First Impressions: Solar City

posted in: First Impressions | 4

It’s not very often that reading a rulebook makes me really excited to try out the game. But that’s exactly what the rule book for Solar City did to me. I loved reading about the fresh take on the city building genre and all the nuances and twists this game has to offer. After getting it to the table it didn’t disappoint. In fact it just confirmed my suspicions that I would really like this game.

Review: Flamme Rouge

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Flamme Rouge brings road bicycle racing to the gaming table. No other sport is as interwoven with my Flemish roots, because “Flanders is cycling and cycling is Flanders”. Our annual “Tour of Flanders” is one of the 5 monumental cycling races together with Milan-San-Remo, Paris-Roubaix, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Giro di Lombardia.
This cobbled classic was first held in 1913 and had a short interruption during WWI. From 1919 on however it has been organized without hiatus, making it the longest uninterrupted streak of any cycling classic (Yes, even during the horror of WWII the race went on!). What makes Flamme Rouge such a joy to play? Read until the finish to find out!

Review: Transatlantic

posted in: Reviews | 5

Transatlantic was the new game at Spiel Essen 2017 from PD-Verlag. It has gone through multiple stages and has been in the works for several years. Now Mac Gerdts’ game about steamships is finally in the hands of the players. Transatlantic is all about buying steamships and using them to transport goods in different sea regions. Players can acquire historical ships such as the Rotterdam, New England and even the famous Titanic. The game even comes with a historical booklet with background information about all the ships in the game.

Review: The Fox in the Forest

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The Fox in the Forest is a trick-taking game for two players from Renegade Game Studios and Foxtrot Games, designed by Joshua Buergel. When I first heard of The Fox in the Forest I was immediately drawn to the gorgeous artwork on the cover and wanted to know more. After reading that this was a trick-taking game that actually works with two players I was even more intrigued. I’m normally not too keen on trick-taking games but for a quick filler this could be the one that does it for me.

Review: Merchants of Araby

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We are Merchants of Araby, trading magic, jewels, spices and fabric in order to create the most profitable business in the land. Wheeling and dealing to get the goods you need without giving others too much is the name of the game. Can you trick your friends into accepting an offer that is clearly better for you or will they convince you to take a bad deal, or will you be left on the side of the road with a whole bunch of spices nobody wants?

Review: Unfair

posted in: Reviews | 1

Growing up near one of the best Roller Coaster parks in the world left a soft spot in my heart for all things amusement parks and yet, this theme has not been used too often in board games. Unfair seeks to fill that gap with a tableau building take on creating your own amusement park. Does it satisfy my desire for an amusement park game?

Review: Pulsar 2849

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Pulsar 2849 is a game all about technology, pulsars, gyrodynes (gigantic generators that spin around pulsars to generate power) and traveling through space. If you’re not a sci-fi loving geek this might sound pretty boring, but you’re in luck because behind this setting stands a solid game with some very interesting mechanisms. So, let’s draft some dice and get those gyrodynes spinning, as I tell you what I think about Pulsar 2849.

Review: Rescue Polar Bears: Data & Temperature

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In my 4 years as an avid board gamer I’ve been all kind of heroes. I’ve protected medieval towns from invaders, I’ve cured humanity from plaguing diseases, I’ve prevented the world from destruction by the Ancient Ones… But never before had I saved a bunch of polar bears from drowning. Rescue Polar Bears: Data & Temperature published by Taiwan Boardgame Design lets players be heroic scientists in the fight against global warming. Read on to find out if this game left me hot or cold.