2014 Holiday Rundown: My Top 10 Family Games

Whether it is a battered copy of scrabble or a shiny new copy of Kings of New York, homes all over the country will be pulling out their favorite games to play this holiday season.  Here is a rundown of my family's top 10 holiday board and card games.

But before we start, I need to share the story of the mandatory Monopoly game.
 
Ever since I met my husband back in 1995 I have had a front row seat to this family tradition.  It all started when he and his siblings were younger.  Every Christmas his family would pull out monopoly and play after Christmas Eve dinner.  Now, this was not a simple game of Monopoly, this was a cutthroat, no mercy game of Monopoly.  We're talking no free parking, no quitting, and if the next person rolls the dice before you say pay me, you don't get paid.  It is quite the sight to see.  In fact, my husband's youngest sister was banned from playing for several years due to the no whining or quitting rule!  The first few years I played as a team with my husband, but before long I was right there in the mix with everyone else.
laughing, trying to pass the dice before I had to pay, and getting in arguments over properties.  While Monopoly is definitely not one of our families favorite games, this tradition has kept us bringing it out year after year.  It's not always the games you choose to play, but the memories they make that are important.  So, Every Thanksgiving and Christmas it continues to be MANDATORY to play a game of Monopoly.

And without further ado...Our top 10 family games of 2014!

We have many, many games we love to play, but this list is comprised of the games that make it year after year to our holiday table.  Enjoy!

10: Ticket to Ride
  Since its release in 2004, this board game has made it to our holiday table year after year.  In fact, we played it so much the first year, that we took a break from it the following year before bringing it back to the table :) Ticket to Ride is a great game for a wide range of ages.  It has simple rules that can be taught in about 15 minutes making it a fantastic game to teach the whole family.  Players compete to build routes and earn points.  The longer the route, the more points you'll earn!  There are a wide variety of versions to choose from including, Ticket to ride: Europe, Ticket to Ride: Marklin, Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries, and the Ticket to Ride Card Game.  Any would be a great addition to your collection.


9: Apples to Apples
   Who ever thought a box of cards with nouns and adjectives could be so much fun!  This game has kept us laughing over the years and it's an easy game to grab whenever we need a quick filler.  We usually don't even play to win, we'll just play until we're done laughing!  The game is super simple.  Everyone has a hand of nouns.  The judge flips an adjective and reads it to the group.  Then players rush to put down the card that best matches the adjective. Laughing ensues.  That's it!  If you are looking for something slightly different, or more grown up you might also want to try Cards Against Humanity or The Princess Bride: Prepare to Die!


8: Dixit
    This game has some of the most beautifully illustrated cards I have seen in a game.  In the game, the story-teller must come up with a phrase to describe one of the illustrated cards.  Then the other players chose a card from their hand that they think also matches this phrase.  To earn points, players must try to pick out the story-teller's card from the cards of the other players. This is a great game to get the creativity flowing and it is just so pretty to look at!



7: Quiddler
   This is one of my dad's favorites.  He loves gin rummy, so this hits the mark.  It is a card game that combines the set scoring of rummy with the word creation of scrabble.  Each round players compete to create words with an increasing number of cards.  Round 1, you have three cards, round 2, four, and so on and so forth.  Each round you score points based on the numbers each letter is worth.  If you love word games, then this is definitely one to try!

6: Cover Your A$$ets
   The goal of this game is to become the first millionaire! To do so, you must collect and hide your valuables.  Each player collects pairs of matching assets and places them in a pile in front of themselves. Each time they collect a new asset, it stacks on top protecting the ones below from the greedy hands of the other players.  If a player has a matching card to the top card of your stack, watch out!  That player can try to steal your valuables! Grandparents to kids, casual to competitive gamers will enjoy this fast past, hilarious game.  Oh, and it even comes with a recipe from Grandma Beck inside!!

5: Survive: Escape from Atlantis
   This modular board game is made up of variable height hexes that slowly disappear as the island begins to sink.  The lower areas of the board sink first causing your meeples to seek higher ground.  As the island sinks, sharks, whales, and sea monsters can attack causing all kinds of trouble.  The thick sturdy tiles, quality components and easy to learn rules make this a great family game.  My 4 year old even enjoys jumping in to play a game with us.  He may not get all of the strategy, but he definitely loves to topple boats with the whale or send the sea monster to gobble up an unsuspecting boat full of meeples.

4: Time's Up
   Time's up is similar to charades.  The difference is that in this game, you have three different rounds with varying amounts of speaking you can do.  Round 1: say anything you like accept the word on the the card.   Round 2: You may only say 1 word, and round 3: no words, just motions. This is one of our families all time favorites.  Its a very active game and involves a lot of participation, so if that is not your thing, then this might not be the game for you.  Whenever we pull this one out we are all rolling on the floor laughing before the end of the first round.  There are several versions of the game. Time's Up: Title Recall is by far our favorite version.  This version challenges players to guess the titles of books, films, songs, etc. rather that the famous people from the original version.

3: King of Tokyo (King of New York)
   This would be my 4 year old's top pick for favorite family game.  Who doesn't want to play a giant Kaiju taking over Tokyo? King of Tokyo is a simple dice and card game with a lot of luck.  With 6 different monsters to choose from, there is also a lot of variety. What makes this game so fun is the knock'em n' sock'em monster combat. There is a lot of ganging up on one another, but you never feel like you are being picked on for long.  One monster takes over the center of Tokyo and hurts all the others at once -- and every monster outside of Tokyo attacks only the monster inside. With the constant moving of players' monsters in and out of Tokyo it creates a fun and exciting King of the Hill experience for everyone.
   This year we will be adding a new addition to this little gem of a game.  King of New York is a brand new  stand alone version of the game that adds new elements and a new feel that we are sure to love too!

2: Kerflip!
   Kerflip! is another fantastic word building game and one that comes with a Mensa award too!  One of my favorite aspects of this game is the genius board design.  The board fits nicely inside the box creating little pockets to slide the letters into during the game.  At the end of the game, you simply flip the box up and all the letters end up neatly in the collection box inside. The game is quick to learn, easy to play for a wide range of ages and skill levels, and it's a blast!  I personally do not fair well in word games versus my husband, but I have been victorious many times with this one.  This game rewards quick thinking and you don't have to rely on knowing obscure words to be victorious.

1: Anomia
   If you look up the word anomia, you will find it means the loss of the ability to name objects or recognize names.  The game of anomia plays off the fact that our minds are filled with all sorts of random information.  From things to eat and what to watch, to places to visit, our minds are always working.  It's easy to give examples of a breakfast cereals or a types of tree under normal circumstances, but how will you fare under pressure?  The first time I tried this game I was 6 months pregnant with my now 4 year old.  I had such mommy brain at the time, that I crashed and burned marvelously. I had anomia! 
   The game is simple.  Draw a card and place it face up in front of you.  Does it match any symbols on another player's card? If so, you must quickly come up with an example of the noun on your opponent's card before they can say one for yours.  The quickest person earns the card and play continues to the next player.  That is, unless another symbol matches another player's after the losing players card has been claimed.  This can cause quite the cascade and a raucously good time.  

So that's it.  My family's top 10 games for holiday gatherings.  I'd love to here what some of your favorite family games are.  What games make it to your table during the holidays?

Geeky Destination Files: Essen Spiel

Essen Spiel

Well it's been about a month since I hopped on a plane for what would be my first vacation away from the kids in 5 years!  Aside from getting a heck of a lot of sleep, my husband and I planned out a 2 week trip that combined both business and pleasure.

   The first leg of the trip was to Essen, Germany for the annual Internationale Spieltage.  While this was a working vacation for us, it would be a great destination for anyone who loves board games.  There is nothing quite like walking into the Messe Essen and seeing the sea of people playing board games.  The best part, a lot of them are families!  SPIEL is the largest convention for board games and it attracts a multitude of exhibitors, publishers, authors, illustrators and distributors who flock to the event to showcase their newest games, toys and comics.  This year an overwhelming 786 exhibitors traveled to ‘SPIEL’ in order to launch new products, meet with press and to meet the people who love playing their games.

New Princess Bride Games?....INCONCEIVABLE!!

"Then make your choice."  

"I will, and I choose - What in the world can that be?"

If you recognize those words then you are a true fan of a great film.  The Princess Bride has been a staple in our household for many, many years and I am proud to announce the release of another set of 3 new card games.  Everyone fan of the film has their favorite moment and now you can add 1, 2, or even all three of these great card games to your collection.  Each game is based on some of the greatest moments from the film.  

The quote at the top is the clue to the first game's title.

Did you guess??

That's right! The Battle of Wits!

The Battle of wits pits up to 10 (yes 10) players against each in a bluffing battle.  Each player will take sips throughout the game.  Too much poison, you're dead! Will you live or fall prey to the Sicilian? Only the most intelligent will survive!  Will it be you?

I'd like to add that this would be a fabulous game to grab a bottle of wine and really role play the whole thing :)  Why not, right?

Here's a clue for the next game's title.

"Grandpa, maybe you could come over and read it again to me tomorrow."

Do you recall grandpa's answer?

That's right, AS YOU WISH! and that is the title of the second card game.  In this game you are wuv, tru wuv.  To do so, you must collect a set of cards based on the desires of the character you are playing.  But it is not as easy as it seems.  Certain cards contain skulls that threaten to remove valuable cards from your quest.  Will you be the one to come out victorious?

trying to tell the story of

OK, Here's the clue for the final game.

"I've seen worse."

Need another hint?

"You rush a miracle man, you get rotten miracles."

Got it now?

That's right! The final game is called Miracle Pill and you are the one trying to put a little magic into a not so little pill.  You have 3 rounds to make this happen and each round pushes you a bit further.  Will you save the Man-in-black or will your experiment fizzle?

So there you have it.  Three fabulous new card games coming soon to a table top near you.  The games are currently on Kickstarter, but only for a limited time.  The campaign ends Tuesday, November 25th.  To secure your copies visit the campaign page here so you will be sure to be one of the first people to own these fun new games!

Game Night Guide

   Face it, as Gamers, we long for uninterrupted blocks of time dedicated to playing the latest and greatest games. We dream of weekends free from obligations where we can gather and bask in the joy of defeating the Cylons, curing the world of Pandemics, or reaching the paragon tier with our newest heroes. Then life dawns on us and we are back to the work that needs to be done, commitments that have to be kept, and responsibilities that lead us to believe that we will never again have the time we once had to enjoy our hobby. I’m here to tell you that it can be done.
With a little bit of organization, a reality check that life happens and things come up, and someone willing to take on the role of organizer, I promise that you can be back to gaming in no time.

Step 1: Calling All Gamers
 So you want to get a group together for regular game nights. Who do you invite? You know that Steve lives down the street, but his work schedule isn't always consistent, Josh and Amanda both have weekends off but you’re not sure they could get time away from their two kids, John has a new girlfriend, Mike is usually free but lives about 30 minutes away, and Bill and Stacy would love to get together as long as they can be home before 10. Sound familiar? One of the easiest ways to get a group going is to begin with a casual game night invitation. Casual gaming creates an atmosphere where no one feels pressure to attend every time. Begin by sending an invitation, whether via email, Facebook, or an online invitation service such as Evite, suggesting to everyone that you would like to get a regular group together to play games. Have them reply with days, times, and spaces that work for them, as well as any major commitments they may have during the month. As the initiator, it is also polite to offer your own space as the first place to meet, assuming you have the capacity to host.

Step 2: They've Replied, So Now What?
  You have received replies and just about everyone has expressed interest in attending. The trouble is, not everyone’s availability meshes. Don’t panic! This is going to happen and the object is to find at least 2 times that work for a fair share of the group during any given week.  You will not be able to involve everyone every time, but the good news is that you have their schedules and can adjust the game nights to give everyone an opportunity to attend. By planning two gatherings a month you should be able to get just about everyone to attend who wants too and no one feels overloaded, If it works out that you can get together more often, all the better! In all honesty, it is usually better that everyone cannot make it. The best number of people to have for a game night is 4-6 anyway, since most games support this number of players. If you find you have a large group, party games or multiple games going at the same time might be in order. So let’s say, after assessing the days and times your friends have suggested, you discover that the best days would be Wednesdays at 6 and Sundays at 4. Taking into account the wedding Bill and Stacy told you about on the first weekend of the month, you send back the dates for your first two game gatherings.

Step 3: Games Anyone?
  The dates have been set, and you are well on your way to your first game night. Your next challenge, what to play? If you have a large collection of your own, send out a list to the group and get some feedback. Let the others chime in with favorites of their own and thoughts on what they enjoy. Not everyone is going to like the same type of game, and getting this clear and in the open from the start will help the group enjoy their time together far more than if someone ends up forced to play games they don’t like. Like any group situation, there needs to be compromise and you can often get past these battles by being proactive. Let’s say Mike is dying to try Keyflower and suggests it to the group. The others don’t know much about it, but Josh and Amanda have seen the game displayed in their friendly neighborhood game store and believe that it will take far too long for them to play. There are a few things they need to consider. First, time. Some games take hours to play and can take far longer the first time through. Second, complexity. Many of the others involved in this particular group have only really played more accessible board games like Apples to Apples and Carcassonne. While they are interested in learning more complex games, this one might be a little too complex for a first get-together. Third, appeal. Keyflower is a game that has a certain feel to it and might not be for everyone. Most people will give games the benefit of the doubt, but if someone has strong feelings against a suggested game, it would be wise to find another time to play with those who are interested. It’s not worth making the whole group miserable just because you want to play a certain game. And the same goes for suffering though a game if you know you can not be happy playing it. The point is to have fun, and if you are not, then you are missing the point of games entirely.
So, after a few more emails back and forth, the group decides on playing Carcassonne and the suggestion of King of New York, a game you just picked up. Keyflower has been put on hold, but it appears that there is a fair share of people interested in trying the game, and a time will be worked out for a future game night. Remember that as the host, you should familiarize yourself with the games you are planning on playing (especially new ones) and be ready to teach it to the group. If you have to spend time reading the rules before you play you will lose out on precious gaming time and possibly not get to all you had hoped to accomplish.

Step 4: Remember the Snacks
  The game night is fast approaching and you just realized you forgot something, Food! This is one area that some people tend to overlook. You will most likely be gaming for several hours and snacks, if not a meal, will be welcomed and appreciated. Food can sometimes be tricky, as it needs to be easy to eat while playing (no grease on the cards please!), able to feed a decent number of people, and relatively easy to prepare. As the host you should provide the basics for the meal, but there is nothing wrong with asking others to provide drinks and snacks. Since the host is providing the space, the dishes, and the time to get the group assembled, it is only polite for the guests to bring something to share. Over the next couple weeks, I will be providing you with some great gamer tested recipes for you to try at your next game night.  Here's a quick recipe to get you started.

Barbarian "Chick"en Barbecue Chili

Ingredients:
1 large Vidallia Onion
1 tsp. Mminced Garlic
1 lb. Ground Chicken
2 cups Chicken Broth
2 28 oz. Cans Stewed Tomatoes
1 cup Water
2 tbs. Dark Brown Sugar
2 tbs. Cider Vinegar
1 tbs. Honey Mustard
1 tbs. Worcestershire Sauce
1 tbs. Molasses
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 15 oz. Cans Kidney Beans (rinsed and drained)

Brown chicken in a large pot. Add onions and garlic and saute until onions begin to look transparent. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 1 hour. (You can also place it all in the crock pot, set it for 6 hours on low and it will be ready when your guests arrive!) Serves 8.

Tis The Season for Games

Tis the season for family visits. With Thanksgiving this weekend and Christmas fast approaching, you are frantically trying to get things organized.  This year you are hosting and your in-laws are arriving tonight! Grab some games and liven things up a bit.

You start by perusing your game shelves. You may be very tempted to pull out your new copy of Firefly or Nothing Personal, two games you have been itching to play. Then it dawns on you that, while your in-laws are open to trying new things, they have had very little gaming experience. Most of their game play has been limited to the traditional games of your childhood.  The sum of their gaming experience consists of many games of chess, rummy, monopoly and the occasional game of Settlers of Catan. You envision their eyes glazing over as you try desperately to explain the complexities of Malcolm Reynolds and his crew. No, you need to find something you can all enjoy.

Choosing the right game is a very important task, particularly when you are playing with a group that isn't experienced, or has had a poor gaming experience in the past.  Those poor experiences can be very tricky to overcome.

So how do you ensure that this does not happen?

First, choose games that will provide a fun, light experience, and that suit the personalities of the group. If your family and friends find the experience enjoyable, they will be far more likely to want to play again the next time.  If you know that your in-laws prefer mental challenges (you always see them completing the crossword or Sudoku puzzle in the paper), then consider games that stimulate thought like Carcassonne or Ticket to Ride.  If they love word puzzles, try Quiddler, Kerflip!, or Word on the Street. And If they enjoy a more lighthearted type of game with lots of interaction and laughter consider party games such as Time's Up, Cover Your A$$ets, The Princess Bride: Prepare to Die, or (for those families with a more twisted sense of humor) Cards Against Humanity.
Second, look for games with simple, easy to follow rules that still challenge and offer interesting choices and strategies.  This will allow experienced gamers to feel challenged without overwhelming those with less experience.
Third, choose a forgiving game. One that will allow a few mistakes without costing a new player the game. This will help ensure that the experience is enjoyable.  Nothing is worse than losing a game due to a simple mistake that happened at the beginning of the game.  Especially when it is your first time playing.
And finally, Start Slow.  Only introduce one or two new games at your gathering.  By mixing them with games they know and love, you will help ease them into the new game.  Start with a game they love, get them laughing, then introduce the new game.

Even when you make an effort to choose games that fit your group, you may still run into objections.  Some people simply want to stick to tradition.  So when all else fails, grab that copy of Monopoly or Yahtzee.  You'll still be playing a game and at least it's themed out with Star Wars or Dr. Who, right??

Hands On Impressions: Thunderstone Advance: Towers of Ruin

While I may never fully understand the reason behind AEG's choice to name their newest version of Thunderstone, Advance, I am happy to report that the advances made in this version are great improvements to the game. 

Similar to the recent release of Nightfall: The Coldest War, AEG has updated and improved Thunderstone's starting cards as well as updating the curses.  Each curse now has its own distinct way of removing itself from your deck.  While one curse might require you to discard cards, others might order you to lose gold, or worse yet, venture into the dungeon and risk defeat by lowering your attack value and become unable to equip weapons or use dungeon abilities for the rest of the turn. 

The starting cards are also new and Shiny!  If you recall, the old starting cards included Militia, Torch, Dagger, and Rations.  While the Torch remains, the other cards have received a pleasant update.  Militia are now called Regulars and can be leveled up for one fewer XP than before.  The Daggers have been upgraded to Longspears and provide Regulars with the advantage of drawing a card when equipped.  And the Rations have been replaced by Thunderstone Shards.  These thematic shards provide a nice strength boost to heroes while also providing a boost to XP when you gather your spoils in the dungeon.

Adding to the pile of improvements, Thunderstone Advance includes a larger, more dynamic board which holds not only the dungeon cards, but also provides spaces for the village.  Gone are the days when your party ends up with one spell and all weapons to choose from (or vice versa).  The new board has a set number of slots for weapons, heroes, spells, villagers, and items making it much more balanced when choosing your randomizers.

The board also comes double sided and provides two different levels of play.  One side is the dungeon and the other the wilderness.  In the wilderness, the need for light becomes a one-to-one ratio making it a little easier to navigate and a great place for new players to start.

New to this set is the addition of Familiars.  This little twist allows players to draw one after their first victory in the dungeon.  Once drawn, the familiar stays in front of the player until used.  Then it gets shuffled into the players deck to be drawn again.  When drawn it is placed once again in front of the player to be used when the time is right.  Each familiar has several different abilities that improve with the number of XP that the player has accumulated.  For example, if a player drew the Battle Hawk, then that player can use it with 0 XP to gain 2 gold in the Village, with 3 XP in the Dungeon to gain +1 light, or with 6 XP to gain that light + draw a card and gain physical attack +1 in the Dungeon.  When used, the XP is not discarded, it's checked to see that the player has the required amount. 


Players who pre-ordered the set also received the mini Avatar Expansion.  This adds just a little more Dungeon crawl flavor to the game.  Each player chooses between Wizard, Cleric, Fighter, Thief, and Ranger.  All in all I could take or leave this expansion.  The avatars seem too unbalanced and did not add much to the rest of the game.  I think it might be more fun to play with them by randomly distributing the avatars, but that's just me :)

So that's about it! Lots of great new additions that add a lot to the theme and improve the Dungeon crawl feel.  For me this is by far the best version to date and one that has me thinking I need to move it up in my deck building ranks.  Who knows, this might just move up into second place, right under Nightfall!

If you want the full Impressions from our crew, listen to our Session Impressions for Thunderstone Advance, playing now on an iPod near you!

Game Salute to Host Dozens of Preview Events at Gen Con 2012!

Want the chance to try out some great new games BEFORE they hit the market?  This year, Game Salute will feature dozens of New Games in the Gen Con Event Hall along with many other titles.  Below is a list of all the Game Salute Preview Events you can attend at Gen Con 2012.  To get your tickets visit GenConReg.com.  Get them before they're gone!

Click on a picture to read more about each game :o)

Gladiators

Hero Mages 

Vici: The Die is Cast

Hands On Impressions: Goblin's Drool, Fairies Rule!

I recently had the pleasure of playing this fantastic new children's game from Game-o-gami.  Goblin's Drool, Fairies Rule! is a quick little rhyming card game that takes between 15 and 20 minutes to play.  The suggested ages are 7 and up, but any child who is fluent with rhymes and can read (or has a sibling or parent to help) will pick it up rather quickly.  The game is comprised of 20 super-sized cards with double side illustrations.  One side features a cute little fairy and the other a mischievous goblin!  Each character has their own unique name which rhymes with seven other fairies and goblins.  On your turn, you play a card to the Fairy Circle and flip any cards that rhyme.  You then retrieve any cards that match the symbol of the card you played and place them in front of yourself.  There are 4 different symbols in the game: Suns, moons, frogs, and mushrooms.  The suns and moons are opposite each other and, like wise, the frogs and mushrooms.  Some Fairies and Goblins are extra special and are surrounded by stars.  These cards will flip all cards in the center when played.  You win the game if you get rid of all your goblins or obtain at least 6 fairies.

One of my favorite aspects of this game is the beautiful artwork which appeals to both boys and girls.  The fanciful names add even more to the fun.  Just listen to one of the rhyming sets.  Gooble T. Goop, Dastardly Droop, Salamander Snoop, Goblin Soup, Lemon Loop, Rainbow Swoop, Hula Hoop, and Vanilla Scoop.  Each illustration magnificently depicts the name in fairy or goblin form.  Just take a look!

So if you are looking for that next great family or kids game, or are a teacher looking for something new and educational for rainy classroom days, look no further.  Goblins Drool, Fairies Rule! has just launched on Kickstarter and you can pledge your support today.  Not only do you have the opportunity to get this great game, but depending on your pledge, you also can receive a book of the beautiful artwork and a double sided puzzle featuring a fairy and a goblin.  I personally have secured my pledge at the educator level (aka Dusty Dour) and can't wait to use it in the classroom.  Go Check it out!

Playing with the Goblins Drool, Fairies Rule! prototype at our weekly game night!

Are you Ready for The Hunger Games?

After finally getting the book into my hands about two weeks ago I found that I could not put it down.  Despite having a toddler who gets up at 6 AM and a gaming group that on average plays until 11:30 PM - 12 AM, I could not help myself but to keep reading long into the night.  Most nights ended with me battling to keep my eyes open before giving up around the 2:30 AM mark!  I am nearing the finish of the trilogy now and can't wait to see how it has been adapted for screen.  The Hunger Games finally hits theaters this Friday, March 23rd (My Son's Birthday!)  Sorry Logan, your party is on Sunday, Momma's got a date with Daddy and The Hunger Games ;0) To be fair, my birthday is on Monday.



Aside from the Movie release, two new games have hit your friendly local game store.  Wizkids recently released a new board game where players can try their luck in District 12.  The Hunger Games: District 12 brings players into the daily lives of its citizens.  Can you acquire food, clothing, medicine, and fuel to avoid taking Tesserae?  The Reaping is approaching: Who will be selected as Tribute for the Hunger Games? 





First Impressions:
  -Fast easy game play (10 page rule Book!)
  -Stripped down mechanics make it approachable but might not have enough meat for some
   -Apparently everyone is Katniss in this game despite the rules reading like you are any citizen of District 12.  Each player gets a token that is the same picture of Katniss, only its a different color.  This seems a bit odd and out of place.
   -The game has an elimination mechanic that some might find unpleasant. The Glass Ball, while very thematic, could very well take out the player who is winning the game. At the end of the game one of the names is drawn to symbolize the Reaping and unfortunately anyone could lose even without adding any Tesserae.
   -It's a solid game with decent components, but didn't make me feel as desperate as I imagine the citizens of district 12 to be.


Jabberjay has also recently been released by wizkids and is a traitor game much like Werewolf or The Resistance.   It plays between 5-12 players (though there is a coop mode for 4 or less) and has the same split into two teams mechanic as The Resistace. One is a smaller group of District citizens who know each other’s identity, and the second is a larger one of Capitol citizens who don’t. Our group has yet to get this to the table, but I will be sure to point you to our podcast review as soon as we do.





Back in 2012, Wizkids released The Hunger Games: Training Days making three titles in all. The question now becomes will these two titles have the same fate as Training Days, or will they prove to be solid game closet contenders?

And one final thing...The one thing our group immediately noticed with all of these games is that none of them capture the struggle in the arena.  Instead they focus on the training (Training Days), surviving daily life in district 12 (District 12) and the rebellion (Jabberjay).  Is there an Arena game in the future?  We hope so!

Gamers Raise Over 1 Million Dollars for Children's Miracle Network!

Today I am so proud to be a gamer.  Around 3 AM this morning, gamers all over the world reached an amazing milestone.  In only its fourth year, the Extra-Life 24 Hour Game Marathon climbed to an amazing total of over 1 MILLION Dollars raised for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. 




Doc (of Sarcastic Gamer) had this to say about the momentous occasion:



"This is one of the most memorable moments of my life, and if you’re an Extra Lifer, it ought to be yours.  Because I sure as hell didn’t raise a million dollars.  We all did.
For the history buffs here were the Extra Life totals in the past:
2008 – $121,000 – 1165 gamers
2009 – $170,000 – 1654 gamers
2010 – $465,000 – 3299 gamers
2011 – $1,000,000 AND CLIMBING – 13,596 gamers
More than 13,000 gamers from 97 countries, and every continent except Antarctica (penguin scientists suck) came together to make this happen..."

If you are one of those gamers, Thank You!  If you are one of those donors, Thank You!  If you had to skip yesterday and are making it up this weekend, Thank You!  Children around the world thank you for giving them a chance at extra life.  A million dollars is a lot of dough, and a lot of hope for families. 

 

Now get some sleep.  You deserve it!