Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig Board Game Review

Intro

A word to the OCD out there: if you play this extraordinary game, you will need to accept inefficiencies as they come. You will not be able to exploit every tile to the fullest extent. It’s impossible. But that’s also the fun of it! Trying to nail that balance between tile types, tile position, tile bonuses, and collaborating with your co-builder gives this game one of the highest replay values out there. It may just take a couple of rounds to squelch the OCD monster. =-)

Suburbia Game Review: A masterful, hand-wringing game of city development

Intro

This is an ingenious game. It is masterfully architected and balanced. It’s perfect for those who enjoy business-focused games (like me!) with some urban planning, a healthy dose of economy, and a touch of luck. You’ll love how much real-world sense it makes and how quickly the winds of chance can shift strategic direction. A timid leader prone to analysis paralysis won’t win nor will the blowhard, move-it-or-lose-it leader. Find a rational, balanced approach to succeed in Suburbia (and life for that matter!).

El Caballero Board Game Review: “A refined strategy game…” Huh?

While I chuckled at the sub-title calling El Caballero “a refined strategy game,” (what makes a strategy game refined?), I really enjoyed this game. It reminded me a lot of Carcassonne but with more elements, more trade-offs, and more strategy. Basically, you play as explorers following Columbus as he discovers new islands. The Caballeros are your “minions” that you have at your disposal to assist in taking over territory, purchasing ships, or building Castillos. You have both a supply and a court which houses “activated” Caballeros. Disperse them wisely to take ownership of land or sea. While definitely not the most important element of the game, keep a close eye on the gold and fish tiles which increase the value of your area control.

Monster Factory Kids Game Review: Mix-‘em, match-‘em, mash-‘em monster-maker game

Monster Factory is a very simple, clever, quick-play game that combines creativity, imagination, and tops it off with a bit of the “gross factor.” Take turns placing tiles to create your first monster followed by its creepy little minions.

Monster Factory has a clever scoring mechanism wherein you get one point for each tile in your “master monster,” as we like to call it. Once you finish this first monster, you can then create minions where you get one point for each tile that has at least one eyeball on it. Be careful, however, as you get zero points for an unfinished monster!