20 Best Cyber Monday Board Game Deals (2023 Updated)

Order #233552 7 Wonders Duel Ages 10+ Players: 2 Time: 30 mins Designer/ Publisher: Antoine Bauza, Bruno Cathala / Repos Production Mechanisms: Drafting / Set collection Positives: • Multiple paths to victory • Slick gameplay • Great value for money Negatives: • Small, fiddly cards • Theming is a little generic There is a natural temptation to consider 7 Wonders Duel in relation to 7 Wonders, and point out the changes.

However, that would be less helpful than telling you what 7 Wonders Duel is like as a game in its own right. The beauty of the game lies in the multiple paths to victory, which keeps the game interesting through until the later stages.

The game takes place over 3 ages, with a separate deck of cards for each age being laid out in a predetermined pattern which reveals some cards and hides others, to be released gradually as the drafting proceeds.

Players are trying to collect cards with buildings which provide resources or effects such as victory points, money, science points or military points. Resources can be used to “construct” other cards (buildings), which provide gradually more rewards.

In addition to this they can construct up to 4 of the wonders they have selected before the game starts – these act in a similar way to the other cards, but provide greater rewards. The game ends with either a points victory after all the cards have been drafted, or a science or military victory, if enough cards have been collected and the tracker in the centre of the board reaches the required threshold.

The truth is that, were it not for the opportunity or danger of a military or science victory, 7 Wonders duel would be quite one-dimensional. The gameplay does not really change from the first round to the last – you are always drawing cards, looking at your available resources and working out what to build next.

However, the multiple paths to victory mean that you cannot simply follow your own path and trust the luck of the draw that you will be able to build more than your opponent and gain an inevitable points victory.

Both players have to keep a watchful eye on what the other is trying to do, and this brings about a greater amount of strategy to the drafting. The pre-ordained card pattern which reveals itself gradually cleverly assists the strategic elements of the gameplay by offering partial information and opportunities for blocking manoeuvres.

“I may really want that card which offers 3 victory points, but drafting it will uncover 2 other cards, one of which could be the science that my opponent requires for victory…”. These are the kinds of dilemmas which make the gameplay entertaining.

However, with there being only 2 players, there is only so much of the drafting you can control. You will eventually have to draft the card you do not want to. The artwork is nice enough, and the components are of decent quality.

The playing cards are pretty small which can make them fiddly. However, this does mean that the game can be played on smaller surfaces, and the game fits in a nice small box, so it depends on what your priorities are as to whether this is an advantage or disadvantage.

I did find myself wishing that the cards were larger though. The rules are well-written and clear. The theming of the game is a well-established trope in games and works well here, though the civilizations you build are “generic ancient times”.

Assuming the roles of different civilizations with different abilities and priorities would have added to the gameplay immeasurably. 7 Wonders Duel offers a slick gameplay experience, and enough strategic possibility to maintain interest and keep players coming back.

The possibility of other paths to victory offer one or both players the option to adapt and switch strategies during the course of gameplay, which adds tension. The game serves as a very good introduction to its mechanisms for those interested in getting into more complex games, particularly at such an attractive price point.

It should be mentioned that the expansion, Pantheon, does much to add depth to the gameplay and offers players a way to break the drafting sequence, which can give that “on the rails” feeling in the base game.

If you find yourself enjoying the base game, Pantheon can be considered to be an essential expansion. Final verdict: A buy.

Great 2 player game! Full of strategy! You’ve gotta watch the victory points, science collection, and military advancement. Can’t tell you how many times I’m focusing too much on building up my own engine and miss they’re working on military until it is too late and there is too many military cards in Age 3 and I lose.

Or I am trying to win that way, and when we are flipping cards over, they’re science symbols and lacking military lol. You can easily dislike 7 wonders, but like 7 wonders Duel. Lots of replayability with the different wonders you build, the different cards being played each Age, and different progress tokens in each game.

Probably the best board game I have ever played. I have the multilayer version and the dual one to play with my partner. We play for hours and never get bored. It is really strategical and so clever.

There is a lot to take in as there is three different way you can win, so it takes 2-3 games to get you head around the rules, all the cards etc But by far the most entertaining game I have ever played!.

First impressions: I bought this game for my boyfriend this Christmas as he loves these sort of strategic boardgames (if you like Catan this is more advanced but an obvious next step). I’m not overly familiar with these games but knew he’d set his heart on this months ago, trying to justify the price – turns out it was worth every penny.

There are lots of pieces in the box and it weighs more than expected so, along with the detail that goes in to the game play, you can really see where your money goes. Also, visually, the game is stunning; both in terms of the artwork on the boards and playing cards to the colours of the counters and M (Mega credit) tokens used in play.

Set up: So, knowing that this was going to take some time to set up and understand the game play first time, we both studied the game play manual included. We also looked up some “how to play” videos on YouTube (highly recommended) as this really helped explaining the rules and objectives for each type of card and the parameters of each event and task.

The video also really helped explain where all the pieces should go at the start of the game fsr better than we could have guessed from reading the booklet alone. First play: Being novices to this particular game, be both opted to play as beginners and took a “Beginners Corporation” card which allows new players to the game an easier start to proceedings but giving them a more generous allotment of resource cards and M to begin play with.

I won’t lie, first play was a little confused and frustrating as we had to reference the game play booklet and the YouTube video many times to understand what we needed to do. The hardest thing about Terraforming Mars is knowing how to play the resource/project/event cards as there are hundreds of them and they are all unique.

With practice though this is what makes this game great, and even during the first game we both played some curveball cards, much to the annoyance of the other player! There are awards and milestones which can be achieved (see the bottom edge of the main board) and during the first play these were pretty much forgotten about until the last hours or so of play.

I sneakily got enough of the required criteria behind me before buying 2 x milestones which game me an extra 5 VPs (victory points) each to add to my final score. These are worth investing in where possible as I won with those extra 10 points! There are still cards and scenarios that we know we’ve not played yet and will likely come across in later games, this all adds to the game play experience as opposed to being frustrating.

Even knowing that we didn’t get to use all the available resources, we both now have a better understanding of how to strategise next time. We have a better idea of which cards are actually worth paying M for during the research phase at the start of every new generation, and where to concentrate our efforts.

Scoring: I thinks its worth noting that although it may seem like you’ve not got a chance of winning at times; keep going! (my boyfriend played some awesome cards, gained loads of M and resources etc.

& even stole some of my resources towards the middle/end of our first game. I honestly thought I was done for and had no chance, however when counting up the Victory Points (VPs) at the end, I had a few more than him, and along with the VPs I gained from my earlier mentioned Milestones, I actually won!).

Conclusion: This truly is a game of serious strategy and working smart is the key. Its visually a very engaging and interesting game, it had colours and shiny things! Yes there are some frustrating elements to begin with but we both truly believe that with more game play we will overcome these frustrations as we learn the best strategies and ways to play to gain most from Terraforming Mars.

We’ve really enjoyed ourselves and are off to play another match later and see what we find! We hope this helps others who are unsure about whether this game is for them. maybe like us, not every potential player is a massive Geek and you’re not sure if this is everyone’s cup of tea.

For us, we’ve found it to be a fun way of connecting over a medium that doesn’t involve screens and and WiFi. We’ve both annoyed, impressed and surprised each other and that’s what makes a game great for us! Regards The Zim Geek and The Closet Geek x.

Terraforming mars is one of my favorite engine building games. Increasing terraforming rating and income of different resources is so satisfying. There is a bit of asymmetry with the different corporations that give you different passive abilities throughout the game.

This just adds a layer of strategy and a direction to head in at the start of the game. The first couple turns are slightly slow but that can be corrected with the prelude expansion that gives each player a kick start.

Also, the player mats are just thick paper with no indentions so it’s really easy to accidentally knock on of them and mess up the placement of the resource trackers so you have to be careful.

I have seen the details about the game online and doubtfully bought it. But it exceeded my expectations! The game design is very smart. One would need to spend some time understanding the game rules and semantics.

But once you are past that, it is just splendid. It essentially simulates trying to colonise Mars. The rules of the game very neatly tie into the main theme. There are n number of variables in the game play and so many things to keep track of.

This is good workout on the mind and is definitely for someone looking for a boardgame on a different level.

I paid a lot of money for a box (with 3 smaller boxes inside it). There are no game components inside this. There are no expertly designed storage containers that you can use to quickly and efficiently put your game up, and take your game out.

If I’m being truthful with myself I’m questioning the purchase. But. I travel with my games. I have an overly anxious dog and 95% of the games I play are not at my house. I had been forcing my game (and all the expansions except Fenris) into just the base box to transport them to and from game nights.

I see this as an opportunity to carry all my Scythe items in one box without pressing creases into the neoprene game board. so. in that way, it’s a win. This should never be your first Scythe expansion, I think it can comfortably be your last expansion, and only if you really like the game, and only if you’re sick of trying to gather all the parts of it together to take it somewhere else to play.

Certainly a game you’ll be thinking about for a long time. I bought it purely because of the box artwork. I’m not overly invested in artwork, but the world created inside the box is fantastic, the drawcards are beautiful and the character and mech models are a joy to move around.

The setup and learning process is pretty heavy. It will take you at least 2 play throughs to really get the hang of it. Setting up the board takes 10 mins even if you know what you’re doing. But it’s worth it.

There are so many paths to take – you can fight or hide, build structures or hoard supplies, it feels like there are dozens of ways to win the game, and that’s what keeps it interesting. The 1 player mode is very interesting but gruellingly tough! I played it 6 or 7 times and only won 3 of those.

In a 5 player game with any players who have played it 0-2 times, expect to take at least 1. 5 hours, probably 2, and maybe 2. 5 hours to play a game! I also have the air gambit and travellers from afar expansions and together these 3 occupy and entire storage chest! If you have several players and get into, the larger map board may be worth is as tiles can end up containing many characters and supplies and get cramped for space.

If you are considering this as a battle oriented game think again: Battles are rare. You can win a game without any aggression and even in the most aggressive game you’ll be unlikely to see more than 3 battles.

This is because battles put a heavy strain on your resources and losing 1 can set you way back, maybe even losing you the whole game. This puts a refreshing stance on territory control where you posture mechs to scare people away even if you have no intention of fighting with them.

On the downside is that you’ll need a couple of hours and a few geeky friends who are invested enough to enter the world and deal with the set up – this isn’t Gloomhaven, but nor is it Pictionary! I consider it to share the title ‘best board game I’ve ever played’, alongside a few simpler games in totally different categories.

Scythe has been my first venture out into the bigger and heavier world of board gaming. Most of the games I have in my collection (Catan, King of Tokyo, Ticket to Ride, Sushi Go) were always purchased based on whether I could find something that my family or friends would be able to commit to and enjoy–something that looks simple and is easily and quickly consumed.

But when I first discovered Scythe earlier this year, I knew I found something special that not only looked fantastic but also that I would have to have (and which surprisingly takes very basic mechanics and fleshes them out)! Scythe took awhile to find the right crowd for me to get it to the table, but that crowd was one that was totally open-minded and willing to trust me on my word (because this game is worth the investment).

Yes, it comes with a time commitment, but one look at the board and components and you will be shocked and a little upset you only get 2-3 hours to spend in this world before another go-round. This game is worth its weight in looks but also creates a gaming experience that certainly matches at all player counts.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the few times I’ve taught and played this game with those friends and neighbors of mine who love to try new things, and we had a blast unearthing the puzzle of efficiency, tactical play, and building up our factions.

I’ve also busted it out on plenty of occasions to try my hand against the Automa, and those times taught me plenty on strategy as well as revealed one more layer of enjoyment with each runthrough. Scythe is well-deserving of the accolades it has received because it combines a rich and unique experience with a solid and well-thought base of a game, and I can’t recommend it enough.

If you are looking for something with plenty of meat on the bone, here it is. It is both a strategic think tank and a journey of exploration. The actions are interesting and fresh, and no two games are alike.

Even the pacing of player turns is structured and balanced so that time flies. The toughest choices are dictated by strategy not luck, and there is a aching excitement over which action to do this turn when they all look so good.

By the end of your first play, you will be sitting and conversing over the many possibilities and plans you and your friends had (if you only had just one more turn) as you look at the beautiful map and reminisce.

Scythe was worth the price at full retail value, now there’s no reason I wouldn’t recommend it to a fan of the gaming hobby. My only caveat is there is a steep learning curve to any outsider, and it took me awhile through research, reading the rulebook, and watching videos of playthroughs to feel totally capable of teaching this game and playing at the same time without any reservation.

I highly recommend watching Jamey Stegmaier’s “How to Teach Scythe” video to help you, but as a fan of the Scythe universe, all the time spent learning only enhanced my experience.

Cascadia is a game with 2 dimensions of set collection. You are building a tile tableaux of hex tiles depicting 5 types of terrain. The largest contiguous areas of the same terrain score points. On this terrain, you are placing 1 of five different animal types each of which scores in different ways depending on 5 cards that are chosen at the beginning of the game.

Each turn consists of chosen a pair of terrain tile and animal token, adding the terrain to your own tableaux and placing the animal token on a legal terrain. Cascadia is a quick but relaxing game with surprising depth.

Our game group has enjoyed playing this repeatedly and my family likes it as well.

Cascadia is such a great game. It is simple to teach and quick to play. However, there is such a great depth of strategy. And the replayability is great because the scoring conditions are different for each game and, of course, the combinations of wildlife and habitat tiles are always different.

This means that there is never a single path to victory. Players have to strategize as the game goes on – and will often have to pivot. Fantastic game for gamers and non-gamers allike!.

A really great game, easy to pick up and quick to play. We love this game as there is decision making, but it’s not complex or lengthy, and not much to set up – sometimes we just want a game that is challenging enough to hold your interest whilst playing in about 20 – 30 minutes.

The components are good quality and should stand many plays. Despite it’s simplicity the game has played differently every time so far and has become a firm favourite.

This is a great party game for certain groups of people, but can be extremely difficult if you’re short in one category. You and a partner compete with other teams to do things like answer questions or guess a clue based on something your partner is doing (humming a song, doing charades, modeling something with clay, drawing something).

If you’re reasonably good at all the categories, this is a pretty fun, quick game. I’ve played with people who were really weak on one category, though (didn’t know many songs by name, were really terrible at drawing) and the game wasn’t a lot of fun for them because they’d be stuck on one square trying to do something they are bad at for almost the whole game.

Cranium is our family’s favorite game! It is fun, funny, and makes you think. It really brings out your creativity. It really surprised us how much fun it was. This game makes us laugh so much! We always have a good time.

I would give this as a gift for sure.

I love this game, the only reason that I don’t it a star is because board games are stupid expensive. This game is a good mix of Pictionary, charades and a few other pieces. It really great for everyone because it has a few games on one.

Again, I think all board games are expensive but this one is more worth it than others.

First and foremost, I want to say that I was given a copy of this game to review early but that has no bearing on my view of the game and how I’m going to score it. I am a board game enthusiast and the last thing I would want is to lead a fellow gamer or even a first-time player astray.

I really enjoyed this game. Horrified is a survival game where you can either play by yourself or with a team and try to defeat the classic universal movie monsters before they terrorize the town. First impressions are everything when it comes to board games and this one really went above and beyond.

As soon as you open the box it has a little warning message detailing some of the horrors waiting for you and saying not to go any further like an old school movie intro. There are a lot of pieces to the game and that can seem daunting, but the game is simple to setup and easy to learn, especially after playing a practice game, but that doesn’t mean it’s not very complex at moments.

How the game works is that you want to survive the night and save the town by defeating the different monsters you win the game by completing small tasks in order to weaken the monsters so that they can be defeated in combat while collecting items and rescuing villagers and you lose the game when the monsters defeat you enough times or defeat enough villagers to raise the terror meter all the way or if the monsters run out of moves/you run out of turns.

I play tested the game in a few different ways. 2 single player games, 3 two player games, and 1 four player game. One thing that I found across all the games was that the games were tense close calls that could have gone either way.

I found that you will have different playing styles depending on how many people are playing in a one to two player game more than likely if you’re going to have problems protecting the villagers from the monsters, while in a four or more player game the monsters attacking you are the real threat because you will get attacked relentlessly and it is hard to escape.

The few complaints I had were that I wish there were a few more monsters and heroes to choose from. I also wish there was a way to increase the difficulty on some of the lower level monsters so that if you wanted more of a challenge you could really test your limits.

I really hope they make expansions for the game so my few complaints would be remedied. All in all my play group and I really enjoyed the game, it never felt repetitive even when playing games with the same monster combinations that I’ve used before in previous games, and all of my friends were saying that they want to pick up copies of the game specially with Halloween coming up.

It would be perfect for a Halloween game night. Honestly, I’m really looking forward to when I get to play Horrified again because it was a lot of fun and I highly recommend it.

***This product was provided at no charge in exchange for my review. *** Quality: From box to board pieces, everything was very well designed. I unfortunately didn’t have the pleasure of watching the instructional videos as the link wasn’t functioning properly upon receiving the product, but the physical instructions were pretty strait forward.

Knowledge: It was a lot of initial information to take-in and learn how to setup/begin, but after a few turns you quickly get the general idea behind the games fluidity. The game guides you right out of the box on how best to start your adventure.

For someone like myself who enjoys playing Dungeons and Dragons, this is like a very simplified version of the game to me. You have your “champions” whose primary goal is to slay the monsters, while your side quests of rescuing the villagers will earn you additional “loot” (or special cards) that can be used throughout the game to enhance your experience, ease you in your quest, and give you an advantage during play.

Enjoyments: Between running solo or playing with a group, this game can be enjoyed a variety of ways and numerous times. It doesn’t feel old, even after playing several times over, as you can customize the difficulty and the gameplay mechanics (variably) depending on how many players there are.

Another enjoyable aspect of the game was that every action has an equal or greater opposite reaction. One wrong move can cost you a life token and move the monsters that much closer to victory. You will be put into situations where you’re forced to decide whether you’re going to sacrifice your friend or a villager in an effort to push your cause (whether that is gather loot to slay the monster or progress along the riverfront.

) Sometimes you’re going to have to look your friend in the face, give them a heartfelt apology, and watch as Dracula takes a crunch out of them (and your life points) while you move closer to his coffins.

Dissatisfaction: One of the greatest downsides was not having the instructional video when I started. The game can be very confusing and the instructional booklet can leave you scratching your head wondering what in the world you do now.

If you can be patient with it though through every turn you take, you will quickly pick up the gist of what it is explaining and will be able to quickly dive into your next game feeling like a dungeon master.

The other downside is the length of time it takes. Upon initial setup without the video, it took us well over an hour just to figure out what we were doing. After a few turns, things slowly pieced themselves together and we were able to start over fresh without much questioning or confusion of how we finish our turns/the monsters react, etc.

You definitely will need about an hour per campaign though, so be sure you’re not trying to jump into a quick game that you can start and finish in 15-minutes time. Overall: At the end of the day, this is by far a very amazing board game.

The thought that was put into it, the design of the board/pieces/stories, and the satisfaction (or urge to play again) you get from the end of a campaign keep you coming back for more. You don’t feel the need to put it away for months at a time because you’ve worn it out too quickly, and that is what makes this experience such a thrilling win! 5/5 – Would highly recommend to anyone looking for their next adventure in the horror fantasy genre!.

I got this for my video game obsessed, 10 year old son’s birthday. My family has a huge collection of board games as my 12 year old son and I love board games. My 10 year old doesn’t usually like playing with his brother because he usually loses and gets mad.

That being said, Horrified is a HUGE success. Love that it is a cooperative strategy game so you all either defeat the monsters and win or you all lose together. It is very similar to Pandemic, which we have played many times and also like, but we all agree that we like the fun monster theme better.

Each monster has unique requirements to defeat them. Lots of replayability without getting bored. Our 8 year old neighbors (who are not experienced gamers) joined us for a round and now keep bugging us to play it again with them.

Excellent entry-level game. Really accessible for players who balk at overly-complicated games but still lots of strategy and enjoyment for more experienced gamers. I’ve been wanting to play El Dorado for nearly a year now and it lived up to my expectations.

This game has rocketed into my top three favourite games (between Cosmic Encounter and the Crew). Would definitely recommend.

Great game. Everyone playa at once in this one. At the beginning, it makes it a bit tedious to teach because the person teaching can’t be everywhere at once and the game concepts are best understood after a game is played.

Also, with all the different cards and colors, it can look quite intimidating. But once everyone knows what they’re doing, this game really shines. It takes less than 45 minutes to play even with 7 players due to the simultaneous nature and really rewards adaptability.

This means that new and old players alike can find ways to win and different strategies can lead to victory. My game group in 2013-15 used to use this as our warmup game each week due to its fast pace and simple concepts.

The game also has quite a few expansions that add either new dimensions, more options, or more complexity depending on the one that you choose. But I would only recommend getting those if your group really takes to the game.

In conclusion, this is one of the most played games in my collection and I would definitely recommend it.

This game is interesting. It has many rules and can be complex for beginners, and takes awhile to grasp, but with time a teen or adult can learn it. I do not recommend this game for children as the concepts may be way too hard to understand.

7 Wonders may take awhile to play the first few times, but everyone I’ve played it with finally grasped the concepts in the final turns, and they immediately wanted to play again. The more familiar you are with the rules, the faster the game goes.

I highly recommend 7 Wonders if you like strategy games or have patience to learn a new type of game. If you dont like ancient history, this game may be a bore to you. We found it interesting and although a bit complicated to get started it was easy once we took the time to figure it put.

We literally spent one day figuring out how to play then actually played the next day. My 13 year old daughter is a big gammer and really loved this game. It definitely would make a great gift for the right person.

This game was perfect for my husband, son, and I. We like to play games that have to do with history. We have always played games such as Civilization and Age of Empires and this game is similar. It takes a bit to learn it first time playing but once you learn it takes about 30 minutes to play a game.

Never gets boring like other board games where you just do the same thing over and over. The game itself is very well constructed. It has a tray to keep tokens and cards organized. Instructions are easy to follow.

Great game for anyone who likes history games.

My daughter is always asking to play board games for a family night activity. I needed to find one that would be suitable for her age. I thought the classic version of this might be too boring for her so was delighted to see a Disney villains one.

The game is basically the same process but there are many changes. You play as one of six villains that are made in the same style as the classics like the car and thimble. Instead of purchasing property you hire villains.

There isn’t any paper money which I missed. You use tokens. You add thickets and lairs instead of hotels and houses. You still have chance cards but the community chest cards are changed to poison apples card.

The game board is smaller so gameplay is quicker. You still can go to jail and collect money when you pass go. The beautiful artwork of the characters is very pleasing and I do enjoy that more than the classic version.

Instructions and rules are easy to follow. You get used to changes quickly if you are used to the classic style. We all had a blast playing and my husband was the reigning king this time. We plan to take this with us to family gathering over the holidays for something new to play since we usually just play card games.

Have had the original Monopoly board game for years which has always been a family favourite, and thought it was time we had a new edition, so when i saw this “Mega” version it was perfect as a modern remake of a classic.

having the third dice makes it a much faster game with more options, the additional number of properties to purchase and now not just houses and hotels but skyscrapers as well to build your property empire, and a new 1000 monopoly pound note to add to the initial capital sum really adds a new level to the game.

As well as the community chest and chance cards there is now a bus ticket card allowing you to move around the board avoiding certain properties held by other players and not having to pay “rent” to them.

Its fast, its still loads of fun and worth having.

This game was recommended to me by a board game enthusiast. It was easy to understand and super fun to play – with not too many pieces needed. Enjoyed it immensely and would recommend! Unfortunately it’s only for 2-4 people (love when games are up to 6 people) but it’s a solid game that will provide hours of entertainment.

Some luck and some skill involved, the best kind of game.

Simple premise and game engine. Surprising variety of tactics/strategies can be applied but very easy to pick up and play. My 7 year old had the principals mastered in about 1 or 2 rounds of play. Easy to play it nice and Basic with the whole family or apply more ‘sabotage’ to other players with a grown-up audience.

Whole family found it very addictive!.

Bought one for myself and bought another for a friend. The game is a fun strategy type game, but it is simple and easy to teach and play (which is important to me). I was happy with the packaging and condition of the game when it arrived, but one sticker on a single token was missing.

This only happened in my box and not the one I bought for my friend. The images and clear and easy to read, instructions are simple. Overall, the game is awesome! I would have given it 5 stars if it were not for the single missing sticker.

Well worth the money, although I did buy them on sale.

I LOVE this game and have gotten all of my friends and family hooked! It takes a second to learn to play, and is best learned from someone who has played before, but once you understand, it’s so fun! The best part is, you could play it over and over and the board will NEVER be the same twice (which is a problem with other games I have because after a while, you learn the cards and it gets boring).

HIGHLY recommend! Update: I was reading the negative comments about this game and wanted to clear a few things up. 1. This game says best for 2+ people but in reality, it’s best with 6-10 people. If you’re only getting it to play in your two-person household, it might be more difficult.

2. The rules are complicated, but it makes so much more sense once you start to play and get the hang of it. I would recommend playing with someone who knows how to play or watching a YouTube video on how to play because the written rules can be hard to understand.

3. This is a thinking game, which I enjoy but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. This is not really a “drunk house party” game but I’ve brought it to game nights and Christmas parties and it’s been a hit every time.

4. I’ve seen a lot of comments about people saying this game was “too easy” because they give a clue to guess ONE card and it’s “too obvious. ” That is not the point of the game. If you did that, the team to go second would win every time and that would be boring! The point is to give a clue that could tie in AS MANY of your cards that you can tie together in one round.

For example: let’s say I had cards that were New York, pie, and sweet. I would say “Apple for 3” and my teammates would guess which 3 cards on the board could be related to apple. Their official guess is when they touch the card on the board.

If they get all 3 cards, great for our team! However, YOU DO NOT GO AGAIN! It’s the next team’s turn. I saw reviews that said that people would give clues for a single card, get it right, and then go again.

What???? So basically they were giving 8-9 single card clues in a row and winning. That is not how you play the game.

A very fun game with lots of replay value. There are loads of words included in the box- all double sided. As these can be pulled in any combination, and then assigned to each team in any combination, you are guaranteed to never have the same game twice.

It’s also quick to set up, easy to learn and quite quick to play too – you can play in groups, rather than being limited to 2 players per team, so is good for larger groups or groups with an odd number of people.

Only problem is, it can get pretty tense – especially under pressure when you realise that you and your partner/friends are on totally different wavelengths. Your relationships may never heal, but you’ll probably have fun along the way.

Really enjoyed the first few play throughs. Played it with one of my best friends and his girlfriend. First play through my best friend became the 2 headed snake, so his girlfriend and I had to work together to take him down.

Second play through I became the poltergeist and my strategy failed miserably after a horribly unlucky roll. And I was ultimately vanquished by the victorious couple. It was a little unclear in the rules and I guess not knowing what your opponents are trying to accomplish adds a certain je ne sais quoi about the game.

Very enjoyable. We’ve played a variety of games including Ticket to Ride(USA, USA expansion, Europe, and Rails & Sails), Carceson(sp?), Catan, and others and this was easily my 2nd favorite game after Ticket to Ride.

Would really recommend giving this a go in late September into October and queuing up the playlist for Betrayal at House on the Hill on YouTube if you’re a giant cheese ball like me. I give this game a 90/100.

Will definitely be pushing to play it again.

That’s what you get with this upgrade kit. The Character cards have much better art on them than the originals. Also, the game exchanged the black clips you use to track health and sanity for wheels that spin and keep score which is a great improvement.

no clips accidentally falling off during game play or crimping too tightly and abrading the player cards. Just remember which way to spin the wheels to raise/lower your scores, and be careful when you do it because they sometimes stick.

The other part of the upgrade kit is the dice. The kits exchange the 8 original white and black dice for more thematic green and yellow ones. In my personal opinion, despite not really needing 8 more dice, I do consider them a nice upgrade.

If anything, it means less passing dice around the table for players to make their roles. All in all, while not necessary to own, the upgrade kit offered enough for me to justify buying it. 7/10.

There are waaaaaay too many rules in this text heavy behemoth. This would only be enjoyable for an attorney who must consult three separate guides to determine the next actions and the rules. This game is too slow to be a fun party game.

Not a fan. In fact, it’s banned from game night. I am writing this as I wait for my friends to read yet another set of rules regarding the haunt. Play something else unless you enjoy spending most of the night reading instruction manuals.

Never again.

Many friends have suggested I look into this because I’ve played games like Puerto Rico. This definitely is a game worth investing in if you are looking for casual-yet-competitive play. The game is designed to be 1-4 players, and I have only played 1 and 2 player games so far.

The gameplay is simple and complex. You choose actions to take from a limited number of actions, and as the game moves into a new round, another action is added. By the last round (14), you will have built your own farm with fences, stables, animals, plowed fields growing crops, and hopefully a bigger house with more family members.

Based on how much variety you have with your farm will determine your final score. So far I have found the game well balanced. While you can be aggressive and calculated with your opponents, you also have the freedom to build yourself a little farm and enjoy doing what you want casually.

There’s plenty of ways to approach building your farm, and as long as you can feed your family during the harvest rounds, you can have fun doing it!.

I haven’t played much of the original, but I recall an overabundance of cards of various types, and a set of cubes and discs instead of “meeples”. This edition includes enhancements from more recent updates to the original (farmer-shaped meeples instead of discs, for instance), and cardboard tokens instead of “begging cards” as with the original.

There are also some optional tiles that add another action space for gamers who prefer less resource contention (it’s still hard to score well). The one complaint I have is that the English translation isn’t completely consistent.

In the rules booklet, for instance, there’s a section on “Renovation”, but the action cardd that provides that action are titled “House Redevelopment” and “Farm Redevelopment”. I haven’t verified this, but I think I recall occupation or minor improvement cards that reference “Renovation” instead of the terms used on the action cards.

Other than that, the cards aren’t quite as sturdy as I’d like, but many gamers sleeve their games’ cards anyway; if this is you, then there’s not much to worry about on that front. Overall though, this is an excellent worker placement game for 1 to 4 players, and it doesn’t need much in the way of expansions unless you need a 5-6 player game.

I’ve had my eye on Agricola for some time now, not just for me, but for my wife as well (She loves farming games) and this game does not disappoint. We enjoyed the reward of starting our farm/home at the beginning of the game and the ease in which Agricola introduces you to the harvest mechanic, in which you have to feed workers.

As rounds pass and Agricola progresses, Agricola has harvest happen sooner and sooner, making every decision more important. Do you improve your house over getting crops or animals? Do you want to take first place for yourself to have that ever important first turn? Do you gain workers, knowing that you know have to feed those workers, but gain actions? These decision really count as round passes and the end of the game comes.

It easily adds players with additional boards and plenty of occupation/minor improvement cards. Played Agricola with multiple people of ranging ages and is easy enough to play with young and mature. This game has ALOT of pieces and cards and tiles, so clean up, if you are doing it by yourself, takes a little time.

Agricola says on the box its 30 minutes per player for time, which is accurate, but with a game of this caliber, it does not feel like a long drag to the finish. We thoroughly enjoyed Agricola and I hope you will too.

This is such a great game addition to a cosy night in! It really is a game that I could play for hours over and over again. The best thing about Herd Mentality is that the questions are easy enough to think about but you actually really need to think from different people perspectives.

It’s also a great convo/debate starter with such a varied range of topics which makes for fun and interesting chat the whole night! The game is pretty straightforward so we all picked it up pretty quickly which means that the game could also be played with children and teens.

One of our highlights of the game was definitely getting to MOOOOO at someone taking too long to answer a question. Herd Mentality is also great value for money. It’s great that the paper for writing answers is provided and the fence and patch of grass adds to the fun and farmy aesthetic.

We all definitely fell in love with the wee foam cow even though the object of the game was to not be in possession of it! A great game and would highly recommend to anyone for a fun games night!.

Purchases this game as Christmas gift for my older children. It is great fun, not too much thinking involved, it’s all about following the crowd/herd. Eg: What would you do? Best crisp flavour? Best Tom Hanks movie? Then you win tokens for every correct answer, if you’re wrong you have to have the cow and everyone Moos at you! Suitable for 6- 96 age I would say! Fun to play with family or group of friends.

Another hit from Big Potato Games. Fast delivery to local store for pick up.

I bought this game at Xmas to play with the family. We’ve since also played it with friends snd everyone enjoys it. It’s very simple to learn ,easy to play ,even with a few glasses of wine,and a game for everyone.

I like the fact you don’t have to be seriously well read or a genius so it’s very inclusive plus you can make up your own questions. The cow ,although you can’t win if you get her, is lovely and squishy so quite a humorous addition to the game.

Excellent fun !!.

Very accessible, repayable and subtlety beautiful to play game. After realising in a pandemic there are only so many competitive 2 player games you can play before you turn on one another; having a great coop game in your belt like this one is a must.

Simple yet unpredictable, the shifting sands aspect of this game can take you from a very straightforward and easy game to really feeling the elements are truly against you. There’s something beautiful and so frustrating about the mechanics, your best laid plans laid to waste as the storm rips them apart or the desperate search for water leaves you stranded.

The strengths and weaknesses of each role are really exposed in a 2 player game and change the flow massively. The ship figurine you must build is the real star of the show and a welcome collectible.

Forbidden Desert is an easily-explained cooperative game, ideal for younger players or as an introductory game for people with little experience of designer games. The family likeness with Forbidden Island is clear; although Forbidden Desert is the younger sibling of Forbidden Island, it is still the more accomplished and rather more grownup of the pair.

It has all of the strengths of its sibling, and much of the same flavour, though it is a better game and more than a simple reskin. It shares a similar device with it and with its parent, Pandemic, in that the probability that an area will be afflicted – by sand, this time – is raised if it was afflicted earlier.

It is a little more thematic than its older sibling, and a little more challenging. Players have to collect items whose location is determined as the play unfolds, which is a nice touch.

You are traveling over the desert in your space craft when suddenly parts start falling off. You crash land into the sand dunes and begin the hunt for the pieces scattered about. Easy instructions to learn, you have 4 actions you can take on your turn.

You start by moving around the tiles and flipping them over to search for your things. The storm moves around the board after everyone’s turn, causing sand dunes to build up on the tiles. You have to excavate the tiles with the sand built up and see whats at the bottom, is the engine or just some land under there? Sometimes there’s so much sand built up it could take all 4 of your actions to get to the bottom.

Play quick because if you take too long you could end up drawing 4, 5 or 6 cards for the storm and that’s when the game gets real! The more cards you draw for the storm, the more it moves around. Will you be buried alive or will you get the to landing pad and get out before the storm picks up?.

Will be buying another set of this game for my family as I took the first set with me to college and I think they noticed it went missing! Great game similar to Connect 4, but with more strategy and cards.

Can be played individually or in teams. New players always ask why there are no Jack’s on the board, but it is clearly displayed what the Jack’s mean. No spoilers but they only ask that once! Great classic with easy clean up!.

Great game for boardgame newbies like myself. Easy to set up and discuss the rules with friends. Taken this to work and introduced it to some of my students at dinner time who picked it up after the first round and asked to play again.

Bought this so I could play with my daughter but the multiplication aspect might throw her a little for her age so I think the age rating is accurate for this game. Otherwise enjoyable and quick break time or lunch game to share with new people.

The concept is simple which might put people off with the replayabilty factor but this isn’t a game to play for hours it’s 3 or 4 matches for an hour to kill time.

Quickly became one of our favourites to get to the table. Rules are very simple and straightforward to pick up but there is a surprising amount of strategy in terms of tile selection and placement as you get more experienced.

Only takes about 30 mins to play so easy to squeeze in a game here and there. The tiles themselves are very tactile and bright in colour which makes the whole game seem more fun and engaging.

Kingdomino is a family favorite at my house! We had played it before, but this new Target exclusive version includes a tile stacking tower that the kids oohed and ahhhed over, and it helps keep the pieces organized for both play and storage.

And it also includes a double-sided scoring pad. The object of Kingdomino is to build a kingdom around your castle with tiles that look like dominos that have various land-types on them (i. e. , water, forest, mine, field, etc.

). As you add to your kingdom each “square” on the tile must match a land type already present in your kingdom. Some of the squares also have crown symbols on them, which increases the score of that land plot at the end of the game.

This game is simple enough to teach in just a few minutes, and does not require reading skills so younger players should be able to play along with older kids and adults. The box says 8 and up, but I would think a 7 year old could probably do just fine strategy-wise with this game as well.

Another nice feature of Kingdomino is that the order of play is dependent on how powerful of a card one picks the previous round. So, if a player chooses a tile with many crown symbols on it in one round, she will likely have last pick the next round, giving someone else a chance to get a “good” tile.

This definitely helps to keep the “No fairs!” at bay when playing with kids, but the game can be challenging for adult-only play as well as family play.