Board Game Blurb: Formula D

Publisher:  Asmodee

Players:   2-10

Game Type:   Racing Game

 

 

 

Formula D is a fun reprint of an older French game titled Formula Dé, where players compete in both street car and formula one races using dice.  Each player get’s a gearbox and tiny car, and every turn they roll dice to see how far their car moves.  Depending what gear you are in, you can roll a variety of dice sizes, with higher gears corresponding to larger dice.  The one obstacle to just shifting up and blowing through the track comes from the turns.  Depending on the complexity of the turn, each player must stop a certain amount of times within the turn or take damage and possibly blow up.  Downshift too low however, and you won’t be able to accelerate as fast as others in the straight.

The game really is a series of choices, play a turn conservatively and risk getting passed, or push it a bit and risk blowing up.  Often you can’t tell whether it paid off till the checkered flag in the end.  The game comes with two large boards/race tracks with more available for purchase.  Furthermore the rules allow for all levels of complexity with even allowances for custom cars, weather, slip-streaming, hazards etc.

Overall I think this is an excellent, unique title that is great for the board game/car enthusiast.   The game box says it allows up to ten players but I’d recommend playing with less because it can take a little bit for the turn to come back around.  Furthermore, if your playing with only 2 or 3 players, I’d recommend giving each person two cars, that way they aren’t eliminated if a car explodes on them.

Award for the Game that Makes You Feel Like a Race Car Driver: Shake’n’Bake

Most Heart-Pounding Dice Rolls: When you realize half the numbers on the dice you are about to roll can cause your car to explode.

Curious how the game plays?  Well the game was featured on Geek & Sundry’s Tabletop Show.

Board Game Blurb: King of Tokyo

Publisher: IELLO

Players: 2-6

Game Type:  Push Your Luck, Dice Game, Take That

Game Difficulty:   Easy, Family Game

King of Tokyo has recently risen as a popular dice chuckin game, where each player is a monster vying to control the poor city of Tokyo.    The game utilizes dice, in a similar fashion to Yahtzee, where the different combinations of symbols allow you to punch other monsters, heal your wounds, upgrade your monster, or score victory points to win the game.  Like Yahtzee, you can re-roll as many that you like dice up to two times to try to get the combinations you want.

The big strategy comes from controlling Tokyo.  While in Tokyo, you gain points for conquering it and holding it each of your turns.  Also while in Tokyo, you can punch every other monster simultaneously, but you can’t heal and every other player can punch you making it very risky to be there.  If you hit the monster in Tokyo, they can choose to leave the city, which drags you in, so you better be ready to become the new target of the rest of the table.

“I will retake Tokyo, Meka Dragon.”

This game has all the hallmarks of an excellent gateway game:

• Simple, easy to learn rules
• Fun, involving gameplay
• Silly, vibrant art and theme
• Excellent components
• Fairly quick game time

I would easily recommend this game to almost any group of gamers.  It’s simplicity makes it a great contender for family game night, or a filler between games in a more advanced game group.  Player’s can and often do get eliminated, but the games are short enough that they are never out for too long.

Expansion: Power Up

I would highly recommend purchasing the power up expansion along with the base game.  It doesn’t add so much complexity that first time players should avoid it, and the new monster is a fun addition.

The real value is in how the expansion changes the monsters.  In the base game, there really is no difference between monsters so it’s really up to personal preference in the art.  With the power up expansion however, each monster has a corresponding evolution deck.  When you roll 3 hearts (healing symbol), you can choose to forgo the healing and instead draw from that deck which contains a mix of permanent upgrades and one time use cards.  With each deck being unique for the monsters, you never know what a player has up his sleeve.  This allows your choice of monster to matter and gives a purpose for rolling hearts in Tokyo.

Overall, King of Tokyo is a light, fun, goofy game that is a great choice if your looking to add to your collection.

Award for the Game with the Most Powerful Bunny:   Cyber Bunny

Most Epic Dice Rolls:  When your opponent needs only one more punch to win the game, but no matter how many times they re-roll it doesn’t show up.

Board Game Blurb: Dead of Winter

Publisher:   Plaid Hat Games, 2014

Players:   2-5

Game Type: Co-Op with Possible Traitor

 

Dead of Winter is basically The Walking Dead in board game form.  You and your fellow players control a a small group of survivors that have banded together in a makeshift colony, trying to survive the Zombie apocalypse.  Throughout the game you will be risking your character’s life and limb venturing out to find food, medicine and other supplies all the while wondering if someone is secretly trying to bring the rest of you down.

As with most Co-Op games, there are bunch of ways to lose, but only one way to win.  You and your fellow players have a series of rounds to gather a particular set of items need to win the game all the while making sure the colony has enough food each round, the zombies are kept at bay, the trash hasn’t piled up, raider’s, depression or other random events have been appeased etc…

What differentiates this game from other co-op games is the story elements that make each play through a unique experience.  The objective of each game is randomly drawn from the deck referencing short paragraph’s to read before starting that give a bit of context as to why medicine, guns or food need to be gathered to win.  Furthermore, during each player’s turn, the player on the left draws a “crossroads” card that may or may not trigger every turn.  The crossroads cards are random story events that may be good, bad, or offer a choice the player or entire group must make.  This makes the game feel like you’re playing through a zombie story, with all the random things that happen and need to be adjusted for.

The game is well designed and has well-made components with the “Standees” for zombies and characters being my favorite.  There is a token for everything (no really, everything) and decks galore so no playing on small coffee tables.

This is currently my favorite game even though I’ve only been with a group that has beaten it a handful of times.  I would warn that though the game isn’t incredibly complex, there is so much to explain and keep track of that it feel like drinking out of a fire hose when you are first learning it.  Keep at it though, the game is well worth it.

Award for the Game that Most Makes it’s Players Desperate for Scraps of Food:   Yes, we voted to eat the horse.

Most Heroic Character:  Sparky the stunt dog!  Don’t know how he can hold a shot gun, but that game doesn’t say he can’t!