Brotherwise Games

Hooray for Saturday!
What can't be accomplished on a day like today?
Well, I can accomplish some RPG-ing. You can even watch if you want.
But what I know you're actually here for: Reviews! So let's get to it.

Today we have: Outpost: Amazon, Gloomhaven, Clank! The Mummy's Curse, Covalence, Ganz Schon Clever, Helionox, The Mind, Wreck Raiders, Getaway Driver, and Boss Monster: Rise of The Minibosses.



Board Game Quest:

Outpost: Amazon Review

The goal in Outpost: Amazon is to not only endure every card of the expedition deck, but to also capture wild monsters in cages. In this cooperative game, each player controls a unique explorer with their own special powers and hit points. The actual game is played over a series of rounds in which each player takes a turn.

Quick Hits: Gloomhaven Review

Gloomhaven is a legacy style, dungeon crawler board game that will have you controlling a fantasy character throughout their career. The goal of the game, other than to beat the scenarios and advance the overall campaign, is to get your character to finish their personal quest, thus retiring them and unlocking new characters for you to play next. The main part of the game is handled in a dice-less dungeon crawl that uses cards for combat abilities and also as a randomizer. There is a wealth of content in Gloomhaven and you can expect to put in 100+ hours if you intend to finish everything.

Clank! The Mummy’s Curse Expansion Review

The title for Clank!: The Mummy’s Curse basically explains everything gamers want to know. There’s a mummy wandering around the dungeon, moving between 4 different dungeon sections. There are also curses. Each curse acquired by a player yields -2 victory points. Sometimes these curses are acquired from just moving, but also attacking the mummy grants a curse.

Covalence Review

One player takes on the role of the Knower, who looks at the hidden structure of the compounds that the rest of the players, known as Builders, need to construct. Each Builder gets a set of atoms tiles (carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen) each double-sided to provide various options for bonding. Clue and guess tokens are then assigned to the builders based on player count and desired game difficulty, with less tokens for a harder game. Three unknown compounds are then dealt out to each player, with difficulty of the compounds adjustable based, the level of challenge.

iSlaytheDragon:

Ganz Schon Clever Review

Ganz Schön Clever is a roll-and-write game for one to four players. Each round, each player will be the active player once and the passive player on each other player’s turn. Players will complete their personal sheets using the different dice that are rolled. The player with the most points wins.

Board to Death TV:

Helionox Video Review

Helionox is a movement based deck building board game where great leaders vie for control in a shattered solar system. One to four players can attempt mastery over competitive, cooperative, and solo modes. Designed to play fast with a quick setup and an imminent ending, Helionox has tension to spare from the first turn to the last.
The Deluxe Edition of Helionox brings together the original core set of Helionox: The Last Sunset and incorporates it with a brand new expansion called Mercury Protocol. The Kickstarter will offer a full sized box and game board along with the expansion and can be purchased via Kickstarter with or without the original core set.

Meeple Mountain:

The Mind Review

From time to time there is a discussion around whether or not something is a game or an activity – Apples to Apples comes to mind. These are games which have minimal depth of strategy and derive their enjoyment more from the social interaction than the rules and gameplay. Recently, Spiel de Jahres nominee The Mind has renewed this debate amongst board gamers. Read on to find out if it might be a game for you.

Undead Viking:

Wreck Raiders Review



Getaway Driver Review



theMCGuiRE review:

Boss Monster: Rise of The Minibosses Review

theMCGuiRE review takes a look at the brand new installment of Boss Monster - Boss Monster: Rise of The Minibosses. Oh ya baby, its Boss Monster 3 in all its glory! This version is great and offers two main new mechanics: coins and minibosses. Both are implemented very well and it adds even more robust customization of your deadly dungeon. Bring on the epic heroes, for they have no choice but to give you their soul for the win!

Saturday!
Saturday!
Saturday!
Umm... read that like Elton John.
Anyway, it's Saturday (if you hadn't noticed), so that means it's time to hang out and play some games. But it's also time for some reviews.

Today we have: Unearth, Zooscape, Moonquake Escape, Balloon Pop, Purrrlock Holmes, Neuroshima Hex: Death Breath, Deadline, The Butterfly Garden, Sagrada, Mow Money, Century: Spice Road, Slide Blast, Power Play, Monopoly Gamer, and Gang Rush: Breakout.



Toucan Play That Game:

Unearth Review

In this video you can find out my thoughts on Unearth by Brotherwise Games.

theMCGuiRE review:

Zooscape Review

theMCGuiRE review takes a look at Zooscape a game from TMG that offers fun for a larger group and fantastic artwork!! If you like animals or the zoo - I'm sure you will love this title.

Moonquake Escape Review

theMCGuiRE review takes a look at MoonQuake Escape a game from Breaking Games and designer Jeff Johnston. We are doing another giveaway on this title and you definitely want to get in on this one! With this giveaway you are getting the game, 8 buttons, and the promo pack!

So hide your alien and keep them under cover so you can make your way to the landing base and be the first to escape in the only rocket there is. This is a great family and game night title - pick it up, its fun!

Balloon Pop Review

theMCGuiRE review takes a look at Balloon Pop, a game from TMG. In this title you are simply rolling up to 5 dice and trying not to pop your balloon first - thus giving yourself a chance for the highest score in three rounds. This is a very quick 10 min game / filler and a fun recommendation.

Learn to Play:

Purrrlock Holmes Review

In this video I will teach you how to play including: Setup, player turn, game play breakdown, and end game conditions.

I will also give you my thoughts and opinions on the game, and would love to hear yours.

Board Game Quest:

Neuroshima Hex: Death Breath Review

The Death Breath army has a unique feel compared to the existing armies as there are quite a few new mechanisms added. Most importantly, when any of your units are killed, they go into a zombie pool. Your HQ has the ability to return units from your zombie pool to the battlefield after a battle. Many of your units have additional strength of initiative highlighted in green that activate only when they are returned in zombie form.

Additionally, some units have a charge ability that allows them to move into the space occupied by an opposing unit they defeat. This is extremely useful for units that activate in multiple initiatives as they can wipe out a whole line of enemies if things go your way.

Deadline Review

Once a case is chosen and each player has their detective card, they are ready to begin.

After reading the case description (usually a murder that needs to be solved), a number of clue cards will be accessible to the players. The current “chief detective” then chooses a clue card to begin the round. Each clue card will contain a number of symbols that must be matched to successfully reveal the backside of the clue.

The Butterfly Garden Review

Each round of a game, players will be looking at a hand of Butterfly cards, more Butterfly cards on the table, and Garden cards. At the start of the round, each player selects a Butterfly card from their hand to play. These cards indicate the turn order using a large number in the upper left of the card. They also show the number and type of butterflies the player will gain in their jar.

Sagrada Review

Sagrada is played over ten rounds, with each round made up of the following three steps:

The first player randomly draws dice from a dice bag and rolls them to establish the draft pool (two dice for each player plus one)
Starting with the first player, players may perform each of the following actions in any order (NOTE: Turn order is in a snake draft pattern):
Draft a die from the draft pool and place the die in his window
Use a tool card which allows the use of special abilities, but for a price (favor tokens)
After the first player has taken their second turn, the round is over

The next round starts with the next player clockwise. After ten rounds, the game is over and the final scores are calculated based on:

Public objectives
Private objective
Favor tokens remaining
Negative points for each open space in their window

The player with the most points wins.

Mow Money Review

At the start of the game, players will first set up the neighborhoods and contract cards. Players will then get all of their starting bits and lawn mower. Once they draw five basic bid cards and collect their three bluff cards the game can begin.

iSlaytheDragon:

Century: Spike Road Review

Century: Spice Road is an engine-building resource-conversion game for two to five players. Players are spice merchants along the spice road, seeking to produce and trade the spices necessary to fulfill contracts. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins.

Slide Blast Review

The object of Slide Blast is to build the longest waterslide for your meeple to slide down. Or, in game terms, to build a slide that covers the most tiles and thus earns you the most victory points.

You’ll build your slide by placing tiles and connecting flumes. This is easy-peasy. You will begin the game with one tile in hand. When it’s your turn, draw a tile from one of the tile decks so that you have two tiles in hand to choose from. Place your chosen tile so that it extends your slide and then move your meeple to the end of your slide. Now it’s the next person’s turn.

Power Play Review

Power Play is a unique narrative game that combines the freedom of an RPG with the simplified rules, structures, and goals of a board game. It also happens to be competitive.

I’ve been mulling over this game for a long time, trying to figure out what to say about it. It’s not necessary a bad game; it’s playable, and definitely possible to have fun with. I just wonder that it might be stuck between two worlds, unable to find a real audience except for a small niche.

Drive Thru Review:

Monopoly Gamer Review

Intro (00:00); game overview (01:52); final thoughts and review (14:23)

Board to Death TV:

Gang Rush: Breakout Review

When the members of the underworld start to cross the bridge that leads to their headquarters, nobody knows who will reach the other side. Dash, crash, and cash in Gang Rush Breakout — whoever meets the Godfather with the most loot wins!

Well, it's Saturday. My day was looking like it might be a bit dull, but then a friend was like, "Hey, let's have everyone come over and game." and I was like, "done and done. I just need to type up a post first." So, that's the sacrifice I'm making for you all. I could be on my way to gaming, but I know how much you need to get your review articles. Such is my dedication to this site and its readers. :P ;)
The Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Sr., and Roy Acuff are helping, too.

Today we have: Dairyman, Bottlecap Vikings, Cult Following, Game of Trains, Yamatai, The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Balloon Pop, Unearth, Shahrazad, Rhein: River Trader, Dresden Files, Riff Raff, BarenPark, Jaipur, and Sentient.



theMCGuiRE review:

Dairyman Review

theMCGuiRE review takes a look at Dairyman, a new one from TMG for 2017. This is a great little game and one of my favorites from them this year. I don't know why, but I love the concept and game play. Its just fun! In this title you are trying to ensure your milk orders do not spoil and you can produce milk each time its your turn. Otherwise, you are stuck with a back order, which can help you out unless you have the most of them.

this is a definite title to pick up!

Bottlecap Vikings Review

theMCGuiRE review takes a look at Bottlecap Vikings, another TMG title that offers the roundel mechanic and a nice technology skill tree aspect that's always fun to build up. Its a quick and simple game, that I find builds memory and tactics.

Board to Death TV:

Cult Following Review

Cult Following is a creative storycrafting card game. Each round two or three players are selected to be cultists. All the other players are designated as recruits. Cultists choose three ideas from a hand of five cards and creatively bind them together into a ridiculous cult. Recruits draw cards with questions and choose one to ask the cultists to help them figure out which cult to join. Each cultist takes a turn to answer. The recruit then picks their favorite answer and gives that cultist their question card, which represents a new follower that has joined that cult. The first cultist to reach two followers wins the round.

Polyhedron Collider:

Game of Trains Review

Alanis Morissette would call it ironic that I am writing a review about Game of Trains while sitting on a train. It’s not ironic, it's just where I seem to spend most of my time these days, squirming on London Midlands putrid green seats that where no doubt designed to eradicate slouching on public transport by 2019. The good thing is Game of Trains is a damn sight more fun than sitting uncomfortably on a morning commuter train, in fact I would go so far as to say that it has been the best game I have played so far in 2017.

The premise of Game of Trains is really simple, you will start the game with seven carriages numbered in descending order with any number from 1 to 88. The first person to arrange their carriages into ascending order is the winner.

iSlaytheDragon:

Yamatai Review

Yamatai is a pattern recognition/building resource management Euro game for two to four players. Players are builders trying to beautify the Yamatai archipelago and be named Queen Himiko’s chief builder. The player with the most prestige at the end of the game wins.

The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen Review

Baron Munchausen is a game of telling outlandish tales to impress your friends.

You begin by giving yourself a name and noble title (“character creation”) to be referred by during the course of the game. Whoever is the starting player is given a prompt by the player to their left – this can be completely made up, or from the included list of prompts in the game book. An example prompt might look like this:

“Tell us, Great Duke of Carrotsberry, of the day you saved the moon from falling from the sky.”

The Great Duke of Carrotsberry then proceeds to weave their tale, making sure to present themself as outlandishly heroic, equipped with sheer ingenuity and strength in all forms. The story shouldn’t drag on; only a few minutes should do it, lest the Duke be deemed long-winded. (A player can be cut short with a toast if someone goes on too long).

Board Game Quest:

Balloon Pop Review

In Balloon Pop, players start with 3 dice and can choose to reroll some or all, but if you do, you add a die to the next roll. Once a player re-rolls twice or is satisfied with their roll, they record the results on their scoring sheet by circling the numbers listed. The dice are then passed to the next player.

When scoring, it’s important to note that players will only score when a player circles the last red number under the balloon. This signifies a “Break.” If there is a Break during the round, all players continue to take their turn until reaching the starting player. All players then score points equal to the circled numbers in each column. If there are multiple breaks in a round, only one scoring takes place.

After three Breaks, players will total their scores from all 3 Breaks and the player with the highest points is the winner.

Unearth Review

Each player begins the game with a secret ruin card and a set of identical dice, which range from 4-sided to 6-sided to 8-sided.

There are no rounds in Unearth, starting with the first player, each player takes a turn in a clockwise manner.

Shahrazad Review

In Shahrazad, one or two players cooperatively attempt to place story tiles to make the most successful story to impress the king. To make a great story, the tiles must ascend from left to right and attempt to group colors together as much as possible.

After all tiles are played through two rounds, players take their total score and get a brief review from the king.

Rhein: River Trade Review

Rhein: River Trade is FedEx: The Game. Players take on the role of shipping companies aiming to fulfill contracts that require a certain amount of goods to be delivered to locations out of Basel, Germany within a certain amount of time. The player who manages this task to the achievement of the most profit wins.

The Dresden Files Review

Each game of the Dresden Files is broken out into one of the many Dresden Files books. And once you have tackled all of those, there is a stack of “side jobs” you can play for added variety.

Once you’ve selected a book for the game and each player chooses a character from the Dresden Files universe. Case cards are then dealt out into two, face up rows on the game board. Starting with the player controlling Harry Dresden (of course), each player takes one action on their turn.

Parental Guidance: Riff Raff, BarenPark, Jaipur Review

We are back with another installment of Parental Guidance, where I chose games to play with my parents, and my mother chimes in with her thoughts on the games I brought. The goal of this article series is to help you choose new games that you can pull out with your family and other non-gamers. Ideally, these will be something different from the Ticket to Rides and Catan games you’ve played 1,000 times. If you missed the first installment of Parental Guidance, be sure to give it a read as there are some good options in there. As always, I’ll start with a summary of the game, why I chose it, and my mother’s thoughts. On to the games!

Drive Thru Review:

Unearth Review

Intro (00:00); game overview (01:00); final thoughts and review (11:04)

Sentient Review

Intro (00:00); game overview (01:13); final thoughts and review (09:49)

In my Facebook news feed, I'll often see stories about people modifying video games in some form. Remaking classic levels of video games with new game engines. Turning Metroid levels on their side. All sorts of stuff. Well, now you can modify one of your video game card games in much the same way. Brotherwise Games has made it so you can make your own Boss Monster cards.




They've uploaded templates for you to use, so all you have to do is head to the page at DriveThruCards and click the buttons to make whatever sort of Boss Monster cards you want. Any sort of customized cards you want, you can make. Monsters that give extra XP as a Level Up? You can do it. Heroes that get bonuses whenever they find goblins? You can do it. Just make your cards and go.

Source

I, as I mentioned in my post yesterday, am more-than-likely playing 2nd edition D&D when this will be posted to the site.
Some friends I know have a long-running campaign and the DM is writing me in as an occasionally-recurring NPC. Not sure what my character will be (at time of typing), but it should be a good time.

Anyway, that's as may be. Right now, it's time for some game reviews.

In this batch, we have reviews/previews of: Boss Monster 2, Dark City 30 Corner Apartment Building and Gargoyles, Golem Arcana, The Great War, Apotheca, Lord of the Rings board game, Hocus, Paradox, Kaleidoscope, Infinity, Penny Press, Argonauts, Argent: The Consortium, and Star Wars Armada.



The Meeple Mechanic:

Boss Monster 2 Review

Today we take a look at Boss Monster 2 by Brotherwise Games. This game was actually recently fulfilled after funding and one of our review team wanted to get a review out.

Graven Games:
Dark City 30 Corner Apartment Building and Gargoyles Review

Time to build some Dark City 30 terrain! Dark City 30 is a range of laser-cut flat pack terrain suitable for 25-28mm tabletop wargames and skirmish games such as Warhammer 40k or the Batman Miniatures Game. This is a newly designed range from Multiverse Gaming and from the preview photos we’ve seen, this is going to be some great beautiful terrain for our games.

Play Board Games:

Golem Arcana Review

Golem Arcana is a tactical miniatures game that uses an app to apply rules, build armies and track game state.

Model Dads:

Plastic Soldier Company’s The Great War boardgame

Model Dads pack up our troubles by casting a strategic eye over The Plastic Soldier Company‘s new World War I board wargame, The Great War.

iSlaytheDragon:

Potent Puzzles (A Preview of Apotheca)

Dealing with black magic, mysterious arts and secret spells has always been a risky profession. So of course you want to be a part of it. Well this is your day! The Apothecaries, a secret society of potion concocting luminaries, have organized a contest in a search for new blood. But is it in search of fresh inspiration? Or to lure unwitting disciples into their game of dark machinations?

It was a long journey to Mordor, I’m Gladriel made it (A Review of The Lord of The Rings)

With The Lord of the Rings game, you allow yourself to get swept off with Frodo on his famous adventure to Mount Doom. You will battle through some of the most iconic events of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and take on the responsibility of the destruction of the One Ring. If you succeed, Middle Earth is saved. If you fail, all of Middle Earth is doomed to darkness. Are you up for the challenge?

Wizard’s Wager (a preview of Hocus)

What is a card game worthy of the wizards in your life? Some might say Cribbage, or even Canasta. Poker can be an interesting diversion, if the wizards don’t cheat, but keeping wizards honorable is a difficult task, especially when money and prestige are on the line. And besides, the wizards I know tend to prefer something more…exotic. Something that gives them more control over their actions. Something that lets them use their magical prowess to alter the flow of the game in their favor.

In a word, they prefer Hocus.

A Matter of Time (A Preview of Paradox)

Time. They say we have it to kill and to burn. Yet it also flies. We waste it, but it also passes us by before we know it. It heals all wounds and eventually reveals all secrets, but when you lose it you never get it back. It’s the most valuable thing we can spend, but it stalks us like a predator because ours is limited. Time is a curse…and a tool. It is money. It governs our existence and orders our lives. But what if everything you understood about time was shattering the universe…?

Shut Up & Sit Down:

RPG Review: Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope is a game that brings you all the joy and frustration of discussing an opaque foreign art film, without actually having to sit through one. You and your friends invent the details of a fictitious movie in the same time or less than it would have taken to watch.

But how? you ask. I'll tell you how!

Miniatures Game Review: Infinity

In the coming months I'll be serving as your guide to the dark world of tabletop miniatures gaming. More than that, I'll be trying to tell you what makes the very best ones sing – what about each one makes them unique, and why people spend huge amounts of money and even larger amounts of time assembling and painting little soldiers.

Up first, let's take a gander at Infinity, the phenomenal flagship game of Corvus Belli.

And I do mean take a gander – before anything else is said, just look at those sexy, sexy models.

Board to Death TV:

Penny Press Preview

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.

Argonauts preview

Argonauts is a cooperative game that requires careful strategic planning and just a bit of luck, as even the best laid plans, can fall victim to the wrath of the Gods. The game’s objectives are to acquire the Golden Fleece and return safely to Iolkos without losing Argo or too many members of her crew. Each player controls heroes that participated in the Argonaut campaign, each with his / her own set of skills and special abilities. Following the journey from the myth, the Argonauts must face mythical monsters like Scylla and Harybdis, Harpies, Sirens, the construct Talos and the dragon guarding the Fleece, not to mention the perilous journey full of lethal encounters with merciless pirates or having to weather destructive thunderstorms all the while making sure their cargo hold is well stocked with the necessary supplies for the journey to and from Kolchis and their ship sea-worthy.

Board Game Quest:

Argent: The Consortium Review

As I previously mentioned in my review of Deadwood, I love worker placement games. As I also stated in my Deadwood review, I hate when people take my action in a worker placement game. I understand that the point of a worker placement game often includes action denial. I just do not like it when it happens to me…

When I heard that one of my favorite game publishers, Level 99 Games, was creating a worker placement game that is set in the fantasy universe of The World of Indines (BattleCON, Pixel Tactics) and pitted competing schools of magic against each other to be elected as Chancellor of Argent University, I was immediately interested in the game. That game is Argent: The Consortium.

Argent: The Consortium is a worker placement game for two to five players that plays between 30 and 45 minutes per player.

Polyhedron Collider:

Star Wars Armada Review

Fantasy Flight Games’ Star Wars X-Wing miniatures game is quite possible one of my favourite games of all time. Not only did it beautifully capture the look and feel of the Star Wars films that have been my geek passion for years, they also managed to skilfully capture the dogfighting and manoeuvring aspect of the attack on the Death Star in A New Hope (or just Star Wars when I first saw it).

When Wizkids took the same system and transferred it to Star Trek, to me, it just didn’t feel right. X-Wing was about dog fighting, Star Fleet should be about careful manoeuvring of massive dreadnoughts. Well Fantasy Flight Games have done it again because Star Wars Armada takes the space battles from my favourite space opera films and scales it up so we can now blast each other with Star Destroyers.

If X-Wing was the new hope Death Star attack, then Star Wars Armada is the major offence on the Death Star from Return of the Jedi. It takes the scale up to frigates and capital ships but never forgets the ease that made X-Wing so fast and deadly.

Brotherwise Games is running a Kickstarter campaign for Boss Monster II: The Next Level. In the game, players take on the role of a NES-era video game boss. You are competing against each-other in order to create the best dungeon to lure in adventurers who you will, of course, then crush. The 160-card set can be played all on its own or combined with the original set for a truly huge game.
The game is closing in on 3x funded with just under two weeks left on the clock.

From the campaign:

Boss Monster is coming back to the tabletop, and this time we're taking it to The Next Level!

Boss Monster 2: The Next Level is a full-sized, 160 card set that returns you to the world of Arcadia where the bad are good and the good are dinner. Just like the original Boss Monster, you'll take the role of the boss at the end of a retro-style video game dungeon, competing against other bosses to build a dungeon that will lure in questing heroes and destroy them. You can play Boss Monster 2 on its own, or combine the set with the original Boss Monster cards for a truly epic experience!

The original Boss Monster was a Kickstarter hit, before going on to become a bestseller in hobby and game stores worldwide. The retail pre-orders for Boss Monster 2 are already rolling in, but this Kickstarter gives the community that made Boss Monster happen a chance to get in on the action early, and get some special extras before anyone else.
What's New?

Boss Monster 2 is an all-new set with more Bosses, more card variety, and more ways to crush puny Heroes! Here are just a few of the things that make it our favorite Boss Monster experience yet:

Dark Heroes -- the Hitman, Barbarian, Witch, and Vampire -- can be "paid" to deal more damage to an opponent.
Hybrid Heroes -- the Swordmage, Druid, Archer and Necromancer -- are drawn to two treasure types and feature powerful abilities.
Epic Spells -- like Lightning Bolt! and It's On! -- give you the option to unlock more powerful effects if you meet a prerequisite.
More cross-table effects, like "cycling" Rooms let you discard cards to affect an opponent's dungeon.
More access to Spells, through Cleric Rooms as well as Mage Rooms.
...and more! Boss Monster 2 features more overall variety and fewer duplicate cards, to keep the game fresh after dozens of plays.

If you're an experienced dungeon-builder, Boss Monster gives you all-new tools and more ways to interact with your opponents. But if this is your first time playing Boss Monster, it retains the accessibility and ease of play that made the original a hit.

Source