Free-range thoughts about design, writing, and play
There is a time for drama and story. For sparkling dialogue and mighty deeds. And then there are the times when you just want to get fast and furious with a game like Tower Conquest, released a couple of weeks ago on iOS and Android.
Tim Fowers’ Paperback card game is a unique crossover between word games and deck builders. I’m a big fan of both genres, so I couldn’t resist picking the physical game up after its 2014 release. I also couldn’t resist the new iOS version, so how does the game stand up as an app?
Many years ago, I was one of several redshirts who created a Star Trek drinking game. Since old friends and the Internet never forget the sins of your youth, a friend asked me this morning, “Do you have time to put together a “Drunk Debate” game before 9:00 pm EDT tonight? Please and thank you.” Ashley, this is YOUR fault.
Fitbit has a new feature this month, which is kind of a big deal. While the leading fitness wearable company does all the usual tweaks to its software, it doesn’t roll out a lot of new content. So how do Fitbit’s new Adventures measure up?
“The Man Trap” premiered on September 8, 1966, which means that Star Trek has been living long and prospering for fifty years! If you’d like to celebrate with a board game and something… green… here are five great choices.
There’s a delightful thread on the Board Game Geek website about the 6 “astronauts” who simulated a Mars mission in Hawaii for a year. At least one member of the team brought a “mountain” of board games, which begs an irresistible question: which board games would you take to Mars?
Vast: the Crystal Caverns is one of those high-concept games that you really want to see work. It takes a hoary old theme — dungeon crawls! — and reinvigorates it with clever gameplay and visual designs. The question is: is Vast too clever for its own good?
We’re replacing a 22-year-old air conditioning system today, and the salesman did a fine job of reassuring us and explaining our options. When he learned I was a game designer, he also told me to check out something new and interesting: a multi-level marketing sports game from an outfit called United Games.
Lanterns has made a splash over the last year, earning plenty of great reviews and awards nominations. It’s a “lay tiles for points” game that looks a lot like Carcassonne, but is Lanterns likely to dethrone that classic game?
I’ve never been much of an real-time strategy (RTS) gamer. I like building up bases, but smashing opponents doesn’t excite me and I hate having to do everything in a hurry. So it took a lot of rave reviews before I tried out Offworld Trading Company, but now I’m hooked on the twists and turns of its…