Critical Gamers

Ticket to Ride: Europa 1912 Released

2009-11-08T22:13:10Z

Yes, it's true, Ticket to Ride Europa 1912 [Amazon, Funagain] expands upon Ticket to Ride Europe in the same way that the 1910 expansion rebalanced Ticket to Ride (USA) for the better. It more than doubles the amount of route cards that come with the original game, and comes with three variants on how to setup route decks for interesting meta game scenarios. Will you add the major city route cards that make the game very hub centric, add some new specialized route cards for a new optimum mix of European cities, or mix them all together for a 100+ route card deck; the ultimate in replability?

But, to be honest, that's not the major draw here. That's because Ticket to Ride Europa also has new rules and pieces to expand upon all versions of Ticket to Ride. Hows that then? Well imagine player selected cities sitting on the board, each cultivating their own collection of train cards as you play. Tha'ts right, a full hand of cards could be your reward for connecting to some strategically selected cities! Very, very interesting. We'll let the official PR release explain:

"This expansion also introduces Warehouses & Depots -- new game rules and pieces that create an additional strategic layer and can be played with any of the Ticket to Ride maps. Wooden Train Depots are placed on cities selected by each player. Throughout the game, each player's Warehouse will accumulate Train cards and those who have the foresight, clever timing, or just plain good fortune to build a route to a Depot can make off with a fistful of Train cards. Depot placement and skillful Warehouse tactics become a key part of a winning Ticket to Ride strategy!"

Dare we say brilliant? Ok, perhaps that's going too far, but it really is a slick mechanic that doesn't cause a lot of over head, and it should spice up any Ticket to Ride set quite nicely. And at a low price point, this would definitly make a nice stocking stuffer come the Holidays.

Ticket to Ride Europa 1912 is now shipping from Amazon and Funagain Games.

Magic the Gathering: Tactics Announced

2009-11-03T21:25:00Z

Details are slim. Here's what we know: Magic the Gathering Tactics is being developed by Sony Online Entertainment for the PC and Playstation 3 (Sony hates Microsoft, so no XBox360).

The title will include card sets with packs and tournaments for sale onilne just like Magic Onilne -- you'll be paying for virtual merchandise and a virtual collection of cards. To us, that's not necessarily a bad thing.. we have a closet full of cards already, and we don't feel like we wasted any money playing Magic the Gathering Online back in the day. You know, when it was good.

The game also promises a sort of tactical element with a collection of creatures. Like we said: details are slim. Exactly how much emphasis will be placed on cards, and how much on your creature collection, their positioning, etc is up i the air. Here's the exact wording from the Wired story:

"Tactics will feature characters and spells from the universe of the popular collectible card game. Players will be able to take their customized team of creatures to battle through solo scenarios or take them online to compete against others."
-Wired: "Sony Online Brings Magic the Gathering Tactics to PC, PS3"

Other than "Coming Early 2010" the official website has little information. We'll keep you apprised of new info as details emerge, including what appears to be an upcoming beta test. Woot!

Critical Gamers' October 2009 Board Game Roundup

2009-11-01T22:35:00Z

We played a lot of games this month. A real lot. Its like we're waking from our standard Thanksgiving Turkey Hangover but it's only November 1st. Scary.

We played new games we've thoroughly enjoyed, like both Warhammer Chaos in the Old World board game, and the Warhamer Invasion Living Card Game. We played old classics like Power Grid, Dominion, A Game of Thrones, and D&D, and had a blast with all of them. Then we played the new Battlestar Galactica expansion Pegasus and left the table shrugging 'meh'.

Seriously though. So many games. So little time. If you pick up anything from this month, then we suggest Dominion Seaside, Warhammer Living Card Game, and Warhammer Mark of Chaos. Yes, two Warhammer titles. And we're not known to be Warhammer fans at all.

Here was all the news from last month:

Board Games

Card Games

Dominion: Seaside Expansion

Cheap Deals & Sales

Power Grid Sale - Tanga Board Game of the Day

Collectable Card Games

Gaming Culture

SurfaceScapes' D&D for Microsoft Surface

Gaming News

RPGs

SurfaceScapes' D&D for Microsoft Surface

Carcassonne: Wheel of Fortune

2009-10-30T19:40:00Z

The new Wheel of Fortune [Amazon, Funagain] stand alone expansion aims to add a bit more luck to your base line Carcassonne experience, without being one of those flashy, game breaking additions that shoots pieces through flaming hoops across the room and calls it 'fun for all ages'. (We're looking at you Catapult expansion).

Instead of gimmics, the new Wheel of Fortune piece frequently lets you score some points based on the current state of the game. Knights might be periodically scoring points based on the cities they occupy, and farmers might be netting players points even before the end game. It all depends on when and where the dancing pig lands on the new 4x4 starter piece containing the wheel.

What gets the pig moving is dots marked on the new base set of pieces, which replace the standard Carcassonne set. Whenever a piece with a mark is pulled, the Pig marker on the Wheel of Fate will rotate around. Different things happen wherever he lands, like the aforementioned knight and farmer scorings. Players might also score points based on the number of unappropriated meeples in their bank, or they might even be forced to remove a meeple from play if the pig lands on the dreaded Pest (ie: plague) fortune slice.

Interesting enough, and it doesn't feel forced on us like recently expansions. Rio Grande Game might have been running out of Carcassonne ideas over the last few years, but this one seems solid.

Here are the official details:

For years, knights, monks, farmers and builders have been undisturbed in their. But now a mysterious Wheel of Fortune changes the course of events in Carcassonne.
The plague sends followers back home, famines must be fought. The players also receive additional points from knights, which collect taxes. Whoever is in the right place at the right moment, moves his destiny in the right direction.

For everyone who knows the original Carcassonne game, the start is especially easy, because the Wheel of Fortune comes with just a few easy rules added to make a whole new game experience. Furthermore, the material of Wheel of Fortune can combine with the original Carcassonne and all the available extensions for even greater adventure.

Wheel of Fate is both a full replacement for the base game of Carcassonne and an expansion to the original base game. It includes 72 tiles, consisting of 63 tiles released in the original base game, 6 from Inns & Cathedrals, 1 from Traders & Builders and 2 from King & Scout. It also includes a special replacement start tile which depicts the Wheel of Fortune, a new mechanic unique to this edition of the game. The new start tile is the size of 16 tiles, arranged in a 4x4 square and is built using some of the tiles removed from the base game.

Carcassonne Wheel of Fortune is now shipping from Amazon and Funagain Games.

Memoir '44 Sword of Stalingrad Coming Soon

2009-10-27T21:10:00Z

Days of Wonder has posted details about an upcoming Battle Map expansion to the Memoir '44 franchise. Set during the German siege of Stalingrad in 1942, this expansion will include two new scenarios, and more interestingly a new Urban Combat deck of cards.

Like the previous Battlemap installments the new Sword of Stalingrad includes a large board for some epic fights. The drawback: you'll need the materials to get the thing up and going. The system is meant for players with two copies of Memoir '44, or a single copy with the Overlord Expansion. And if you want to use the real Russian troops on the board, then you'll also need Memoir '44 Eastern Front (something that you really should have anyway -- Western Europe has been done to death).

Full product details and rules for the upcoming expansion can be found at the Memoir '44 Sword of Stalingrad website.

Dominion: Seaside Expansion

2009-10-23T17:10:00Z

Thanks for the large collection of card types, last year's fantastic 'card game in a box' Dominion [Amazon, Funagain] can be played countless times without ever running into the same game twice. Then Dominion Intrigue [Amazon, Funagain] hit the shelves and added 25 new card types. Seeing as you only play with 10 randomly selected card types in any given match, the chances you'd play a game with the same collection of cards is nearring same probability that Burt Reynolds will make appearance as a nun in a fat suit in Martin Scorsese's premier rock opera.

So when we heard that the Dominion: Seaside Expansion [Amazon, Funagain] just washed up on shores (Dominion Intrigue launched only 3 months ago), we were wondering what the point was. We could play Dominion and Intrigue for 30 years, build a time machine, and go back to 1984 and continue playing for the next 30. Chances are we'd still be playing the game with new and interesting card combinations.

Thankfully Dominion Seaside doesn't just add more content inside the current idea of Dominion, but changes the meta rules of the game. We'll quickly explain.

Seaside is themed with oceanic travel. Pirates, islands, merchant ships and ghost ships. What's interesting is how these themes play into the elements of the game. Most importantly are the new card mechanics that effect both your turn, and your NEXT turn, like tides rolling in twice. Or the light house card that remains in play until it's your turn again, keeping a watch out for you against attackers. There are definitely some interesting game changers that are implemented in interesting ways.

Our frustration subsided once we learned all this. Checking into player experiences with the game, early-bird gamers seem entirely satisfied and enthusiastic about where this series is going. Its not just a shotgun blast of more cards but the game is changing with this expansion - just as a CCG would and should do with its next set release.

Bravo. That's just what the doctored ordered. And it seems to have been very well executed to boot.

Here are the official details:

All you ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by. And someone who knows how to steer ships using stars. You finally got some of those rivers you'd wanted, and they led to the sea. These are dangerous, pirate-infested waters, and you cautiously send rat-infested ships across them, to establish lucrative trade at far-off merchant-infested ports.
First, you will take over some islands, as a foothold. The natives seem friendly enough, crying their peace cries, and giving you spears and poison darts before you are even close enough to accept them properly. When you finally reach those ports you will conquer them, and from there you will look for more rivers. One day, all the rivers will be yours.

This is the 2nd addition to Dominion. It adds 26 new Kingdom cards. Its central theme is your next turn; there are cards that do something this turn and next, cards that set up your next turn, and other ways to step outside of the bounds of a normal turn.

We should point out that Dominion Seaside is an expansion, and requires either Dominion or Dominion Intrigue to play. Enjoy!

Power Grid Sale - Tanga Board Game of the Day

2009-10-22T17:50:00Z

We waited a long time for the reprint of the fantastic classic Power Grid [Amazon, Funagain] to hit shelves. Bt we couldn't wait long enough so we settled on picking up a copy of Power Grid for $50+ at our local hobby shop.

It seems that all bets are off now that the reprint is out. Tanga, a web portal for sales, has Power Grid listed today for 25 bucks. Seriously, that's more than half off the price we paid just a year ago.

Power Grid is one of those tiles from Rio Grande Games that's approachable, plays quickly, and is very deep. It's winner with staying power. The only major drawback we can think of is the depiction of the translated rules (originally German) which are far more complicated than they need to be. Other than that, Power Grid is a huge addition for you gaming pile, especially when it's at this price.

WoW TCG Scourgewar Preview Articles Begin

2009-10-21T21:35:00Z

It's about time. Upper Deck has shelved all of the tournament coverage and card strategy discussions and started focusing on the real meat and bones: feature previews of the new abilities, cards, and paradigms of this November's World of Warcraft Trading Card Game set expansion Scourgewar.

We both love and dislike the things we're seeing. For one: we're tired of cards that request you do silly things in order for an effect to happen, like Encrusted Zombie Finger does. We make enough "braains" references already, we don't need a catalyst for more. It's like someone at Upper Decks is swinging a cumbersome 'Fun' Hammer and hits our finger instead of our head.

Meanwhile, on the Awesome town side of the tracks is a new Assault keyword which adds to a ally's attack value whenever it's your turn. Things look even more interesting with the new set of armor smith allies that pump up attack based how many pieces of armor your wearing.

We welcome the cross cooperation of elements of the deck; it's been somewhat lacking in this game. Hopefully they keep up the work on that regard. We also love how you use your armor top protect yourself when its your opponent's turn, but then work to move that same armor into an Assault force when it's yours. Very interesting stuff.

Scourgeware is slated for release November 24th; just before a nice long Thanksgiving weekend. We'll keep you posted when new interesting cards appear, and when we learn more about this set's new key words, too.

SurfaceScapes' D&D for Microsoft Surface

2009-10-19T16:45:00Z

Surfacescapes Demo Walkthrough from Visual Story TAs on Vimeo.

A few things before watching this:

If you haven't heard of it, Microsoft Surface is an ongoing project to deliver a consumer level multi touch table top display. The platform is designed for all sorts of uses and to be placed horizontally, not vertically like a TV. This and the Entertaible have some serious potential to be a very slick platform for board gaming goodness in the year 'The Future.' Imagine getting board game software packs for all your favorite games, and no cleanup!

Also we should note that the software that SurfaceScapes shows here is a Proof of Concept, and in no way a full fleshed out product. It shows potential. The dice spawning animation feels particularly gimpy. We know it's a proof of concept at all, but come on. MakeDiceFallFaster=true!

Still, we're very excited any technology like this to hit the market, and we're glad that someone out there has keep the gaming eye on the price as these platforms mature. Keep it up guys!

World Without End Board Game Coming this November

2009-10-16T20:55:00Z

A sequel to one of our favorite games of 2007 - Pillars of the Earth - is in the works, and it's due out on American shores in under a month! Like Pillars, World Without End is based on the best selling novel by author Ken Follett. Instead of focusing on the construction of the 12th century fictitious cathedral at Kingsbridge, players control the lives of workers living in the now bustling town. Players will compete to gain influence in the town's thriving economy, placing workers in new good-production spaces, while also staving off nasty things, like you know... the Plague. Perhaps you've heard of it?

Here are the details straight from Mayfair Games:

England in the early and middle 14th Century
Journey to Knightsbridge, England, where 200 years ago Prior Phillip oversaw the building of the cathedral renowned as "The Pillars of the Earth." Now farmers, wool dealers, and builders seek wealth and prestige amidst a rivalry between the priory and merchants. As the plague reaches town, nothing remains as it once was.

World Without EndT is based on Ken Follett's best-selling novel. Strive to navigate turbulent events, ensuring and balancing your food supply, income, and prestige. Piety and loyalty remain vital, for you must cater to the upper classes. And precious medical knowledge is your greatest weapon against the Black Death. So, gather your power and spirit and rise above your rivals into legend!

The game is currently scheduled to ship near the end of November. We smell Christmas list! We'll keep you apprised of further details as we get closer to the ship date.

Small World Wins Big Acclaim

2009-10-15T21:15:00Z

The approachable yet surprisingly deep civilization growth and conquer game Small World [Amazon, Funagain] has won Games Magazaine's 2010 Game of the Year Award. They cited the title's approachability and replayablity as two major strengths. You can read their entire review of the game here.

This is the second nod to Small World this year, which also was a multiplayer game of the near nominee by the International Gamer Awards 2009.

For more information about this impressive game of the year - including the user-created expansions soon to be published by Days of Wonder - checkout our previous coverage:

BattleLore Heroes Expansion Hits Shelves (Finally!)

2009-10-12T20:20:00Z

Fans of the BattleLore franchise have been sitting in longer duration hold pattern for some new toys to play with for a while. There was a drought for Battlelore even before the change of hands from publisher Days of Wonder to Fantasy Flight Games last year, and there hasn't been a significant release for the franchise since then either. But now BattleLore Heroes [Amazon, Funagain] is here, and while the $40 MSRP might not be reflected in the raw materials you get (that is: there aren't that many), you can be sure that the expansion is a great first step to refresh the wargaming system

Just a quick recap on the state of things: The BattleLore wargame system is set during the Hundred Years War. Despite the gruesome historic context the game plays relatively light and is shares rules with the approachable Memoir '44 (WWII) and Commands and Colors (Ancient) dice war game systems. The idea was to create an accessible medieval war franchise, and then introduce packs of new units to further the 100 Year War time line and to - with an intriguing twist - dabble in some Fantasy characters, too. Giant spiders, some trolls and goblins, and a few dwarfs entered the mix, but honestly, not much more than that.

But now with BattleLore Heroes players can create persistent characters that not only wander the battlefield, leading their troops on or laying waste to enemy forces, but earn experience throughout multiple fights. More experience and treasure snowballs into new abilities and powers, and so players can further customize their units throughout their campaign.

Very interesting stuff that adds an epic narrative to a series of otherwise independent scenarios.

Here are the full details:

"This BattleLore expansion introduces player-created Leaders and Champions to augment your camp's forces in battles.
As with all journeys, the beginning is never easy. As a fledgling adventurer, you begin with a bare minimum of skills and artifacts to help you combat the enemy. Adventures have the potential to reward your intrepid Hero greatly if he performs well. But beware, battlefields are not without peril, and taking too many wounds may force your Hero into an unwanted early retirement.

Prepare yourself for the journey of a lifetime!

BattleLore: Heroes includes 10 unique Hero figures, a Rules booklet, 110 Skill, Artifact, and Landmark cards, and much more!"

For more information about BattleLore Heroes or the BattleLore Wargame system, checkout the games' official website.

Warhammer Invasion LCG Launches

2009-10-07T21:10:00Z

It's official. Fantasy Flight Games has launched the new Warhammer Invasion Living Card Game [Amazon, Funagain]. We're stoked. Not only does the game look top notch, different, deep, well-themed and fun, it's also launching during a dormant patch of the World of Warcraft TCG. Don't be confused though - these games aren't similar except for the fantasy settings (Warcraft ripped off Warhammer after all).

What makes it pair well with the WoW TCG lull is the approach of the system. Warhammer is a Living Card Game, not a Trading Card Game or a Collectible Card Game. You don't buy gobs of boosters in shotgun's hope of collecting rares. Instead you can buy what are essentially story packs - injections of cards for a specific faction, each containing the entire set of cards for the expansion. If you decide you like the Orks best, for instance (this launch of the base set has cards for six different factions) , then you can keep the game fresh by paying 10 bucks for each Orc story pack every few months.

In other words, compared to a TCG or a CCG, an LCG can be quite cheap, and we expect to be playing both going forward in parallel lines.

And what a looker this is, too. We recommend you checkout the full blown preview / tutorial videos of Warhammer Invasion published from Fantasy Flight Games themselves. They're entertaining and thorough enough that we might just very well throw away the rulebook. The Introduction video is up top, and there are four more sections that follow. Enjoy!

Le Havre wins International Gamer Award for 2009

2009-10-05T21:20:00Z

While we can't say that we were shocked that Le Havre [Funagain] got some accolades for the International Gamer Awards, first surpassing Battlestar Galactica for the best Multiplayer Game, we were a bit shocked that Le Havre beat out our recent favorite Dominion, too! So here's some respect to Le Havre and Lookout Games who have established themselves as a prime time gaming publisher.

Le Havre is set its namesake, the second largest port city of France, and centers around resource management and the manufacture and sale of goods. With that in mind, here's why the International Gamer Awards gave it the nod for 2009:

"In the Multi-Player category, the award goes to Le Havre, the creation of German designer Uwe Rosenberg and published by Lookout Games and Ystari Games. Set in the enchanting French port of Le Havre, the game challenges players to properly manage their harbor by securing goods, converting these into resources, purchasing buildings, and shipping goods to other ports for handsome profits. Le Havre is quite challenging, and the abundance of choices gives players wide latitude in pursuing their strategies. The game has earned the IGA in the General Strategy, Multi-Player category, and marks the second IGA for designer Rosenberg and Lookout Games, who captured the award last year with Agricola."
- International Gamers Awards

For more information about Le Havre, please see our previous coverage: Le Havre Board Game - A Destined Classic. And for more information about how Le Havre was selected, or details on the runners up for 2009, check out the official story Recipients Announced for 2009 International Gamers Awards - General Strategy Category.

Critical Gamers' September 2009 Board Game Roundup

2009-09-30T22:35:00Z

Gaming season is officially upon us (it's true! look it up) and as such this month can be summed up by three major title releases:

Now if you're thinking to yourself "Jimminy Jillickers! Only three major things happened? What a crank shaft of a month!" then you'd be three slices o' cheese short of a proper egg sandwich (you need at least 5). Keep reaching for that rainbow.

Here are the other noteworthy stories from September:

Board Games

Cheap Deals & Sales

Warhammer Chaos in the Old World Back In Stock (Hurry)

Collectable Card Games

WoW TCG Scourgewar Set to Unleash November 24th

Gaming Culture

D&D Online is now Free. It's True!

Gaming News

RPGs

2 Great Chaos in the Old World Movies For You

2009-09-29T02:45:00Z

The Warhammer board game Chaos in the Old World [Amazon, Funagain] hit shelves a few weeks ago, and has been well-received and it's climbing the sales charts. The title sports a 8.0+ rating on BGG.com, and that's a serious statement. Fantasy Flight Games has a hit on their hands, once again.

We're really digging the game ourselves, which is why we thought we'd dig up some great videos for you to 'peruse' the game if you haven't already. First up is a full fledged feature preview trailer from the backlot of Fantasy Flight Games. These guys actually have their own filming studio, and it shows.

Now just a refresher, each player plays the role of one of the Chaos Gods in the Warhammer setting, vying for control of the world through conquering the map and beating the snot out of his three other opponents (2-4 players). Each god is also well-themed, and has their own alternative victory condition based on who their personality and M.O. The disease0ridden god could win the game by spreading their corruption across the world, another is the blood god who gains points for slaying enemy beasties, etc. So all players must be aware of their opponent's successes not only in the main game, but in each of their own side games as well -- and those orthogonal conditions are just what make this game sooo much fun, and highly replayable.

Now grab some popcorn, and with that in mind enjoy our first Featurette: "Chaos in the Old World: by Fantasy Flight Games." Roll that beautify game footage...

Sweet. But most things are directly from the bears mouth, no? That's why it's great to have a critical eye take a look at things for you. You know, from the outside.

And this next featurette is really Out There for sure. The folks over at DowntimeTown have put together a fantastic breakdown of the game's rules, components, and most importantly the title's gameplay. Don't be alarmed, it's pretty whacky, but if you can stay through it you'll see one of our favorite game reviews all year. Dim the lights, please, and roll it. DOWN IN FRONT. Freaking interns.

DowntimeTown Episode 6: Chaos in the Old World from Robert Florence on Vimeo.

Ok, that does it. If these videos don't fit your fancy then maybe Chaos in the Old World isn't for you. And if that's true, then you'd better take two of these and check your pulse, you might just be dead.

Pandemic: On the Brink Expansion Hits Shelves

2009-09-26T14:05:00Z

The first expansion to the cooperative board game hit Pandemic has hit shelves, and it's a doozy. The Pandmic: On the Brink [Amazon, Funagain] expansion ups the potential number of participants up a notch from 4 to 5. That's a real nice feature, but the expansion s also chalk full of new rules and game modes that should bring the fun formula of Pandemic to a whole new level.

First off, there are expansion includes a whopping 8 new roles for players, like the Archivist who has a massive hand size and can pull city cards out of the discard pile, or the Troubleshooter who gets to peek at the top of the Infection Deck, and travel to any city has has the card for - for free. Perhaps most interesting is the Field Operative who sucks up samples of diseases off the board to decrease the number of cards he needs to discard to find a cure. It's win-win people. There's definitely some interesting stuff going on in these new roles, and the new massive total number of roles will certainly make each play-through a unique experience.

The game also has three new well-themed challenges that you can play with, either independently or simultaneously, to add an interesting twist to the experience, or just to make things generally more difficult. The new Virulent Strain challenge, Mutation Challenge, and the Bio-Terrorist Challenge (which pits one player against everyone else) are detailed in our previous coverage Pandemic: On the Brink Rules Preview so we won't dive into them here.

The quick-playing Pandemic was always on our shortlist of titles to play. On the Brink pushes it to the top of the stack. Not to spoil anything, but 'Brink will be near the top our Holiday Gift Guide, too.

Here are the official details:

"Pandemic: On the Brink is an expansion to our popular cooperative game, Pandemic, wherein players take on roles to work together to fnd cures to 4 diseases. This expansion to Pandemic includes new event cards, new role cards, rules for five players, and optional game challenges to increase the difficulty, such as the 'Legendary' difficulty level, the Virulent Strain challenge, the Mutation challenge, and the Bio-Terrorist challenge. These challenges can be mixed together to make the game even harder. .............. In this expansion you will find six new roles (plus 1 revised OpEx and a Bio-Terrorist), eight new special events, and several challenge kits to be added to the basic game play. Virulent Strain challenge: makes one disease become particularly deadly in unpredictable ways. Mutation Challenge: adds a fifth (purple) disease that behaves differently than the original four. Bio-Terrorist Challenge: pits one player against the others! You may also play with 5 players and play on Legendary level! Other components include: 12 purple disease cubes, 12 pawns in a smaller size, petri dishes to store your diseases and pawns, a bio-terrorist pad for that player to record his actions." -Z-Man Games

Ticket to Ride World Championships Announced

2009-09-23T20:15:00Z

You think you're hot gaming stuff? Have you been playing Ticket to Ride [Amazon, Funagain] long enough to know your way from NYC to Dallas to LA like it was the back of your hobo hand? Well now you can put those skills to good use.

Publisher Days of Wonder has announced a new series of local Ticket to Ride tournaments in a city near you. Head over there for some fun, and if you win some matches you might find yourself on a flight to Paris. If that's not a prize enough (trust us, it is) then if you win in Paris then you'll find yourself chugging through Europe on the luxurious Orient-Express. Boy howdy.

Full details can be found in the Contest's Official Website. Here are the interesting bits:

"2009 marks the 5th anniversary of the original release of Ticket to Ride. To celebrate, Days of Wonder is hosting a yearlong series of tournaments to determine the top players in the world and crown the first Ticket to Ride World Champion!
Now through early 2010, Regional tournaments will be held throughout the world to determine qualifiers to play in National Championship events in North America (both US and Canada), France, Germany, UK, Spain, Benelux countries and Poland. The National Champions will be invited to Paris in June of 2010 for the Ticket to Ride World Championship and a chance to win the Grand Prize - an unforgettable trip for two on the Orient-Express."
- Days of Wonder

Good luck!

Dungeon Master's Guide 2 Hits Shelves

2009-09-21T20:25:32Z

While this is a welcomed treat we're wondering if the DMG 2 4th Edition is a little bit behind the curve. Even the slowest, most casual Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition groups is into the double digit levels by now. Hopefully not too far though, 'cause the Dungeon Master's Guide 2 [Amazon, Funagain] is chalk full of rules, adventure ideas, loot and and materials for a D&D group at the Paragon stage: levels 11-20.

While we like RPGs, we're don't claim to be the source on all things .. RPG. We're more a mixed collection of egotistical gamers with with tastes that spread around all genres, some of them happen to be in the RPG. So instead of giving our 2 cents, we'll leave it to The RPG Athenaeum who have a quick review of the DMG 2. Enjoy!

Here's the book's official details:

"This 224-page, hardcover core rulebook for the Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game features advice and rules for Dungeon Masters of all levels of experience, with a particular focus on running adventures and campaigns in the paragon tier (levels 11-20).
It includes advanced encounter-building tools (including traps and skill challenges), storytelling tips to bring your game to life, new monster frameworks to help you craft the perfect villain, example campaign arcs, a comprehensive look at skill challenges, and a detailed "home base" for paragon-tier adventurers -- the interplanar city of Sigil."

WoW TCG Scourgewar Set to Unleash November 24th

2009-09-17T20:05:35Z

Nothing says Scourgewar like a toy kitten. It's true!

This new World of Warcraft set expansion Scourgewar is officially pinned on the release calendar, so pack your bags and extra sweater for Northrend. Scourgeware will kick-off a new three set cycle set around the events of the World of Warcraft MMORPG expansion Wrath of the Lich King. The 'scourge' refers to the evil undead menace that have pledged their allegiance with the undead Lich King himself. Don't confuse these baddies with the Undead faction of the Horde, though, who are upstanding citizens, at least for the most part.

Details on the set are still light. We expect to see plot lines of a few of the new secondary races, like perhaps the murloc cousin Oracles, or the badger folk Wolvar. Perhaps we might see seeds of the Worgen, too, a werewolf like race recently announced as a playable faction in next year's World of Warcraft expansion 'Cataclysm' (and who played a minor role in Lich King). And since we're entering the land of the Death Night we figure we're sure to get a substantial boost to the content for those new kids on the block, too.

Now the first Featured Preview Article is the Loot Card Preview (hence the cute kitten) so official details are still sparse. Honestly, the article came out a while ago and we've been holding back a few days to see if any other juicy tidbits would come out. Unfortunately: bubkis. Hopefully things will pick up next week.

The biggest news for us was the confirmed release date. Gotta say that it fights our schedule nicely considering it gives us amble time to play the massive amount of fall releases before we get sucked back into WoWage.

As always we'll keep you posted of more details as they emerge.

Warhammer Chaos in the Old World Back In Stock (Hurry)

2009-09-16T19:20:00Z

The acclaimed Fantasy Flight Games board game release Warhammer Chaos in the Old World shipped to stores just over a week ago. Problem is - the game is sold out just about everywhere

Currently one of our orders at Amazon (which was out of stock) received an updated status that it won't ship until - get this - the end of October. What the blood clot? Meanwhile every store seems to be sold out of the title as well, except for Funagain Games which is uncharacteristically charging top dollar for the title. They must know their cache is the last stack standing.

Well not exactly. We just got word that Troll and Toad put up 10 copies for sale. We got one, and so did 2 others. There are now seven copies of the game available at the time of this article's printing, Mop 'em up while the moppings good.

Small World Contest Spawns Three Mini Expansions

2009-09-14T19:30:00Z

The family friendly and sightly quirky civilization board game Small World [Amazon, Funagain] is one of the more solid titles of the year. It's mix of maps, elegant empire building rules, and random racial elements all add up to be a fun yet strategically satisfying board game session of (small) world domination.

A few months ago the publisher Days of Wonder held a contest for the best user generated content the game's followers could produce. Now, only a short time later, the cream of the crop has been weighed, measured, and hand picked for release in the form of three mini expansions How cool is that?

Here are the details pulled from the official press release:

"The Grand and Secondary Prize entries will be released in 3 different Small World mini-expansions this year. The first two expansions will debut at Essen. The Grand Dames of Small World will feature the Priestesses, White Ladies, and Gypsies, along with Historian and Peace-loving Special Powers. Cursed! introduces the Kobolds and Goblin races along with 5 Special Powers: Cursed, Hordes of, Marauding, Ransacking, and Were-. Both of these Small World mini-expansions will be available for sale at Essen and shortly after in game stores around the world for the MSRP of $10/€8.
The Leaders of Small World is a special game play option that players can choose when picking a new Race/Special Action Combo. The Leaders expansion will be sent free of charge, as a thank you to all those who submitted an entry in the Small World Design Contest. Small World fans worldwide who did not enter the contest will also be able to get a copy exclusively from BoardGameGeek.com in November for a small shipping and handling fee."
- Days of Wonder

Of course we'll keep you posted of any more details as they're released.

D&D Online is now Free. It's True!

2009-09-11T12:50:00Z

Attention KMart Shoppers. The monthly subscription PC game Dungeons and Dragons Online has been relaunched by Turbine as a subscription free service as D&D Online Unlimited. Quite the amazing little feat if you ask us. You can download the game's client here (Windows PC).

D&D Online sticks you in the world of Eberron and lets you and your friends run instanced dungeons and quests as you level up your character in the 3.5 ruleset (though the server takes care of most of the dirty work in real time) Combat is positional, with quite a few distinctions than your standard MMO. For instance - you actually have to click your mouse to swing and actively block, Battles are very dynamic, instead of tank and spank, as fighters maneuver to intercept mobs and act as meat shields, clerics position themselves to heal, and rogues dodge and parry their way behind baddies to get some nice damage bonuses. And of course there are the Mages with their bag of tricks for any situation, and traps that only the rogue can sniff out and disable. Very interesting stuff.

We played D&D Online back when it first launched a few years ago. We enjoyed our time but a low level cap and a lack of long term content eventually turned us away. Now, years later, expansions have come out, the level cap has been raised, and best of all - it's free! Heck yeah. We're already planning an alternative D&D night where we all get online and bust heads as a party. Can't wait.

Click here for more information about D&D Online, and for that all important Download Link

Battlestar Galactica Pegasus Expansion has Shipped

2009-09-09T19:47:28Z

The much anticipated expansion to the Battlestar Galactica board game has hit store shelves! Battlestar Galactica Pegasus [Amazon, Funagain] includes gobs of new mechanics, such as sympathetic or antagonizing Cylon Leaders, a new Treachery Deck, new characters, a new Pegasus Board that adds new spaces, and even a New Caprica end game.

That list is extensive, and that's just glossing over stuff -- like the interesting nuance that while the new Pegasus abilities are brutal, they're also not very exacting. Like striking a nail with a sledge hammer, some would say. Sure, you might hit the target, but you might also break something else in the process, like a kitten, or a face.

For instance: you could all vote to jettison one of your crewmates out the rusty old airlock. If he's a cylon, then nice work. If he was a human, well he's dead...and morale suffers (the player with the deep space frozen eyeballs draws another character card, but is also severely crippled until his next turn).

For more information and all the prerelease nitty gritty info on the title, checkout our other stories:

Here is the official product information:

The Pegasus expansion adds two new supplemental game boards featuring the Battlestar Pegasus and the planet of New Caprica, seven new characters, a new Cylon Locations overlay, two plastic Basestars, as well as new Destination, Crisis, Loyalty, Quorum, Super Crisis, and Skill cards.
The new Pegasus board can be used by itself or together with the New Caprica board to create the game you desire -- use the Pegasus alone for the additional firepower she provides, or add the New Caprica board to simulate the rebellion on the human colony, bringing the game to an epic level. New rules introduce the ability to play as a new character type -- the Cylon Leader, with a new Treachery Skill card type.

How will the crews of the Galactica and the Pegasus mesh when they join each other on your game table? Will the Cylons be able to subjugate the human rebellion on New Caprica? Will an open Cylon Leader be able to vent the last remaining humans into space, giving the toasters control over the galaxy?

Battlestar Galactica board game is now shipping from Amazon and Funagain Games.

Warhammer Chaos in the Old World Board Game Released

2009-09-04T15:45:00Z

Don't ignore this game if you're not a Warhammer fan - it's that good. And if you happen to be a fan of the Warhammer universe, then rejoice.

Warhammer Chaos in the Old World [Amazon, Funagain] pits 4 players against each other, each player fulfilling the role of an old God. Blood, Pestilence, Change, Pleasure, all four gods try to spread their influence over the world to win the main game.

But as an added bonus, each God has their own separate alternative victory track, and each one is very well tied to their particular theme.

For instance, the Blood god try to conquer the world, or pursue his secondary victory track - the path of blood. His goal: kill as many baddies as he can. Fill his coffers with the blood of his smitten enemies, and he might just win the game without the use of all this willy nilly influence. Meanwhile the other Gods will try to play-off against what they believe the other Gods are doing. For instance, the Pestilences God may start running away from the Blood God (if the Blood God can't kill then there's no blood to be had), and leave behind a path of illness and refuses, corrupting the land with disease in his wake. And of course, this helps the Pestilence god reach his secondary Victory condition.

The whole game has some great combat rules, simple to play, and it's a very dynamic 1-2 hour session. Throughout the game players will reposition themselves to block the progress of one victory path for another player, thus opening up room for the a alternative victory path, or open up room for another God to make a push in another portion of the world, with other ulterior motives, etc. There's a lot of jockeying, reaction, and exploitation, and it's all so much chaotic fun. Plus, everyone gets to play as the baddies. There will be Blood!

Here are the game's official details:

In the Warhammer world, four Gods of Chaos battle for supremacy. Khorne, the Blood God, the Skulltaker, lusts for death and battle. Nurgle, the Plaguelord, the Father of Corruption, luxuriates in filth and disease.Tzeentch, the Changer of Ways, the Great Conspirator, plots the fate of the universe. Slaanesh, the Prince of Pleasure and Pain, the Lord of Temptations, lures even the most steadfast to his six deadly seductions. In the Chaos in the Old World board game, each player takes the role of one of the malevolent Lords of Chaos. Each god's distinctive powers and legion of followers give the controlling player unique strengths and heretical abilities with which to corrupt and enslave the Old World. Yet, as the powers of Chaos seek domination by corruption and conquest, they must vie not only against each other, but also against the desperate denizens of the Old World who fight to banish the gods back to the maelstrom of the Realm of Chaos... for now.

Warhammer Chaos in the Old world is published by Fantasy Flight Games, and is now shipping from Amazon and Funagain Games.

Funagain Games Fall Clearance Sale

2009-09-02T18:10:00Z

Just a quick heads up that the online gaming store Funagain Games has kicked off their seasonal blowout. 300 different titles are now on sale, and it seems that this particular Fall sale has a substantial list of good, high quality releases. Sure, some of them are a few years old -- but if you haven't played them then they're new to you!

Here are some ones that popped off the page to us, include the discount off the original price. Some other titles have sold out before we had a chance to write this story, so act fast!

Critical Gamer's August 2009 Board Game Roundup

2009-08-31T20:25:00Z

The September weather has capped-off the month of August earlier than the actual Calendar has. It's been downright cold, or rainy, or cold & rainy up here in Boston the last few days. While it may be a bit of a downer to think the weather is already turning its back on Summer, it's exciting to think we're heading straight on into prime board game playing season.

And the drum-up to the Holiday releases has started. Details have been 'printed' on the upcoming Warhammer Living Card Game, Ticket to Ride : Europa 1912 Expansion, Battlestar Galactica: Pegasus Expansion, and BattleLore Dragon Expansion have seriously made us start to drool. I mean, look at that lineup for the fall! Plus Middle-earth Quest and Axis & Allies 1942 are already out. Oh man, it's going to be one heck of a fall. Start playing the titles as they come out, 'cause there might not be enough months in the year to accommodate all the gaming goodness heading our way.

Here are our stories for August 2009, the year of the ox:

Board Games

Card Games

Cheap Deals & Sales

Dominion Sale - Act Fast

Gaming Culture

Mousemate

Gaming News

Party Games

Wits & Wagers Expansion 1 Released

BattleLore Dragons Expansion Announced

2009-08-28T21:05:00Z

The BattleLore [Amazon, Funagain] war game system had a plan for its expansions since day one: start as a semi historic medieval era war game system and then roll in fantasy elements in the form of expansions. There have been some quality mini expansions here and there over the years, with a slow roll-out of fantasy creatures from Dwarfs to Goblins, and Trolls. But now there's something bigger on the horizon: Dragons.

The BattleLore Dragons expansion will include at least three different forms of the wyrms: Green (poisonous), Blue (frost) and most brutal Red (fire). Full details on the dragons and their abilities have been summarized in the feature preview article "Casting a Massive Shadow". Here's a snippet:

"As the battle draws to a close, the day in nearly won. Knights dismount, removing their battered helms and breathing in the smoking air. Suddenly, a shadow falls across the battlefield, accompanied by the deafening beat of massive wings... and the fight is far from over. This fall, all of Europe shall tremble before the might of three new creatures!
BattleLore: Dragons, the upcoming expansion for the beloved strategy game BattleLore, brings to bear the awesome power of one of the most iconic figures in the fantasy genre. These majestic creatures promise to lay waste to their foes as they fly unhindered about the battlefield."
- Casting a Massive Shadow

We'll keep you apprised of any new interesting details as the expansion gets closer to release, including the release of the sculptures (we hope their huge) and of cousre news of an actual release date! So far.. we just don't know.

Have a good weekend folks.

Dominion Sale - Act Fast

2009-08-26T14:47:13Z

The critically acclaimed card game in a box Dominion [Amazon, Funagain] is one of our favorite new games on the block, and today lady luck is shining upon you because Dominion has been severely discounted at the online sales website Tanga. Check it out here.

As of 10:30 am this morning they're selling the original copy of the Dominion Card Game you've been reading so much about at 32.99 bucks. This is one of those short term 'while supplies last' sales so check it out sooner rather than later. The deal also includes gobs of card sleeves in case you want to get keep your decks safe and sound from random spills and wild flailing card tears due to high-richter earthquakes or drunken chair falls.

For more information about Dominion, check out our release story: Dominion - A Standalone Collectibe Card Game in a Box

Axis & Allies Spring 1942 Released

2009-08-24T21:10:00Z

The next baseline Axis and Allies title A&A 1942 Edition [Amazon, Funagain] has finally hit store shelves, and this might be a perfect pickup if you missed last years A&A 50th Anniversary Edition. This installment is much smaller, and cheaper, but includes many of the cool new rules that made it into 50th Ann.

Cruisers are now on the scene, making naval combat far more interesting and vibrant. Additionally the notion of Damaging Factories (instead of destroying IPCs) during strategy bombing has been brought over, as have victory cities, artillery, and the new unit cost schemes.

Almost all naval forces prices have been slashed. Couple that to the fact that you'll need a flotilla of ships to protect your now defenseless transports and you should therefore expect to see some massive fleet actions. Let that sink in for a second - no more massive fleets of liberty ships off the English coast who's mere presence staves-off German aerial attacks. Nope: you'll need destroyers, cruisers, carriers and their planes, and / ore battleship escorts to keep your supply lines safe. This one move is a huge step for the better, and something that we loved in A&A 50th Anniversary.

But unless you have 200-300 bucks to burn, then A&A Anniversary is off the table. Now he's your chance to pickup its little brother for the cheap.

The game's downsides? It doesn't ship with IPC bills anymore, and asks you to track money on a sheet of paper, which is pretty lame. Additionally the game includes some of the support materials, like the attack board, on the main board itself - leaving less room for pieces. This makes Europe particularly cramped.

The money thing doesn't bother us - just grab your stack of bills from your older version, or use monopoly money. The cramped board is a bit more of a burden, but we can look past it. There are just so many great things that have been brought over from the 50th Anniversary that we can easily overlook the worst of the game's flaws.

Don't take our word for it though. You should check out these two user reviews on BGG.com: 25th Anniversary edition, a simpler, cheaper, easier edition and My 2 cents.

Here are the game's official details:

Spring 1942, The World is at War! Five world powers struggle for supremacy: Germany and Japan are aligned against England, the Soviet Union, and the USA. You control the military and economic destiny of one of these countries in the titanic struggle that will decide the fate of the world. You will need the perseverance of Montgomery, the daring of Rommel, the courage of Patton, the timing of Yamamoto, and the steadfastness of Zhukov!
Axis & Allies celebrates it's 25th Anniversary in August of 2009 with a new and updated edition of it's original classic game. Axis & Allies 1942, designed and developed by Larry Harris, will utilize the updated rules established in A&A Anniversary Edition. Cruiser class ships will make their debut in A&A 1942, forever changing the naval line-up. Newly sculpted playing pieces and all new packaging will position this game as the cornerstone of the Axis & Allies game line for years to come. Decide the fate of a nation in a few short hours!