— Board Game Review

ADAPTOID 24 [Review]

If there’s one moral lesson I can cherry-pick from most horror sci-fi movies as a fellow scientist, it’s definitely this one: tampering in genetic level is a perilous endeavour. Genetic modifications, albeit its allure of creating new life forms based on our images, comes with a catastrophic risk. TL;DR — it’s not worth it. Alas, here we are again, facing the consequences. After 23 failed attempts, the last one unleashes havoc. This is Adaptoid 24. The message still remains — never play God.

Dragon vs Kingdom [Preview]

by Stephan Sonny

Dragon vs Kingdom is, as the title suggests, about a furious dragon facing off against a kingdom. Or a bunch of them, actually. Each player receives his/her own sheet — it represents his/her dragon’s side. Meanwhile, the rest of the player will act as the kingdoms’ rulers on that dragon’s sheet. It might sound like a complex setup at the first glance, but practically, it’s much more straightforward. And what’s important: it’s entertaining.

West Story: A Town Building Game [Preview]

by Stephan Sonny

I promised myself: no more crowdfunding after Spiel 2024. No more Gamefound or Kickstarter rabbit holes. Yet here I am, staring at West Story: A Town Building Game, and honestly, it’s testing that resolve. The campaign is live on Gamefound. Check it out, though. So I might not be the only one giving in to temptation.

SPIEL Messe Essen 2024 [News]

by Stephan Sonny

It’s that time of year again! SPIEL Messe 2024, the event I wait for annually, is back. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it to the novelty show on Wednesday this year—a bit of a letdown, but that’s life. Thanks to some insider tips, though, I learned that my home country received a spotlight during Press Day.

Jekyll & Hyde vs Scotland Yard [Review]

by Stephan Sonny

Jekyll & Hyde vs Scotland Yard is a spin-off, if not a sequel, to the earlier competitive trick-taking games. It shares the same name and, largely, the mechanics of its predecessor. Yet, the shift from competitive to a cooperative affair makes all the difference.

Old Salt [Review]

by Stephan Sonny

In many wargames, the designers dive into historical facts. Their aim to recreate those events is complimented with some possible what-if scenarios that alter the course of events. Yet, I long for another approach. I believe there’s value in using fiction as a background story for this kind of game.

Verdun [Preview]

by Stephan Sonny

Regarded as the longest battle in World War I — if not the most devastating — The Battle of Verdun saw German and French armies locked in a brutal trench warfare. This conflict resulted in staggering casualties. Ren Multamäki from Dragon Dawn Productions, he’s not a stranger to trick-taking card game. Taking this grim historical event, he transformed it into his next card game project. I expect another great game coming out of Verdun.

Nilo [Review]

by Stephan Sonny

For centuries, if not millennia, El Rio Nilo, or the Nile River, has symbolized prosperity and the lifeblood of Egyptian civilization. Its significance is chronicled in the Book of Exodus. From the infant Moses drifting in a reed basket to prevent death out of the Pharaoh’s decree, to the first of the Ten Plagues of Egypt, where the river turned into blood. So paramount the importance of Africa’s longest river, even GDM Games desires to romanticize and capture the founding and flourishing of civilizations along the Nile’s banks. Nilo will narrate this story.