Pandemic Iberia is a spin-off of the hit board game that puts players in a point of history far earlier than the present. With this shift in time period comes some changes to core gameplay. In a world without fight, movement around the board is somewhat hindered. In a world where science is far more primitive, you don’t have the means to cure diseases. Is this evolutionary step backwards compelling enough of a twist to get board game players to the table?
Reviews
Overcooked: Special Edition Impressions
The act of cooking is an integral part of our everyday lives and one that many enjoy partaking in. So why don’t we have any good cooking-based video games? Sure, cooking on the surface isn’t as exciting as shooting zombies, racing go-karts, or swinging a sword, but someone has to eventually find a way to make a compelling cooking game, right?
No disrespect intended towards BurgerTime or Cooking Mama, but Overcooked might be the riveting cooking game that we never knew we wanted. A hit indie title last year on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, the game finally makes its way to the Nintendo Switch in a special edition. Is this port a worthwhile addition to your Nintendo Switch library?
StarFall Review
Since the days of Galileo, astronomers have been gazing into the night sky, calling dibs on particular planets, comets and star formations among other fascinating elements in space. StarFall is a board game that puts you and your friends behind the telescope as you lay claim to formations in space.
Karuba Review
Best known for making quality kid-friendly games such as Animal Upon Animal, Karuba by Haba Games is a step forward for making strategic games for the whole family. In it, players will race their adventurers across an island in hopes of collecting the most treasure. Should you trek through this jungle in search of treasure and glory?
Thoughts on NBA Playgrounds Ver. 1.1.3 Patch on the Nintendo Switch
Saber Interactive and Nintendo left NBA Playgrounds players in the cold as their squabbles over patching policies caused a major update to be left hanging for months. With the NBA season having wrapped up weeks ago and with other Nintendo Switch games available to keep players occupied, I would imagine that any interest in this game died long ago. While it’s great that Saber Interactive finally did right by Nintendo Switch gamers, is this a case of too little, too late?
Santorini Review
Santorini is a gorgeous game. The main board sits atop a stand that makes it look like its a raised island. Each worker figure is detailed. Most impressive are the building blocks, which form intricate buildings with clearly defined windows and stairs.
But high production values does not a good game make. Is this a game worthy of its beautiful components and somewhat steep price point?
Box of Rocks Review
Are you smarter than a box of rocks? The answer may surprise you. Box of Rocks is a trivia game in which players work together to compete against…a box of rocks. How hard could it possibly be?
Magical Drop II Review
While we continue to anxiously await for Nintendo to reveal their full plans for the Virtual Console on the Nintendo Switch, Neo Geo continues to release their extended catalogue on the eShop. One such game is Magical Drop II. This puzzle game from the 90s is akin to a mash-up of Bust-a-Move and Puyo Puyo. In a world where Puyo Puyo Tetris is available, is there merit in grabbing this retro puzzler?
Mighty Gunvolt: Burst Review
Mighty Gunvolt: Burst is the amalgamation of two indie franchises that were heavily influenced by the Blue Bomber. Despite being conceived by Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune and backed by a multi-million dollar Kickstarter campaign, Mighty No. 9 will go down in history as one of the largest flops in gaming history. As for the Gunvolt half, Azure Striker: Gunvolt has been a more successful IP in terms of critical reception, though I’d never heard of the franchise until this mash-up.
Wouldn’t blame you for feeling skeptical about any game featuring the now-toxic Mighty No. 9 brand, even if it looks like the 8-bit platformer backers of the original Kickstarter wanted in the first place. While I can’t speak for the quality of that game, I can say that Mighty Gunvolt: Burst is actually a pretty decent game.
The Pursuit of Happiness Review
I have a soft spot in my heart for The Game of Life. Despite only discovering it in my adult years, I greatly enjoyed the experience of playing through the life of my character. However, as I refined my taste in board games, the faults in the classic game’s design became too difficult to ignore. Sure, the theme continues to be great, but the outcome was almost entirely driven by the luck of the spinner.
The Pursuit of Happiness takes the theme that makes The Game of Life great and places it into a board game with modern worker placement mechanics. Eschewing the dice and most elements of chance, it aims to simulate the human condition with gameplay that is much more strategic in nature. Is this the hobby-grade version of The Game of Life you never knew you wanted?
In Third Person 