Treasure Trails – Irate Pirate’s Edition Game Review

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What is known about the man who is believed to be the most temperamental pirate to ever sail on the blue waters of the Caribbean is one part myth and one part truth, although the truth of it is still highly suspect. One element of the stories told around tables and fires is always the same, however. There was a treasure found and then lost by the man known as the Irate Pirate. The riches acquired by the infuriated pirate are said to be too vast to count and too great to describe in full. Needless to say, once the treasure was lost and the pirate died (presumably due to his high blood pressure and anger-management issues), the legend and the greed for the lost treasure only grew. Now it is your turn to chase the gold and the fame. With just enough knowledge to get you started, you’ll need your wits about you to navigate land and sea to find the lost treasure before your opponent does. Continue reading →

Space Nexus Game Review (Prepublished Version)

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Humanity has discovered a means to travel through space fast enough to reach distant galaxies. The great space race has begun, with captains taking to their ships and probing the furthest reaches, finding adventure and riches. But there is danger. Others covet treasure and will take any opportunity to gain an advantage. There is also the threat of a new alien species that is growing increasingly interested in Earth and its resources. It is a new age of adventure and danger. Space is open to all to explore. Just cross your fingers you don’t find something that wants to blow you to atoms. Continue reading →

Mafia: Death and Deception Game Review

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The Citizens have had enough. Enough of the violence. Enough of the fear. Enough of the Mafia. The Mafia, as you might have guessed, doesn’t much care for the ordinary Citizens suddenly standing up for themselves. But crime out in the open is easy to catch. The Mafia Bosses have decided that this little uprising needs to be put down, but quickly. Each night, an outspoken “troublemaker” needs to be put into the ground. In the morning, the Citizens will find another dead body, but their resolve only grows stronger. It’s only a matter of time until the Mafia Bosses are brought to justice, but time is limited.  Continue reading →

Echoes in the Airlock Game Review

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The starship Ecliptica was hailed as mankind’s most outstanding achievement. Outfitted with the latest in technology and crewed by a mix of highly trained humans, aliens, and robots, it launched into space with a single mission to explore the farthest reaches of our galaxy. Unfortunately, things are not going well right from the start. Turns out not all the supplies were loaded, a few critical systems were not fully brought online, and life support is already in the red. All the calculations indicate that the spaceship can turn around and make it home safely to Earth, but with limited resources, only one crew member will survive. Time to decide who that will be. Continue reading →

Spirits of the Wild: Awakening Game Review

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In every culture and from humanity’s earliest days, we have looked at the natural world around us and seen the supernatural. Even to this day, with all our modern technology, we feel the hairs in the back of our neck rise at the very thought of walking alone in a dark wood. In our collective myths, legends, theologies, and superstitions, the Spirit World has been said to live in our own, a parallel to our everyday reality, as an unseen force that influences us, for good or ill. Such places feel a bit too close in the deepest parts of nature. In this game, you’ll be tapping into the spirits of animals, focusing on their unique talents and abilities to meet your own goals. Continue reading →

Escape From Haunted Mansion Game Review

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Your car isn’t going anywhere. The tire is as flat as a pancake, and you have no spare. Worse yet, there is a very threatening storm on the horizon, and you broke down on a somewhat rustic dirt road where you cannot get any cell service. You need to find help, and you haven’t seen any other cars for miles! Perhaps the owners of the large and rather scary-looking mansion on top of the hill will have a phone you can use? There is only one way to find out. Grab your friends and make your way to the mansion. Knock on the door and enter if you dare. Continue reading →

The 7th Guest: The Board Game Review

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The world was introduced to the puzzle adventure game, The 7th Guest, in 1993. Those who played it were excited to find the gameplay included an interactive movie and puzzles, all heavily laced with a feeling of unease, mystery, and the supernatural. The puzzles were always heavily themed, and the eerie atmosphere of the manor explored by the player always left a feeling that they should play the game with all the lights on. This is not that game, far from it. The mouse and keyboard are replaced by dice and cards. The puzzles remain, but none of the fun. Continue reading →

House Mouse Game Review

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Early Latin playwright, Titus Maccius Plautus, wrote, “A mouse does not rely on just one hole.” In this game, players will be taking on the role of a mouse who explores a home kept by some very slobbish owners. Around every corner is a treasure to be found and carried back to the mouse’s nest to be lovingly displayed and highly coveted by their fellow mice. Be warned, however, that not everything you find will be of value but will take up precious space. Continue reading →

Secret Hoard Game Review (Prepublished Version)

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Indian teacher, philosopher, and royal adviser, Chanakya, wrote, “The biggest guru-mantra is: never share your secrets with anybody. It will destroy you.” In this game, secrets are necessary to win. Collect your cards in secret and be careful not to inform your opponents of your intent. Subtlety might be needed, but of even greater importance is staying agile and knowing that when you collect to your secret hoard, no one way is a sure victory. Continue reading →

STAK: The Sophisticated Simple Strategy Game Review

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Whether you know it as Tic-Tac-Toe, Noughts and Crosses, or X’s and O’s, you have played the game at least once in your life. Most likely, it left you feeling either deeply frustrated or arbitrarily awesome. This game has existed, with little change to its basic premise, since ancient Egypt (around 1300 BC). It continues to be played to this day in the sand with sticks, on notebooks, and pub tables around the world. Its basic premise is easy to understand, and the gameplay is fast enough to make it worthwhile, regardless of your personal tastes in gameplay. In this game, the primitive approach of matching rows, columns, and diagonal lines is enhanced by introducing another dimension to the game’s strategic and tactical thinking. Continue reading →

S.P.A.M. Game Review

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Morphos, a shape-changing race of creatures, are being captured in order to protect them from the dangers of the world. Once placed in their protective shelter, the morphos can be studied, made safe, and preserved for generations to come. In this game, you’ll be taking on the role of one of these morphos, exploring your enclosure in search of cookies to munch on. Along the way, you might find opportunities to steal cookies or even get so distracted as to lose a turn. Don’t let your hunger blind you! Continue reading →

Please Don’t Burn My Village Game Review

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The dragon came out of nowhere, landing in the middle of your village. It demanded to speak to you, the village leader, and told you it would return and burn your town to the ground, utterly destroying everything. Maybe. At which point, the dragon raised an eyebrow and let the unasked question hang in the air until you realized what the dragon wanted: treasure. Now you are charged to collect as much treasure as possible to satisfy the dragon’s greed, satiating its desire to destroy. But so too are other village leaders, and the dragon has no intention of playing favorites. Quickly find all the treasure you can and hope it is enough to appease the great beast before the time is up! Continue reading →