the barbie. Making off with any food is good but those sausages sure look the tastiest!The game is played over six rounds with players taking turns in clockwise order. On your turn your goal is to roll and re-roll dice to get many of the same Critter together with high values on the Food dice.You can choose any Critter you wish for scoring but beware! You can only score one Critter each round and each Critter can only be scored ONCE during the entire game.But what about the Sausages?!?Normally a Sausage on the Food dice counts as a 1 but if you manage to lock in all four of your Food dice showing Sausages the value of a Sausage jumps up to 7 that round!What is a Sausage Sizzle?A traditional Aussie Sausage Sizzle consists of a beef sausage (a “snag”) in a slice of white bread with grilled onions and sauce usually tomato or BBQ. It has become an icon of Aussie outdoor living and a mainstay at community events.—description from the publisher

Quilt Show

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Open Drafting Pattern Building Set Collection Tile Placement

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Award-winning quilt makers devote considerable effort to collecting fabrics for their stashes. They shop for specific colors often ranging into neighboring hues to achieve a nuanced scrappy look. Quilters love a sale where they may buy fabric just to have it on hand. If they can't find the colors they want they sometimes hand dye their own fabric. They use their time and skills converting fabric into blocks which they combine to make quilts. Often quilters work on more than one quilt at a time to keep things interesting. They may embellish their quilts with intricate quilting stitches. The best quilters make good color choices combine blocks skillfully use their time well and win generous purchase awards when they enter their quilts in shows.In Quilt Show quilters collect fabric cards which can be exchanged for block tiles. The quilters race the clock as they amass block tiles that they can combine into one or more quilts at a time. They can mix block tiles of a single color or a single pattern to make a quilt. Three times during the game when the clock reveals it is time for a quilt show quilts are entered and prize money is awarded. At game's end the quilter with the most prize money wins!

Coralia

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Animals Dice

The colorful reefs around the former pirate island of Coralia offer a paradise for scientists from all over the world who explore the underwater world with their diving robots and work to preserve the coral reefs. They send their ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles) down to find specific species. At the same time they keep their eyes open as to whether one or the other sunken pirate treasure can not be traced. A few pearls are also welcome to end up being not only a respected researcher but also a wealthy one ... This Dice Placement game is about winning the most points with a little luck and making the right decisions - an adventure for the whole family!

Piña Pirata

Rating: 6.1 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Animals Card Game Pirates

Categories:

WILL YOU BE THE FINEST PIRATE?As captain of a pirate crew your ultimate goal is to find the most incredible treasure of all times: the Golden Pineapple. The map leading to it has been cut in parts long time ago and hidden in different places of the Caribbean Sea. In order to win the game you will have to face and overcome all the other pirates also searching the Golden Pineapple map. Play your cards wisely to find the treasure and become a pirate of legends!RULE OVERVIEWPiña Pirata is played in rounds. At each round every player receives 8 cards. The goal is to be the first to get rid of all your cards.At your turn you must play one card or draw one if you can’t. A card can be played if at least one of the pirates depicted on it is also on the top card of the play area. As soon as a player has no more card in her hand she wins the round and gets a part of the treasure map. If a player has all 4 map parts he wins the game!The tricky part come from the Adventure tiles: At the beginning of the game 2 tiles are revealed. Each of those Adventures is a new rule that will change the gameplay. There are 40 different tiles with a lot of different rules. Use them as their best to play more cards than you should or prevent the other players to play theirs!At the end of each round the winner chooses a new Adventure and adds it to the previous ones. The more the game is going the more special effects are triggered for more and more fun!

Wombat Rescue

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Animals Humor

Did you know that wombats poop cubes? It’s true! Scientists theorize that due to extremely poor vision but an excellent sense of smell wombats use their poop cubes as “smell markers” to help them navigate their environment. Because their poop is cube-shaped it is less likely to roll away or be moved.You play as the mama wombat of your tribe. The dastardly dingo has stormed your burrow and chased away 4 of your baby wombats! You will need to eat and digest food in order to produce poop cubes with which you will build smell areas so you can navigate your environment find your baby wombats and bring them home. The player who best plans their smell areas and moves most efficiently will prove victorious!The object of Wombat Rescue is to be the first player to find all 4 of your baby wombats and bring them home.

Packet Row

Rating: 6.1 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Industry / Manufacturing

New York 1842: The docks along South Street bustle with activity. Packet ships are constantly arriving and departing. There are so many packet ships waiting along the docks that the area has become known as the Packet Row.In the game Packet Row each player represents a trading company that's trying to make as much profit as possible on the trans-Atlantic trade. However having a lot of cash is not enough to win this game. You must spend your money for the benefit of the city at the right time to gain as many victory points as possible.

Raging Bulls

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 1

Game Type:

Animals Dice Print & Play Puzzle

Categories:

There is also an element of push your luck - do you risk losing a life (mallet) by going for that final fence to complete the Field or move on to the next Field and score less points?The game features 4 fields of increasing difficulty.There's just 1 page to print out and 1 page of rules. There's also a low ink (black) version available. You'll also need 3 regular dice a pen or pencil and something to draw a straight line with.Raging Bulls was an entry for the 2017 Solitaire PnP Design Contest

Extra!

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 1–6

Game Type:

Categories:

Schmidt Spiele is releasing a series of tiny dice games with each game being packaged in a plastic container that doubles as a miniature dice tower. Sid Sackson's Extra! some changes from the game first seen in Sackson's book A Gamut of Games under the title Solitaire Dice is one of the new titles in this series.In Extra! all players play at the same time off the same roll of five dice. Each player divides the dice into two pairs and a lone fifth die. The value of this fifth die is placed in a reject tally chart and one box underneath this number checked. For each pair of dice the player marks a box next to the sum of these dice (2-12) on a scoresheet.Each player can have at most three values on his reject chart; when a player checks off the final box in a column on this chart he is out of the game. Once all players are out they tally their points losing 200 points for each sum row that they start without meeting a certain threshold. For rows marked past the threshold the player scores positive points with less common sums being worth more points. The player with the highest score wins.

Loonacy

Rating: 6.2 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Card Game Real-time

Loonacy is a rapid fire card game in which players race to be the first to empty their hand by matching one of two images on each card in their hand with the images on the face-up piles in front of them. The number of piles varies depending on the number of players and if players ever reach a moment in which no one can play everyone draws a card and adds it to their hand at the same time then the game play resumes.

Minute Realms

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Card Game City Building Medieval

Categories:

Minute Realms is the most compact city-building game ever. In a handful of rounds you have to build up your realm and make it grow by spending your riches. Will you yield splendor to your lands with refined buildings or will you defend them with imposing bastions to repel the upcoming fall of the invaders?A king's life is not easy. Every decision is crucial to the fate of the realm — and every single move makes the difference between victory and defeat!

Fidelitas

Rating: 6.2 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Card Game Medieval

In Fidelitas players take on the role of faithful citizens in a medieval city who are exerting influence in order to gain the credibility needed to lead the charge against the corrupt crown.Players play character cards to various locations that make up the city in order to meet conditions of hidden objectives. Each type of character card is associated with a unique action that manipulates cards in the game: the Butcher bullies other characters to new locations the Student gains more cards the Soldier keeps the peasants from loitering too long etc. In this game where keen maneuvering is key attentiveness to the opposition may uncover hidden motives that seek to foil your bid for power.The first player to gain a certain number points (depending on the number of players) is determined worthy to lead the revolt and also wins the game.

Dabba Walla

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Puzzle Transportation

Every morning in Mumbai over five thousand workers dressed in white swarm out to deliver more than 200,000 dabbas (multistoried lunch boxes) to the offices of the Indian metropolis. These Dabba Walla have been an iconic fixture in the cityscape since 1890. The food is freshly prepared at home by families then collected from their front doors by the Dabba Walla. Even though some of the dabbas travel very far they are delivered punctually via a network of intermediate stations with an amazing reliability of 99.999%! Now it's time to join the Dabba Walla on their daily journey through Mumbai...The game Dabba Walla consists of two phases:• Pick-up phase: Take turns moving your Dabba Walla through Mumbai to collect dabba cards. Each time you pick up a card you then play one of the three in your hand to take the depicted dabba tile — a polyomino of 1-4 squares — and place it in your cart stacking tiles higher and higher as the rounds progress. Dabbas come in four colors and you must place them on flat surfaces filling holes with empty dabbas if needed. If you connect two half-chai symbols on tiles on the same level you draw a random chai tile with a bonus action. Keep all played dabba cards in a personal discard pile.• Delivery phase: After everyone has placed fifteen tiles in their cart it's time to deliver lunches! Pick up all the cards you played then complete a number of delivery rounds equal to the highest level that someone has stacked their dabbas. Each round each player plays and reveals one dabba card from their hand optionally playing chai tiles as well. Sum the value of each color of dabba then everyone scores their dabbas on the current level based on these values removing the tiles from their carts. (Note: If not all players have dabbas on the current level being scored they still play a card but they score nothing.)Once all the dabbas have been delivered players score for their remaining chai tiles then whoever has collected the most tips wins.Dabba Walla contains two expansion modules to provide additional ways to score or change the value of dabbas being delivered.

Swordcrafters

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 1–5

Game Type:

Abstract Strategy Fantasy Puzzle

Categories:

The realm is defended but the sword of protection is broken! The king has called on the best Swordcrafters to forge a replacement.In Swordcrafters players compete to forge the best sword scoring based on length quality and magic. Each round each player makes one cut in a grid of sword tiles to create a separation. After separations phase each player selects one grouping of sword tiles and assembles them into their sword. When there are not enough sword tiles to form a new grid scoring occurs.Players hold their swords in the center of the table to score based on length. Sword quality scoring is based on the highest number of adjacent matching gems on one side of the sword. Sword magic scoring is based on the highest sum of two gem types.A innovative 3D sword-building game where the player builds and holds their sword as they play.—description from the publisher

Ion: A Compound Building Game

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–7

Game Type:

Card Game Deduction Educational Party Game

Categories:

ION: A Compound Building Game is a card drafting game where players select from a number of available Ion Cards and Noble Gas cards with the goal of creating sets of compounds and inert noble gases.Here’s how the game is played: Each player is dealt eight cards must select one of those cards and then passes the remaining. Players must choose to either bond (pair) their selected card with another Element Card or set it alone (possibly to form an ionic bond at a later time). Throughout the game players gain additional points for building specific compounds which are listed on the Compound Goal Cards and have available a set of Action Tiles which award them additional moves throughout the game. Players score points based upon the quantity and type of neutrally balanced compounds they construct and noble gas sets they collect. After three rounds players add their total scores from each round subtract points from Action Tiles used and the player with the most points wins!

King's Gold

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Categories:

Dice Pirates

The Caribbean islands were once a lawless cove run by merchant marines transporting stolen treasures. When news reached the King that these pirates were amassing great riches he ordered a cut of their loot.Now in King's Gold it's your turn to be a pirate and you must try to pillage ships and other pirates along the way. How far will you go to deceive the greedy King and become the richest pirate on the coast and at sea? On a turn the active player rolls the five dice up to three times. If a die shows crossbones it's locked until the end of the turn; otherwise a player can roll or leave dice as he wants. After he stops he takes or loses gold as follows:When all sixty coins in the box have been removed the game ends and whoever has the most coins wins.

This Town Ain't Big Enough for the 2-4 of Us

Rating: 6.0 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Abstract Strategy American West Print & Play

Categories:

This Town Ain't Big Enough for the 2-4 of Us is a micro-sized strategy game that plays with ... well 2 to 4 players. From the publisher and designers that brought you the hit strategy game Belfort you can now get your strategy game fix in 10-15 minutes with this new micro game from TMG (Tasty Minstrel Games).In the game players play cowboys as they place tiles and create areas within the town. Unfortunately each tile could have your cowboys on them or other players' cowboys - or cowboys from all players! Once an area is fully surrounded by fences you score that area. Look out for silver bars as they allow players to re-arrange one tile that has yet to be locked down!

Rummikub Twist

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Abstract Strategy Number

It's the classic Rummikub game with a major TwistThe beloved classic gets a fresh Twist! Rummikub has been enjoyed by millions and now includes three new Jokers for a fun new way to play. Easy-to-learn and fast paced Rummikub is a favorite for new and seasoned players. The introduction of Jokers such as the Double Joker Color Change Joker and Mirror Joker adds a new way to strategize your way to victory. This set features high quality stackable tiles with bright colorful numbers that are easy to see.—description from the publisher

Souvlaki Wars

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Card Game Humor

In Souvlaki Wars players are owners of Greek restaurants serving traditional greek fast food like souvlaki and gyros. They try to attract new customers making sure they can serve them in time increasing their fortune and fame at the same time.Of course this is easier said than done as many things can go wrong while trying to serve a customer: People change their minds orders go wrong and restaurant owners try to sabotage each other.Can you become the most successful Greek restaurant owner?Souvlaki Wars is a light family card game for 2-4 players. Players draft new customers and try to serve them with food cards they draw at the beginning of each turn. This way they earn the money and the reputation each customer represents. However before they have a chance to do so cards with Unforeseen Events are played by every player affecting the game in many different ways like altering the order in lines adding more customers decreasing the opponent's reputation etc. And of course each player has to take into consideration that the customers are served on a first-come basis. If someone's order can't be fulfilled everyone behind him will have to wait another turn...The first player to reach a certain level of money and reputation is declared the winner.The game is going to be published by the Greek company Kaissa Chess & Games during 2011. It is going to be bilingual having text both in Greek and English. Its international debut will be at the 2011 Spiel Essen fair.- Winner of BGG's Greek Guild's 1st Game Design Contest in the category: Best Game

Sumatra

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Adventure Exploration Travel

Categories:

Join this expedition and you will have the unforgettable opportunity to explore Sumatra from the top of its majestic volcanoes to the depths of its tropical rainforest. Find the most exotic animals and the most exuberant flowers and discover the endless variety of cultures that coexist on the largest island in Indonesia. Your expedition sets out with the mission of writing a travel notebook that will help raise awareness of one of the richest ecosystems in the world. Whoever makes the best contribution to this exciting mission will win.In Sumatra players move around the island to explore its multiple landscapes. On a turn your possible actions depend on where you're located in relation to the travel notebook token that starts the game in base camp with all the players:Thus you're catching up with the group researching with the group to add info to your notebook moving ahead or digging into new tiles ahead of everyone else.Tiles score and have effects in various ways for example with players gaining or losing points for meeting the most or fewest inhabitants. Flora and fauna tiles score only if you have a pair in a column but only the highest-valued of this pair scores. Villages score only if you have more pairs of reception and GPS tiles than the number of villages while the reception and GPS pairs net you no points but allow you to get a tile from the pool of known information. Equipment makes it safe to explore volcanoes on the island and if you don't have enough equipment you might lose other tiles you've collected.Sumatra also includes badges that players can collect. Be the first to collect say three flora tiles or a combination of two inhabitant and two craft tiles and you can claim the badge for this which is worth 3 points at game's end. You can also claim one diversity badge for having at least one tile in at least six rows of your notebook. The more rows you have a presence in the higher the value of the diversity badge but you can claim at most one during the game — and if someone else claims the six-row badge then you'll need to have a tile in at least seven rows for the next one...•••Únete a esta expedición y descubre Sumatra desde la cima de sus majestuosos volcanes hasta las profundidades de su selva. Encuentra los animales más exóticos las flores más exuberantes y conoce la interminable variedad de culturas que conviven en la isla más grande de Indonesia. La expedición parte con la misión de escribir un cuaderno de viaje que ayude a dar a conocer uno de los ecosistemas más ricos del mundo. Aquel que contribuya en mayor medida a esta apasionante misión se alzará con la victoria.En Sumatra los jugadores se irán desplazando por la isla para explorar sus múltiples parajes. En cada uno de ellos encontrarán información útil representada por losetas que deberán registrar en sus cuadernos de viaje colocándolas en su fila correspondiente. El jugador con el cuaderno de viaje e insignias de más valor al final de la partida se alzará con la victoria.—description from the publisher (Spanish)

Holiday Fluxx

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Like Fluxx Holiday Fluxx is a card game in which the cards themselves determine the current rules of the game. By playing cards you change numerous aspects of the game: how to draw cards how to play cards and even how to win.At the start of the game each player holds three cards and on a turn a player draws one card then plays one card. By playing cards you can put new rules into play that change numerous aspects of the game: how many cards to draw or play how many cards you can hold in hand or keep on the table in front of you and (most importantly) how to win the game.Holiday Fluxx is intended to serve as a family-friendly introduction to Fluxx and will feature holidays from New Year's Day to Halloween to Hanukkah to Christmas.

Dead Panic

Rating: 6.0 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Categories:

Zombies

The zombie apocalypse has begun and you and your friends take on the roles of various characters who are all working to survive.In Dead Panic each player takes on the role of one of eight unique characters which have special abilities. Players work together to survive in a remote cabin at the center of the board against waves of the undead that close in from the edges of the board. If the players can hold out survivors bring pieces of the radio needed to call for rescue. Once rescue arrives it's up to each player to leave the safety of the cabin and make it out alive!To fight the zombies players use cabin cards some of which are weapons that help players attack zombies at a distance or in hand-to-hand combat. If characters take too many injuries during combat they die and return to the game as a zombie with customized rules as a member of the undead! Other cabin cards are items which give the players various benefits and a better chance at survival. The supply of items and weapons is limited however. Once the cabin deck is exhausted it is not reshuffled. A separate deck of cards called event cards allow the zombies to have their turn. This deck not only brings a variety of zombies into play but each card also has a special effect when drawn.Can you survive Dead Panic?

Completto

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Number

In Completto each player tries to create an ascending row of 22 tiles. Unfortunately the tiles — numbered 1 to 100 — start out face down on the playing area and are revealed only one at a time while you play and you're likely to find that no gap to place the tile that you've just drawn. What do you do now?Whoever first creates an ascending row of 22 tiles wins!Concerning gameplay feeling there is a similiarity to Rack-O.

The Butterfly Garden

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Categories:

In The Butterfly Garden you are an avid butterfly collector and the local butterfly garden needs your help expanding and diversifying its collection. Capture highly desired butterflies put them in your trusty jar and deliver them to the garden to gain respect from the collecting community and to help diversify the garden — but watch out for your opponents as lepidopterists can be quite devious!The game is played in a series of rounds. Players start each round by playing a card from their hands to determine the round's turn order. Cards are numbered from 0 to 59 and lower numbered cards will go first. On a turn a player captures butterflies from the field and adds them to the jar (i.e. they take a card from the row of face-up cards and tuck it under their jar card). When possible players deliver butterflies from their jars to the zoo's butterfly garden to score victory points (VPs). Which butterflies can be delivered is indicated on the face-up delivery cards and players are often in a race to deliver butterflies to take the cards and score points. The player with the most VPs at the end of the game wins.During the game players must carefully decide which butterfly cards to play. By playing lowered numbered cards players not only get a better pick of butterflies in the field but they also get first chance at delivering butterflies. However lower numbered butterfly cards usually have fewer butterflies on them so players cannot add as many to their jars. Also butterfly cards with special powers usually have high numbers so you often must sacrifice turn order in order to use one of these special powers.

Corto

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Adventure Card Game Comic Book / Strip

Categories:

Enter the magical world of adventure of Corto Maltese the hero from the fertile imagination of Hugo Pratt. Choose your adventures then live through them as the game unfolds. Aided by Corto and resisting Rasputin's attempts to thwart your plans recruit your own bands of adventurers and get your hands on gold at the end of the story!Corto is a card-based adventure game that mixes tactics and luck. To set up the game choose four of the six quests then place the appropriate quest boards next to one another on the table; each quest (attack the train of Russian gold research the four aces of whale bones meet the leopard-men etc.) has its own deck of character and object cards that's shuffled and placed on the left side of the board. Reveal the top character from each deck take turns placing one of your tokens on any character then draw four cards from any combination of decks for your starting hand.On a turn you can either discard any number of cards and fill your hand to four cards or you can play 1-4 cards. If you play a character card place it on an empty space on the quest board of the same color making sure that it's adjacent to at least one other character. Place a token on the card then either add a token to or remove an opponent's token from an adjacent character depending on the character's border color (denoting a friend of Corto or associate of Rasputin). You can also play objects on the character to affect adjacent cards. Some characters and objects have long range effects that hit any character in the same column or row. Hit a character that has no tokens and you remove it from the board counting it as 1 gold at the end of the game. If you played cards end your turn by drawing two cards.Players can also move Corto and Rasputin directly using them to block spaces on the quest board claim gold immediately or eliminate characters.In addition to having its own mix of characters objects and advantages each quest has a different treasure waiting for players to nab. For The Wreck of the Fortune Royale you need to be the first to claim the aces in order to claim all the treasure for yourself; for Admiral Kolchak's Bullion Train if you attack the train — which moves across the quest boards as players lay down cards — you claim one of the train car tokens which might have gold on it; for On the Track of the Leopard Men whoever has a majority of tokens on certain characters at the end of the game gains control of markers that might enhance their network of characters.When two quests are fully occupied or the players run out of cards the game ends. In addition to scoring for the gold and treasures they've collected during the game each player scores 2 gold per character in the largest group of characters he controls and 1 gold per character for smaller groups. Whoever ends up with the most gold wins!

Virulence: An Infectious Card Game

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Bluffing Deduction Dice Medical Number

Virulence: An Infectious Card Game is an addictively quick and simple card game focused on viruses infecting a host cell - and how they assemble and replicate inside that host cell.Virulence has players take on the role of viruses competing to infect a host cell in order to replicate their own viral components thus scoring points.Each round players secretly choose one Virus card from their hand place it face down on the table then simultaneously flip these Virus cards to reveal each player's (and thus each virus') virulence. In order from the highest to the lowest virulence players then take turns selecting from the available Viral Component cards each awarding points in a variety of ways or allowing that player to build their hand of Virus Cards allowing them to win critical components later.Virulence is addictively simple and competitive because it combines blind bidding/bluffing with engine building a bit of luck and most importantly it can played be taught in 30 seconds and played 10 minutes.

Pick a Pen: Gardens

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Farming Puzzle

Each turn in Pick a Pen: Gardens the active player rolls the five colored pencils then chooses one and marks spaces on their individual player sheet. Each other player in turn drafts a pencil and uses it. Pencils show symbols on their different sides and the symbols on top of the chosen pencil determine what players do on their sheets.Each sheet shows bordered gardens and on a turn you fill in the indicated number of spaces in that color; all of those spaces must be adjacent to one another in addition to being adjacent to everything colored previously. Your goal is to fill gardens with only a single color or with five different colors scoring bonus points as you do so. The game ends when a player has completely colored all of their gardens or failed to color in five times.Pick a Pen: Gardens includes three difficulty levels of player sheets with flowers and trees on sheets 2 and 3 to help you earn bonus points in different ways.

Think Str8!

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Think Str8! is about estimating guessing and making clever deductions! Each player has six numbers in different colors in front of them. They can see the numbers of all the other players but unfortunately they see only the back of their own display. Who will manage to figure out through deduction what is standing in front of them?In more detail the game includes cards in six colors with each color having numbers 0-7. One card of each color is randomly removed from play and returned to the box without anyone knowing the numbers on those cards. Each player then sets up a rack with one card of each color on it but with the racks facing toward the other players so that no one sees the numbers on their own rack. (In a game with two or three players set up two or one additional racks visible to all players.)On a round the active player rolls the three color dice e.g. blue red and yellow. Each player tries to guess what the sum of the numbers on their rack is for the cards that correspond to the die colors. If the dice showed two green and one grey for example you'd add the green number twice and the grey number once — but of course you can't see what your numbers are; you can only see what they aren't based on what's showing in the racks visible to you.The active player then takes one of the bid strips — seven cardboard strips that come in different lengths — and places it across one or more numbers on the number line in front of them to show the range in which their sum lies e.g. 13-16. Each other player does the same choosing from the strips not previously chosen. If you guess correctly you score points with shorter strips being worth more points; if you're wrong then you must discard any one of your colored cards face up then draw a new card of this color and place it in your rack unseen. You now see this hidden number which may help you deduce sums from previous rounds but now you have to start over with you deductions for that color! Other players see the new card you just placed so they get more info too.After 8-10 rounds depending on the number of players each player guesses the numbers on their racks writing down one two or three guesses for each color. If you guess correctly you score 5 2 or 1 points for a color based on how many guesses you wrote. Add these points to whatever you scored previously and whoever has the most points wins.

Tapeworm

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Animals Card Game Humor

From designer Edmund McMillen twist turn and trap your oppenents in this game of intestinal tension! In Tapeworm players race to be the first to get rid of all of their cards by connecting and growing the wriggling masses of different colored worm bodies.Gameplay is simple but strategic. A player's turn includes the drawing and laying down of matching color segments which continues until a head is attached or you run out of that color card. Whichever player ends up with an empty hand first wins the game.There are special mechanics to propel a player forward as well as cards intended to hinder the efforts of their opponents. These cards include: Cut to sever a worm segment at play; Peek to draw a card and replace it with another card from a hand; Hatch to force an opponent to draw from the deck; Swap to look at an opponent's hand and decide if cards should be traded; Dig to draw a card from the deck and discard one from a hand.An astoundingly easy-to-learn game of card management for the whole family that is sure to leave you holding your sides... with laughter!

Destination X

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–10

Game Type:

Deduction Spies / Secret Agents

Categories:

Description from the publisher:Destination X is a different kind of game experience: One player takes the moderator role as a spy on the run while the remaining players are detectives who must cooperate and use their deductive skills and geographical knowledge to track down the spy and identify their secret destination.At the beginning of each round six destination cards are placed face up on the table. The spy secretly chooses one of the destinations and flips to the chosen country's page in the handbook. Each detective is given three informant cards and in turn each detective must play an informant to get information about the spy's secret destination. The spy must find the relevant information in the handbook and answer truthfully. The informants may provide information on various aspects such as population industry religion history economy and so on. After a detective has played an informant the detective must also eliminate one of the destinations on the table.At any time the detectives can decide to guess on the spy's destination. If they guess correctly the detectives win the round; otherwise the spy wins. The spy also wins if the detectives run out of informant cards so the detectives must manage their resources well and not spend too much time or else the spy will manage to get away. The first side to win three rounds wins the game.No prior geographic knowledge is needed to play. Since Destination X is a team-based game it can be played in groups of any number of players.

Key to the Kingdom

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Fantasy Humor

Key to the Kingdom is a restoration of the 1990 classic game. The new version features the classic hole-in-the-board mechanism to hop through portals and explore the Demon King's domain.As the kingdom's not-so-mightiest heroes — Pitiless Pixie Knovice Knight Unique Unicorn Merciless Mercenary and Gnarled Gnome — you'll go on adventures to gather the three pieces of the magic key then hop through a portal to defeat the Demon King once and for all.This new version gives players greater control over the whims of the dice. You'll use your collection of items to tweak your rolls. But make sure you have the right item ready when you go on an adventure to give you an easier path through. You'll get magic items and companions along the way as well. It also adds a new endgame in which you need to face a series of mini-challenges to win the game.—description from the publisher

Gold!

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–3

Game Type:

Categories:

Gold! Gold! Nothing but gold as far as the eye can see. Well to be honest the landscape holds a few donkeys too and while donkeys can help carry all that gold they'll also eat into your savings if you aren't careful.Gold! consists of a 60-card deck with cards in six colors; each color has gold cards valued 3-8 and a few donkeys worth -2. Each player starts the game with a different-colored donkey then two cards are removed from play and five cards laid out face-up. On a turn a player must do one of the following three actions:• Take the lowest valued card on display with donkeys always being worth less than gold and add it to his tableau. • Exchange one gold card from his tableau for a lower-valued gold card. • Exchange a donkey from his tableau for a gold card of any value.Whenever a player collects three cards of the same color he must score it. First though he can pilfer a card in a color not present in his tableau from an opponent.When the last face-up card is claimed five new cards are revealed. Once the final set of five cards is claimed players compare their totals in each of the six colors; whoever has the highest total in a color scores the highest gold card of that color. Players then sum the cards in their score piles and the player with the highest score wins.

Risk: StarCraft Collector's Edition

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Science Fiction Territory Building Video Game Theme Wargame

Categories:

From the website:WHO WANTS SOME?!The Koprulu Sector is being ravaged by war. You must stand against your enemies as one of the three powerful races. Will you choose the advanced and mysterious Protoss the rugged and tenacious Terran or lead the ravenous Zerg swarm? No matter which race you choose you will fight for your very survival. The war for galactic supremacy begins NOW!In this version of Risk players are controlling the three factions from the StarCraft video game in a battle to control the sector. The players recruit and mobilize their units in order to gain control of the various areas on the board. Battle is resolved using dice as in regular Risk but also with special power cards which are given to players who control certain areas on the board. As in traditional Risk players move troops and attack into territories on the board and face off with opponents in dice battles where higher rolls eliminate opposing forces with tied rolls favoring the defending troops.

Kairo

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Arabian Economic

In the bustling market of Kairo traders build their stalls and try to entice customers with attractive goods with each customer bringing money that the trader can then use to expand that stall or establish new stalls.To set up Kairo players first take turns placing three colored stalls (out of six) on the game board. They also take three stall cards (which highlight one or more sections on the game board) and one coin of each of the six colors. Five colored customers start at particular locations on the game board with the sixth customer placed to the side. On a turn a player either:The active player can choose to move any customer and that customer will move to the closest stall (measured on orthogonal paths) of the same color. Additionally this player can choose to play one or more market barker cards to call the customer past one or more stalls presumably to bring the customer to that player's own stall. If the active player owns the visited stall he receives one coin of the stall's color for each tile in that stall; if not the active player receives a one coin commission while the owner receives the normal payout. This customer is then swapped with the customer off the board.When building a new stall a player cannot place it in the same region as another stall of the same color. Regulations! Restaurants must be placed in an area designated for them while all other stalls must go in the market area. When expanding an existing stall the player must pay one coin of the same color for each tile in the enlarged stall. By expanding you can earn more coins when customers visit create longer paths to opponents' stalls reserve area in which to expand further and (most importantly) earn victory points. You score VPs each time you expand and if your stall is the largest (or tied for the largest) of that color you'll take one or two medals that provide a VP bonus.Once the expansions run low in one or two colors players can only build or expand. Once everyone has finished building the game ends with players earning VPs for the medals and money they have in hand. The player with the most points wins.

Ivor the Engine

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 3–5

Game Type:

Movies / TV / Radio theme Trains

Categories:

Not very long ago in the top left-hand corner of Wales there was a railway. It wasn't a very long railway or a very important railway but it was called The Merioneth and Llantisilly Rail Traction Company Limited and it was all there was. And in a shed in a siding at the end of the railway lives the Locomotive of the Merioneth and Llantisilly Rail Traction Company Limited which was a long name for a little engine so his friends just called him Ivor...In Ivor the Engine you'll help Ivor to collect lost sheep and complete tasks for his friends. You'll get extra rewards for clearing sheep from each area and bonuses for events from the Ivor stories. The player with the most sheep at the end of the game wins.Please note: This game features BRAND NEW artwork by Ivor's original artist Peter Firmin!

Bucket King 3D

Rating: 6.2 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Action / Dexterity Animals Card Game

Categories:

In Bucket King 3D a new version of Stefan Dorra's The Bucket King players lay down sets of animal cards to try to knock over every other's pyramids of buckets. Cards in hand can be used to defend your own buckets and attack those of others — and if you knock out a bucket low in someone's pyramid you might cause a cascade that takes out even more!Each turn the active player either plays cards or loses buckets; the game is played in rounds with a new round starting after anyone loses one or more buckets. At the start of each round the active player chooses 1-3 cards in hand of the same color/animal lays them face up in front of himself announces their sum then draws one card to add to his hand (regardless of how many he played). Each subsequent player must lay down 1-3 cards of the same suit as the initial player with a higher sum than previously announced or else lose a bucket. (If play circles the table to the round's start player he can add 1-3 new cards to those previously played then announce the sum of all cards in front of him.)When a player cannot or chooses not to defend his pyramid by playing cards he removes one bucket of that card color from his pyramid by pushing flicking or poking it with only one finger. (If he doesn't have a bucket of the required color he removes a bucket of his choice.) This player then starts a new round after everyone has cleared their played cards.In a two- to four-player game the game ends when a player loses his last bucket; in a five- to six-player game a player who loses his last bucket is out of the game and the game ends when only three players have buckets still in play. Whoever has the most buckets remaining in his pyramid wins.Bucket King 3D includes 2 variants for experience players: (1)Play with the Special One! Whenever a player lays down a 1 while playing cards of the appropriate color he can also play one other card of any color adding the value of that card (and any others played) to his sum; he then draws two cards (one as normal plus another card for the bonus card played) to end his turn. For example if the required suit is blue he may play a blue 1 with a red 4 as the additional card announce his sum as Five then draw two cards from the deck.If he plays two 1s then he may play two additional cards of any color and draw three cards at the end of his turn. A player can lay down at most five cards.(2) Play with the Backfiring Discard! This variant is played with all the basic rules but the direction of play may change during the game! When the active player plays cards to attack on his turn the direction of the play is reversed if he plays an additional card of the same colour onto the discard pile. He draws cards as normal for the cards he has played in front of himself but he does not draw any card for the additional card he has played. For example a player has played a Blue 4. The next player plays a Blue 5 in front of himself and discards a Blue 2. Then he draws only 1 card. The direction changes now and play continues with the previous player. You may play both variants (1) and (2) in the same game! For example a player may play a Blue 1 and a Red 7 in front of himself (variant 1) and the direction of play remains unchanged. But if he plays a Blue 1 and a Red 7 in front of himself (variant 1) and discards a Blue 2 (variant 2) the game continues in the reverse direction.

Blossoms

Rating: 6.0 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Categories:

In Blossoms (original title Kwiatki) players compete to create the most beautiful flower bouquet. The longer the flowers the higher they score!To set up give each player two random face-down cards and three action tokens. Place the flower pots in the center of the playing area with space above them for the growing flowers. Place four different flower cards one in each pot. Take one card from the draw pile and place it aside face-down.Players alternate taking turns trying to make the most valuable combination of flowers possible. On their turn a player can conduct any number of actions which are:A player's turn ends when they decide to cut flowers pass or when they have BAD LUCK. The game ends when the last card from the deck is drawn. Points are then scored by the size and diversity of sets you have planted. Whoever has the higher score wins!

Caution Signs

Rating: 7.5 | Players: 3–9

Game Type:

Categories:

Party Game Real-time

Each round in Caution Signs you're presented with a secret combination of adjective and noun: stylish rhino gassy monkeys flexible cow melting babies — ten thousand combinations are possible. You have twenty seconds to sketch an image of this combo on a caution sign.All of these images are then revealed to the round's guesser along with the individual adjectives and nouns and the guesser tries to figure out what each sign is warning them about.

Monster Baby Rescue!

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Animals Fantasy Mythology

Categories:

In Monster Baby Rescue! players take care of their sad lost and ill Baby monsters who got lost to us from fantastic world. Every player chooses their own Monstie — Dragon Mandrigora Ork Basilisk or Kerberos — and with the help of tiles displayed on the table takes care of it. There are tiles to groom particular parts of bodies tiles with playgrounds cosy places diamonds to play or decorate with and magicians (vets). These tiles have different price which is paid by different number of steps of your Monstie on the time track. The next player is the one who is the most behind (takes the cheapest tiles from the table).Players gain points for bonuses on tiles and also for the levels they groom improve and take care of their Monsties.—description from the publisher

RUM

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Card Game Pirates

Hook: Lighting fast “Press your luck” Set Collecting with stealing.RUM is played in quick turns over many rounds. The game ends when a player reaches a set amount of points OR the Castaway Clock is rotated to the Pirate Ship (8th position). During the game sets of bottles are played in order to gain Captain Cards and earn points. However Captain Cards may change controllers if an opponent plays a larger set. And watch out for that pesky Parrot as it’s lurking near by and ready to steal Rum at any time.From The Box: Argh! Players are pirates rummaging through a shipwreck. Collect sets of rum and press your luck to earn the majority. But watch out for the parrot who will steal your booty! The pirate with most points is the winner!Number 11 in the Pack O Game series.

Neoville

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

City Building Environmental Science Fiction

Categories:

Neoville is looking for architects to build a city that is a combination of human habitation and the natural world. Are you up to the challenge? Position tiles strategically to build skyscrapers and utilities in your 4×4 city. Skyscrapers will be worth harmony points at the end of the game based on their value and district size. Utilities will be worth harmony points when their position in the city fits their own requirements. However skyscrapers or utilities that do not meet their requirements will count as negative points! Who will design the most harmonious city with nature?—description from the publisher

Barbaria

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Adventure Card Game Dice Fantasy Humor

Description from the publisher:In Barbaria you become mighty barbarians and set out searching for dangerous and great adventures. Wrestle monsters and warlocks hunt for treasures look for assistance and collect ancient runes which will give you the victory.Game author Peter Rustemeyer is an archeologist from Germany who has loved barbarians and everything about them from childhood. He has developed not only the mechanisms of Barbari but he's hand-painted spicy watercolor illustrations too which will definitely be a standalone topic for discussion during the game session.The rules are extremely simple and handled for five minutes. You have to get the particular number by the specified color dice to win the enemy. Fail? Don't worry! Use your trophies from the previous battles so that you can throw the dice again or set the needed number. Don't have any trophies? Negotiate with your friends. That didn't work? Well you're in trouble — but scars are ornaments for every warrior right?

Farmageddon

Rating: 6.1 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Card Game Farming Humor

Farmageddon is a frenetic farming game for two to four cutthroat farmers. Plant big-money crops like Wary Squash or Grumpy Melon but watch out — they’re a tasty target for other players!Protect your produce with Crop Insurance or Foul Manure then hit your opponents with a Dust Bowl or those Darn Gophers!Will you bring in the biggest bushel of crops… or will they be wiped out by FARMAGEDDON?-Back of box blurb

Streams

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 1–99

Game Type:

Categories:

Math Number Puzzle

Streams (a.k.a. 20 Express) consists of pens score sheets and a deck of forty cards (or bakelite tiles depending on the edition); the tiles are numbered 1-30 with two copies of #11-19 and one wild. Game play is similar to Bingo in that someone draws a tile and everyone must then write that number on her scoring sheet. This sheet contains a line of 20 spaces to be filled and while these spaces can be filled in any order if she can place the numbers in non-descending order – identical numbers placed side-by-side don't break a stream – she'll score points at the end of the game. The longer the stream of ascending numbers the more points she scores.Once twenty tiles have been drawn and the scoresheets filled players tally their points for each stream of non-descending numbers and the high score wins.The second edition of Streams includes normal and expert rules.

Carcassonne für 2

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Medieval Territory Building

Categories:

Carcassonne is a tile-placement game in which the players draw and place a tile with a piece of southern French landscape on it. The tile might feature a city a road a cloister grassland or some combination thereof and it must be placed adjacent to tiles that have already been played in such a way that cities are connected to cities roads to roads etcetera. Having placed a tile the player can then decide to place one of their meeples on one of the areas on it: on the city as a knight on the road as a robber on a cloister as a monk or on the grass as a farmer. When that area is complete that meeple scores points for its owner.During a game of Carcassonne players are faced with decisions like: Is it really worth putting my last meeple there? or Should I use this tile to expand my city or should I place it near my opponent instead giving him a hard time to complete his project and score points? Since players place only one tile and have the option to place one meeple on it turns proceed quickly even if it is a game full of options and possibilities.Carcassonne für 2 is a two-player version of Carcassonne that comes in a metal box and contains 48 tiles and 12 meeples.

Math Fluxx

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Categories:

Card Game Math

Math Fluxx is all about the numbers. Players use positive integers (whole numbers) in their quest to achieve a very mathematical goal — but it's not just putting 4 and 2 together to achieve the 42 goal (for example) as Math Fluxx also features the Plan B Meta Rule. Plan B puts special victory rules into play which give you a second way to win and require even more arithmetical acumen (e.g. Plus Victory lets you win if your keepers add up to the current goal). With Math Fluxx the fun is exponential!The second edition of Math Fluxx introduced new cards to make the game more mathy and you can learn about those differences here.

The Brigade

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Adventure Fantasy Territory Building

Categories:

Welcome to Tinderbox! ...sorry about the weather... The city of Tinderbox has rather predictably caught fire. Although no-one has formally admitted responsibility a large fire storm has appeared above the Pyromancers University and fireballs are raining down on the city.As such it’s a good time to be a firefighter if being a hero is your thing.In The Brigade you control rival firehouses offering protection to the good citizens of Tinderbox. The aim of the game is to win the Loyalty of the people with acts of heroic fire fighting and earn the coveted position of Fire Chief.The Brigade is an action point system game that allows players several different actions. Players must put out fires in order to gain loyalty the more loyalty they have the more likely they are to become the fire chief. Players can also upgrade their firehouse the amount of crew they can hire and their water wagon to put out stronger fires.To win the loyalty of the people you must impress them enough that they will support you to become the Fire Chief gaining the respect of 5 blocks of the same type 5 blocks of different types will ensure your position. Alternatively Earning respect from the highest and most prestigious people before one of the end game triggers will also get you that top spot.

FLOWERS

Rating: 6.1 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Abstract Strategy Number

Can you make fields of cards bloom in a single color while respecting the number limits?FLOWERS consists of a 108-card deck with cards coming in four colors and values 1-4. Each player starts with a random card in their play area and the remaining cards are divided into stacks with one being face down and the others having the top card face up.On a turn draw a card from the top of any stack then either place it adjacent to a card already in your field or on top of a card in your field. If you draw a face-up card flip the next card in the stack face up. When a player takes the last card from a stack they place it then the game ends.At game's end every 4 in your field must be part of a group of exactly four 4s and the same goes for every 3 and 2 in your field. Each 1 must not be adjacent to another 1. Any cards that violate these rules are removed from your field (including any covered cards) and you lose 1 point for each card removed. Then for each group of colored cards in your field that contains at least five adjacent cards score 1 point for each of these cards. Finally if a card with a butterfly is adjacent to a card of the same color as the butterfly score 1 point for that card. Whoever has the most points wins.

Walls of York

Rating: 6.1 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

City Building Medieval Puzzle

Categories:

The city of York is being built. Many buildings have already been completed but without a protective outer wall to defend against the Viking raids the city is bound to be pillaged and destroyed. The king has summoned his best architects to design new defensive walls for the city but only one design will be used. That architect will be hailed as the greatest architect in all the land.In Walls of York players must use the plastic wall pieces to construct a defensive barrier around the buildings on their city map. Each turn a player rolls the building die that dictates which types of walls are to be used. The players must enclose their city including the required buildings from the King's decree — but players must beware for the Vikings will come and lay waste at the end of the first age forcing players to build their walls anew in the second age. The player with the most coins at the end of the second age wins.

Banjooli Xeet

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Bluffing Dice Racing

The Wizard of the Tribe has died. As it has been recorded by our ancestors for thousands of years wizard-wannabes made their predictions for the ostrich race in the Holy Cave the one making the more accurate predictions becoming the new Wizard. Which ostrich will win the race? Who will become the new Wizard? The answers are not easy since it is an open secret that candidates are not limited just to making predictions...In Banjooli Xeet players become Wizards who must predict the order of arrival of racing ostriches in order to gain points while dodging obstacles collecting berries avoiding the dreaded Lion and not waking the sleeping crocodiles. Banjooli Xeet is a fast-paced race game for 2 to 5 players with a lot of bluffing crazy predictions and hilarious fun.En Banjooli Xeet los jugadores son Brujos y deben predecir el orden de llegada de los avestruces para ganar puntos sortear obstáculos recoger bayas evitar al temido León no despertar a los dormidos cocodrilos. Banjooli Xeet es un juego rápido de 2 a 5 jugadores con mucho faroleo locas predicciones y diversión hilarante.

Rory's Story Cubes: Prehistoria

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 1–12

Game Type:

Categories:

An expansion to the creativity game Rory's Story Cubes. This set includes 3 new dice with 18 thematic actions.This expansion can be played on it's own or in combination with the original game.The game is useful as an aid to creative problem solving language learning and story telling. Players roll the dice and then tell a story using the actions. Once upon a time...

Cupcake Academy

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Puzzle Real-time

Cupcake Academy is a cooperative game of logic and speed. Work together with your fellow pastry chefs to organize your kitchen based on your instructor’s assignments. Each assignment wants your cupcake cups to be arranged in a specific layout in the kitchen so you must quickly move the cups to empty plates or on top of smaller cups one at a time before time runs out!—description from the publisher

Monopoly Gamer: Mario Kart

Rating: 6.2 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Economic Video Game Theme

Categories:

Monopoly Gamer: Mario Kart takes the property-trading game Monopoly in a new direction thanks to the introduction of characters from Nintendo's Mario Kart games!Move around the game board as Mario Princess Peach Luigi or Toad; buy iconic Mario Kart properties such as Bowser's Castle and Rainbow Road. Pass Go to trigger a race from Mario Kart Cup dodge banana peel tokens toss shells and collect coins. A super star space activates special abilities and rolling the power-up die adds a special boost. Winning in this game is all about winning races! Who will end up with the coveted Grand Prix card? When the final race is over the player with the highest score wins.—description from the publisher

Whale Riders: The Card Game

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

While preparing for the winter the whale riders were surprised by a sudden drop in temperature. The Ice Coast will freeze early and will make the journey for supplies even more dangerous than usual.The riders bond together and journey as a group one final time from port to port. Many supplies are needed for their clans and the riders agree to band together and commit to sharing one big consignment in each port.Soon however it becomes apparent that the raiders’ preferences for the offered consignments differ greatly. In each port the to-ing and fro-ing begins anew to close the most preferred deal…In Whale Riders: The Card Game a reimplementation of Reiner Knizia's classic card game Trendy you ride alongside others to buy goods along the Ice Coast sometimes working together with others only to become competitors again when a better proposition comes along.

Dice Heist

Rating: 6.2 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Description from the publisher:Daring art heists with a roll of the dice! Take on the role of an international thief in Dice Heist and attempt a series of daring heists to steal the most valuable artifacts gems and paintings from four of the world's most famous museums. Recruit sidekicks to help you or go it alone. Will you beat the security systems at the Louvre in Paris and make your escape with the Mona Lisa or will one of the other thieves get there first? Whoever can impress his fellow criminals with the most valuable collection of stolen goods wins!

Letnisko

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Card Game Economic

Sir shall I serve drinks on the veranda?Take a trip to the 1930s when you are a landowner in one of the fashionable vacation resorts on the Warsaw-Otwock rail line. Compete for vacationers arriving by train. Earn money from festive Polish and Yiddish vacationers then invest it in lots covered with pine trees cheap cottages comfortable villas and luxury pensions. The higher the standards you assure the guests the richer the vacationers you will attract – but don't underestimate the less-demanding tourists who will come even in bad weather. Anticipate trends and invest your capital at the right time to become the most respected figure in the Letnisko-Falenica community.Letnisko (Summer Resort in English) depicts the development of summer resorts along the Warsaw-Otwock railroad in the second half of 1930s. In the game you buy parcels build resorts accommodate holidaymakers earn money and upgrade your cottages to villas! Each of the three resort types provides a different number of victory points at the end of the game. The game features a simple family-friendly worker placement mechanism in which each player starts with two family members (action tokens) and one house. In turn we alternatively send tokens to one of the available fields (actions). After all the action tokens have been placed the tokens return to their respective players with the benefits of those actions.•••Przenieś się w lata trzydzieste XX wieku... Jesteś właścicielem letniska w jednej z modnych miejscowości wypoczynkowych na linii Warszawa-Otwock. Konkuruj o wysiadających z pociągu przyjezdnych. Pieniądze zostawione przez dowcipkujących po polsku i w jidisz wczasowiczów przeznaczaj na zakup porośniętych sosnowym lasem parceli tanich drewniaków wygodnych willi lub luksusowych pensjonatów. Im bardziej komfortowe warunki zapewnisz gościom tym zamożniejszych klientów zachęcisz do przyjazdu. Nie lekceważ jednak mniej wymagających urlopowiczów którzy nie przestraszą się nawet złej pogody. Przewiduj koniunkturę we właściwych momentach inwestuj swój kapitał i zostań najbardziej szanowaną osobistością w gminie Letnisko-Falenica...

Octopus' Garden

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Animals Educational Environmental

Categories:

In Octopus' Garden players take the role of Octopuses competing to create the most beautiful gardens. Attract colourful seahorses and clown fish without losing pearl-producing oysters to the hungry sea stars!Octopus' Garden is a tile-laying game for 2 to 4 players. Players chose which plant and animal tiles to purchase from a central market and then decide how best to arrange them in their own garden. Careful planning is required to attract seahorses and clownfish to protect pearl-producing oysters from the sea stars and to avoid startling delicate feather worms.Octopus' Garden is #8 in the Valley Games Modern Line.

Templar: The Secret Treasures

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Adventure Exploration Medieval

Categories:

Templar: The Secret Treasures is an exciting family game in which the players help the Knights Templar to get their treasures to a secret abbey and hide them inside. Each player can use the different members of the abbey to help them hide the treasures – but every character is different and needs to be used wisely. Whoever hides the most treasures wins!Each player has a hand of ten character cards and a starting supply of treasure: one book one chalice and a handful of signet rings that come in three types. A harbor with six storehouses is stocked with additional treasures and three characters – Abbot Remigius Vitus and Prior Severus – are placed in the 13-room abbey.For the first round of the game each player secretly chooses a character card then they all reveal them simultaneously with players then carrying out the actions on those cards in player order. Some characters represent monks who help you move through the abbey and hide treasure others allow you to take treasure from the harbor open a locked door while closing off another passage or move treasure that another player has already stashed among other things. When a player moves Abbot Remigius the Abbot rewards all players who have stashed treasure in the room in which he ends his movement with all of the treasure then being marked as scored – other than duplicate signet rings which can score again should the Abbot return. (Vitus who isn't controlled by a card follows the Abbot closely to spy upon him thus keeping the Abbot from returning to the most recent room he entered.) If the Prior Severus is in a room though the Abbot can't do his thing as Severus would then discover the treasure and learn of the Knights' actions.After the initial round a player must play a character card that doesn't match the top character card on any player's discard pile – which means that you (and others) play both offense and defense with the same character card restricting the action of others while ideally making good use of the character yourself. When a player lays down The Bells card he picks up all of his played cards then restocks the harbor based on the number of his previously played character card.When the harbor can no longer be filled properly or when a player has placed at least one treasure in each room the final round is triggered then players have a final scoring for their rings still in the abbey and for the number of rooms that hold their treasure. Whoever scores the most points wins!

Into the Blue

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Categories:

Dice Nautical

In Into the Blue you take on the role of a team of divers who are seeking mysterious treasures hidden underwater but you are not the only one who wants to grab these sunken wonders. Explore the depths and try to bring the most precious items to the surface. Mark your presence in the different areas to control them and claim their riches.On a turn you roll the six dice up to three times keeping and re-rolling dice as you wish to simulate a dive. Dice show the numbers 1-5 and a treasure chest and when you stop rolling you place shells on one of the levels that you reached. If for example you rolled 1-1-2-3-5-5 you place two shells on level 1 one shell on level 2 or one shell on level 3. You can't place shells on level 5 because you didn't dive through level 4 to get there. If you roll a perfect sequence of 1-2-3-4-5-chest then you grab one of the five random treasure chests which are worth 5-8 points then take another turn. If you don't roll a 1 then you don't place any shells at all!When the fifth chest has been claimed the game ends immediately. Alternatively when someone places their last shell each other player takes one final turn. On each of the five levels whoever has placed the most shells scores the main treasure token for that level; whoever has the secondmost shells takes the secondary treasure token and in a game with 4-5 players the player with the thirdmost shells also scores. Ties are broken in favor of whoever has the most shells on the level immediately above the one being evaluated. Players sum their points from tokens and chest and whoever has the highest score wins.

Ciúb

Rating: 6.1 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Demonstrate your powers at the yearly gathering of magicians. Seek the aid of magical creatures and use the different abilities their dice give you. Find your way with the aid of valuable spell cards and win the crowning achievement of your craft: the Opus Magnum. But never ever underestimate the power of the dice!In each round on Ciúb you will try to make your dice show the combination on one of the spell cards in order to gain victory points. Different faces on the various dice will aid you. After you gain a spell you will usually need to reduce the number of your dice so planning ahead for the next round is key. At game end the player with the most victory points wins!

Stone Garden

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

In Stone Garden (枯山水 which also translates as rock garden or Japanese rock garden) players are gardeners attempting to make the most aesthetic garden by placing tiles of sand and moss side by side on their respective garden boards. When meditating by one's garden virtue points are earned that can be spent on favorite rocks to elevate the garden further. Through famous garden architects from history special effects affecting the garden can be achieved.

Empire Express

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Economic Trains Transportation

Categories:

Game description from the publisher:In Empire Express designed to be an easy-to-play introduction to the Empire Builder series of games players create competing railroad empires by drawing railroad tracks with crayons upon an erasable board. You win if you utilize your network of rail lines to acquire and deliver goods efficiently to accumulate the largest personal fortune!The base game provides pre-programmed routes on a board depicting a north-eastern portion of the U.S. with demand cards providing players with an easy way to learn the system through play. Players start with the bare bones of a railroad: an empty train and track connecting some cities. Each turn you and your fellow players take turns building track operating trains and delivering loads. The bank will pay you for each delivered load.With the starting route guided by the board only two loads per card and a visual pick-up and delivery guide on every card the learning curve is greatly shortened.

Lutèce

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Ancient Card Game Real-time

Categories:

The goal of Lutèce is to have the majority of the 4 resources of the game: beer bread swords and wine.The player with the majority of a resource receives 10 points at the end of the round second place receives 4 points and the last place receives no points. Therefore balance between collecting resources should be kept in mind.You buy character and building cards from a central market to complete your resource set collections. Certain character and building cards cost 0 and give you 1 resource. For example: 1 beer. Other cards cost more: 1 2 or 3 coins can give 2 beers or a victory point from the bread category by the end of the round.Other cards produce coins the moment they're bought in connection the cards that you already possess.In Lutèce every player starts with a hand of cards that lets you pick a character and a building in the range of cards available. You collect 5 character and 5 building cards visible to everyone at the time of selection.In order to choose the character or building card that you wish to have place 2 cards facedown that correspond (number or letter) to the desired card in the market.Before revealing your choices you can increase the value of your facedown cards by placing coins on your concealed cards. If 2 players want the same card it is simply discarded and no one gets it!Increasing the value of the card allows you increase your chance of ensuring your bid but will draw the attention of other players. If two players' increased values tie no one gets the card as it is discarded. Therefore you have to watch other players and block them and place a daunting bit on your cards!If you don't have enough money you also have two cards in your hand that bring you 3 coins each by playing them. At the end of the game each set of 3 coins = 1 victory point.At the end of the round when everyone has drafted one or two cards the market is replenished with new character and building cards. The cards that weren't selected during the round have a coin added to them (much like passing over a race in Smallworld) making them more attractive to bid upon as you receive the corresponding coin as well if you pick up that card. This continues leaving a mountain of coins on unselected cards after several rounds!If you didn't win a card on your turn you get two coins to keep you from crying!Note: The publisher compares this game to 7 Wonders.

Ophir

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Ancient Economic Nautical Religious

Categories:

Ophir is a pick up and deliver set collection game set in an ancient prosperous world for 2-4 players. In Ophir you're an influential person of government trade or religion with a singular focus - the construction of the Temple.The Temple is built layer by layer through collective contributions of Silver and Gold. These precious metals are delivered by your merchant ship for Victory Points at the Temple one of the seven locations you'll be visiting in Ophir.To afford these precious building materials you must navigate the region's seas against your rivals to collect goods to fulfill the demand at the Market for Coins or exchange them for Favor at the Temple.Well-timed trades efficient cargo storage and tactical transportation will be the keys to your success. But you must be swift in your travels because the game ends immediately once the construction of the Temple is complete. Will it be you whose name is spoken alongside the stories of Ophir's wonder?With its approachable map and exclusion of direct conflict Ophir has a familiar and accessible atmosphere that families will enjoy. But with its modular setup exclusive player roles and mercurial market Ophir has tactics replayability and tension for experienced gamers to savor!

Bellz!

Rating: 6.1 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Bellz! is deceptively simple yet supremely challenging at the same time. Open the travel pouch and you're ready to play!The pouch opens to become the game arena. Inside are forty custom bells in four colors and three different sizes. Players use the magnet wand to pick up bells of only one color. Make a chain of bells off the end of the magnet wand or create a cluster — just don't pick up bells of any other color or your turn ends. Each player must decide how far to push their luck on every turn. The first player to collect all ten bells of one color wins!

Kung Fu Panda: The Board Game

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Animals Movies / TV / Radio theme Real-time

Categories:

In Kung Fu Panda: The Board Game you play as either Po or one of the Furious Five (Tigress Monkey Mantis Crane and Viper) with everyone working together to defeat Tai Lung and other villains from the Kung Fu Panda films and animated series through intense dice-rolling action. By defeating villains completing quests and helping others players will gain karma to upgrade their character's abilities and secure the use of legendary artifacts from Master Shifu with which to face even deadlier perils.Each of the heroes in Kung Fu Panda: The Board Game will be represented by a custom miniature.

FlowerFall

Rating: 6.0 | Players: 2–7

Game Type:

Action / Dexterity Card Game Party Game

Categories:

Flowers falling from the sky! In FlowerFall players attempt to form large garden patches containing more of their color flower than their opponents. Each continuous patch will score points at the end of the game. Adding cards to the table is not as simple as placing them down however. You must carefully drop them letting them flutter through the air. Skill improves your chances but the whim of the environment may thwart you.FlowerFall is a quick portable game you can play anywhere. The location you're at becomes the terrain!

Jubako

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Categories:

Tile Placement

Jubako boxes are nicely decorated boxes typically made of fine woods in which Japanese food is served particularly on special occasions such as New Year's. Some jubako boxes even have multiple levels in which to stack the treats.In Jubako 2-4 players try their hand at treat-stacking trying to fill their own box as skillfully as possible with rice fish and various vegetables. The domino-style tokens each show two delicacies and must be placed carefully and stacked even more carefully.

Dragon Keepers

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 1–6

Game Type:

Card Game Deduction Dice Fantasy

Categories:

In this fantasy universe each player is the chief of a tribe of dragon keepers defending the dragons from attacks by the evil hunter. The hunter wants to see those cute dragons dead but must get past the dragon keepers. The keepers belong to different tribes but together they have the common goal of protecting the dragons. The keepers use magic in their duels with the evil hunter.Dragon Keepers was designed by Vital Lacerda and his youngest daughter Catarina. Says Vital She is the one who knows a lot about dragons and I could have never been able to do this design without her. Dragon Keepers has two different games in the box:KEEPER GAME: 3–6 players | 10–15 minutes | ages 6+ In this competitive mode the hunter rolls dice to attack the dragons and the players choose which of the attacked dragons they want to defend. The game ends when one player manages to heroically defend three different dragons or if one dragon gets three hits. The winner is the player with more successful defenses.DRAGON GAME: 2–4 players | 20–40 minutes | ages 9+ In this cooperative mode the keepers work together to defend and train the dragons so that they attack the hunter. Players can take four different actions: Defend Cure Train and Attack. Those actions are limited and they need to cooperate and organized as a group to manage to stop the hunter's attacks during the game. The players lose if a dragon is killed by the hunter or if the battle event deck runs out. The players win if X dragons (where X is determined by the difficulty level) manage to successfully attack the hunter.

Pirate Dice: Voyage on the Rolling Seas

Rating: 6.1 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

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Dice Nautical Pirates

Ready for a taste of high adventure on the rolling seas? In Pirate Dice you are the captain of a pirate ship racing through the Caribbean against your fellow pirates. You must navigate the seas obtain the buried treasure and return safely to your port. But beware – many hazards await on the rolling seas not the least of which are your rivals!You will need more than pure speed to win. Use your wits to block ram and fire at your opponents – while doing your best to keep them from doing the same to you! As you take damage your ship will become more difficult to pilot. But no matter – treasure awaits! So weigh anchor set the sails and run out your cannons – there's no room for lily-livered landlubbers here! It takes a shrewd captain with a sharp eye to navigate the rolling seas of Pirate Dice!

3 sind eine zu viel!

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–4

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Hold back or hurry forward? In 3 sind eine zu viel! (3's a Crowd!) no player escapes this question as they decide which cards to play when.To set up place the start cards in the middle of the table then deal a deck of twenty cards to each player. Each player draws a hand of eight cards from their deck.On your turn play one number card from your hand into the display on the table. Each card you play has a certain place in the numerical sequence. If you add the fifth card to a row you must take one to three cards from the display (depending on the position of the card you played) and place them in front of you sorted by color. If you have one or two cards in a color at the end of the game those earn you positive points; however if you had to take a third card of that color they earn you negative points instead. Both during and at the end of the game you can earn bonus points for having cards in many different colors. The game ends when each player has played a total of eighteen cards. The player with the most points wins.

Heckmeck am Karteneck

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–6

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Card Game Children's Game

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Heckmeck am Karteneck is the game where ripped-off chickens shovel the worms a la carte from the grill.Dinner is served. Tasty portions of fried worms are waiting to be fetched from the grill. In turn the chickens play out their card stakes. Whoever quits earlier gets less but still has cards up his sleeve for later rounds. Clever play is made by those who judge their hand of cards well at the right moment and can thus get hold of the most valuable portions.A must for all Heckmeck lovers.In each round cards from the hand are played to gain worm portions of different values. Each player lays out cards. Cards of the same value may not be placed by the same player in subsequent rounds. Gained portions are stacked in front of each player and the last portion won (on top) can be stolen. The thief can be any player who whose total of played cards at the time of his or her own exit matches the value of the stolen portion.The game ends after all worm portions have been taken. The winner is the player who has the most worms on his gained portions.

Hot Rod Creeps

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–6

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Racing

In this customizable racing game your Hot Rod Creeps team is your ticket to glory! Each team has its own special deck of movement cards and its own strategy. Customize your Hot Rod! Add a new Engine Weapon Pit Crew or set of Wheels at a Pit Stop along the way. Customize your racetracks! Make them as wild and crazy as you want with more than 50 interlocking track tiles. Everything you need for a race unlike anything you’ve ever see is included with Hot Rod Creeps!Key Features • There are six teams to choose from: Epic Battle Wizards Monsters The Underworld Food Fighters Aliens and Rockabilly! • Build your own track! Dangerous Curves Pit Stops “The Jump” and Hazards are but a few of the dozens of track pieces that allow you to create the track of your dreams… or nightmares! • Each Hot Rod has its own deck and its own unique strategy. Your deck doubles as your Gas Tank. Run out of cards and you run out of gas! • Players also have access to the powerful but often dangerous Nitro deck. Blaze a trail to the front of the pack but watch out – you might get burned! • Customize your Hot Rod with cards like the Horrific Hamster Haven the Black Plague Rat-apult the Ketchup Mechanics or the Clown Car Corner Clingers. Blast your opponents as you blow by them.

Seven7s

Rating: 6.1 | Players: 2–4

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