Contributor
TheCuttlefish
Cares about the box, the insert and the rulebook as much as the game. Has a particular weakness for tidy rules and gleeful take-that.
🎁 1 kudos from readers
274 reviews
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Cavern TavernCavern Tavern is a Russian worker-placement game that borrows ideas from Kingsburg and Lords of Waterdeep without surpassing either of them. Even so, it is an enjoyable and unusual game for our group, leaving a positive impression despite its rough edges.
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New AngelesNew Angeles arrived with high expectations, but our first game was more a lesson learned among the ruins than a proper introduction. Before deciding whether it is a dud or not, I need another two or three plays—ideally with six players.
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Carson City: Big BoxCarson City: Big Box had won us over from our first encounter, and this return proved just how easily it can become a delightful bloodbath when the group is in the mood.
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Mystic ValeMystic Vale brings a genuinely fresh idea to the tired deck-building field, but its base box does little to elevate it. The expansion makes it much more interesting, even if it also makes the balance a little wilder.
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A Game of Thrones: Hand of the KingAn honest retheme of That's My Fish!, with Varys wiping out Westeros. It works better with three players; with four, it is over before you get to enjoy it.
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Wealth of Nations: War CloudsWealth of Nations: War Clouds remains our favourite instrument of economic mutual destruction: merciless, almost luck-free, and full of moves that make you pay for everyone else’s mistakes. The second game confirmed that, with experienced players, it becomes even harsher.
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Cry HavocCry Havoc gave us a very clear—and rather discouraging—picture of its balance at three players. No matter how impressive the other factions looked, the Humans took the win without breaking a sweat.
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Great Western TrailGreat Western Trail is a very enjoyable point-salad game that flows smoothly without asking you to melt your brain. It is not a game of savage confrontation, but it has just enough competition to keep other players from snatching the important things first.
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Kohle & KolonieKohle & Kolonie won us over even though, after wrestling with the manual, errata, and Geek, we probably ended up playing our own version. It is tight, heavy, and very good at what it does—provided you can make sense of the rules.
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Tin GooseTin Goose is an easy-to-teach but far from harmless economic game about troubled airlines. In an hour and a half, it packs auctions, disasters, and enough nastiness to punish YOLO decisions.