Board Game Break Time is a new feature we're bringing in, where we play board games and review them.
Smash Up
AEG
2012
Strategy, shufflebuilding
2-4
12+
45 Minutes
The "shufflebuilding" game Smash Up begins with a simple premise: take the 20-card decks of two factions, shuffle them into a deck of forty cards, then compete to crush more Bases than your opponents! Each faction involves a different gaming mechanism - the pirates move the cards, the zombies bring back the cards from the discard pile, the dinosaurs have enormous power - and each combination of factions brings a different gaming experience.
During the game, basic cards (each with their own difficulties and abilities) are at stake. You try to have the most power on the basis of your minions when the base is broken. Sounds easy? Is it easy when an opponent's Alien-Ninja decides to tie your minions to other Bases - flat Murder them? What happens when the Pirate-Dinosaur Full Sails player and frees King Rex to trample your minions in the ground, or when wizard-zombies use their mystic power to create an outbreak, suddenly flooding minions on the base of the discard pile? Or if you were facing a Zombie-Dinosaur player instead and he created an epidemic of massive beasts at the same time?!?
When a base is smashed, each player in first, second and third place scores points. Fourth place? Sorry, brother, next time.
With eight different factions, Smash Up includes dozens of combinations to try. Pirate-Aliens play different Ninja-Aliens, for example. Which one will you use to crush your opponents?
And did we mention dinosaurs have laser beams?
I feel like Smash Up just didn't hold my attention. I don't know if it was because there was 4 of us playing and it just took too long, or if I was just tired from a long day. But I found myself getting too distracted and just not being able to pay attention at all.
The artwork on the cards is perfect, and I love the fact that there is so many expansion packs to make it your own. I think it could be a bit shorter, but again that might just be because of a long day.
The abilities on the cards are also a little bit hard to understand at times. What is considered a turn? When do certain cards get played? I think that the instructions and/or cards could have been explained just a little bit better.
Overall it wasn't a bad game, and I'll definitely give it another try.
Overall - 
Learnability-
Gameplay-
Length of play-
Artwork-
Theme-
Fun-
So smash up is a game that is well known in the board gaming community. It’s a game of logic, luck, and screw your neighbor. We played it with four players. I found that four players the game is a little long but it was a fun game. The only complaint I have with the game is the long pauses in between turns. It is not a fast turn play. So with four players I found myself getting a little antsy waiting for my turn. This also left game play strategy a little harder. With four players when It came around to my turn again, my next move wasn’t always the best choice at this time.
What I did enjoy about the game was the luck mixed with strategy. You never know what cards you will draw for your hand and I enjoyed thinking what would be the best move to screw the other players and put me in the best position. I did notice that it was hard to see where you stood in the game. You might be ahead this turn but it could change drastically by your next turn.
The cards are fun, there are many choices of smash ups between all the factions, and the art work is just gorgeous and fun and spunky. It’s an adorable game. Reading the cards was for sure part of the fun.
Overall I enjoyed the game but I think it needs to be tweaked just a bit for four players and may be best to play to with three.
Overall - 
Learnability-
Gameplay-
Length of play- 
Artwork- 
Theme-
Fun-
Belle of the Ball Greater Than Games 2014 Family, Card Game, Luck 2-5 13+ 30-45 Minutes
It is the eve of Carnivale on the magical Victorian isle of Ludobel, and you are all invited to the fantastical festivities!
In the card game Belle of the Ball, players take on the roles of party hosts, seeking the best mix of guests to make their gala the greatest by the end of the night. In order to ensure that they stay one step ahead of the other hosts, players will have to carefully watch the growing line of guests at the door, inviting those in that seem to share passions with partygoers already inside, all the while handing out their precious stash of Regrets to those who should seek refuge elsewhere. Of course, other hosts may find it advantageous to invite a rejected guest inside just to collect their accumulated Regrets for later use.
Hosts may also choose to ignore the competition for guests and instead try to earn the favor of the Belle of the Ball herself, whose charms can make or break any party.
This was the first time we played Belle fo the Ball. We received this game a while back in our game board bento box. It’s a small game in small packaging. It’s somewhere between a long and short game play. My husband and I played with just the two of us. We find it hard to find really good 2 player games. This one fell somewhere in the middle. You can play it with two players but I think its would be a bit more fun with 3 to four players.
The artwork is cute. It’s simple but colorful. The names of the characters were just fun, and my hubby loved announcing who was coming to the ball. He thought it was hilarious fun to shout their names in some crazy voices and accents. He’s a little eccentric but I loved it.
The game play was easy to learn and follow. It was quite a simple game, more of a filler game. Logic with the cards and of course a little bit of luck. I think that this is a good game for children and for adults. I felt it was a little lacking with just two players but can be played with two. I am interested to see how it plays with more people.
Overall -
Learnability-
Gameplay- 
Length of play-
Artwork-
Theme-
Fun-
Random Encounter: Plains of the Troll King IDW Games 2016 Card Game 1-5 10+ 15- 20 Minutes
Random Encounter is a strategic, number-based, pixel-art card game for all ages. Players build encounters made up of various creatures, then try to win as many battles as possible at the table in the pursuit of loot! Each fully customizable deck is made up of basic number creature cards along with several trick creature cards to throw your opponents off guard. Two or more players compete to reach five loot before other players by either winning the most battles or stealing loot from the coffers of their fallen enemies.
The game and pixel art is being created by Jamie Keddie (creator of Jackpot! and artist on Minecraft: Console Editions) of Joyride Games who has extensive experience with both card and video games design. Random Encounter combines these things in a new, fun, package for everyone to enjoy!
The game also contains a one-player adventure mode in which the player tries to find keys so that they can open a boss room and defeat the final encounter.
Random Encounter is a really quick game. It's a little confusing at first, because of the different color stars meant something different (See card photo above). But once we got that it was pretty easy. It doesn't take too much thought, but it's still fun. The artwork is really cute, it looks like an old 8 bit game.
Overall it's a fun game, that's quick and easy to play once you understand it. I suggest keeping the little cheater card by you.
Overall -
Learnability-
Gameplay-
Length of play-
Artwork-
Theme-
Fun-
No comments:
Post a Comment