In an age where we can travel into space and fly around the world in jets, there is still something romantic and awe-inspiring about hot air balloons. These majestic and often colorful contraptions are nothing more than a giant balloon filled with hot air and a basket for those brave enough to ride in. I have no interest in ever riding in one, but I am always compelled to stop and watch as one goes slowly across the sky. Such is the power and beauty of watching something the size of a large house float by silently in a world where everything around us makes noise. In this game, you'll be one o ..read more

The Great City of Petra was established by road-harden nomadic traders who wanted to end their wandering to create a central trading hub. It would quickly become the center of trade in the region and earn those who wandered its streets and dealt in the markets great wealth and influence. But this is not the story of Petra as it was, but how Petra might have come to be. Take command of your nomadic tribe and guide your camels across the desert to create trade routes, build monuments, and secure a future for the great city yet to be. All will live in prosperity once Petra is built, but only one ..read more

In this game, players take on the persona of highly trained, adventurous entrepreneurs who seek to establish trade and make a good deal of gold by traveling different market routes under mountains, across the land, and over the sea. Along the way, players will encounter villages that need saving, monsters that need slaying, buildings that need building, and various other tasks, all focused on establishing a solid footprint in the local economy and gaining wealth. While this sounds somewhat daunting, the difficulty only increases when the player realizes they are not alone. Other players in thi ..read more

French judge, man of letters, historian, and political philosopher, who went simply as Montesquieu, said, "An empire founded by war has to maintain itself by war." In this game, the war you wage is one of commerce and finance, building corporations into financial empires through subterfuge, hostile takeovers, and flat-out destroying the infrastructure of your competition. All of this, mind you, is set in a world where steam power rules and science fiction is a reality. Tighten your cufflinks, holster your Tesla pistol, and sheath your Samurai sword; it's time to go to work. Continue reading ..read more

We cannot help but to covet things. We often misunderstand our wants as needs, yearning and obsessing over the latest board games, video games, clothes, objects, and even people. And while it's natural for anyone to imagine things, we seldom act upon our impulses, especially when they go against society's rules and laws. In this game, players work as jewel thieves, taking the sparkly precious objects for their own. Laws and consequences be damned. And like crimes and thieves in real life, this game gives players multiple ways to take that which is not theirs. Continue reading → The post Jewel ..read more

Humanist, Sufi, and Humanitarian, Abhijit Naskar said in his book of collected poetry, Yarasistan: My Wounds, My Crown, "Either live or don't, there is no playing safe." In this game, you don't have time to play it safe. You and your fellow players must work together to keep a tide of hungry monsters outside your castle gates. To do so, you must command your army and strategically manage the horde of creatures outside your walls while tactically adjusting your targets each round. This is not an easy game to win, but it's an easy game to love. Continue reading → The post Castle Panic: Big Box G ..read more

Every family has a "family game." One that they either created themselves from scratch or taken from another game. Either way, the results are something familiar enough to easily allow anyone to learn how to play and unique enough to be a particular part of a family's collective memory. This game does just that by taking a tried and true game many have played and adding a personal touch passed down through generations. And like all loved things, they only become more significant and grow when shared with others. Continue reading → The post SKUNK’D Game Review (prepublished version) appeared fi ..read more

Spanish-American philosopher, essayist, poet, and novelist Jorge Agustín Nicolás Ruiz de Santayana y Borrás, said, "Only the dead see the end of war." Which is a very sobering and dark reminder for us all. But in this game, even the dead may not rest as they can be brought back and commanded to fight on behalf of the player. In this world, ravaged by war and supernatural catastrophes, players lead their armies in a broken land to conquer their foes and bring all under their control. Take up your sword, raise the dead warrior legends of the past, and march upon your opponent's castle. To the vi ..read more

It's not personal. It's business. Yeah, you may break a rule or two, even several laws. And, sure, you sometimes have to flex a bit of muscle when you smile, but it's never personal. It's about the money and the power and the respect. If you want your crew to be recognized before the Old Don, you must show you can earn. Take the jobs and cash in, but be careful. Greed has a way of making friends into enemies. Just keep telling yourself it's only business. But if you need to, make it personal. Continue reading → The post 13th Street Crew Game Review (prepublished version) appeared first on Fath ..read more

English architect, landscape architect, painter, and furniture designer of the early 18th century, William Kent, said "All gardening is landscape painting." In this game, you creatively plant and organize several garden planters as you attempt to combine similar and dissimilar fruits and vegetables. This is a game that requires players to think less about strategy and more about tactical decisions at the moment. Taking risks, however, is all part of gardening and what makes it such a joy. Grab your gardening gloves and get ready to play in the dirt! It's time to plant something delicious! Cont ..read more