Why First? 

Steve

Man, is this just one wacky, wacky, wacky game! We had the full 6 player spectrum for this at our crock pot game day. This is such a tough game to figure out and strategize. No matter how hard you plan nothing will work out. Do you have any idea how hard it is to come in second? On the last round we had a tie for second place. But Kelly B snuck in at the last second and pulled off the win! It was insanity the whole time and a whole lot of fun.

Kelly

This game is a little more manageable with three people. Unfortunately, I think that takes some of the excitement and ridiculousness of it away. I think this is a great way to break up some heavier games during your game night – as long as you’ve got 4 or more people. If you’re looking for particularly extensive ridiculousness, try playing it with six people. It’s bananas.

Stronghold (2nd Ed.) 

Matt

It seems like Ben is my go-to guy for longer two player games, so it was only fitting that I got in my second game of Stronghold against him. This new edition continues to be much improved over the first, and I am happy to have now had experience on both sides of the battles. It has proven to be tough to teach, only because there’s so much to manage, but one things start chugging along the simplicity of the system allows you to focus solely on strategy. I caught Ben off-guard with a bit of a feint to one side of the castle – while my trolls busted in the other side – but I have a feeling I’m going to have to cook up something new when we give it another go.

Pocket Rockets

Steve

Thanks to Matt Wolfe and his investment in Pocket Rockets, I was able to snag a copy from him at this year’s Origins. This rocket building game, from the great mind of Antoine Bauza, will have you planning out your actions very carefully to be able to maximize the output of your turn. You will use your lil rocket pawn to move around the circle and try to collect more pieces to build your rocket ships. There is some back stabby-ness by altering the movement directions but otherwise it is a pretty clever little set collection game. The cards and components fit in a small tin and and is very portable, hence the name of the game! I highly recommend for any game group.

Vikings on Board 

Smee

This is a very nicely put-together game, and I’m always a sucker for 3d-constructed ship pieces! However, after one play, I can pretty safely say it’s not my cup of tea. Dedicated entirely to screwing with your opponents while trying to salvage some modicum of order from the chaos, I simply could not get the timing down, and watched what I would’ve hoped were my ships sailing off into the distance.

Mystic Vale 

Matt

Yes, the plays have not stopped just because the review is in! I got in another four player game of Mystic Vale and found myself struggling to make things work. Meanwhile, my opponents proved worthy and strung together some pretty amazing combinations. It still proves to be interesting and fun to play, but much like I said in my review, it’s already started to feel a little bland. Come on, Edge of Darkness!