North Star Games is running a contest on Board Game Geek (BGG) for the next two weeks that kindly requests that you put on your creative thinking fez and provide funny, creative content in hopes of becoming (technically) a published game designer. Win and you get your creativity included in their next promo pack for the new Wits & Wagers, Say Anything, and Crappy Birthday cards exclusively available from BGG later this fall.

If you want to be part of this epicness, all you need to do is go to the this forum thread and enter in your ideas for possible questions (for Say Anything and Wits & Wagers) and some gifts (for Crappy Birthday). If your ideas are accepted, the final release of the cards will include your BGG avatar and name next to it!

Hmm..makes you think twice about what type of avatar you want to use, doesn’t it? That “Pretty Pony” GIF you threw up because you thought it was funny is starting to look like a bad idea, eh?

Go forth and be creative!

Note: Creating an account on BGG is free and only takes a minute or two. So, you know…don’t be lazy.

The Basics:

• For ages 7 and up (publisher suggests 13+)
• For 2 to 5 players
• About 45 minutes to complete

Geek Skills:

• Counting & Math
• Logical & Critical Decision Making
• Reading
• Strategy & Tactics
• Risk vs. Reward
• Visuospatial Skills
• Hand/Resource Management

Learning Curve:

• Child – Moderate
• Adult – Easy

Theme & Narrative:

• Tales of riches beyond anyone’s wildest dreams are said to exist in Superstition Mountains, but more than wealth awaits those who explore and risk it all for fortune and glory.

Endorsements:

• Gamer Geeks mixed?
• Parent Geek approved!
• Child Geek approved!

Overview

He came down from the hills and carried with him the largest gold nugget anyone had ever seen. This reclusive man, by the name of Jacob Waltz, never told a soul where his treasure could be found. Oh, there are rumors, to be sure, but everyone who ever looked for the source of the gold failed, died trying, or simply disappeared. Stories became legend and legend into myth, but always there are those who are willing to risk it all for a chance to grasp wealth beyond imagination. The legend of the Lost Dutchman’s gold mine is the key and the goal, but will it also be your doom? Be smart, be daring, and above all, be careful.

Legend of the Lost Dutchman is a big game and is comprised of 1 Treasure Map, 15 Challenge tokens, 5 Player Boards, 20 Attribute tokens, 5 wooden Mining tokens, 5 wooden Prospectors (player’s pawns used on the Treasure Map), 1 wooden Dutchman’s Ghost, 10 Action die (2 per player in a single color), 1 six-sided Movement die , 1 Directional die (six-sided but with icons instead of numbers), 1 Mining Camp card, 120 Land cards, 1 Lost Dutchman creature card, 5 Water Level cards, 5 Character cards, and 10 Event cards. While we were only passed a final prototype of the game, the game felt “done”. The components were detailed, colorful, and complete.

Note: The game is summarized here, but not in its entirety. We will provide enough for you to get a good sense of the game and what is being offered initially. Remember, this game could change and grow based on the level of support it is given. We encourage you to read the rules (PDF) to get a more in-depth idea of the game mechanisms used in Legend of the Lost Dutchman.

Game Set Up

To set up the game, first shuffle the 120 Land cards and deal, face down, 25 stacks of 5 cards. In the middle of the playing area, place the Mining Camp card. Around this card, build a 5×5 grid with the stacks of 5 cards each, always keeping them face down. This part of the game area is referred to as the “Land Grid” and is one of the two areas the players will be playing on in the game.

Next, take the Treasure Map and place it to the side of the Land Grid and within easy reach of all the players. Place the 15 Challenge tokens face-down and randomize them. Then place one on each of the spaces on the Treasure Map. Flip the 3 Challenge Tokens located on the A, B, and C spaces of the Treasure Map face-up so the number values are showing. The Treasure Map is one of the two areas the players will be playing on in the game.

To one side of the Land Grid, place the 5 Water Level cards in order from 1 to 5, face-up. Find and place the Dutchman’s Ghost and the Dutchman’s Ghost wooden meeple next to it. Shuffle the Event cards and place them, face-down, next to the Water Level cards.

The players should now either randomly select a Character card or randomly be dealt one. The player’s should then select a meeple color and take that colored Prospector meeple, Mining token, and 2 Action dice. The players take 1 Player Board and 5 Attribute tokens and places the Attribute tokens on the starting spot indicated on the Character card. If the character starts with a basic piece of equipment, the player takes that card and places it next to their Player Board. The players should then place their Prospector meeple on the Mining Camp space on the Treasure Map and their Mining token on the Mining Camp card located in the middle of the Land Grid.

The game is now ready to play!

Digging for Gooooooooold!

A player’s turn is very straight forward. They take the Movement and Directional dice and roll them together. The Movement die will present a value (1 through 6) and the Directional die will tell the player “how” their Mining token can be moved on the Land Grid. Specifically, the Directional die will tell the player if they can move their Mining token from one Land card to another orthogonally (up, down, left, or right), diagonally, any direction the player chooses, or any direction the player chooses with a special dynamic action.

When moving, a player can never move through a creature or disaster card and can never travel through the same Land card more than once on their turn. If the player should stop on a Land card that is occupied by another player, an Event card is drawn. A player must use all of their movement if possible unless they are blocked.

If the dynamic action is rolled on the Directional die, the player gets to take several actions on their turn, but in order without skipping a single step. First the player attempts to bury one of their treasure cards, then they place the Dutchman Ghost on an opponent’s unburied treasure card or move the Dutchman’s Ghost to the mine on the Treasure Map, and lastly they move across the Land Grid any direction they choose.

When a player stops on and Land Card, they reveal it and “encounter” whatever is on the card.

When the player is done with the encounter, their turn is over and the Movement and Directional dice are passed to the next player.

The Dangers of the Land

The land the players will explore is not a nice one. Dangers exist around every corner. Wild animals and even supernatural threats lurk about and will surprise even the most watchful of players. Luckily, the players have the option of making their characters stronger, faster, and wiser. By doing so, they can reduce the odds of ever encountering something that might be too tough to handle. But even careful planning can’t account for every possibility.

For one thing, there is the question of water. Everyone needs it and it can go fast. Once the players are out of water, it’s game over. The water level in the player’s canteens is represented by the Water Level cards. Scattered and randomized throughout the Land Grid are cards that will drop this water level, bit by bit, until everyone is out of H2O.

If the ghosts and animals don't get you, dehydration will!

If dehydration wasn’t bad enough, there are the wild animals to contend with. Boars, snakes, and a host of other things that bite and scratch are hiding under brush and around corners. But perhaps worst of all are the threats that are not of this world. The Superstition Mountains are well named as there are strange things that lurk about. Ghosts, spirits, and even the legendary Lost Dutchman reportedly dwell here. Then, just to add a bit more “fun”, there is always the natural dangers of the terrain that can make even the most well armed individual into a casualty thanks to a freak rock slide and the constant heat.

Don't fear the Reaper, but DO fear the Dutchman!

With all these dangers lurking about, one must ask the question, “why are you risking your life?” Simply put, the treasure. Every encounter will provide something to the player, be it possible points at end of the game, treasure, helpful equipment, followers that can be brought along to assist in the hunt, and even secret places that can give the player an opportunity to explore faster than their opponents. Plus, every encounter is a step closer to the lost mine. When a player successfully handles whatever the dangerous land throws at them, depending on that player’s current location on the Treasure Map, they can advance forward and get closer to their goal: the lost mine!

How is this achieved? There are “gates” on the Treasure Map that are invisible to the players at the start of the game except the first three. There are two numbers on these gates that represent the encounter’s challenge level. If the player successfully beats the challenge and the challenge level indicated on the encounter matches one of the two values, the player passes through the gate and must then choose which path to the mine they want to take. The smart money is on the “shortest path”, but there are unknown dangers in front of them that might make the “easy road” into the hardest one to travel. Recall that the Challenge tokens on the Treasure Map are hidden and only revealed to the players once a player walks that path and hits that particular gate! When they do, they now have two new challenge levels they must beat to continue. Sometimes these will be small, sometimes they will be huge!

The Treasure Map

Protecting Your Ass…sets

Adventuring comes at a cost and that is “dangerous risk”. A character can be overcome by the threats of the land and be forced to retreat back to camp to heal. This takes time and reduces the character to a weaker state. Luckily, the players can improve their character’s attributes (vigor, foresight, ingenuity, and health) by making frequent stops at the Mining Camp (located in the middle of the Land Grid) and by collecting equipment and helpful friends. All challenges will target one or more of the character’s attributes making it a worthwhile exercise to improve the character every chance the player gets.

As the game continues, the player will collect treasure. Until this treasure is buried in a secret location only known to the player, it is never safe or truly owned by the player. Treasure can be stolen and even cursed resulting in the Lost Dutchman’s ghost haunting the player’s treasure and making it worth zero points at the end of the game! In order for a player to ensure their hard-won treasure is truly theirs, they must bury it in the ground. This can only be done if the player rolls dynamic result on the Movement die or they discard an item card representing the right equipment for the job. Note that the only difference between buried treasure and the other treasure the player collects does not impact their points at the end of the game. Buried treasure is guaranteed points while unburied treasure is at risk of being lost until the game is done. All treasure in the player’s possession (buried and unburied) are counted for points in the end.

Combat and Confrontation

Confronting challenges is a major part of the game. All encounters are hidden in the Land Grid and are only revealed once the player lands on them. Some encounters are helpful, but most are not. Those encounters that are not will require the player to essentially do battle, overcome the encounter by using the character’s attributes.

Every encounter has a challenge rating that shows a value and the associated attribute. The player rolls their dice and adds their character’s current attribute value to it. If the resulting value is higher than the challenge rating, the encounter has been won and the player collects the rewards listed. If the resulting value is equal to the challenge rating, the encounter is passed and trouble is avoided, but no rewards are offered. The encounter remains face up on the Land Grid for another player to attempt. If the resulting value is lower than the challenge rating, the player suffers the penalty listed on the card and the encounter remains!

Just two of the many encounters in the game

Note that some encounters have a challenge rating that also requires the player have a special item that is needed to successfully defeat the encounter. If the player does not yet have that item, then the best they can hope for is rolling higher than or equal to the challenge rating. Both will result in the player escaping the encounter but not winning the rewards.

When a character’s attributes drop to zero, they are in real danger. The character can continue to explore but at great risk. The very next encounter that penalizes the attribute that is already at zero knocks the character out! The player’s Mining token is removed from the Land card it is currently on and placed on the Mining Camp card. Here, the character will “wake up” on their next turn, weaker and a few items short of what they remember carrying on them before they passed out. While it might be a major blow to the character’s momentum, the penalty for waking up at camp is not detrimental enough to make the possibility of victory into an unreachable goal.

If two or more character’s should ever encounter each other on the Land Grid, strange events can occur. There is nothing stopping one player from visiting a Land card currently occupied by another. When they do, the Land card is encountered by the new visiting player, but an Event card is also drawn. The results are read out-loud to all the players and the effect of the card is immediate. Depending on the event, there could be cheers around the table or sullen faces as things go from bad to worse for some players.

Events are random which means they could hurt or help the players

Winning the Game

The game can end one of two different ways. If one of the players reaches the Lost Dutchman’s Mine on the Treasure Map and defeats the spirit of the Dutchman (if the spirit is present), the game ends. The other way is through dehydration which occurs when the Water Level cards are exhausted because of encounters found while exploring the Land Grid. When either of these conditions are met, the game immediately ends and the points are now scored.

Points are scored using buried and unburied treasure that are still in the player’s possession. Encounters also award treasure points and should be counted. The player who finds the lost mine (if applicable) is awarded bonus points, too.

The player with the most points wins the game!

To learn more about Legend of the Lost Dutchman, see the game’s official web site or visit the Kickstarter project page.

Prediction

Just by looking at all the bits this game comes with and the very detailed and well written rule book, this game is a tough one to call for my little geeks. Rule wise, there is a lot to absorb, but in practice, the game appears to play rather quickly with a streamlined player action order to follow. The character growth is nothing my little geeks are strangers to having played role-playing games and other games where one of their objectives is to improve their character’s attributes. Even the encounters and the way combat is handled is not terribly new or what I would consider difficult.

So what is causing me to pause and ponder this game’s end result?

I think it is the fact that the game feels “big”. Until I can actually play it, I can’t help shake the feeling that the game might be just too much for my little geeks to handle out of the box. Which seems like a funny statement to make when you consider the game publisher suggests the game takes less than an hour to play. This actually made me raise my eyebrows as I couldn’t imagine how a game that sounded so epic could be played in such little time.

Teaching the game to my little geeks took a bit. In total, I think I spent about 20 minutes explaining the rules, providing examples, and then answering questions. For the most part, my little geeks understood what the game was about (thanks to the theme), how the game was played (thanks to the straight forward rules) and how they could win. What perplexed them was the Treasure Map. They didn’t understand how you were supposed to play both boards at the same time. In fact, my 7-year-old suggested that the Treasure Map seemed unnecessary. I agreed with his comment as I did not yet understand how the Treasure Map was to be used other than as a mechanism to bring about the end game.

When my little geeks were ready to play, my 4-year-old wanted to go it alone (which really isn’t a problem as you can read the cards out-loud to all players without hurting the game experience) and we were ready to go for a 3-player game. While we set it up, I asked my little geeks what they thought of the game so far.

“Looks great! Really like the story of the game and the treasure hunting!” ~ Liam (age 7)

“I’m not afraid of no ghost!” ~ Nyhus (age 4)

Brought a tear to my eye to hear my 4-year-old quote Ghostbusters…man, I love that movie, but that’s not important to this review. What is important is how this game plays! Let’s get to it and see if this is a gem of a game or a dud in the sand.

Final Word

The Child Geeks loved this game. My two little geeks greatly enjoyed the exploration and the surprises that awaited them when they went to turn over a card. The destination is always the lost mine and the gold, but the journey itself is the real story and the adventure. This was not lost on them and they quickly took their turn to explore and then waiting impatiently while their father took his turn. The little geeks did not use much in the way of strategy or tactics, preferring to rush through and explore as much as they could as quickly as they could. This turned out to be, oddly enough, a good working strategy. The game is already relatively short and by collecting as much treasure as you can as fast as you can ended up giving them a lot of points. I, on the other hand, took my time, burying  my treasure and protecting myself from attacks by improving my character. This also worked and gave me the victory at the end of the game, but only slightly. My little geeks were only a few points behind me and I am certain they would have won if I had not protected myself as I did. Not that it mattered as they wanted to play another game right after we finished our first.

A little geek at 7-years-old had no problem playing this game, but keep in mind he has a good deal of game experience. He’s played a lot of games and might not represent the “average” 7-year-old. However, if you are a Parent or Gamer Geek, odds are you have raised your child or children on a solid diet of geeky awesomeness. My 4-year-old, despite his geeky upbringing, suffered a lot of vapor lock while playing solo and I spent a good deal of time helping him out. As such, we are suggesting the minimum age is 7 on this game.

Parent Geeks were enthralled by this game. The theme or narrative suggests adventure and a mystery, which of course hooked them like a hungry fish. From what they told me, they found the game to be one big adventure that never really felt like it was pushing you to do anything you didn’t want to. One Parent Geek didn’t care for the combat but they really loved how they could mold their character, making them stronger and better. This level of “growth” was not lost on the Parent Geeks and they found the game to be rewarding because of it. They weren’t just going through the motions to achieve and imaginary goal. No, they were planning, strategizing, changing their tactics, and searching for that which not only would lead them to victory, but also the upper edge.

The Gamer Geeks (as suggested by the endorsement summary at top) was a mixed bag. It all depended on where the Gamer Geek sat in the rather narrow spectrum of gamer elitists.

One one end of the spectrum, the hardcore players who scoff at the idea that a “game” be anything less than 3 hours long and have a rule book a 1/2 inch thick, thought the game to be a poor one. One Gamer Geek described it as “Candy Land in the desert”. For these Gamer Geeks, Legend of the Lost Dutchman was nothing more than a roll-n-move game with little in the way of choice or necessary brain power. The summarized their turn as: roll > move > flip card > roll again. The Treasure Map was all but despised by them, too, as they saw little use for it and seemed only make the game less interesting. Clearly, not a game that was meant for this group and it showed.

On the other end of the spectrum is the casual Gamer Geek who knows their stuff, but looks at each game experience as an opportunity to be challenged and to be social. To them, the game must be worth their time and provide enough “fun” to make it time well spent, but not terribly heavy. This group of gamer elitists praised Legend of the Lost Dutchman for its easy rules and light decision making that was wrapped up into an enjoyable theme. This group summarized their experience as “light to medium game play that provided meaningful choices with great reward and exploration without feeling kicked in the teeth or in the groin when things didn’t work out”. They liked the exploration, had little  issue with the roll-n-move mechanism, and thoroughly enjoyed the fact that the game played on two different levels (the Land Grid and the Treasure Map). Clearly, a startling 180 from their more hardcore counterparts.

From casual Gamer Geeks to Child Geeks, the game was enjoyed by all except for the hardcore Gamer Geeks

Gamer Geeks, this game might or might not be for you depending on where you sit in the gamer elitist spectrum. Legend of the Lost Dutchman is not an overly challenging game and can seem repetitive for those gamers who are looking for a game experience where every move must be scrutinized and every action considered. If this is what you like on your gaming table, then this game is not going to be much of a thrill. However, if you are the type of gamer who enjoys a very thematic game with exploration and rules that are streamlined to make turns quick and light, driving the game to a nail-biting finish, then Legend of the Lost Dutchman will be well received with much fanfare.

Parent Geeks, this is a wonderful game for the family. It provides fun, entertainment, and adventure (in board game terms). The game is light to medium in what it demands of the player making it a game that will engage all at the table but not needing constant attention. The casual level of game play makes it a fun experience and the risk vs. reward provides a feeling of little dread and much anticipation as each card in the Land Grid is flipped. Choices are always meaningful but never detrimental. There are many paths to take giving the player an opportunity to play the game on their own terms without any player ever getting lost since all roads will lead to the same end game. A wonderful experience for all but the non-gamers in your family who might find Legend of the Lost Dutchman slightly intimidating.

Child Geeks, this is a fun adventure game where you will get to hike out in the desert and search for treasure! There is much to look for and much to do! Will you search for the treasure quickly and risk the dangers of the desert so as to beat your opponents to the gold? Or, are you more of a strategic player who sees value in making sure your character is well stocked and prepared for any event that might occur in the Superstition Mountains? The choices are yours and you can always change your mind when you are playing! Take risk as the rewards are huge and never despair if you are returned to camp. Every setback is an opportunity to get the upper hand!

Who is Legend of the Lost Dutchman for? In my opinion, it is perfectly suited for casual Gamer Geeks, Parent Geeks, and Little Geeks (that meet the age and Geek Skill requirements). The game is very rich, thematically speaking, and provides just enough for the players to think about without feeling overwhelmed. Choices are important, but light and the consequences of bad die rolls and missed opportunities never are so extreme so as to set the player back beyond any hope of recovering. The game is also exceedingly well-balanced and every player, regardless of their selected Character card, ends up being the right “person for the job” and can handle themselves well enough to go exploring. But the game does reward the player by presenting equipment that can improve the character and the trips to the Mining Camp are a must for those players looking to improve their odds of victory.

Every roll of the dice is important, every exploration is worth undertaking, and the threat of the game ending before the players want it to make the game into an enjoyable “rush” that will keep them on their toes and pushing their luck to be the winner. Legend of the Lost Dutchman is going to be a wonderful game for families and the Gamer Geeks who are looking for a fun game that provides enough meat to chew but never enough to choke on. The suggested game bit quality the publishers are shooting for and the near endless replay value the game provides thanks to random Land Grid set up, truly makes Legend of the Lost Dutchman a treasure worth obtaining!

This game was given to Father Geek as a review copy. Father Geek was not paid, bribed, wined, dined, or threatened in vain hopes of influencing this review. Such is the statuesque and legendary integrity of Father Geek.

The Basics:

• For ages 7 and up (publisher suggests 12+)
• For 2 to 4 players
• About 20 minutes to complete

Geek Skills:

• Counting & Math
• Logical & Critical Decision Making
• Pattern/Color Matching
• Strategy & Tactics
• Risk vs. Reward
• Hand/Resource Management

Learning Curve:

• Child – Easy
• Adult – Easy

Theme & Narrative:

• War , strife, and sickness consume the land as three warring kingdoms clash on the battlefield – only the strong and clever will survive

Endorsements:

• Gamer Geek rejected!
• Parent Geek approved!
• Child Geek approved!

Overview

PLAGUE, by Grey Gnome Games, is a low-fantasy themed trick-taking card game set in the dark ages of Europe where three major kingdoms are in a great war and death is all about. Sword and shield might rule the battlefield, but the Plague can reduce the mightiest army to dust and decay. Walking the war-torn land are clerics who have the knowledge to heal the sick and bring comfort in a land that knows nothing but wickedness and despair. The game plays fast, has a unique scoring mechanism, and uses simple rules. Combat is played out behind the player’s hand as they strategize and scheme. In the end, only one kingdom will rise from the ashes.

PLAGUE is comprised of 36 cards. In this deck are 30 Army cards (10 of each color: red, blue, and green), 5 Plague cards, and 1 Cleric card. The artwork is superb and is spot on with the theme which only further strengthens the narrative of the game.

Game Set Up

To set up the game, take the deck and shuffle it thoroughly. If playing with 2 players, discard the top 6 cards and remove them from the game. Deal out the rest of the cards to the players. The players can look at their cards but should keep their deck hidden at all times. Any discarded cards for a 2-player game should also remain face-down and hidden from all the players at all times. Not included in the game, but necessary to play, is a piece of paper and a pen or pencil to write with to record scores.

Pick the first player and begin.

Reading the Cards

Every card in the game has to values. The firs is the Card Value (CV) that is used to determine the strength of the individual card and also represents the cards color. Both values are important when determining who wins a single hand in the game. The second is the Victory Points (VP) that is used at the end of the a round to determine a player’s score.

Not immediately apparent until you look at all the cards is that the VP value of a card is lower for cards who have a high CV number, and vice versa. This means that the most powerful card in an army (a 10), will only score 1 VP, but the Fool will score 10 VP with a CV of 1. The Cleric card has the highest CV of 11 and has a value of zero VP.

The Plague cards are the only exception to this rule. The Plague card’s CV and VP values are opposite of each other. For example, the Plague cards with an 8 CV has a VP value of -8.

Playing the Game

PLAGUE is very similar to another card game, Spades, where the first card played sets the card suit (Army or Plague card) and the current value to beat. Players must play cards that match the suit (matching the Army color or a Plague card) of the first card  played if possible. For example, if a red Army card is played, all players must play a red Army card if they have it in their hand. When two or more cards of the same Army are put together, the card with the highest CV always wins. But PLAGUE adds an additional twist.

To being with, not every Army card is created equal. An army of one color can always beat an Army of another color. In this way, the Army cards can be used to trump (the winning card) all other Army cards of a specific color regardless of their value, but only if the player does not have a card of the same suit that led. Any red Army card will beat a green Army card, any green Army card will beat a blue Army card, and any blue Army card will beat a red Army card.

The Plague cards can only be played if the player chooses to lead the hand with it or if it is played when the player does not have the suit of the lead card. If played as the lead card, all players must play their Plague cards if they have any. If a player does not have any Plague cards, the first Army card they play becomes the lead suit which all player who have not taken their turn yet must follow if possible.

The Cleric is a very special card. Only one is present in the deck and might not always be available during the round for a 2-player game. The Cleric can only be played if a Plague card has been played before it. Regardless of the Plague or Army CV, the Cleric always wins the hand. Always.

Taking Tricks and Scoring

When a player wins the hand, they take the card that won the hand (the “trick”) and place it face-up and in front of them with the other cards in that hand placed face-down under the trick. For example, if a Plague card won the hand, it would be placed face-up on the stack of face-down cards that were part of that hand. The only exception is the Cleric card that can be used to replace any ill won Plague cards. This is done by placing the Cleric card face-up and all other cards, including the Plague card and the cards underneath it, face-down. The Cleric card is placed on top of this stack of cards. While the Cleric does not provide any VP value, it nullifies the negative VP value given by the Plague card.

Once all the cards in the round have been played, the players now calculate their score. This is done by taking the top face-up cards the player has won, ignoring all the other cards underneath it, and adding the VP values together. The scores are recorded on a piece of paper for all the players and a special mark should be made next to the winning player or players with the highest score. Note that it is possible for a player to have negative points and even zero points for the round.

Example of how a player would score their top cards at the end of the round

The game now continues. Collect all the cards, shuffle, and repeat the game set up.

Winning the Game

The game continues until one player or players wins 3 rounds. The rounds won need not be sequential. For example, a player could win the first two rounds, lose the next two, and then win the game by winning the fifth round (for a total of 3 rounds won). If there is a tie, tally the points of those players who tied. The player with the highest points wins.

To learn more about PLAGUE, see the game’s main web site.

Prediction

My little geeks have played trick-taking card games before with mixed results. Honestly, I think their level of enjoyment is based more on the alignment of the Moon and stars at times. For example, I played Hearts with my oldest on one occasion and he loved it. A few weeks later, he despised every second of it. A good deal of my game testing with my little geeks is based on timing. If I put a game in front of them at the wrong time, it will cause the entire game to flop. This is why I play the games a few times with my little geeks to ensure that I have the accurate portrayal of their level of endorsement before I write the review. For adults, this is by and large unnecessary. Adults can usually communicate to me their thoughts and opinions on the game based off one of play, accurately  portraying their level of endorsement.

As such, I had to wait for the right opportunity to play PLAGUE with my son. Lucky for me, the game set up time and game rules are short. All I needed was a 1/2 hour of time where my son was open to new ideas, ready to be challenged, and be objective. Some days, finding opportunities like this is like trying to find Waldo in a sea of a billion faces. Other days, he comes to me asking for a game. It is on these days I usually do most of my testing.

When that day arrived, I presented my little geek with the game and how it was played. He was willing to give it a shot and rather liked the them of the game. Unlike Spades, which has no theme, PLAGUE can tell a story as it is played out which is a good deal more engaging.

After I explained the rules, I had my little geek shuffle the cards and deal them out. As he did so, I asked him his thoughts on the game so far.

“Good theme and I like the Rock-Paper-Scissors way armies can beat each other, but I especially like the skeleton cards!” ~ Liam (age 7)

The “skeleton cards” he is referring to are the Plague cards, and he is correct about the Rock-Paper-Scissors like trumping the Army cards use when determining tricks. Let’s play the game and see if it keeps his interest or becomes a casualty of boredom and disinterest.

Final Word

My little geek had a wonderful time playing the game and so did I. He found the Army trumping to be slightly confusing at first, but quickly memorized the pattern. Until he did, however, he lost a number of points. This made him feel bad, obviously, but did not send him on the floor in a tantrum. In the second round, he had memorized the Army trumping rule and did much better. The end result was him beating me (believe it or not) by 2 points thanks to him sticking two Plague cards on me. Oh, how he laughed…

The Parent Geeks were not sure what to make of the game at first. They thought, based off of my description, the game would be gory, violent, and rather graphic in nature. Of course, the game is nothing of the kind. It does have a dark thematic background and narrative, but that never comes into play. When they sat down and played it, they loved it. They especially liked how the points were scored and the additional level of thought that was necessary before placing a card.

Gamer Geeks forced their way through it, but not overly so. They recognized it as a trick-taking card game and brought to the table their own assumptions based on this fact. It surprised them that the game was much less boring then they originally assumed. They also liked how the scores were taken in the game, but found the lack of theme (other than the card artwork – which is absolutely awesome) made PLAGUE nothing more than just a plan old card game. This meant they had little interest. They never suggested it was a bad game, however; just not a game they wanted to play again anytime soon.

My little geek shows me his favorite cards and gives me his most crazy grin

Gamer Geeks, while all who played it agreed it had an interesting scoring rule, the game itself did little to keep the interest of the gamer elitists. The game was too basic and provide little in the way of complex strategy or tactics, from the elitist’s point-of-view (I tend to disagree, however). All Gamer Geeks agreed (including me) that they would not turn down a game if offered because of how fast it could be set up and played. While not a glowing endorsement from this test group, it does suggest that the game is entertaining enough to those who usually seek out more complex experiences.

Parent Geeks, despite the rather dark theme in the game, there is nothing in the actual game play itself that suggests violence or death. The blood and gore, disease and decay are only suggested at in the game’s narrative through the game rules. Remove that and there is nothing to suggest to a little geek that violence is occurring at the table. This proved to be the saving grace for the Parent Geek group as they all approached the game with much hesitation when I described its back story. Once they played the game and saw for themselves that the back story played no part in the game play, they visibly relaxed and very much enjoyed the game. The easy rules and quick game play did not detract from the level of competition the Parent Geeks brought to the table. Even the non-gamers had a good time, but they were slightly slower to pick up on the game’s twists and turns.

Child Geeks, oddly enough, really enjoyed this game. My son, in particular, was having a wonderful time playing it. In his words, “it’s an easy game to learn and play”. While it is easy to teach, we found that we had to remind the Child Geeks a few times about the Army card trump rule. Sadly, there is nothing on the cards to suggest that one Army card will always beat another. While not detrimental to the game, it did cause some of the Child Geeks to lose out on some points. The Child Geeks enjoyed the game and asked for more.

I actually found PLAGUE to be aa pretty interesting game. I am no stranger to trick-tacking games and I have played them to death (excuse the pun). My wife loves them and I have a hard time saying “no” to my wife when she asks me to play games with her. The problem is, she is terribly good at them and I end up spending 20 minutes achieving nothing more than a bruised ego. To date, I can count the number of times I have won a traditional card game against my wife on one hand using only 2 fingers. After 14 years, that’s a pretty cruddy record.

PLAGUE doesn’t really do anything new, but the way points are collected makes the game more engaging. For those who are not at all attracted to trick-taking card games, PLAGUE will be of little interest. As my wife is a lover of Hearts, Spades, and various other card games that I have played way too often (and still no good at), I am most pleased to be able to provide a different type of trick-taking card game for us to play. I enjoy the challenge of balancing card power with card value, and the open table information makes it easy to see where I am in points in comparison to my opponents. Visually, this gives me the right information I need to know when to take a risky move or sit back and play it safe. The real “trick” to this trick-taking card game is the hand management you have to carefully watch at all times. While other trick-tacking card games give you a set amount of points, PLAGUE requires the player to carefully consider what cards they want to play to win at risk of forfeiting a lot of points later. This proved to be exactly what I was looking for in a trick-taking card game as it gave me a good deal more to think about and play with. If you are a fan of trick-taking card games, do give PLAGUE a try!

This game was given to Father Geek as a review copy. Father Geek was not paid, bribed, wined, dined, or threatened in vain hopes of influencing this review. Such is the statuesque and legendary integrity of Father Geek.

The Basics:

• For ages 4 and up (publisher suggests 6+)
• For 2 to 4 players
• Variable game length depending on number of players

Geek Skills:

• Logical & Critical Decision Making
• Hand/Eye Coordination & Dexterity
• Strategy & Tactics
• Visuospatial Skills

Learning Curve:

• Child – Easy
• Adult – Easy

Theme & Narrative:

• In a small pocket universe, trouble is brewing…

Endorsements:

• Gamer Geek approved!
• Parent Geek approved!
• Child Geek approved!

Overview

Micro Monsters, by Ares Games, is a quick action/dexterity based game of control and conquest that is played out in a pocket universe. The players will be leading a small army of even small monsters into battle, jumping them (literally) into the fray. Careful and thoughtful placement of the monsters is needed to always be as offensive as possible while never making yourself an easy target. And while the game is simple in its design and execution, true skill is needed to be victorious. Best of all, it is highly accessible making it a game you can play with your little geeks very early on and fun enough to play with adults, too. Mix these two groups together and you are guaranteed a good time!

Micro Monsters is comprised of 4 different armies (red, blue, yellow, and green). Each army comes with 3 small plastic monster discs, 3 large plastic monster discs, 2 plastic monster rectangles, 1 plastic rectangle shooter, 3 cardboard energy tokens, and a six-sided die (rolled to determine what monster can be used and if the monster’s special ability is activated). The smaller discs might prove to be a choking hazard for baby geeks. Also included for each army is a large cardboard circle that is double-sided that represents the monster’s gate to their world. Two of the monster armies come with special cardboard disc that is utilized when the player rolls the special power on the six-sided die for their army. The illustrations throughout the game are bright and colorful making them a joy to play with and to look at.

Game Set Up

Note: Prior to game set up, you will be required to apply stickers to all the plastic monster discs, rectangles, and dice. This took us about 15 minutes but was not terribly difficult. Make sure you apply the rectangle stickers to only two of the rectangles (on both sides), leaving one rectangle piece with no stickers. This rectangle piece without any stickers is the shooter.

To set up the game, have each player pick an army of their choice and take all the pieces of that color. The playing surface should be fairly large (at least 4 feet by 4 feet) and on a surface that allows for the discs and rectangles to be jumped in the air and not shot across the playing the surface. We used a thick felt mat on a hard table and on a carpet. Both surfaces worked juts fine.

The players should stand or sit around the playing area and place their army’s gate in the playing area directly in front of them with the gate showing the non-damage side, face-up. The monster discs and rectangles are now placed around the gate in any order they want, but not stacked, no further away than about a palms length. The energy tokens, special power tokens, and dice are set aside and off the playing area, but within easy reach of the owning player.

Choose who will go first and start the game!

Micro Combat

On a player’s turn, they will roll their die. The resulting image will depict one of the three monsters in that player’s army or the monster’s special ability.

• If the rolled result displays a monster that is on the table, the player picks any of the available monsters of that type and attempts to land it on one of their opponent’s monsters or gate
• If the rolled result displays a monster that is not on the table, the player picks any available monster they want and attempts to land it on one of their opponent’s monsters or gate
• If the rolled result displays the special ability, the player takes their turn using the special ability and attempts to land it on one of their opponent’s monsters or gate

Any monster that is jumped and lands outside of the playing area is returned to the owning player who places it around their gate, ending their turn.

Unless otherwise specified, the player gets only one chance to jump their monster disc or rectangle using their shooter. Jumping a disc or rectangle is done by placing the shooter on the edge of the monster and applying pressure until the monster jumps as a result. More pressure will result in a higher and longer jump. The player will have to judge distance and aim their monster, applying the appropriate amount of pressure. There is a bit of a learning curve and each monster jumps slightly different being of different size and weight.

Special Powers of Specialness 

Each of the four armys have a special power. These powers can only be used when rolled on the six-sided die. Those special abilities are as follows:

• AutoGators (green): player may move two monsters of their choice, but cannot move a single monster twice
• BigBears (yellow): player may move one monster of their choice and then place the special power token on any opponent’s monster causing that specific monster to be unavailable on the following turn
• FinBacks (blue): player may move any one monster twice
• TurboTurtles (red): player may move one monster of their choice and then place the special power token on that same monster causing it be immune to attacks for one round

Gate Crashing and Monster Squashing

When a player’s monster lands on top of an opponent’s monster, it is considered “squopped” and the opponent’s monster is removed from the game. If the player’s monster lands on more than one opponent’s monster (because it is stacked or touching more than one), all of those monsters are removed from the game.

When a player’s monster lands on an opponent’s gate, one of the opponent’s energy tokens is removed from the game. If all three of the energy tokens have been removed from the game, the gate flips to the damaged side. If the gate should take another damage, it closes and the player is out of the game. This essentially gives each player 4 lives per game before they are removed.

Note that a monster disc or rectangle is not counted until it comes to a complete stop.

Winning the Game

The game continues with each player rolling the dice and taking a turn until only one player remains. That player is the winner of the game!

Game Variant

For a shorter game, reduce the number of energy tokens players have. You can also use this rule to give the little geeks and inexperienced players an advantage by letting them keep all three of the energy tokens and having the more experienced players reduce their energy token count by 1 or 2.

To learn more about Micro Monsters, see the game’s official web site.

Prediction

This  is pretty much going to be a “sure thing” for the little geeks. Small, fast, and fun, Micro Monsters all but screams “little geeks games”. The only level of complexity is the actual act of shooting the monsters which can be improved by game play and practice. The special powers need not be memorized if an adult is present who can remind them what it is and how to use it.

When I showed my little geeks the game, they were ready to fall in love with it before I even opened the box! All they knew (and cared about) is that the box “looked cool”. When I told them they would be jumping pieces on the table, they almost jumped out of their pants. You see, my little geeks love action/dexterity games. They play Angry Birds: Knock on Wood,  Knock Your Blocks Off, and of course, Hungry Hungry Hippos a great deal. Micro Monsters is a natural fit and as familiar to them as Saturday Morning Cartoons.

Explaining the game took about 1 minute and then we spent the next 5 minutes practicing with the shooters and monsters. My little geeks had difficulty at first, but quickly learned how to shoot with impressive distance and accuracy. They were ready to play! As we set up the table, I asked them their thoughts on the game so far.

“AWESOME!” ~ Liam (age 7)

“This is the best game ever, Daddy!” ~ Nyhus (age 4)

Strong praise for a game they haven’t even played yet. Let’s see how they feel after their first game.

Final Word

We finished our first game and then immediately played another. And then another. And then another! We only stopped playing because it was dinner time and my wife was demanding the table transform from epic micro battle zone to a boring old dinner table. To say my little geeks enjoyed the game is a gross understatement. Kind of like saying the shark in Jaws liked to nibble.

Not only did the little geeks love the game and want to play it again and again, they became really good at it really fast. Creepy fast. The first half of the first game was something of a mess as their monsters went hither and yon, never really striking their intended target or landing in the right area. Understandably, you’d think they would become frustrated, but not once did they show it. They just shook their fists in the air like Captain Kirk and impatiently waited for their next turn. By the time the first game was over, they had shown much improvement and were taking less and less time to squash my monsters and crush my gate.

The second game was the most intense game I have ever played with my little geeks and it was a blast. We were standing around the table this time and jumping up and down at hits and groaning at our misses. Game three and four were the same, but even more cutthroat and much more tactical. I spent a majority of my time in game four maneuvering my monsters and taking out my little geeks army, doing all I could to avoid being squashed in the field and watching helplessly as my little geeks surrounded and then decimated my gate.  Victory was theirs and it was sweet. Being ganged up by them and being crushed is one of my most favorite game experiences so far.

Parent Geeks also had a wonderful time playing the game. The same level of excitement and sounds could be heard from the same table surrounded by adults that was only an hour before surrounded by little geeks. This is a true testament of how much fun and accessible the game is, as non-gamers were just as active and excited as the more experienced players next to them. Unlike the game with the little geeks, the Parent Geeks used more colorful language and hand gestures to express their disappointment and enjoyment.

Gamer Geeks also had a wonderful time playing the game. The didn’t have an easier time playing the game despite their many years and countless hours of playing complex games. In fact, they were hard pressed to fend off the Child Geeks and Parent Geeks. The said the game lacked depth, customization, and suffered from not having enough uniqueness and special powers, but not one of them left the table when they could and ready to play another game when offered.

Epic combat at the family table! My two oldest little geeks strategize their war with me as my youngest and I look on.

Gamer Geeks, yes, this is a kids game. Yes, it is rather light and lacks complex rules and the ability to customize. And, yes, the game is small. None of this matters because the game is fun and challenging. The level of intensity it can generate with the right crowd can be overwhelming as players aggressively attempt to crush their opponents. The dice randomizes what monsters you can use, which some believe to be an unnecessary luck element thrown in. I tend to agree, but it works very well in the game because there are multiple monsters, providing the player the ability to make meaningful choices. This game is approved for its level of enjoyment it will offer more than what it can ever hope to provide in the way of depth of play. Perfect for starting your game night, a quick break game, or a nice way to end the evening.

Parent Geeks, clear off your table or your floor and get ready for a fun combat game that will be making you jump up in down in frustration or joy. Possibly both. The game is perfect for families and is easy to teach with very little rules. Non-gamers will have no problem learning this game and contributing to the warfare at the table. Little geeks as young as 4 can play this game (based off our test group) and be competitive and victorious.

Child Geeks, this is an awesome, awesome game. You’ll be jumping your monsters and putting the smack down on your opponent’s in no time. Seriously, go play it. Now.

Micro Monsters is the not as grand as its big brother Micro Mutants: Evolution. Not by a long shot, but that’s OK. Micro Monsters is meant to be smaller, faster, and more accessible. This turns out to also be a wonderful boon for the game as it doesn’t have much in the way of depth to support anything longer. Short set up and play time with some rather intense moments trump the missing complexity and variety the game does not provide. The end result is a wonderful little game that can be set up in a minute and played many times in a row without it ever getting old. For the little geeks, this was exceedingly enjoyable. For the Parent and Gamer Geeks, it proved to be a good time. I am most pleased with the game and I wouldn’t mind bringing it to the table any day of the week.

This game was given to Father Geek as a review copy. Father Geek was not paid, bribed, wined, dined, or threatened in vain hopes of influencing this review. Such is the statuesque and legendary integrity of Father Geek.

• For ages 7 and up (publisher recommends 10+)
• For 2 to 6 players (best with 4+)
• About 60-75 minutes to complete, depending on the number of players

Geek Skills:

• Counting & Math
• Reading & Writing
• Strategy & Tactics
• Risk vs. Reward
• Hand/Resource Management

Learning Curve:

• Child – Moderate
• Adult – Easy

Theme & Narrative:

• Run your lemmings off the edge of the cliff, but don’t get eaten by the eagles!

Endorsements:

• Gamer Geek rejected!
• Parent Geek approved!
• Child Geek approved!

Overview

Leaping Lemmings, designed by Rick Young and John Poniske and published by GMT Gamesin 2010, is a hex and counter game for children and the young at heart. Players control up to 10 lemmings each and race them across a narrow stretch of clear terrain dotted with a few bushes, in an attempt to hurl them off the cliff edge before eagles eat them instead. The game components include:

• 10 lemming counters in each of 6 player colors
• Lemming chow pellet markers with bonus victory points or “Favors”
• 2 Eagle counters (1 red, 1 blue) and 2 corresponding Eagle dice
• A deck of 16 Special Action cards
• A deck of 32 movement cards with values of 2 through 5 and a “Game Over” card
• A map board, with a starting zone at one end and a cliff edge at the other end; the area in between is marked with a hex grid and divided into 12 hunting zones within which the Eagles will look for prey

Everything that comes in the game!

Game Set Up and Play

The Move deck is shuffled, with the Game Over card placed randomly within the last 7 cards. Two to four Special Action cards are dealt to each player. All lemmings are placed within the starting zone. Pellet markers are mixed, face-down, and placed on designated hexes on the map.

On each turn, the active player, also known as the “Eagle player”, rolls the Eagle dice and moves the two Eagle counters accordingly. If there are lemmings in open terrain within an Eagle’s hunting zone, one of them will be eaten and any other lemmings in that zone will be scattered to nearby hexes. Then the top card of the movement deck is turned over and all players, beginning with the Eagle player, move one of their lemmings towards the cliff the number of hexes indicated on that card. A player whose lemming leaves a hex with a pellet marker collects the marker, thus gaining 1 or 2 bonus victory points or a “Favor” for later use. Any lemmings that reach the cliff edge with movement points to spare will leap off, earning 1 to 5 victory points depending on the number of movement points left. Immediately before moving one of their lemmings, a player may choose to play a Special Action card or cash in “Favors” to obtain specified benefits.

Visual example of the lemming running area on the game board

The player to the left of the Eagle player becomes the new Eagle player for the following turn.

Ending the Game

The game ends immediately when the Game Over card is drawn from the Move deck. Players score victory points for their leapt lemmings, unused Special Actions, and collected pellet markers. The player with the most victory points wins the game.

To learn more about Leaping Lemmings, see the game’s web site.

Prediction

GMT Games is one of my favorite publishers, more renowned for board wargames, but venturing into very different territory on occasion. In this case, the two designers are respected wargame designers: for example, Rick Young designed Europe Engulfed and John Poniske designed Hearts and Minds: Vietnam 1965-1975. While the comic theme is a significant departure from their previous titles, the designers’ background is still evident here, with key game concepts such as hex stacking limits, pinning units, movement points and terrain costs. While the rules are simple, I was expecting this game to be even simpler to match the levity of the subject matter. So I was unsure whether this would work with my 7-year-old son, even though he enjoys some quite difficult games such as Le Havre and Caylus Magna Carta. Because of the brief rules and short playing time, we chose to try this when we had an hour and a half to spare before lunchtime.

Final Word

So far, I have only played this game twice: a 2-player game with my son and a 5-player game with both my children, my sister and brother-in-law. The 2-player version is played a little differently – for instance, each player controls one eagle each turn – but it was an excellent opportunity to understand how the game played.

I found this first experience rather dull, which I attributed to the number of players rather than our lack of familiarity with the rules. At any one time, there were very few lemmings in play and the game felt like a straight roll-and-move board race, without much else happening. I still thought that this game had much more potential that we had not seen fulfilled, so the following weekend we tried this again with more players. This was much more interactive and indeed chaotic, with up to a dozen lemmings in play at a time, providing much fodder for the eagles, and Special Actions being played all over the place. It still progressed quickly, with each turn taking about 2 minutes.

My son eked out a narrow victory over me, relying on a tie-breaker as our preliminary victory point count was tied. I was pleasantly surprised that my 5-year-old daughter was able to play with only a little bit of assistance, and she remained engaged throughout the game (it helped that we had an intermission for lunch). Although there are a few tactical plays available, Gamer Geeks will not find these lemmings meaty enough for their liking. All players receive equal movement point allocations, but in other respects a single player may find himself a hostage to bad fortune and/or being targeted by his opponents. This one is best left to the birds!

Parent Geeks may balk at the less than family-friendly idea of cute furry animals being eaten by birds of prey or else committing suicide, albeit cheerfully and stylishly. Fear not, this is all in good fun and there is no disturbing imagery. Parent Geeks and their children will enjoy this in equal measure. The game can be completed in under an hour if you maintain a good pace, ensuring that all players make their moves without undue delay.

Child Geeks will grasp the gameplay very quickly and will take great delight in the collection of pellet markers, but even more so in the demise of lemmings! Special Action cards can be set aside if playing with pre-literate children.

The Basics:

• For ages 7 and up (publisher suggests 8+)
• For 2 to 4 players
• About 30 minutes to complete

Geek Skills:

• Active Listening & Communication
• Counting & Math
• Logical & Critical Decision Making
• Reading
• Strategy & Tactics
• Risk vs. Reward
• Hand/Resource Management

Learning Curve:

• Child – Moderate
• Adult – Easy

Theme & Narrative:

• A successful farmer knows when to buy and when to sell, but the market is a competitive one, which means you must watch your opponents as closely as you watch the market!

Endorsements:

• Gamer Geek approved!
• Parent Geek approved!
• Child Geek approved!

Overview

To be a successful farmer, you must take risk and spend your money wisely. Spend too much on seeds and you won’t make a profit on your harvest. If you take your crop to market too late, the demand and the prices will be low. It is a delicate balancing game of timing everything as well as you can so that the price you paid to plant is returned and a profit is gained when you finally get your crops to the buyers. But even the smartest and savviest of farmers can be undone by the forces of nature and aggressive competition, which makes for a tough business but a perfect game.

Fill the Barn, by HoopCAT Games,  is comprised of one game board, 110 cards (with 5 blank cards provided for owner customization), and a stack of paper money (in the values of $100, $500, and $1000). The game board and the cards are of high quality and durable enough to last many games. The paper money is not as durable as it is just thin paper. Not included in the game, but necessary, is a piece of paper and a pen or pencil to keep track of any loans given to the players during the game.

Game Set Up

To set up the game, one player should be selected as the Banker who will be in charge of making change, recording loans, and passing out money to all the players. The Banker should now give to each player two $500 bills and five $100 bills for a total of $1500 per player.

While the Banker is hard at work, another player should set the game board in the middle of the playing area and shuffle the cards (removing the blank cards from play). After the deck is shuffled, 5 cards are dealt to each player, face-down. Players should keep their hand hidden from the other players at all times. The remaining cards are placed face-down on the Draw space located on the game board.

All players now review their hand. The player with the most Crop cards goes first (with ties going to the youngest player).

You are now ready to play!

The Barn

The game board represents the barn the players will “fill” with their crop cards during the game. There are a total of 18 spots that are used to “harvest” a specific crop, for a total of 6 different crops with 3 different levels of harvesting for each.

Each harvest spot on the board lists the specific crops current market value with the highest being at the top and the lowest on the bottom of the column. Crop cards are always placed on the highest position first, followed by the next highest, and so on. Once all the harvest spots for that particular crop have been filled, no other cards can be played in that column until a spot is cleared.

The "Barn" in the game also keeps track of the current market value for crops

Farming Cards

There are 13 different types of cards in the game. A brief description of them and their use follows:

Crop Cards

The Crop cards are what the players are attempting to plant and harvest for cheap and race to the market to sell high. The Crop cards represent strawberries, watermelons, carrots, potatoes, corn and hay (fruits, vegetables, and feed). Each Crop card has a money value listed. This value is what must be paid before the crop can be planted.

Harvest Cards

The Harvest cards allow the player to take previously planted Crop cards and put them on the game board. Like Crop cards, Harvest cards cost money to use and the player must be able to pay the cost of the cards before they can use it. Harvested Crop cards are always placed in the highest slot of the board for that crop. Used Harvest cards are discarded.

Trade Cards

The Trade cards allow the player to make a blind “swap” with another player. Once played, they are discarded.

Peek and Trade Cards

The Peek and Trade cards are the more powerful version of the Trade card. Instead of doing a blind pass, the player can pick one card from the player’s hand and look at it to determine if they want to trade or not. Once played, they are discarded.

Pass It Cards

The Pass It cards allow all the players to pass one of their cards to a player to the left or to the right, as defined on the card. Once played, they are discarded.

Drought, Mice and Bug Cards

These cards represent the natural disasters that could befall even the most organized and careful of farmers. Droughts will cause fields to dry up, bugs will eat the crops, and mice will eat previously harvested crops out of the barn! Once played, they are discarded.

Fertilizer, Irrigation, and Insurance Cards

These cards represent the actions the players can take to save their crops from natural disasters before they strike and boost their harvest for higher gains. Fertilizer will improve the crops yield once harvested, irrigation will protect fields from drought, and insurance will ensure that a small cost of the lost crops is returned to the player.

Junk and Clean-Up Cards

The barn can hold more than crops. The Junk cards can be placed in the barn in the harvest spots to occupy and make that particular spot unavailable to all the players. Of course, all one needs to do is play the Clean-Up card to get the junk out. Junk cards can manipulate the market by locking out other players or keeping high market value crops unavailable for a short time.

Example of some of the cards in the game

Playing the Game

On the player’s turn, they can play only one card from their hand, paying any cost as needed. All used cards are placed in the Discard pile (unless otherwise specified) which has a space on the game board. Once a player plays their card, their turn is over and they take one card from the top of the Draw pile, returning their hand to 5 cards.

Players are never forced to play a card. If needed, the player is welcome to not play at all and discard up to 3 cards from their hand to the Discard pile, drawing an equal number of cards from the Draw pile. This is called “passing”. Note that a player must always either play a card or discard some cards on their turn when they pass. The only exception to this rule is when there are no more cards to draw, in which case the player can pass their turn and take no action whatsoever. Note that passing does not take the player out of the game. The player can take their turn as normal during their next turn.

Harvesting

A player can only play one card at a time on their turn. This means they must watch the market and be as fast as possible to get their crop to the market for profit. This is done by first planting the crop and then harvesting it, making the act of getting the crop to market at least 2 turns. It is very possible to spend more money planting and harvesting the crop than what it will earn once sold to the market. The player must therefore attempt to plant and harvest as low as possible. Of course, this takes time and the longer the player waits, the less space in the barn and the higher the odds of their crop being hit by natural disasters.

Loans

Times can get really tough for farmers and it doesn’t take many bad investments or just poor luck to put a farmer in financial crisis. Luckily, the Bank can loan money to players in $500 increments per turn. All loans are noted by the Banker on a separate piece of paper.

Loans can be repaid, but with an interest of $100 added to the final debt, for a total of $600 due for every $500 loaned. Yikes!

Winning the Game

The game continues until one of two possible game conditions are met:

• Running Out of Cards: Once the last card is drawn from Draw pile, the game continues as normal but players can no longer exchange cards or draw a card. The game ends if all the player’s pass on their turn. The players now count all their money. The player with the most money wins the game.
• Filling the Barn: Once the last of the 18 harvest slots are filled (be it with junk or a crop), the player who fills the last slot gets a $500 bonus. The game is now over and all the players now count their money. The player with the most money wins the game.

Note: Players with loans that have not yet been repaid suffer a reduction of $1000 from their final money value count for every $500 they have not yet paid back. Put another way, the player subtracts $1000 for every loan they took out and did not repay.

To learn more about Fill the Barn, see the game’s official web site. And don’t miss out on the suggested game variants you can use!

Prediction

For reasons I have not yet been able to fully understand or explain, my family loves games built around the theme and narrative of farming, or better put, producing goods. My little geeks enjoy Nile DeLuxor and love Farmageddon, two games that are all about planting and producing. I theorize that my little geeks like these games because there is an easy to observe cause and effect in the game. You plant a crop, you harvest a crop. These are easy concepts to grasp and provide for an easy conceptual process to follow. There is also a feeling of accomplishment when you “take action”. The process of “doing something” that is somewhat tangible (in respect to the game) can be very rewarding when labor spent returns a benefit to the player.

When I pitched Fill the Barn to my little geeks, they were very excited to play it. Explaining the game didn’t take long due to having previous experience with games that use the same or similar game mechanisms. My 4-year-old, after the game was explained to him, opted to be on my team. He recognized the importance of being able to read the cards and do math. Even though I insisted that adding 300 + 300 is no harder than adding 3 + 3, he stated he would feel better if he had me as a partner. Fair enough and happy to do it if he wants to play.

There were only a few questions about the game. Mainly, the idea of poor investments. My two oldest little geeks understand the concept of money and how it is used to purchase goods and services thanks primarily to the card and board games we play. However, my little geeks have little experience in the way of investing. Monopoly, for example, is simply a game of buy-buy-buy for them, even though I insist that the game is really all about flipping properties, much like For Sale (a fantastic card game I really need to review). “Buy Small, Sell Big” is the key to success and my 7-year-old was very much interested in knowing the secret to doing so.

After explaining and showing him several ways the Crop and Harvest cards could be played (for example, demonstrating the planting of a crop for $100, harvesting it for $200, and then placing it in the barn at the market value of $1200), he understood the math and the concept. With an initial investment of $300 and a return of $1200, he did the math and told me he would make $90o in profit! Excellent stuff! I was very proud of him and let him know, which of course, made him cocky.

While my two little geeks shuffled the cards and got the game ready, I asked them their thoughts on the game so far.

“I really like how you can play your cards to make a lot of money, but you have to be quick!” ~ Liam (age 7)

“Ready to go, Daddy! Let’s plant carrots first because they are my favorite.” ~ Nyhus (age 4)

Looks like my little geeks are ready to jump on their tractors and hit the fields! Let’s play the game and see if the fruits of our labor are sweet or sour.

Final Word

The other agricultural themed games provided an excellent base for my little geeks for this game. As a result, they both did very well and made excellent choices most of the time. My little geeks were weak in two specific areas. The first was in their hand management. They would get a cheap Crop or Harvest card and keep them too long. They later told me it was because they were waiting to use them on expensive crops. In most cases, this is pretty solid reasoning, but not in this game. The first player to market gets the highest return. As a result, there is little need to keep Crop or Harvest cards for a long period of time. Harvest cards are useless until spent and Crop cards ares susceptible to being removed while in play. The longer the crop is out there, the more of a risk it is to the player.

The second was their math. For the most part, my 7-year-old did an excellent job of making sure he was turning a profit, but not always. He would sometimes plant a crop that had a high demand on the market but then get paranoid about it being on the table and play an expensive Harvest card that greatly reduced his profit. A player must use their hand/resource management skills to do all they can to manage risk vs. reward in the game. When the barn starts to fill up and you see the big numbers tick by, it is easy to understand why a player might panic and sell as soon as possible.

The end result for my little geeks was very positive. They both enjoyed the game and how quickly it played. It was easy to see how the cards were used, but timing was sometimes an issue. Parent geeks were the same. They greatly enjoyed the game and had a wonderful time playing it. They mostly appreciated how streamlined the market was and how a player could somewhat guide it for their benefit. Gamer Geeks also enjoyed the game and suggested that Fill the Barn would be an excellent gateway game. Some of the player interaction cards (for example the Pass It cards) didn’t make any sense to them, but it certainly didn’t break the game. At most, it didn’t fit the theme, but overall, they gave it nods of approval and a smile. Their biggest complaint was the paper money used in the game. This was given a solid “thumbs down” by all.

End result: success!

My little geek does the math in his head before he plays a card to make sure he isn't paying too much

Gamer Geeks, this is a light resource game where the players must use timing and resource management in order to get high returns on their investments. The economic model is simple, rewarding those players who can get to market first, but there is enough “gotcha cards” to allow for player interaction to cause mischief and hardship. Well balanced and logical in its approach, the game does an excellent job and is rewarding from start to finish.

Parent Geeks, this is a wonderful game to play with your family and friends. Yes, even your non-gamer friends! The game is not at all complex but has an excellent level of depth that makes it well worth playing without ever feeling heavy or complicated. The process of getting high returns from the market is an excellent opportunity to teach and reinforce the concept of “good investments” and money management. Players can go in dept and the end game result is heavy penalties. Math is needed as is reading.

Child Geeks, get ready to plant those carrots (yuck!) and strawberries (yum!). Plant your crops and then sell them for lots of money, but be careful of how long your wait to do either. Timing matters but is dependent on the cards you are dealt, like life. Hmm…perhaps a bit too deep for you. Needless to say, you’ll quickly appreciate that it is not enough to be satisfied with what cards you have and can take action to improve your situation by force trades with other players. Make sure you take the cards from your Mom and Grandma, as they tend to always have the most sensible cards.

I really like Fill the Barn and really dislike the paper money. I know, something of a small thing, but paper money doesn’t last long and can be creased, rolled, torn, and bent. This makes it hard to play with after a few games. With all my games that use paper money, I use Poker chips instead. Easier to use, faster to play with, and much more durable. Other than my little rant about paper money (which is now over), Fill the Barn is an absolute gem of a game. It is very much a gateway game and can be taught and played in just a few minutes. The easy rules and game play hide the complex game of market manipulation, resource management, and risk management that players must be constantly aware of. Even the best combo of Crop and Harvest cards for exceedingly cheap delivery to the barn could result in no profit or even crop failure thanks to natural disasters.

Simply excellent in its execution, smart in its design (other than the paper money), and thoroughly enjoyable, Fill the Barn is a game you should sit down and play the very first chance you get!

This game was given to Father Geek as a review copy. Father Geek was not paid, bribed, wined, dined, or threatened in vain hopes of influencing this review. Such is the statuesque and legendary integrity of Father Geek.

The Basics:

• For ages 10 and up
• For 2 or more players
• About 15 minutes to complete

Geek Skills:

• Active Listening & Communication
• Logical Decision Making
• Reading

Learning Curve:

• Child – Moderate
• Adult – Easy

Theme & Narrative:

• None

Endorsements:

• Gamer Geek rejected!
• Parent Geek approved!
• Child Geek rejected!

Overview

FitzIt, by Gamewright, is a word game where the players attempt to match short, descriptive cards to a specific person, place, or thing (a tangible noun), using all the cards they can. Players can build off other players’ cards, but can not share the same noun previously used. The game is a race, of sorts, and challenges the players to use as many cards as they can as quickly as they can. The more cards a player uses, the faster they get to the finish line and, possibly, penalize the other players!

FitzIt is comprised of 256 small, square cards that have a very short descriptive phrase on them. For example, “often found in a basement”. There is nothing more to the game which means the box is exceedingly small and can be easily packed in the car for camping or car trips, be they extended or a short journey to a friend’s house.

Game Set Up

To set up the game, shuffle the 256 cards and deal to each player 15, face-down. The reaming cards stay in the box and are set aside. Randomly select one of the cards from the box and place in the center of the playing area, face-up. All the players should deal the first 5 cards from the top of their 15-card stack and hold them in their hand, but always keeping them hidden from the other players.

Select a first player and begin your game!

Word It Up

FitzIt is a game about word association. Or, better put, a single noun that shares properties that are described by the cards. The player, on their turn, will review their 5 cards and attempt to associate a noun with as many of the cards as they can in addition to at least one card already in play. Once they have a word in mind, they say the word out-loud and then place one or more of their cards on the table, attaching to an existing card already in play that describes an aspect of the noun.

Cards played must always be attached to another card that further describes the noun. The cards “attach” horizontally or vertically, but never diagonally. Any card that is attached is part of the descriptive for the noun the player selects. Players must also come up with their own words and can never reuse a word already used, even if they build off the same column or row.

For example, the player selects the word “dog” and has two cards that have “can run outside” and “can be a friend”. The previous word was “man”, so the player is not breaking any rules. The player decides to attach these two cards to two already played cards that can also be used to describe a dog. They play them to the table and their turn is over.

Example of play: the player places two cards to the table, attaching them to two other cards that further describe their selected noun

One the player’s turn is over, they draw up to five cards, using the cards dealt to them in the game from their own stack.

Optionally, if a player does not want to play any of their cards or cannot play any of their cards, they can discard as many as they like and draw new cards from the box.

Word Power

If a player should ever place four or five of their cards to the table, they are awarded for their awesomeness. If they play four out of five cards, they can give their remaining card to any player they like. Play all five cards, the player takes two cards from the top of their stack and gives them to any player or players they like.

Additionally, if a player is able to add one or more cards to an existing row of four or more cards, for every card they play, they can give that many cards away to another player or players!

Challenges

Players are expected to play cards that can be closely associated with the noun they state prior to playing their cards. If any of the other players ever consider a card played to not be correctly associated with the noun, they may challenge the player and the card that doesn’t fit. The player who placed the card can make an argument for the card in question and then all the players vote. If the majority decides the card is faulty, the player removes the card in question and places it at the bottom of their stack. If the card that does not match was already in play (on the table prior to the player’s turn), then the player must take back all the cards they have played so far. If the vote is a tie or is in the player’s favor, the card or cards stay.

Winning the Game

The first player to play all their cards wins the game!

Game Variant

Optionally, if a longer game is desired, deal to each player 20 cards. This will increase the length of the game, but not the difficulty.

To learn more about FitzIt, see the game’s official web page.

Prediction

For the Parent Geeks, I predict this will be a welcomed game. Any pastime that encourages reading and problem solving is always met with a smile. Child Geeks might be a bit overwhelmed at first. The goal to this game is to take a  number of disconnected statements and have them coalesce around a specific thing. That “thing” is where little minds might get a bit stuck. A large vocabulary helps, of course, but little geeks might not have a word bank large enough to help them easily navigate all the possibilities.

I don’t think the Gamer Geek will like this game much. Too simple and not enough game mechanisms or depth that Gamer Geeks look for in their game play.

Teaching the game didn’t take long. My 4-year-old excused himself once he found out what the game was about, but my 7-year-old stuck to it. We had to go through several examples of play before he felt comfortable. Once he did, he was ready to go. As I shuffled and dealt the cards, I asked him what he thought of the game so far.

“Interesting game. It reminds me of a cross-word puzzle or Scrabble.” ~ Liam (age 7)

Time to give the game a try! My little geek looks a bit nervous about it, though.

Final Word

This is a word game that all but demands that the players have access to a lot of words. The more the better. The game also challenges the players to be concrete and abstract at the same time. This can be challenging to some players. The trick is to take all the cards on the table and all the cards in your hand and find a common thread. All that is necessary is making a connection with at least one of the cards on the table and one of the cards you are holding to play. The more cards you can place, the closer you are to victory. Once you add in the cross-word like element that defines how the cards are placed on the table, the game has an added level of complexity. No longer can you simply just focus on word association. The player’s available space is limited to the card placement already on the table and their proximity to each other.

For my little geek, this proved to be too much. He was having a hard time keeping his game going and not feeling lost. He had his moments, however, where things just “clicked” and he was able to play 4 or more cards at a time. Really, he did very well, but he felt less positive about it. In the end, he wasn’t happy with his experience and didn’t want to play it again.

The Parent Geeks were a very different story. They enjoyed the light challenge and the game play that allowed them to be social at the table and play a game at the same time. This was especially true when they wanted to play a game with screaming kids in the next room. Just enough game to keep them engaged and competitive but not a game that demanded 100% of their attention.

Gamer Geeks played the game once. Once. They agreed the concept was a sound one but didn’t think it was a game they would seek out and play again.

My little geek ninja shows me his moves - but his attitude towards the game never changed

Gamer Geeks, this game won’t be of much interest to you unless you and your group are really into word games. The game does provide some challenge and puzzle solving. Still, not nearly enough to make it a game I think you’ll be hunting down.

Parent Geeks, here is a game that promotes reading, critical thinking, and communication around the table. The game plays quickly and is easy to understand, but still provides enough challenge to make it a game where the players will have to think about their moves. Paying attention to the table is also a must as a player never wants to use the same word of synonyms of used words. Doing so might cost them the game and lead to frustration. Non-gamers will also enjoy this game as there isn’t much in the way of rules.

Child Geeks, this is going to be a tough call for you. If you are my son’s age (7-years-old), you can play the game but you will be outgunned by adults. If you are in the suggested age range (10-years-old and up), then the playing field between you and the adults begins to level off. Instead of trying to always play 4 or 5 cards, we suggest that you focus on small groups of cards. By doing so, you won’t feel overwhelmed and the game becomes manageable.

In the end, the Parent Geeks were the only test group who unanimously enjoyed the game. The Gamer Geeks just didn’t see it as much of a game and the little geeks we tested the game with felt a bit left behind and frustrated. It is important to note that the game does nothing to attempt to maintain a level of balance. Word games, like knowledge-based games, will always favor the player who knows more. There is nothing anyone can do to address this other than simply learning more and attempting to be more knowledge than their opponents. This is really no different than other games, but instead of learning and practicing tactics and strategy, the focus is on personal knowledge.

Who is this game for? Word geeks, obviously. FitzIt has a very strong cross-word and Scrabble like build in its game play and will challenge every players’ vocabulary. The game works just fine with mixed age groups, but individuals with a larger vocabulary will always win out. Creativity is a must as is quick thinking when attempting to connect the cards together to form a logical string.

Personally, I liked it. I am not a fan of many word games, but this one I found interesting. It has unlimited replay value and there is a different challenge each time you play it thanks to the randomization of the cards and the way the word grid is built on the table. I won’t be playing this game with my little geeks right now but I can see this getting on the table when I have friends over who are non-gamers and when my little geeks gets older. As a party game it would work, but it might be a bit too chaotic as everyone is attempting to remember which words were used, but the game is so short, it might not matter.

This game was given to Father Geek as a review copy. Father Geek was not paid, bribed, wined, dined, or threatened in vain hopes of influencing this review. Such is the statuesque and legendary integrity of Father Geek.

Non-Trivial Quest, the only trivia game we have ever played that actually had worthwhile facts to know, has made its way to Kickstarter, asking for supporters to help the game grow. Specifically, helping the publisher make a product name change (which, I guess costs money for the trademarking) and help to develop online versions of the game for use with Facebook, iPad, and iPhone. There is also talk of using the same funding to help publish their new version of the board game. That means anyone who is backing this project is really helping out the publisher on multiple fronts with multiple rewards. Not a bad way to spend some cash.

Speaking of rewards, a comment from the publisher taken from the Kickstarter project page…

We are offering great rewards to our wonderful backers, with free apps, limited edition collectors items of our first flyer, our first pin button, a pair of our stress relief dice, our First Edition board game, our new First Edition board game, and much more.

Some fun stuff being given away and could be perfect for families who home school or educators. If you are interested in backing the project, head on over to Kickstarter and learn more. You can also follow the publisher on their “quest” by visiting the blog.

Unless you really haven’t been paying attention, you know that I am a huge geek but not just about games. I am a music geek, an outdoors geek, a computer science geek, and geeky about a dozen or so other topic areas, too. When I can combine two or more geeky subject areas together, I all but jump for joy (if I am in public). The two I have recently been able to combine is my passion for board games and my passion for understanding systems through data analysis and metric collection.

Whoa! Did I lose you? If I did, data analysis and metric collection are all part of what is referred to as “data mining“. Data mining is all about finding patterns in the raw information and then putting them in a context that a human brain can use to make intelligent decisions. It’s a relatively new area of the computer industry and it’s really starting to take off. For example, one of my “jobs” when I am at the office is to review processes and determine where there is wasteful uses of resources. The only way I can do this is to collect data – lots of data – that I put into various spreadsheets and then run formulas against to find patterns. These patterns help me identify what is really going on and then help me make suggestions on how to improve.

What does this have to do with anything? Consider board and card games. Each game has a rule set that defines what a player can and cannot do. Within that rule set,  game mechanisms are used to help facilitate play and further reinforce the rules. If you can see patterns in the way the game plays, the way players interact with the game, and the outcome, you can make very smart choices on your turn. You already do this, to a point, and its one of the important Geek Skills: Logical and Critical Thinking.

The company, DataGenetics, has done some very interesting data mining on a small number of commonly played games and their findings are terribly interesting. Through their research and data analysis, they have come up with better ways to play a few games and it won’t take you a degree in computer science to understand it! Well, most of it, anyway.

• A Better Strategy for Hangman
• Yahtzee Probability
• Battleship
• Analysis of Chutes and Ladders
• RISK Analysis
• Candy Land
• A Geek Plays Darts

It makes for some very interesting reading. The individual articles do a great job of breaking down the game into mathematics with values that can be tracked. For some, this is going to bore you so bad, you might just fall asleep at your keyboard. For others, these articles are going to get your brain revved up and thinking of ways you can data mine your favorite games to help provide you with a serious advantage at your next gaming session!

And for the record, it doesn’t matter how cool the data analysis for Candy Land is. The game is still not epic.

My toothbrush is smarter than you.

I’m not saying this to anger or provoke you. I am simply stating a fact. And if it makes you feel any better, the toothbrush is smarter than me, too. I don’t mean smarter in the sense that it can answer Jeopardy questions faster than you or blow you out of your seat with its wit. No, where my toothbrush leaves you and I in the dust is oral hygiene. Which, when you stop and consider it, is really the only place where a “smart toothbrush” could have any advantage.

My new toothbrush is the Oral-B ProfessionalCare SmartSeries 5000 with SmartGuide. Notice how they use “smart” in the product description more than once. It’s almost like the company is rubbing it in your face how super intelligent their new toothbrush is. My everyday-no-name-toothbrush (that is, in comparison, as dumb as the day as long) shrinks into a fetal position in this beast’s shadow. And I do mean “beast”. This toothbrush is downright intimidating as it comes with so many setting, you kind of feel like you are getting ready for a monumental event rather than just going through the motions of your daily oral hygiene.

Dude, this toothbrush comes with an instruction manual. AN – INSTRUCTION – MANUAL! Guess what! You’ve been brushing your teeth wrong all these years and using tools as archaic as the rock and stick when you should be using lightsaber’ish futuristic power toothbrushes. Turns out I’ve been using my own muscles like a sucker when I could have had my toothbrush doing all the work for me. Man, am I ever disgusted!

Not that I’ve been doing it all wrong, mind you. I haven’t had a cavity since I was in college (as far as you know) and brush my teeth on a regular basis. I haven’t been flossing as often as I should, but don’t worry, my dentist gives me a guilt trip every 6 months about it. Once of these days, he’ll get to me. Until then, I’ve been pretty successful with what I do so far, thank you very much. And, yes, my little geeks brush their teeth as often as I do, if not more so. In fact, my wife and I are a little militant when it comes to teeth brushing at our home where the kids are involved. We watch them, inspect their mouth afterwards, and then we dive in with the very floss we seldom use ourselves. One of these days, the little geeks are going to start getting wise to our double-standard, until then, GAME ON.

By now, you should be asking how a toothbrush that will make me question my own abilities would be a welcome addition to my household. Honestly, it isn’t. At least, not yet. I just got the thing and am still learning all that it does. Let me summarize just a few of the interesting features this power toothbrush from the year 5000 comes with.

• Pressure Sensors: If you brush your teeth too hard, the power toothbrush is smart enough to know it. It’ll flash an angry light at you, getting your attention, and letting you know you need be less Hulk’ish.
• Wireless SmartGuide: Wireless technology has been added and communicates with a small digital readout device that helps time your brushing, lets you know when you should move on to another side of your mouth, and awards with you a smiley face when you’ve done a good job.
• Advanced Oral-B FlossAction Brush Head: As close to flossing as you can get without actually flossing, as it not only cleans your teeth but also surrounds the individual tooth getting into the grooves.

I’m sad to report that telepathic abilities and time travel do not come standard. At least, I haven’t seen it mentioned in the instruction manual…yet.

So, here is the challenge. I’ve been asked to use this toothbrush for about a month and then let you know if it was worth it. Considering that this little piece of hardware will set you back more than a few bucks, it’s going to need to do a fantastic job. I’m a single income family and not in the market of buying a toothbrush that costs the equivalent to my weekly grocery bill. Not only will this toothbrush need to knock the plague off my teeth, but also my socks.

Let’s summarize what we know so far by reviewing the following image.

Hal 9000 + Cyberdyne Systems Model 101 Series 800 Terminator = Oral-B ProfessionalCare 5000

My toothbrush is supposedly the “bee’s knees” and just might rock my world. Or, it just might jiggle my brain as it vibrates the insides of my skull. We’ll have to use it and find out, but I am already excited about the idea that this piece of dental hardware will make my teeth-brushing faster and easier. As a dad of three with a full-time job, and a large household to help run, my time for anything is limited. If I can reduce in some areas without limiting quality, that is a fantastic bonus worth investigating. We’ll see in a month’s time. Until then, so long old toothbrush, I shall see you soon (maybe).

I should also let you know that Oral-B is offering a $10 mail-in rebate on select power toothbrushes April 29 through June 16, 2012. Visit OralB.com for more information. You can also follow the company on Twitter and like them on Facebook. Two easy ways to get info on the latest deals and steals.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Dad Central Consulting on behalf of Oral-B and received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.