board games

DC Comics Deck-Building Game: Crisis Expansion Review

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The latest entry in the DC Comics Deck-Building Game franchise is Crisis Expansion Pack 1. This expansion is compatible with the main game and Heroes Unite, though it cannot be played on its own. By adding this expansion to your collection, you’ll get new heroes, new main deck cards, and new cards to support Crisis Mode. This new gameplay variant turns this competitive deck-building game into a cooperative one by forcing players to collectively fight through adverse gameplay events in order to defeat the villains and super-villains before time runs out. Having this as an alternative to competitive play makes a lot more thematic sense, as it was bothersome before to think that the heroes would intentionally hurt each other in order to be the better hero. However, the execution of this gameplay variant leaves a lot to be desired.

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DC Comics Deck-Building Game: Heroes Unite Review

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Following up on the success of the original, DC Comics Deck-Building Game: Heroes Unite is a stand-alone game that is fully compatible with is predecessor. While the core gameplay is the same, this set contains new character cards and a new main deck; all of which have new abilities. For newcomers, is this the version you should start with? And for those who already own the original, is this worth adding to your collection?

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The Board Game Night Playlist: Intro to Board Games

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Ticket to Ride 10th Anniversary Edition BoardWelcome to the Board Game Night Playlist! In what will hopefully grow into an ongoing series, I put together a playlist of games that you could use for your next board game night. Ideally, each playlist is created with the thought that all of the games on the list could be played within an evening of gaming. Also, I’d like for each playlist to contain some sort of thread that ties them together. For instance, I want to make playlists that are tuned for specific player counts, themes, gameplay mechanics or other logical through lines to make the most out of your next session.

This first playlist was inspired by a board game night we had with Mat and his now-fiancée Liza. Neither of them had played board games in years, with most of their experience coming from playing mainstream hits like Monopoly or Scrabble. What set of games could we pull together that were equal parts fun and accessible? Our picks out to be excellent choices, as we had a great night and inspired Mat and Liza to seek out more great board game experiences for themselves. This first playlist is the exact lineup of games we played that fateful night. If you’re hosting a board game night with newcomers, or are new to the medium yourself, try out this introductory playlist!

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In Third Person Comic Book Show: Board Games Based on Comics

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Branching out beyond the stories, I cover some of the big comic book board games, card games and dice games on the market. If you’re a fan of the comics, you might want to try some of these!


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Oceania Review

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In Oceania, 1-2 players take the high seas in search of new land. Starting with an empty board, players explore this uncharted territory by building the world with randomly-drawn tiles. Along the way, players can place scouts on islands as their bid to take control over them. At the end of the game, the player with control over the most tiles with islands on them wins. Despite its clever design, the game struggles to generate any fun or excitement.

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Pandemic: The Cure Review

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Pandemic: The CureThrow on your Hazmat suits, kids. The smash-hit board game about curing four deadly diseases before they ravage the world returns as a dice game in Pandemic: The Cure. As such, both games follow the same premise and are similar in many respects. However, making the transition from a board game to a dice game has turned The Cure into a faster and somewhat more casual affair. Hoping that this game will surpass its legendary predecessor may be asking for too much, but does it stand out on its own as a fun and unique take on the tried-and-true formula?

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Ticket to Ride 10th Anniversary Edition Impressions

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Ticket to Ride 10th Anniversary Edition

To celebrate the landmark release of Ticket to Ride in 2004, Days of Wonder has put out a special 10th anniversary edition of the classic board game. This premium package includes all of the content from the USA 1910 Expansion, larger cards, a double-sized board and new custom trains for each colour. It also comes with a premium price tag, as we got ours for about $80 before tax. For context, you can get the same amount of content by buying the original game for $40, the expansion for $16 and still have $24 left in your pocket.

Despite owning the original and the expansion, Steff and I have been waiting for the right time to upgrade. Thanks to a gift card that Steff received for her birthday, we now have this mammoth-sized game sitting on our shelf. Is it worth upgrading from coach to a first class ticket?

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Guillotine Review

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Heads will roll in Guillotine (sorry, had to do it). In this 2-5 player card game set in the French Revolution, players take turns executing different nobles. Each noble is assigned a point value based on how much their execution is worth. For instance, beheading Marie Antoinette will earn you a lot of points, while a lowly guard is only worth one. After three “days”, the person with the most points at the end of the game wins. Or, morbidly speaking, the player with the most valuable set of heads wins. While the game at a root level is dark nature, Guillotine is actually a humourous and fun card game.

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Lost Legacy: The Starship Review

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Seiji Kanai and AEG caught lightning in a bottle with their smash-hit game Love Letter. Using only 16 cards and a simple rule set, Love Letter provides a masterful gaming experience that is fun for virtually anyone. I first gushed about it in my review of the game last year and I still consider it to be one of my all-time favourites.

Trying to build on the success of Love Letter, Seiji Kanai and AEG are back with Lost Legacy: The Starship. Building on Love Letter‘s 16-card setup and ruleset while pairing it with an all-new theme, Lost Legacy aims to add another layer of depth to the gameplay. While this is certainly more complicated than its predecessor, it’s not necessarily better off.

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Marvel Dice Masters: Avengers vs. X-Men Added to the List of Awesome Board Games You Should Play

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You and an opponent assume the role of rival masterminds in Marvel Dice Masters: Avengers vs. X-Men. Based on the Avengers vs. X-Men comic book crossover event, you’ll recruit heroes into your squad before sending them off to battle. Each hero is represented by a card that outlines their special ability, as well as one or more custom dice styled to look like that character. Once you get accustomed to the rules and the different states your dice can be in at any given time, this one is a fun fast-paced dice battling game that you’ll want to play again and again. If the base set isn’t enough, booster packs are sold for only $1 that come with two cards and two dice. This one is another game that’s easy to recommend because it’s fun, cheap (the base game is only $15…if you can find it at retail price) and the collectible factor is through the roof.

Check out the full list of Awesome Board Games You Should Play


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