antoine bauza

Hanabi Review

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Years ago, when we were just starting to buy board games, a representative from Snakes & Lattes recommended two games to us: Card of the Dead and Hanabi. One is a game about fighting zombies in the apocalypse, while the other is a game about sequencing fireworks. Naturally, we chose the zombie game, because how could a game about fireworks top zombies? Well, Card of the Dead turned out to be a dud that collected dust on our shelf until we eventually gave it away.

Meanwhile, Hanabi became a runaway smash hit, selling a ton of copies for R&R Games and even winning the prestigious Speil des Jahres award for game of the year. Recognizing that we blew it, I always wondered what would have been had we chosen Hanabi on that fateful day. After a few recent plays with this fireworks-based game, we probably would have been a lot happier.

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Terror in Meeple City Review

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Meeple City will never be the same by the time players are done with Terror in Meeple City (formerly known as Rampage). Two-to-four players will take turns smashing buildings and eating people until the city is nothing but rubble. The civilians may be on borrowed time, but they will fight back if enough of them escape. When they do, they’ll knock out your teeth or find other ways to slow you down.

I love the concept of Terror in Meeple City. The thought of it kind of makes me think of reverse Jenga, where the point of it is to generate mass destruction. While it certainly is a game that lets you break stuff, the actual fun that comes from toppling buildings isn’t as fulfilling as I thought it would be.

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Tokaido Review

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Over the course of my life, I’ve developed a fascination with the country of Japan. It started out with my love for video games and anime, but the more I’ve looked into it, the more I think that Japan is one of the most interesting places in the world. Though I don’t have the resources today to hop on a plane and experience it for myself, it is on my list of things to do before I die.

In the meantime, there’s Tokaido by Antoine Bauza and Passport Game Studio. In this board game, players are tasked with hiking through Japan. Along the way, you’ll get to experience the best that Japan has to offer, from stunning vistas, helpful companions, delicious food and more. By the end of your adventure, the player that had the best experience on their trip is declared the winner.
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