Board Game Buzz, April 29, 2013

Board Game Buzz



Here is the latest news in the world of board games, for the week of April 29th, 2013:

High Heavens Board Game Pits Norse Gods vs. Greek Gods

High Heavens"Want to play a strategy board game that lets you pit the classic Greek pantheon versus the Norse pantheon for control of earth? For the love of Odin and Zeus, get yourself over to the High Heavens board game Kickstarter page and make sure that it gets funded and printed. The game is a mix between Magic the Gathering and chess since it uses a deck of random cards to help increase the replay value in addition to its grid-based board and highly detailed play pieces." [link]


A Board Game Piece Is More Than A Mere Chunk Of Plastic

Board Game Piece"The appeal of table games' physical presence isn't to do with the luxury of the objects themselves. Play is how we form emotional connections. The purpose of the game-as-object is to make it easiest to foster those connections, allowing everybody to invest in what's on the table, right down to building it up and breaking it down, and in doing so, it gives you the path of least resistance to connect to each other. Put another way, that tiny plastic man isn't a toy. He's an emotional power adaptor." [link]


Carcassonne Inns & Cathedrals Review

Carcassonne Inns & Cathedrals"Carcassonne is a fantastic board game for families because it's simple to learn and play with a good balance of luck and strategy. And it's fun to have a hand in building a cool looking countryside that's different every time you play. While Inns & Cathedrals doesn't add a ton to Carcassonne, it does add a number of elements that we've really enjoyed. One of the things that made this a great first expansion for us is that it adds items for a 6th player. And in a family of 6, having a 6th player option is fantastic." [link]

Play Carcassonne Games




Monopoly: Electronic Banking Board Game Review

Monopoly: Electronic Banking"The biggest selling point of the Electronic Banking edition of Monopoly is, of course, the ability to use credit cards with the game instead of passing actual pieces of Monopoly money around the game board. This could either be a good or a bad thing depending on the player. While playing the game, we found that we missed the money, we missed the tactile feedback of holding it in our hand and with only a credit card, whether you've got millions of pounds in the bank or are absolutely bankrupt, you're still going to have that card in your hand" [link]

Play Monopoly Games


The Walking Dead: The Board Game Review

The Walking Dead"The Walking Dead: The Board Game has a nice enough concept, and with enough people together the game mechanics could work to make the entire experience a little bit more enjoyable, but with just a couple of people, players will find the game world much too big to pose any kind of serious threat. The Walking Dead: The Board Game isn't a bad experience, but it's one that needs a little bit of work to be truly enjoyable. Still, it's worth a shot if you're a fan of the source material." [link]


Wizard's Brew Board Game Review

Wizard's Brew"Wizard's Brew is an auction game with spells and the four elements. You must collect a certain number of ingredients before your opponents to win. Despite not being perfect Wizard's Brew is a fun, auction game. Managing the two types of auctions and your resources makes for a fun experience. If you like auction games you should pick this one up. Even if you are not wild about auctions games you should try this one." [link]


Notable Quote

"Life is a difficult game. You can win it only by retaining your birthright to be a person."
 ~ Abdul Kalam


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Board Game BuzzBoard Game Buzz is a periodical roundup of news and notes from the board gaming blogosphere, featuring board game news, board game game releases, board game reviews, and opinion from the people who live and breathe board games and gaming!

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