Review: Blue Lagoon
A mere glance at the box of Blue Lagoon and the soundtrack of Disney’s “Moana” starts playing in the back of my head. Both board game and movie are set in a Polynesian archipelago, against a background of exploration and discovery.
In Blue Lagoon by Blue Orange Games, players are seafarers exploring new-found islands and making them their home. Playing as rivalling tribes, there’s a tough competition for land and resources.
Review: Tallinn
Tallinn is the largest and capital city of Estonia and also the second game in the Ostia Spiele series of Baltic city games. In the 14th century Tallinn (then called Reval) was an important city within the Hanseatic League, a commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns spanning the modern day countries of Estonia, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia and Sweden. In Tallinn, the game, you are trying to gain influence over the merchants, monasteries and knights that live in and surround the important city.
Review: Subatomic
H₂O, CO₂, H₂SO₄. Water, carbon dioxide, sulfuric acid; these are molecular formulas most people would recognize. Well, maybe not sulfuric acid, but for some reason that one has always stuck in my mind. Most people could then tell you that H₂O means water and that it is composed of molecules with two atoms of hydrogen and one oxygen. However, if you ask people what makes a hydrogen atom hydrogen they would probably stare at you with a blank face. In Subatomic, by Genius Games, you go even smaller to create the atoms themselves.
Designer Spotlight: Mac Gerdts
Mac Gerdts is a designer from Hamburg (Germany) known for using the rondel action selection system in a lot of his games. Most known games are probably Concordia and Imperial. Concordia also received a nomination for Kennerspiel des Jahres in 2014 and is still considered to be one of the best Euro games by many.
Review: Tulip Bubble
In case you didn’t know, in the Netherlands in 1637 investment in Tulips were a thing. Not just any thing, but apparently a major thing that led to economic turmoil when investors couldn’t even afford the cheapest varieties of Tulips. In Tulip Bubble, you play said investors trying to avoid the crash and stay afloat by buying and selling to make the most profit. Personally I think tulips are beautiful, but I can’t say I have ever thought about investing in tulips for my retirement. But should I?
Review: Bard Saga
In Bard Saga you are on the search for the missing poem of the greatest bard of all time, Homer. Finding the poem will launch your very own saga. Can you be the bardiest of all Bards and find Homer’s missing poem?
Top 6 Games
For the 4th year in a row I’m proud to present my own personal Top 6 Games. You’ll find quite a few repeats from previous years, but also a few new faces. But enough introductions, let’s get on with the show.
Designer Spotlight: Stefan and Louis Malz
Stefan Malz has been designing games mostly with his son Louis. Most known games are probably Rococo (with Matthias Cramer) and Edo. Rococo also received a nomination for Kennerspiel des Jahres in 2014. With their upcoming game Valparaíso releasing at Essen SPIEL 2018 they have agreed to let us learn more about their design process as father and son.
Review: Liberatores
“Beware the Ides of March,” or at least that is what we were taught Julius Caesar was warned less than a month before his death. In reality, he was warned of an impending political shake-up over the next month. Whether he was told that or not, what we do know is a conspiracy within the government led to his death. In Liberatores you play out that conspiracy, but what side will you be on?
Review: Battlefold
A game with a central mechanism of folding a piece of cloth? And a take that-ish fighting game on top of that? What is this madness? It is madness. But Battlefold is just so much fun.
Review: Pie Town
I once had a cookie recipe of mine in a contest to be the new fall offering at a local bakery, but boy am I glad it was not as cut throat as the contest that takes place in Pie Town. These bakers are crazy competitive, but I guess that what it takes when you are a pie maker in a town called Pie.
First Impressions: Nanty Narking
I’ve recently had the privilege of getting an preview copy of Nanty Narking a retheme of DISCWORLD: ANKH-MORPORK. Because I’ve never played Discworld I can give my opinion not hindered by any knowledge of this original game by Martin Wallace.