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Expeditions board game review

When I heard Stonemaier Games was publishing a sequel to Scythe, my interest jumped into overdrive.

After all, if you’ve seen my video review “17 Things I Love About Scythe” then you know how much I enjoy the original board game. And even while I write this, I realize my original review was over 7 years ago in July 2016!

Wow, how time flies.

Anyway, earlier this year, Stonemaier Games released Expeditions to the delight of many.

I was fortunate enough to get a review copy and now I’m eager to share my thoughts after diving into the game wholeheartedly.

December 7, 2023December 7, 2023 Trent 4 Comments 2-player, 3-player, 4-player, 5-player, solo, Stonemaier Games, strategy, theme

Articles Board Games Card Games Cooperative Games Dice Games Family Games Game Reviews Kid Games Party Games Top 10 Lists

Board Game Gift Guide 2023 – 45 Favorites!

We’ve posted a Board Game Gift Guide for the past 12 years. And each year we’ve recommended around 40 games to get your friends and family as gifts.

Which means that through our annual gift guides, we’ve shared close to 500 game ideas!

Well, rather than give another list of new games to check out, we’ve decide to roll back through our 12 years of game gift guides and pick out our very favorites to recommend for 2023.

So, without further ado, here’s our recommended favorites in each category.

November 8, 2023December 20, 2023 Trent 3 Comments 2-player, abstract, board game gifts, card, deduction, dice, family, game gift guide, luck, party, Star Wars, strategy, theme

The Lord of the Rings: Adventure to Mount Doom board game

Board Games Cooperative Games Family Games Game Reviews

The Lord of the Rings: Adventure to Mount Doom game review

Over our 14 years of doing family board game reviews, we’ve played and reviewed a number of The Lord of the Rings games.

Today’s review is on the lighter side of The Lord of the Rings board and card games, The Lord of the Rings: Adventure to Mount Doom, by Kosmos.

Like a number of LOTR games, this game is a cooperative board game. Players work together to help Frodo and Sam get the ring to Mount Doom. They do so by rolling dice, reacting to cards, fighting Uruk-hai, dodging Nazgul, and overall maneuvering the Fellowship along the treacherous route.

While it’s a simpler LOTR game, we’ve still lost more times than we’ve won. Just begging us to play again.

October 24, 2023October 24, 2023 Trent 0 Comments 2-player, 3-player, 4-player, cooperative, dice, Kosmos, luck, solo, The Lord of the Rings, theme

Board Games Family Games Game Reviews

Four Corners board game review

Growing up in Utah, I often heard about the Four Corners. That’s because the Four Corners is the place where the corner borders of Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico all meet. In fact, it’s the only location in the United States where four states meet.

Friends would talk about going to the Four Corners where they could be in all four states at the same time by placing their hands and feet in each state (or just laying on the crosshair mark).

So even though that image is firmly planted in my mind when I hear “Four Corners”, the latest game from Calliope Games, named Four Corners, has nothing to do with any of those states.

Instead, the Four Corners board game is a puzzle type game where players race to complete their dealt goals before their opponents complete theirs. They do so by adding and twisting tiles to create different patterns in the play area.

September 2, 2023September 2, 2023 Trent 0 Comments 2-player, 3-player, 4-player, 5-player, 6-player, Calliope Games, luck, solo, tiles

Board Games Card Games Family Games Game Reviews

7 Wonders Architects board game review

Way back in 2012, we reviewed a hot new card game getting a lot of buzz – 7 Wonders.

While it looked intimidating with so many colors and symbols, it quickly became a family hit – even for mom!

Fast forward a decade and Asmodee released a new standalone iteration on the theme with 7 Wonders Architects.

The game play is quite different while still feeling familiar for those who enjoy the original. It’s a much simpler card game and also includes players physically building their personal wonder in stages.

And because it’s a standalone game, one wonderful thing is that you don’t have to know the original to enjoy 7 Wonders Architects.

July 29, 2023 Trent 0 Comments 2-player, 3-player, 4-player, 5-player, 6-player, 7-player, Asmodee, cards, luck, Repos Production

Board Games Game Reviews Party Games

Hive Mind revised edition party game review

In early 2017 we reviewed a new party game from Calliope Games called Hive Mind.

It was a hit with all the groups we played with and we only had one complaint – it looked like a children’s game.

In fact, we were quite surprised with how much we enjoyed the game because of what we’d anticipated by seeing the game box.

That’s right. Our biggest issue was with who the target market was for the game because the visuals didn’t match who would actually enjoy playing the game.

Well, Calliope Games has recently released a revised version of Hive Mind and we want to give them a huge high-five for doing so!

Yes, the branding is a big improvement. But that’s not the only thing that makes this version a better party game.

We’re excited to tell you all about it.

June 26, 2023June 27, 2023 Trent 2 Comments 10-player, 11-player, 12-player, 3-player, 4-player, 5-player, 6-player, 7-player, 8-player, 9-player, Calliope Games, party

Board Games Family Games Game Reviews

Raccoon Tycoon Board Game Review

Raccoons get a bad rap.

With their bandit-mask look and stealthy scavenging in the dark, they’re so often portrayed as nefarious creatures.

Well, Forbidden Games decided to shake up that portrayal and create a family board game about enterprising raccoons instead.

Enter Raccoon Tycoon!

And it’s not just the raccoons – Cats, Dogs, Skunks, Foxes, and Bears all get in on the action in this light economic board game.

They’re all just going about their business of building railroads, establishing towns, constructing industrial buildings, and influencing the commodities markets.

Now, doesn’t that sound like a fun way for critters to spend their time?

April 18, 2023April 20, 2023 Trent 1 Comment

Board Games Cooperative Games Family Games Game Reviews

Decorum board game review

How well do you get along with the people living under your same roof? Do you know what makes them happy? And can you provide that?

Well, even if you can’t help out in that regard, you can at least try to make them happy with their decorating goals in a fun cooperative board game by Floodgate Games – Decorum!

Decorum is a cooperative, hidden information game where players try to decorate their shared home in a way that makes everyone happy. The catch is that you don’t know what’s going to make the other players happy!

You must deduce what types of things make them happy by what changes they make to the decorations in the various rooms during their turns. Hopefully you’ll all be able to figure that out and arrange things just so before the game ends or you’re not going to survive in the same house for long.

March 25, 2023April 19, 2023 Trent 0 Comments 2-player, 3-player, 4-player, cooperative, Floodgate Games, strategy, theme

Articles Board Games Card Games Cooperative Games Dice Games Family Games Game Reviews Kid Games Party Games

15 Games Played at SaltCon 2023

SaltCon Spring just keeps getting bigger and better every year!

This year over 2,000 people enjoyed playing board games, card games, dice games, party games, and more for 4 days straight as part of SaltCon Spring 2023.

And with that many people, there’s a broad range of gaming interests. That’s why there are also areas in the convention center set aside for RPGs, miniatures painting, dexterity games, play-to-win games, competitions, and an Artemis Spaceship Bridge Simulator.

But even as the event itself keeps getting bigger, this year the game playing for me was much more intimate.

March 14, 2023March 14, 2023 Trent 0 Comments SaltCon

Board Games Family Games Game Reviews

Namiji board game review

A decade ago, Funforge released a family board game called Tokaido where players are travelers crossing the “East sea road”, one of the most magnificent roads of Japan. In the game, players collect beautiful items, discover great panoramas, stop for meals, and visit temples – enjoying the journey along the way.

As if to mark a 10-anniversary of Tokaido, last year Funforge and Asmodee released a new board game called Namiji featuring similar game play with a slightly different theme. Instead of traveling a road in Japan, players are now Japanese anglers seeking a fruitful journey at sea.

Those familiar with Tokaido will feel right at home when playing Namiji. And those that haven’t yet played Tokaido, will discover a delightful game to enjoy with their family and friends.

February 28, 2023February 28, 2023 Trent 0 Comments 2-player, 3-player, 4-player, 5-player, Asmodee, family, Funforge, luck, strategy, theme