STAR WARS Rebellion - Board Game · PDF fileThis month I will be sticking with the space theme. After I reviewed Space Hulk how could I resist the urge to paint some ... Star Wars

04/16

03

On the heels of Episode VII, Star Wars Rebellion has hit the shelves of every game shop in the world. We take a close look at the game, components, and some early game play of this newest addition to the Star Wars tabletop family

This month we look at Firestorm ArmadaEnter the FirestormSend your fleet into battle with this beautiful tabletop miniatures game fromSpartan Games

NEW SECTIONS: MOBILE GAMES, RPG, & CROWDFUND

Pg 21

Pg 31

© A

nd ™

Luc

asfil

m L

td.

STAR WARSRebellion

INTERVIEWS STORIES REVIEWS TOP 10

1

Heavy Cardboard is a bi-weekly podcast dedicated to the discussion and enjoyment of heavier board games. We talk medium & heavy strategy board games, war games, 18xx and other related topics in the board gaming hobby with episodes released every other Thursday!

HEAVY CARDBOARD SPONSOR

heavycardboard.com

2

CONTRIBUTORSEditor In Chief

Editors

Staff

Cover Story

ANDREW RADER INTERVIEW Pg. 3

PAINTING WITH KEVIN Pg. 5

GRAIL GAME Pg. 8

TOP 10 Pg. 9

REVIEWS Pg. 10

MOBILE GAMES Pg. 19

RPG Pg. 25

CROWDFUND Pg. 29

GAME Maker’s LAB Pg. 33

GAMES BY ANDREW RADER Pg. 35

FIRESTORM ARMADA Pg. 37

Ricky Gonzales

Phillip millmanAnne-Marte AndersenKevin Fannin

Chris JonesMichael HoffmasterLee Tyler GoodwinGary HoodDavid TomeAyam Beamonte

Pg. 23

Marina Mishnayevskaya

Victor GannonDavid KahntDavid TaylorTodd MolendaZachary DavisBlake Benzel

Shawn Anigans

Wes FerrerTim BlackburnAl Boulley

ISSUE 03

3

ANDREW RADERBGM talks to Andrew Rader

INTERVIEWDr. Andrew Rader received his PhD in

Aerospace Engineering from MIT in 2009. He is currently a Mission Integrator at SpaceX, and a second round candidate for the Mars 1 mission scheduled for 2023. Winner of Canada’s Greatest Know-it-all. Author of two books, “Leaving Earth” and “Epic Space Adventure.” Andrew runs New Horizon Games, and has over ten years of experience in graphic design and game development.

BIO

Not many people can say they’re going to Mars, or at the very least say they have the chance to go. From movies like Total Recall, Red Planet, Mission to Mars, and the most recent blockbuster hit, The Martian, Mars has long been on our imagination and in our dreams. Dr. Andrew Rader potentially could be among those humans that usher in a new age of space colonization—bringing our dreams to reality. Now that’s pretty cool.

NEXT STOP : MARS

GAMESFatal Alliances: The Great War (2016)Politics: Bribes, Scandals, Strife, & Strategy (2015)Evolve: the Game of Unnatural Selection (2014)Multiple World in Flames Expansions (2005-2014)

More to come!!

If you could only take one game with you to Mars, what would it be?

Trick answer: can I bring a computer system loaded with lots of games and the potential to download more? If not, something I can play with lots of people on Earth.

4

Would all of us nerds suddenly become amazing athletes in Mars’ gravity?

Yes. Yes, we would. Actually by some cosmic accident, Mars is the most efficient place for human locomotion in the solar system. Less gravity means less resistance, but the Moon actually has too little gravity to provide adequate force to push against so you would use more energy and move slower than on Mars. Mars at 38% Earth gravity really is the sweet spot (I did some of my PhD research on this).

What do you think is the most important factor in game development? Or greatest challenges of development?

My greatest challenge is to limit myself to something simple. My inclination is to try to include everything because it would just make the game that much more cool. But game design forces you to be minimalist, because no one wants to be bogged down with too much complexity. Games have to be elegant.

Do you have any new game designs in the works?

Certainly! In fact, I took some time off my flagship space game to work on a few simpler game projects for a while (the Evolution and Political games), but now I’m working on it and it should be out within about a year.

The Martian movie. I loved it, but I imagine you saw a few plot holes?

It was a great movie and book. Definitely some plot holes. I have a You Tube video about those; “Sci-ence in the Martian” at youtube.com/AndrewRader.

At what age did the dream of space travel take hold?

In a general sense, I’ve been interested in space since I was very young (Star Trek, sci-fi). I never really thought much about near-term space until I started University (originally to learn how to build airplanes), where I read a lot about space. It was pretty much an epiphany: “This is really possible, and if we want to get to Star Trek, we have to start now.”

What was the first board game that really sucked you into the hobby, your gateway game?

I started playing Axis & Allies really seriously when I was about 6 years old. I’ve always been into highly complex immersive strategy games. That’s when I started modding games - I made a much more detailed version of Axis and Allies when I was about 12 years old, and it all spiraled from there. I was always interested in history too, so I was primed when a friend in college introduced me to Empires in Arms; a huge Napoleonic simulation (kind of like Diplomacy with an actually good military system). Then I graduated to World in Flames (the most detailed WW2 strategy game there is), and never looked back.

What are your favorite games in your personal collection?

World in Flames, Empires in Arms, Battlestar Galactica, and I also like Euro style games.

Stepping off the shuttle onto Mars for the first time, which words would you immortalize for all of us Earthlings?

I’d think up something good along the way. I’d have 6 months of contemplation after all.

INTERVIEW

andrew-rader.com @marsrader

5

Welcome back to Kefa Paint Studios! This month I will be sticking with the space theme. After I reviewed Space Hulk how could I resist the urge to paint some Genestealers and Space Marines? Luckily for you, I can’t! So here we go. All paints were thinned 1/1 with water, and for this project I used Citadel paints.

6

Painting Space Marine ArmorI imagine where light would shine onto the model from above and paint those areas with Wazdakka Red. If the contrast is too stark you can smooth it out with thin layers of Khorne Red to help the transition.

Starting with a black undercoat, I first covered all of the armor with a 50/50 mix of Rhinox Hide and Khorne Red. The brown really compliments as a shadow color, and keeps the red from looking too cartoony. I like my marines to look like tough guys.

Finally I highlight with Troll Slayer Orange with a dab of Wazdakka Red mixed in. I only highlight the areas where the light shines the brightest on the model such as the shoulders and the top of the armor plates on each limb exposed to the light. A pure Troll Slayer Orange was used to highlight the face and hands to make them stand out just a little more.

Cover all the armor again with just the Khorne Red, leaving the darker mix showing only in the deepest recesses of the plates. Building up layers here can make your shadows appear more gradual. Just thin the paint a little more and recede from the shadows with each successive layer.

Next I covered the model with a thinned wash of Agrax Earthshade. This breaks up all the plates that make up the armor and help smooth any blending issues in your layers. It is very important to let this step dry completely before moving on. Washes generally take a few minutes longer to dry completely. If you try to paint over a wet wash, it will bleed terribly and ruin your blending work.

Now you have a good foundation, all which is left is to paint the many details on the model and he’s ready to go! I think you will find that if you just have to get a game in, even at this stage he already looks fantastic on the game board.

7

Painting Genestealer FleshFor the armor, I highlight just the edges with a 50/50 mix of Kantor Blue and Sotek Green. I painted about 25% of the way into the plates on the back as they are the most exposed. For each successive highlight of the flesh I simply add a little White Scar to the Daemonette Hide. For the first layer it is about 25/75. Paint all but the recesses of the skin, leaving the darker base showing in the crevices.

All of the armored plates of the alien were painted with a base of Kantor Blue, and the exposed soft bits of his flesh were painted with a coat of Daemonette Hide. You could say this guy looks ready to kill some marines right now! He already looks impressive on the game board, but hang in there and we can make him really pop.

A 75/25 mix of Scar White and Daemonette Hide is used for the final highlight. Very sparingly pick out the areas of the flesh where the light shines the brightest and add a tiny dot of white to give him a subtle wet look. A couple of dots around the mouth, hands, cheekbones and forehead are all you really need. Thin paint and test your brush on something else (your thumbnail) before application to make sure you have control of where the paint goes.

I washed the dark armored plates with Nuln Oil, allowing it to pool slightly between the ridges on his spine. This guy will look dark and intimidating even in the brightest light. The flesh was covered with a wash of Druchii Violet. You can really see the details in the skin starting to pop here.

After allowing plenty of time for the washes to dry, the sharp edges of the armor are picked out with Sotek Green. Pay careful attention when highlighting the spine so you don’t overly brighten him. It is not mandatory to highlight every ridge, just do enough to break up the plates. The Flesh is highlighted by a 50/50 mix of Scar White and Daemonette Hide. Pick out some details here and there, such as the cheekbones, the veins and wrinkles on his forehead, and the knuckles on each hand.

All that’s left are the claws, eyes and bases on these guys! With a little patience, you can paint a murderous horde that you can be proud of. I hope you enjoyed the tutorial, and let me see your work! You can find me at www.facebook.com/kefapaintstudios and @bgm_Kevin. We love feedback so drop in with suggestions, artwork, or just say hi and post what you think of the tutorials. Remember, dice gods always favor painted models!

8

GRAIL GAME

BRIAN WILLCUTT

The original game has been out of print so long that the game pieces are known to fall apart. Luckily someone has posted replacements on thingverse.

CONTAINER

I love it. It’s a bidding/auction game that centers around economy. If that’s not your groups’ type of game, maybe play it somewhere else first before you thrown down $200 for it.

Hard to find, a really good game, and one of those that gets talked about a lot, so it has that aura.

thingiverse.com/thing:948217

NEW PARTS

Container is a game that simulates a micro economy by allowing players to produce products, sell, and then bid on those products. Products are represented by different colored containers. The main goal is to have the highest value of containers at the end of the game on your part of a central island, not the most of a certain type. The value of the containers is determined by a secret card given to each player at the beginning of the game. A simple looking, but complex, and very well designed game.

“The designer died and didn’t leave the rights to anyone else so it won’t be reprinted.”

“One of the 2 designers has since passed but the other has the rights to the game now and IS looking for it to be reprinted. .”

RUMORS!

9

THE TOP 10 FOR H.P LOVECRAFT GAMES WILL BE IN A FUTURE ISSUE.

-RICKY

Twilight Imperium 2345678910

Star Wars X-Wing

Firefly

Eclipse

XIA

Battlestar Galactica

Star Wars Rebellion

Alien Frontiers

Roll for the Galaxy

Forbidden Stars

SPACE GAMES

Twilight Imperium is an epic board game of galactic conquest for 3-6 players. Each player takes command of one of ten unique civilizations to compete for interstellar supremacy through warfare, trade, uncertain allegiances, and political dominance.

1

10

REVIEWSHOW TO SERVE MAN

COSMIC ENCOUNTER

GALAXY TRUCKERBoss Monster

QUANTUMSTAR WARS ARMADA

SMASH UPSPACE HULK

11

PLAYERS TIME AGE2-6 60 min 10+

As typical with most Euro games, the player with the most victory points win. Players gain victory points by completing recipes and collecting bonuses awarded by judges either instantly upon recipe completion or during end game scoring. The game’s end condition is triggered when the first player hits 50 victory points. All players finish the round, end of game bonuses are calculated and a winner declared.

Each player has three chefs who can be used once per round: one master chef and two sous chefs. Each chef represents an action in

Once a player has the cooked item, the dish must be presented to the judges. A chef must be placed in the presentation area. If a master chef presents the dish, the player gets an additional 3 victory points. Prior to showing the completed recipe, the player chooses a judge, which will provide bonus either at the completion of each recipe. After a recipe is completed, an event occurs, which usually means something bad happens.

PHILLIP MILLMAN@bgmphillip

HOW TO SERVE MAN

How to Serve Man (Gateway Games 2016) is a 2 to 6 player game that takes about an hour to play. How to Server Man combines the frantic energy of an Iron Chef like cooking show with the classic original Twilight Zone episode “To Serve Man” in a very light, quick worker placement game.

the process of gathering ingredients, preparing and presenting recipes.

These chefs run around the kitchen gathering raw ingredients or preparing them. The raw ingredients include meat, vegetables, spices, carbs or frying fats. Any chef can gather raw ingredients and there is no limit in this action. Each chef can gather two meats (people!), vegetables or pantry items.

Each player starts the game with six recipe cards: two each of appetizers, entrées and desserts. Each recipe card lists what cooked items are necessary for completion and the victory points gained once finished.

The cooking stations (fryer, broiler, blender and oven) have only one chef spot (two in a 5-6 player game). Each station requires two raw ingredients to produce a cooked one. Each cooking station is where the decisions come in for worker placement. In a four-player game, if any chef goes to the fryer all the other sous-chefs are shut out for the rest of the round. However a master chef can still use cooking area even if a sous-chef was there previously (rank has its privileges).

WHAT I LIKED

WHAT I DISLIKED

RECOMMENDATIONS

FINAL THOUGHTS

Simple worker placement game with a clever theme.

Potentially a good gateway game

Rulebooks and some of the cards have too many ambiguities and mistakes.

Judges’ bonus conditions create chaotic victory point movement that is off-putting to heavier euro gamers.

Simple game with a clever theme and some tough choices.

Recommended for new gamers and children as young as pre-teens.

Simple fun worker placement game that is definitely worth a play or two or three.

REVIEW

2016Gateway GamesJason Mayer, Joe Ploch, Jamie Toon

Released:Publisher:Designers:

I’m Altoid Brrr’ggawn, your host on the number one intergalactic cooking show, Titanium Chef! Let’s welcome our star judges Linzzar Kholol, PDGLAAS and the mysterious K! And of course the special ingredient, as always, is MAN!

THE PLAY

Verdict

COOKING

How To Serve Man is enjoyable, quick, fun and humorous light euro. The game played well for me with two, three, and five players. Lastly, I really enjoyed the whimsy of the artwork and theming. However, the judges wildly move victory point totals due to an almost capricious wanton disregard of strategy and relative bonus methodology. Moreover, the publisher did an inadequate job proof reading the Judge and Event cards.

12

Ayam Beamonte@bgm_Sapthan

COSMIC ENCOUNTERCosmic Encounter is a 3-5 player negotiation game set in space. That probably doesn’t sound terribly exciting, but it turns out it can be! In this game each player represents a different race, each of whom possess a different power that allows them to break the rules in some way. Everyone starts with 5 planets and 20 spaceships in their home system. The objective is to build 5 colonies on other people’s planets by attacking and/or negotiating with the other players.

Here is one of the tricky parts of the game: You don’t normally choose whom to attack. There is a fate deck, with cards that have the colors of the different players, and a few special cards that tell you whom to attack on this turn. This can turn some people off, but I think it helps avoid one player being singled out for attacks. Then, you decide which of that player’s planets you are attacking. Once you have pointed something called the vortex to that planet, you choose how

many ships (between one and four) to commit to the attack.

ship lost in that battle. If both chose to negotiate, then they get a minute to settle on a deal or they both lose their ships.

Now comes the negotiation: Both attacker and defender can ask other players to support them. Those players can then decide to participate or not, and if they were invited by both sides, whose side they’ll support. Encounters are decided by playing cards from your hand. They can be attack cards, which have numbers, or negotiation cards, which don’t. There are a few special cards that can be played in different phases of a player’s turn. Players choose a card, places it face down, then all reveal simultaneously. If both have numbers, they are added to the number of ships and the highest total wins.

WHAT I LIKED

WHAT I DISLIKED

RECOMMENDATIONS

FINAL THOUGHTS

The tense and intense negotiations. The awesome alien powers.

You can’t draw new cards until you’ve used up all your encounter cards, and then you have to discard the ones you have left, so be careful how you use them. Not being able to choose whom to attack can sometimes be annoying.

Choose your alliances carefully. If the battle is hopeless, go for compensation. Keep in mind the other race’s powers in play.

I really like this game, but I accept that it’s not for everyone. I love the combinations of alien powers, space battles, and shifting alliances. Though I acknowledge that those are things that might turn other people away.

REVIEW

2008Fantasy Flight GamesBill Eberle, Bill Norton, Jack Kittredge, Peter Olotka

Released:Publisher:Designers:

PLAYERS TIME AGE3-5 60+MIN 12+

There are some reinforcement cards that can be played by allies to assist. If one is an attack card and the other a negotiation card, the player who chose to negotiate loses, but gets compensation in the form of a card from the attackers hand for each

This game can be cutthroat, and alliances will continuously shift, as most only last for a single battle. Downtime is kept to a minimum, since you might be asked to participate as an ally. And even if not, you will want to pay attention to what the others are doing, especially if your race’s power is used in another player’s turn. Trying to win by playing by yourself is almost impossible, and since there can be multiple winners, you could end up on the receiving end of a very lopsided battle.

Picking which battles to fight carefully and knowing when to lose, but gain compensation, and when to negotiate a deal, is crucial for victory.

Some people might feel badly about attacking their friend/significant other right after having received their help in the previous battle, but that’s what happens. If you’re not okay with that, then this might not be the game for you.

FRIENDS? WHAT FRIENDS?

13

PLAYERS TIME AGE2-4 60 min 10+

VICTOR GANNONvictorgannongames.com

GALAXY TRUCKERIt’s been a long time since this game hit the table. Someone had mentioned it, and I was duty bound to bring it out. Having played it, and the expansion, a number of times in the past, I was surprised how much I’d forgotten just how fun it was. Galaxy trucker is a fun, light, schadenfreude game. The game is all about laughing and possibly pointing at your opponent as their ramshackle spaceship comes apart under stress.

The game operates in two parts. The first stage see everyone assemble their ship from the collective pool of parts, Carcassonne style. Careful attention must be paid to how the whole thing hangs together and incorrect connectors will mean a design change and probably losing your position on the starting line.

So, one ramshackle country design job later, you’re the nervous owner of a ship that would make a Space Orc tut, and it’s off into the oily blackness with your opponents in pursuit.

A flight consist of a series of events: Pirate attacks. Meteor showers. Planet falls. And other stuff that you all try to weather as best you can. You can get unlucky, and get parts of your ship knocked off, or you can get very unlucky and large parts of your ship gets taken out. All to the cackling delight of your opponents.

Each mission, of which you play three, sees you building bigger and more complex ships from the limited resources.

On arrival, you can score points for arriving first, not losing bits, selling cargo, and having a pretty ship. There’s certainly an element of luck but design decisions and use of power during the mission make for a fairly skill-based game.

“What more do you want. You get to laugh at someone else’s misfortune. Surely this is the fillet of every game”

WHAT I LIKED

WHAT I DISLIKED

RECOMMENDATIONS

FINAL THOUGHTS

This game is pure hurt joy. It is immensely enjoyable to see someone’s creation coming apart at the seams while you trundle along unharmed.

There’s a number of expansions for it which is pretty much just more of the no bad thing same. I have one of them.

I like this game. It’s simple, it’s fun, and it plays 5 with the first expansion. For some reason it’s very expensive, which is a pity as you should really try it and the price tag is a definite barrier.

Great game for fairly new players, but don’t take it too seriously. It’s a laugh and hopefully a laugh at others!

REVIEW

2007Czech Games EditionVlaada Chvátil

Released:Publisher:Designers:

14

PLAYERS TIME AGE2-4 15+min 13+

gary hood

Boss MonsterBoss Monster is a card game that allows you to finally play as the evil dungeon villain! Get ready to set up traps, and build special dungeon rooms as heroes try to penetrate the best of dungeons to get to you, the Boss Monster!

The main action in Boss Monster is building your dungeon. You will first choose a Boss card of your choice and place it to the right of your side scrolling dungeon. Each turn you place a room to the left of your Boss Monster, adding additional rooms to your dungeon. This step is called the “Build Phase”.You do this by placing either Monster rooms, Trap rooms, advanced Monster rooms that can only be placed on top of Monster rooms with matching treasure, and advanced Trap rooms that can only be placed on top of Trap rooms with matching treasure. You will come across powerful spells as well.

Now we go through the “Adventure phase”. Each attracted hero will now in turn attempt to make it through your dungeon. In each dungeon room there is a number inside a black heart. This is how much damage that room will deal to that hero. You are allowed a maximum of five visible rooms in your dungeon. The first time your dungeon has five rooms, your Boss Monster Levels up and you can now use that Monsters level-up-effect.

Every room has a treasure value in the bottom right hand corner. These symbols match the symbols on Hero cards and will attract the Hero with the most matching treasure in your dungeon. This is called the “Bait phase”.

WHAT I LIKED

WHAT I DISLIKED

RECOMMENDATIONS

FINAL THOUGHTS

This game is easy and fast to learn, great for all levels, brings me back to the old school 8-bit games.

This game does get old after a few plays, but there is an expansion and Boss Monster 2, which adds some new features as well as new Heroes and more Boss Monsters.

For new gamers, good filler game.

Boss Monster is a great entry level game, great filler game, good for all ages 4 and up. My game group enjoys this game while we wait for other players to show up. This is my wife’s go to game whenever we play games, and she always wins…

REVIEW

2013Brotherwise GamesChris O’Neal, Johnny O’Neal

Released:Publisher:Designers:

Boss Monster is a 2-4 player fast-paced card game of dungeon building. Simple and easy to understand mechanics that enable gamers of all levels to quickly grasp the concept and start playing. Don’t worry; there are plenty of strategies to pick up and apply for seasoned gamers as well. The goal is to lure Heroes into your dungeon and destroy them. Heroes who die in your dungeon count as “souls”. Heroes who make it through your whole dungeon and reaches your Boss Monster give you “wounds”. Win by ending a turn with 10 souls, lose by ending a turn with 5 wounds.

You can play as many spells per turn as you want, but only when the spell card says you can. There are symbols that allow the spell card to be used during the build phase, the adventure phase or both phases. Now we have the “end of turn”, where any deactivated rooms get reactivated, and you check your score to see if you have won with ten souls or lost with five wounds.

Bait phase

SPELLS

Adventure phase

Collect souls

15

PLAYERS TIME AGE2-4 30 min 8+

QUANTUMQuantum is an abstract space game whose minimalist design and underwhelming tile graphics belie the intricate game play, excellent replay value and clever use of dice as ships.

The clever mechanic for this game is the use of dice as ships where the number of pips represents the type of ship. The lower the number showing on the die the stronger militarily the ship is while the higher the number of the die the faster the ship. So for instance, a one showing on the die means you are a slow battles station and a six on the die means the ship is a weak but very fast scout. The number of the die represents how fast (non-diagonally) the ship can go: a battle station (1) can move one space per turn while a scout (6) moves a hefty six.

For ship-to-ship combat, the attacker and defender each roll a die and the winner has the lower combined total wins. Unlike other games, the tie goes to the attacker, not the defender.

For ship-to-ship combat, the attacker and defender each roll a die and the winner has the lower combined total wins.

WHAT I LIKED

WHAT I DISLIKED

RECOMMENDATIONS

FINAL THOUGHTS

Strategic game with a clever dice as ship mechanic.

Clear rules and significant replay ability.

The overly bland planet tiles and weak theme of an abstract game.

Poor quality of the dice received. (Though replaced quickly)

Highly recommended if you like strategic games with a bit of die rolling luck and in-your-face combat.

Not recommended for gamers who don’t like abstract or constant combat.

Clever game mechanics.

Good replay value.

If the attacker loses, the attacker is pushed back to the previous square, however if the defender loses, her ship is destroyed and sent to the scrap yard. In this game, attacking ships have virtually no negative consequences. If you don’t like mean games where you are constantly attacked, this game may not be right for you.

REVIEW

2013FunForge, Passport Game Studios

Eric Zimmerman

Released:Publisher:Designers:

PHILLIP MILLMAN@bgmphillip

Quantum is a 2-4 player space game where you are commander of a space armada racing the other civilizations to place your “Quantum Cubes” on planets before the other players. Each player starts with three ships (rolled at the beginning of the game), a home planet with a quantum cube, and no special abilities. Planet tiles are laid out based on difficulty level and the number of players. As you progress, dropping quantum cubes and destroying other civilization’s ships, special abilities become available to you. Whoever places the last quantum cube wins the game. Realistically the game plays about 15-20 minutes per player and the simplicity of the game mechanics reduce the likelihood of analysis paralysis.

Quantum is a very enjoyable abstract strategic space game that relies on attacking your opponents to place your quantum cubes before others. The game moves quickly, and most players don’t suffer from analysis paralysis. The game mechanic of the dice as ships is clever, and using the ships’ special powers requires a great deal of strategic thought. However, with many players, the play is too much in-your-face combat. Especially the tile layouts that require non-stop combat. And the very minimalist and abstract design might be off-putting to many players, this one included.

One last note, the initial run of Quantum had dice with a bizarre sticky texture. My copy was from that run. FunForge replaces the dice quickly and no additional cost to me. FunForge’s customer service is currently excellent and I buy their games with confidence.

16

PLAYERS TIME AGE2 2 Hrs 14+

There’s two distinct unit types in the game. The hulking capital ships and the annoying little gnat-like fighters. Both complement each other nicely. Fighters whiz around harassing each other and occasionally scoring hits on the big ships if not escorted. The big ships swiping at them cow’s tail style while maneuvering for a better angle before lancing off their big guns at the other capital ships.

STAR WARS ARMADAThe first night I played Armada was the night I ordered it Online. I really liked it. I’d played a good bit of X-Wing and loved it. Armada is good. Actually, it’s very good. Is it as good as X-Wing? Absolutely. Is it better than X-Wing? Short answer: yes! First and foremost Armada is not X-Wing with different ships, although it shares a number of attributes it’s a very different animal. Fantasy Flight has done a sterling job of conveying the feel of large ships grappling with each other. It all feels right. It’s a slower more tactical game than x-wing for sure.

I’m a big fan of the Age of Sail video game. Massive slow-moving ships going toe-to-toe with each other. Furiously working every angle to steal the advantage on their enemy. This has that same feel. The big ships have a lot more tactical options than the ships in x-wing. Diverting damage, repairing, adjusting speed, concentrating fire and it all feels right. The miniature ships feel big and lumbering. For imperial ships you need to queue up orders in advance. The rebel ships are more zippy and responsive but outclassed in shields and firepower.

The bigger the ship, the further in advance you have to book your orders. Getting these wrong when the rubber hits the road is not the end of the world by any means, but getting them right just as you need it, gives your ship a nice little bonus that could swing a battle.

The game’s order queue is a slick mechanic. In advance, you order your ships to change speed, repair, concentrate fire or command fighters nearby.

WHAT I LIKED

WHAT I DISLIKED

RECOMMENDATIONS

FINAL THOUGHTS

Great atmosphere. Really gives the feeling of Capital ships going toe to toe. Models are gorgeous. Rules are just the right level of complexity.

It’s pricey and additional ships, particularly the big ones, will set you back the price of a good board game in itself.

Try this game out first. It’s not as popular as x-wing so you might struggle to find opponents.

This is a fine game. Everything feels right about it. Get an opponent and learn it. Better still, split the cost with your “Armada wife”. Games are longer than x-wing, but well worth the investment. Another classic from Fantasy Flight. Sorry Wallet.

REVIEW

2015Fantasy Flight GamesJames Kniffen, Christian T. Petersen

Released:Publisher:Designers:

VICTOR GANNONvictorgannongames.com

Orders

Battles are drawn out unlike the game which only lasts six turns. You really have to work hard to take out an enemy capital ship. There’s no one-shot nonsense here. Shields have to be knocked down, and hulls battered, but given enough time, engineer crews can see all your brutal work undone. I got lucky with my first game and got a Nebulon B into two firing arcs and let rip with concentrated fire at point blank range taking out shields and buckling her hull. A turn later I finished them off as we slid by each other. It all felt right. It all felt big ships Star Wars.

Battles!

17

PLAYERS TIME AGE2-4 45 min 12+

SMash upSmash up is a fun fighting card game where you take two different factions of twenty cards, mix them together to form your team of 40 cards, and use them to take control of different bases to get points. This game has a fun theme! Teams can be ninja superheroes, steam punk dragons, even sharknados. Some of the bases are school of wizardry, the mother ship, and crystal fortress.

On your turn you can do a few things: you can play an action card, a minion card, or both. To play an action card all you do is show the card and do what it says.

WHAT I LIKED

WHAT I DISLIKED

RECOMMENDATIONS

FINAL THOUGHTS

This game has a lot of good fun humor to it. Fun to mix factions and good amount of strategy and combos to make battling for bases fun and interesting.

Not to much. This is one of my favorite games. I can only play a few times in one sitting though!

For new gamers. Have fun with it! Good starter game.

As I said, Smash up is a go to game for me, I love the characters, and all the expansions.

When scoring a base, the winner is the player that has most power at that base after reaching the “breaking point”. Each base has three big numbers in the middle of it. The first number (reading from left to right) is victory points that are awarded to the player with the most “power” at that base. The second number goes to second place and the third number to 3rd place. Sorry 4th place, you’re out of luck! Don’t forget: Most bases have an ability written on the bottom of the base. Apply it whenever it says to. The first player to reach 15 victory points wins. In case of a tie keep playing!

REVIEW

2012Alderac Entertainment Group

Paul Peterson

Released:Publisher:Designers:

Gary hood

To play a minion card you choose a base, put your minion on that base and do what it says on the card. The number in the upper left corner of each minion is that minions power. When you are done playing your cards, check to see if any base is scored. A base is scored when the total of all minions and bonuses from actions by all players at a specific base add up to the number on the upper left hand corner of that base, the “breaking point”. You now draw two more cards to add to your hand. You are allowed a maximum of ten cards at a time, discard down to ten if you have to. If your draw pile is empty, shuffle your discard pile; you now have a new draw pile.

18

PLAYERS TIME AGE2 1 Hr 12+

SPACE HULK 4th ed.

During this phase you take all markers from the previous turn off the board and draw for a random number of command points. These points allow you to make additional actions during your or your opponent’s turn.

During the action phase each marine is activated in whatever order the player chooses. Marines get 4 actions that they can use to move, fire, open doors, or put themselves on Guard or Overwatch. You can use your command points for additional actions, but it is very important to save some points for unexpected alien attacks on your opponent’s turn.

The aliens each get 6 actions plus reinforcement blips every turn.

They have more freedom of movement than the marines and are very fast. Add that to their unbelievable close combat skill, and they are not an enemy to be taken lightly. It pretty much goes like this: If they reach you, you will die. Using your marines Overwatch ability to guard long hallways is essential. It allows your men to shoot at any alien he sees take an action during the alien turn. When the game gets tense, and you are being swarmed and surrounded, it can be difficult to decide what to do with your action points. Did I mention that there is a timer?!

Upon completion of the Command Phase of the Blood Angel’s turn, the Genestealer player flips a tiny hourglass that gives the player approximately three minutes to complete his turn. The alien player can really use this to his advantage by making fast aggressive turns that require little thought, really putting the pressure on the marines.

WHAT I LIKED

WHAT I DISLIKED

RECOMMENDATIONS

FINAL THOUGHTS

Challenging. I love a game that you have to work at to win. Definitely one for the tactician in me.

Set up time. It takes some work, but it can be minimized by trading places with your opponent each round.

New players may find the balance a little unforgiving. Hang in there! Once you understand how to control the Marines, this game shines!

For my money this is a must own game…but there is a catch. It has recently gone out of production once again, so if you can find it at your local FLGS, don’t make the mistake of hesitating.

REVIEW

2014Games Workshop Ltd.

Released:Publisher:

KEVIN FANNIN@bgm_Kevin

Space Hulk is a challenging tactical combat game for two players, in which one player commands the powerful Blood Angel Terminator Squad, and the other controls the unrelenting Genestealer Brood aboard a massive derelict space ship. The Space Marines will stop at nothing to prevent the spread of this alien infestation, but outnumbered and surrounded they must sell their lives dearly to complete their mission.

This game does not disappoint! Now with two more missions than the previous version it is jam packed with replay value. The introduction missions have you boarding the ship in assault pods and clearing the area, before finding the control panel for all escape pods and torching them to ensure the Genestealers never escape the ship.

Each Space Marine turn consists of two phases. The first phase is your Command Phase.

Every piece in the box is a work of art. From the textured game tiles and one of a kind doors, to the beautiful miniatures that make up both sides.

19

Welcome, one and all, to the inaugural Mobile Games column. Let me begin by saying that I never think that apps and ports will ever replace tactile, physical board games. However, they are so prevalent in the market, this topic must be addressed. The pros of apps are remarkably simple to explain. No complicated set-up time, no putting the right counters in the right zip lock bag tear down, and most will not allow any “illegal” moves. And let’s be honest.. It’s SO satisfying to SEE the look on your opponent’s face when he realizes you just pulled a Spock and armed the missiles before you beamed them over. Not to mention that apps are a great way to inexpensively test-play a game before plunking down the bigger bucks on the tactile version.

MOBILEGAMES

Most of these App Pages will follow what I am calling the 2G1H format. That is to say, I shall review 2 games and one “Helper” app each month.

In the interest of full disclosure, these games are being played on either a prehistoric iPhone 4S, and/or an RCA Android tablet with a 10” screen. In cases where I have a game on both platforms, I shall not pick one over the other, but I will address major differences, to give you a more educated choice. I own over 100 Physical Games, and roughly 30 game apps. I do plan on highlighting major differences in this arena.So charge your batteries, wipe down those nasty touch screens, and are you sitting comfortably? Shall we begin?

Elder sign: omensBLOOD BOWL

STAR REALMSTHIS

MON

TH

20

ELDER SIGN: OMENS$4.99

If you think Yug Sug’Goth is a sound you make after too many bourbons, you probably aren’t familiar with the works of H.P. Lovecraft. If that is the case, shame on you. Not only was his work groundbreaking in the horror genre, his Cthulhu Mythos have inspired a small boatload of games.This month, let’s take a look at “Elder Sign” for Android platforms.

You play as a group of investigators, attempting to find out what kind of weird stuff is happening in an old museum. Game play mechanics are relatively simple, especially when compared to other Lovecraftian games. Pick a room, see the challenge, roll your custom dice (called “glyphs”) to defeat it. Success brings you items, special abilities, and Elder Signs. These Elder Signs are the key to victory. You must amass a specific number of Signs to beat the game. Lose a challenge, and your sanity and/or health takes damage. If either of these traits drop to zero, you have either gone hopelessly insane, or you took a dirt nap.

VALUE REPLAY QUALITY

The app improves a bit of the aesthetic appeal of the game. The boxed version sets up as merely stacks of cards repre-senting the rooms, whereas the app gives a rather pleasing sectarian-style floor plan of the museum, and as one challenge is defeated, another appears somewhere else on the map. Movement is not an issue. Just click on a room, and you are there.

Challenges are resolved in a straightforward manner. Each challenge will feature a number of symbols that correspond to the symbols on your glyphs. Begin by rolling all of your glyphs, and see if you have a match on ALL the symbols

If so, you have won the challenge. If not, sacrifice (discard) a glyph and roll the remainder. Continue until you have no glyphs left, or you have matched the symbols.

Each Investigator brings certain skills to the table, for example, the ability to “lock” a glyph so that it doesn’t have to be re-rolled. Depending on the roster of Investigators you choose, the game plays differently each time, so replay-ability is high.

All in all, this is a nicely designed app, that has given me a lot of enjoyment, and not a few swear words. And for 5 bucks, it’s hard to go wrong with this one.

8 7.5 8

21

Back in the late 80’s/early 90’s I had some money burning a hole in my pocket, so I took the bus to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, to my first ever FLGS. It was called, “What’s Your Game?”. This was where I bought my classic Avalon Hill titles, starting with “Tactics II,” and advancing all the way through “Flat-Top,” “3rd Reich,” and the ever love/hate relationship I have with “The Longest Day.”

So, on this particular day, with snow-cone in my hand, I saw “Blood Bowl - The Game of Fantasy Football.” As a long-time D&D player, DM, and rabid Baltimore Colts fan, this was a no-brainer! Football with Orcs, Skeletons, Ogres, Dwarves.... NIRVANA! Components? Folded Card-board. Game board? A 4-piece Puzzle. Not impressed. But then I started playing. BB is more like Rugby, or Australian-Rules Football, than it is akin to the American Football we watch here in the USofA.

VALUE REPLAY QUALITY

The original tactile game took a bit of time to set up, what with setting up stats for each individual player, but the Android app streamlines this quite well. (AUTHOR’S NOTE: For a more “arcade-style” form of play, “Blood Bowl - Kerr-unch!” Is also available in the Google Play Store.)

The app, in this case, actually improves on the game play over the tactile version in a few important ways. First off, each time a player is chosen, a highlighted grid appears showing all possible, legal moves, thus eliminating any confusion. Second of all, Blood Bowl has a dark sense of humor to it, especially in the voice overs by the Play-by-Play Announcer, and Color Commentator. Game play is fast and furious when you have the game practically holding your hand when it comes to rules adjudication.

The object is basic: Score three touchdowns, or eliminate the opposing team. All of your favorite teams from the tactile game are present and ready to do some damage. Be it the Gouged Eye Orcs, or the Reikland Reavers.

There a few game modes. Tutorial, which is self-explanatory, Exhibition, where a single game is played, or the deep Campaign mode, taking a team through an entire Blood Bowl Season.

As in the original teams may be created, modified, and upgraded over the course of a season.

All in all, this is a stellar port of a classic game, and well worth the mere pittance it costs.

9 9 9

BLOOD BOWL$4.99

22VALUE REPLAY QUALITY

9 9 9

STAR REALMSFREE

In the interest of full disclosure, I am not a huge fan of Combat-based card games. Especially those of the “Living,” or “Collectible” sort. I think it goes back to the literally hundreds of dollars I spent on “Jyhad,” (Later “Vampire: The Eternal Struggle”) only to find out a few scant months later, the game had gone out of vogue. Don’t even get me started on “Magic: The Gathering.” When I overhear a player say, “You can’t... It’s a VEGETARIAN Zombie,” I throw up in my mouth a little.

That being said, I was pleasantly surprised with the app port of “Star Realms.” I have heard a lot of talk about the tactile game, all of it positive. It regularly pops up in players’ “Favorites” list. So, I plunked down in front of the tablet, cracked my knuckles, and blasted off.

First impression: Looks good...Nice artwork, clear text, intuitive interface...So far, so good. Main menu, check....Tutorial.

This is one of the better Tutorials I have seen in a board game port. It explained each of the controls, how to make use of the interface, covered the basic rules, introduction to strategy, and held you by the hand through a good amount of turns, giving information WHY you would do whatever it is you are doing. It then leaves you alone to finish your first game. Nice.

Time now to take off the training wheels. For those who have never played “Star Realms,” mechanics can be complex, but easy to pick up. In a nutshell, collect Trade and Combat points to bring your opponent’s Authority Points (Basically, a fancy name for Hit Points) to zero. Trade points are used to purchase more ships, bots, etc., To build up your Fleet. Combat points are used to inflict damage on the other guy. Bases may be built to protect your Main Ship, or to increase Trade. Cards may be discarded with Trade Bots.

The size of ships varies from a simple Scout, to a massive Mother ship. These pages don’t have the space to go into the variety of cards available to you. But, a simple click fills the screen with an image of the card, with all pertinent text, and values.

Which brings me to the difference here between the Android and iOS versions. This game really needs as large a screen as you can have. On my iPhone, I spend most of my time zooming in and out from card views. It’s better on the tablet, and best on a full-size Windows monitor.

I think, mechanically, what I like the most about this game is the fact that each turn, your deck is re-drawn. No more of that horrid “tapping” that most of these types of games employ.

In the final analysis, this game will not break your bank, but you get a lot of Bang for your Buck! Plays well, looks good, it IS expandable, (For more money, of course) but you don’t need anything more to have a satisfying game experience.

In-App Purchases

Let’s Play!

23

Star Wars Rebellion is a great game. If you’re a fan of bigger games like War of the Ring and a Star Wars fan you’ll be in Jedi heaven.

The game sees the Powerful Empire square off against the underdog Rebels. At the start of the game the rebels secretly pick a planet from the pool of 32 and this is their home sweet home base which the Imperials have to find. So the game is an expensive hide and seek, and every time the empire slowly rolls into a new system, the Rebels get to say in Eddie Murphy accent “That’s not iiiiiitttt!!”. Unless it is their home base and then the gloves are off.

The Imperials job is easy. Find the rebel base and wipe it out. To aid them in their task they have a lot of resources at their command in the form of space and ground troops. Storm troopers, At-Ats, Tie fighters, Star Destroyers, and Death Stars to name a few. The Imperials always seem to have the upper hand as not only can they, like the Rebels, persuade systems to ally with them and thus produce more units; they can subjugate rebel systems and force them to work for them too.

The rebels spend their time trying to trick the Imperials away from their home base location, and also go hat in hand to the various systems trying to get support. Remember Murphy’s golden rule. Star Wars has always been about the characters (unlike every other film). There are key characters that make epic decisions.

COVER STORYPresented by victor Gannon games

victorgannongames.com

Missions for the imperials completed result in things like systems being turned loyal, rebel leaders captured, clues to where the rebel base isn’t and therefore narrowing down where it could be, and so on. Additionally the imperials get another type of mission called a project where they get to build big stuff like Super Star Destroyers and Death Stars.

Each player starts with a brace of slowly added to characters that are variously skilled in diplomacy, research, fisticuffs and something else. They have a number of uses and are effectively your actions. You can assign a character to a mission in a particular sector, block another character from completing a mission, or send them to lead a fleet to another system.

REBEL SCUM

24

Battles occur when fleets meet. There are two distinct battlegrounds per system. On the ground, and in orbit. Both are exercised in the same fight and last boots standing rule the system. Battles are brutal and bringing more guns than your opponent is a good move.

Heroes bring tactics cards which inflict extra hits or reduce damage, or (much to the horror of the rebels, we cornered in our first game), to stop them from bugging out when things started looking grim. The units have two types of attack dice, anti small stuff, and anti big stuff. Each unit fires a mix of these. Small stuff would be fighters and grunts. Big stuff would be AT ATs, speeders and capital ships.

The theme is strong. The imperials seem overwhelming. The rebels are holding on dodging and weaving, waging a guerrilla war. The outnumbering Imperials are trying to smother the underdog. It all feels just right. The build quality is pure Fantasy Flight. The models are sweet. I particularly like the partially constructed Death Star. You will never paint all 150 of them. I know this is a “challenge accepted” for a lot of you painters out there, but there are a ton of small models here. Ground troops especially. The rules are straightforward. Well laid out and well explained. No ambiguity.

It’s truly a thing of beauty. Looking from the Imperial side out over the big map it’s hard not to cackle when you crush another rebel gathering. You’ll need space for this (pardon the pun). Your kitchen table might struggle. It’s not as big as, say firefly, but it is as big as Forbidden Stars. One quick note. It’s surprisingly fast to setup. You’ll be on the road in ten minutes max.

VGG

Missions for rebels, successfully completed, allow them to harass the imperials with sabotage markers, turn systems to rebel loyalty and even move their secret base. Some of them gain them loyalty, and when the turn maker that starts at the bottom advances up and touches the slowly lowering loyalty marker at the top, it’s a win for the rebels. The Rebels need to complete missions and gain enough Loyalty whilst the Imperials need to find and crush them before they do!

ALL ABOUT THAT REBEL BASE..

25

RPGMAPS STORIES CRAFTS

Adventure is calling; it needs you! Lonely monsters, wizards, goblins, and even bounty hunters are waiting for you (and your character). Role Playing games break the constraints of a traditional game. Hand tailor a character by selecting weapons, spells and skills that allow you to immerse yourself in a world of fantasy! Take part in heroic feats, puzzle solving and epic battles. Desire constructing your own light saber and training in the Jedi arts? Want to fight demons on an icy mountaintop, or in a pit of lava surrounded by giant spiders?

The human imagination is endless and RPG games let you explore that imagination, taking you on adventures so vast and detailed that you will wonder why you waited so long to play one. BGM staff hand picked our 4 favorite RPG in a box, to help you and your friends to get started in the wonderful world of imagination and dice rolling.

Why you should buy an rpg starter kit tomorrow

D&D Pathfinder Star wars ShadowrunThe most popular and original RPG you will find. Dungeons and Dragons has been around longer than any other on this list. It has been through multiple upgrades and changes. Right now the most recent system is 5e. It has been changed to allow for easier combat and character creation. So it’s perfect for beginners.

Pathfinder relies heavily on maps and miniatures. You can buy hundreds of upgrades for this system. From maps, pre-painted miniatures, dungeon tiles, books, and dice, your adventure can be expanded to fit your play style. Magic meets Science in this very well designed RPG game.

Fantasy Flight hit the ground running and dropped three amazingly fun RPG games based in the Star Wars universe. Edge of the Empire lets you play as a smuggler and get into any adventure you can think Han Solo himself would have gotten into. With it’s own custom dice and battle system you will be playing in no time with this game system. When you are done, don’t worry, with their other games, Age of Rebellion and Force and Destiny, will keep you playing for years

Based in the newly resurrected and growing universe of Shadowrun, you will be blown away by the customizations and universe that exists in the Shadowrun universe. Post apocalyptic future corporate espionage where you are playing as a criminal trying to hack and attack your way into the system and steal valuable information. Crime syndicates and gangs of Orcs roam the streets as you use weapons, magic, and hacked technology to win.

26

5 Tips and TricksFor a genre with the words “Role-playing” in the names, I’ve noticed my player group has a very hard time getting into that part of RPG. And their troubles aren’t insubstantial, or localized. Many gamers I’ve spoken with have preached of their troubles being their characters. Even I had trouble, despite numerous years poured into acting and, for sake of comparison, role-playing for a crowd on the stage. So, I’ve put together this small list to help gamers of all age and experience

Know your character. And I mean really know them. Whether they’re based 90% off of you, or are leagues outside of your comfort zone, it really helps to “see where your feet are going”, if you will. Put them through mundane tasks, like sitting at a table, and ordering ale. Do they place themselves in the seat, with the grace and poise of royalty, or do they slouch down into the chair with a thump, and yell for the barmaids as soon as they’ve caught their breath?

Put a face to the sheet. Even if you just find a stock photo on the Internet, or take the time to sketch out every aspect of their physical appearance, having a base for the face is a great way to start building personality for Bob the Fighter.

Practice how they talk. Every character speaks differently, and each has a different voice. Once you find this voice, by scrunching your face into a sneer similar to theirs, or find an accent that fits them like a glove, and you become comfortable enough with it that you find it hard to stop doing it in normal conversations, you’ll automatically find yourself 50% more into your character and their personality.

How To Be a Better Role-player

Take Improv Classes. This helps immensely with both steps one and two, and provides you with experience in the field of making up conversations and personalities in a snap.

I also highly recommend classes to DMs to help with their own NPC troubles.

Be descriptive. And I mean beyond what I mentioned in step one. Talk your fellow players through what you’re doing. Instead of “I sit down and look around”, try “Bob crashes into his chair, his full plate quieting as he scowls and searches the room for anything that catches his eye.” And even though the beauty is in the eye of the beholder, don’t forget the ears, nose, and taste buds of the beholder as well.

So there you have it. My top five tips to becoming the star of your table. Cheers, all, and I’ll talk to you next month.

-Lee G.

1

2

3

4

5

27

I’m Dyson. I’ve been gaming since 1979 in a variety of game systems, but most often playing Dungeons & Dragons (particularly Moldvay Basic). But that’s not to say I haven’t played other games along the way, with dalliances in science fiction, cyberpunk, urban fantasy, and other game settings.

Dyson’s Dodecahedron

rpgcharacters.wordpress.com

Ten pillars of pale blue crystal jut straight up from the island that has become the City of Blue in the unimaginatively named Azure Sea (which is actually a massive freshwater lake). The pillars are almost perfectly square, set perfectly vertically to the horizon, and are roughly 400 feet wide (although scholars of the city will be quick to point out that they are precisely 396 feet, 2 inches, accounting for some sections having worn corners and edges). These pillars are of a robins-egg blue stone not found anywhere else in the world and they tower over the lower parts of the island by about 200 feet.

THE CITY OF BLUE

28

Built for our Star Frontiers game. Made from a shampoo bottle, two party favor “Frisbees”, a small plastic wedge and two armor covers from a battle hamster toy. Guns were from my bits box.

Crafted By: James Bluto Neal

Knight Watch Games recently received a custom order to build a portal that housed a demonic entity. Inserts are sandwiched between two portal frames and secured with magnets. While the workmanship is amateurish, the final effect is not bad.

Crafted By: Paraic Brenda Mulgrew

Made from bamboo skewers, foam for the chimney and thin card for the roof.

Crafted By: Tony Phillips

Demonic portal

Small scout ship

Small frontier house

One of the most awesome people on the Internet is DM Scotty. Not only does he run an amazing YouTube Channel called theDMsCraft, he also runs one of the most popular groups on facebook. I picked a few of the works that members shared for BGM.

facebook.com/groups/dmscottyscraftsngames

29

CROWDFUNDIDEA

PLANNINGDESIGN

PLAY TESTREDESIGNPLAY TEST

MARKETINGREPEAT

MARKETINGPROTOTYPE

REVIEWSMARKETING

KICKSTARTERFUNDED

START

PRODUCTIONUPDATES

FULFILLMENT

HAPPY CUSTOMERS

UNHAPPY CUSTOMERS

NO UPDATESNO COMMUNICATION

NO PRODUCTIONNO GAME

END

END

Not every project is going to make a million dollars. Not every project will fund. That does not mean an idea was bad. Poorly executed maybe, but that does not mean the person behind the idea should lose hope or give up. Our community is one of the

closest and most supportive

groups in the entire world. This magazine

was started for you, gamers like ourselves.

That is why we put our heart and soul into this every day.

That is one of the main reasons I decided to never charge my community of fellow gamers to promote their Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaigns.

I hand picked three Kickstarter projects this month to show my support, and the support of Board Game Monthly, to our wonderful community. These projects did not contact me

for promotion. I contacted them or in Santorini’s case, I grabbed what

information I could.

Anyone wanting to promote their

project can submit to us for consideration. We

will pick the best three every month and feature right here.

Must include 200-250 words on what your kickstarter is about. Four to six images.

A logo if you have one in vector format.Links and contact information.

Email to [email protected] Some projects may be funded and over.

Some projects may be funded and over.

30

FUNDED

Santorini

It’s not often that you see an extremely well put together Kickstarter. Especially one out of nowhere with no pre-social media hype. Santorini hit the Internet and caught my attention from day one. The style was perfect for a wide audience and you could tell, from a quick glance, that the project has been well designed and every detail was well thought out. Just a beautiful game to look at. High quality game pieces and art work. This is why Santorini is our very first Crowdfund feature.

With over 7,000 backers and more than half a million dollars raised it was no surprise to me that this game was going to fund and break all kinds of stretch goals. Congratulations to the team over at Roxley Game Laboratory.

31

Saltlands is a post-apocalyptic survival board game taking place in an authentic, low-tech dystopian world plagued by drought. With your friends, you are fleeing from invading raiders, leaving your desert home: a plain left behind by a once great ocean, called the Saltlands.

Flee from waves of invading raidersUse landsails, motorized vehicles and a multitude of weapons to make your escapeExplore - the each time different - environment, collect victory items and investigate rumors in hopes of escapeCompete or cooperate - who wins and who is left behind? How you play and whether you survive is up to you: we did our best to create a challenging game with unconstrained player interaction and chair-gripping tension. Find out for yourself!

SALT LANDS

A post-apocalyptic adventure board game. Fight raiders, cooperate or betray your friends. Be among the first to escape the Saltlands!

On Kickstarter

32

Cavern Tavern is a worker (dice) placement and resource management board game where each player assumes the role of a worker in the tavern. Your job is to serve drinks, work in the kitchen, do chores, and on top of that try to keep every guest happy, including the nasty and greedy barkeep.To stand out from the other workers in the Cavern Tavern and gain your employers favor, you’ll need to skillfully manage the orders from your customers and the resource ingredients. You’ll have to carefully prioritize your moves and choose from what kind of work you’ll profit the most out of the situation.The art for the game is done by The Mico, the artist responsible for the beautiful art for Shipwrights of the North Sea, Raiders of the North Sea, Explorers of the North Sea, Villages of Valeria and many more, so it’s expected to be a direct hit.

Cavern Tavern is a game for 2-5 players, ages 13 and up, and takes approximately 60-120 minutes to play. It includes 1 Main Game Board, Rulebook, 5 Player boards, 76 Ingredient cards, 42 Orders cards, 20 Item cards, 15 Nasty Dwarf Says cards, 8 Nasty’s Secret Task cards, 5 meeples, 21 custom dice, 5 wooden markers and 65 tokens plus every stretch goal that will be unlocked during the Kickstarter campaign. Adding Solo play option is one of the many Kickstarter stretch goals.

There will also be some content that will be exclusive for campaign backers only, like dwarven inspired custom made dice! The Kickstarter Campaign will feature the game at $45 with subsidized shipping worldwide, and will be available for retailers as well.

CAVERN TAVERN

On Kickstarter

Final Frontier Games is a board game publishing company based in Skopje, Macedonia. So far they have successfully published 2 board games in their country. Cavern Tavern is their first project for the international market.

33

Rules is Rules..Writing your rule sheet can be a daunting task. Spell checking can be easy if you are using Google docs or Word. What these tools do not do is check if the sentence even makes sense. Never use a friend to spell check or test your work. You need someone who has no bias towards you. It’s like asking your friend if you look funny in a hat or shirt. Or worse, asking your spouse if you are gaining weight. Best practice is get a stranger’s opinion or help. We are human and we make mistakes. How we deal with those mistakes is what sets us apart from the animals.

This month in the Lab, Lucas Gerlach created a “HELP/OFFERING: PROOFREADING” post where game makers could upload their rules to Tabletop Generation for proof reading. Here is the post, and how the lab is helping game designers bring their ideas to reality.

Writing rules can be hard! How do you make sure they are absolutely clear and make a good first impression? Have someone else read them!If you would like to participate in this month’s rules exchange, reply to this post by the end of Friday, April 22nd, with the name of your game and the approximate word count. By doing so, you agree to the following...

You will post your rules to http://tabletopgeneration.com by Saturday, April 23rd. Specifically, post a link to your rules in the “Details” section of your game page.

You will also notify your assigned reader that your rules are ready for critique on that Saturday.

You will carefully read and critique the rules that are assigned to you, setting aside your personal taste in games. Remember, you are critiquing the rules, not the style of game. That said, feel free to comment on game mechanics that you feel may be problematic.

If you feel you cannot examine the rules because something in the game goes against your personal convictions, you must find a reader to replace you.

You will return your comments to the rules-writer by the end of Saturday, April 30th.

If any other complications arise, be in communication with your exchange partners about possible delays. Communication is key.

In order to participate in this round of the Rules Exchange, you must comment on this post by the end of Friday, April 22nd. The order of the exchange will be posted in this thread on Saturday, April 23rd.

The intent is to do this rules exchange the first week of each month. (Sorry, I missed the first week this month.) You may participate as often as little as you like. No commitments are made beyond the week you decide to participate in the review.

So what are you waiting for? Come join Game Maker’s Lab on facebook and post that game idea you have been thinking about. We are a safe place to discuss ideas, get feedback, and help.

34

Why Write Developer Diaries?

Creature College is currently winging its way towards our distributors ready for mailing out to all the lovely people that pledged for a copy of the game so our minds here at Happy Otter Games have turned to the creation of our next project.

I thought it might be interesting for anyone else thinking about creating a game to understand some of the process I’m going through when thinking about designing a new game. So I’m going to write these developer diaries as a record of the set of problems that I’m trying to work through whilst developing the new game.

Find more on his blog.

Orhan Ertughrul is a very active member in the Lab. His first Kickstarter, Creature College, was a huge success and has already been shipped to his backers. He has taken time out of his busy schedule to start a blog that could be a great resource for new game designers. With a new game that is sure to be another great success, he is making his way up in the best designers and publishers list.

happyottergames.wordpress.com

35

Politics is a game intended for adults, and with up to nine players, it’s a great party game. Each player chooses a candidate from a wide variety of political staples such as the socialist, the war hero, and the minority candidate to compete in a no holds barred campaign! Each candidate has different strengths and weaknesses on different issues ranging from guns and religion to healthcare and the economy. Your player card also gives you your starting cash, and a special ability that can be used under certain circumstances.

Games by Andrew Rader Players all visit a region to campaign, and each region has several different issues that are major concerns, with the deciding issue determined by a dice roll. Players then secretly spend cash on campaign ads or bribes to help improve their overall influence. After cash is spent and all players know where they stand, any player can play “Action Cards” to boost their influence or to try to damage their opponents. After all players are done playing cards, you tally up who has the most influence to determine who has won the region. Each region is worth a different number of votes, so some will be more hotly contested than others. After visiting all regions simply add up the votes and determine who has won the election!

The magic of this game is in the “Action Cards.” By uncovering the dirt on your opponents sexual scandals, or alleged drug problems you can try to swing the vote in your favor by any means necessary. The game has been described as, “The Daily Show meets Cards Against Humanity,” and I cannot imagine a better description. Nothing brings me more joy than uncovering the truth about my opponents stand for the environment, by revealing that he is actually an avid hunter, or distracting from their strengths with accusations of how they kick puppies for fun. The more players involved the more cutthroat the game tends to be, and the more outrageous fun is had by all.

POLITICS

36

NewsPrizesGiveawaysContestsFreebiesEventsFacebook.com/bgmonthly

Space Match is an educational matching game best suited for 2-4 players. Players each hold a hand of “World Cards” and each in turn draw an “Exploration Card” that tells them what to do during their turn. Cards like “Space Pirate” that allow you to steal a card from a player of your choice, or “Black Hole” that sucks all cards of a chosen set from other players to you! Once you collect all of the cards in a set, you place them down in front of you and score one point for each card in the set. The player with the most points after all “World Cards” have been drawn is declared the winner.

First of all, let me say that this game is very beautiful. Each card has fantastic artwork and a brief description of the planet or moon featured on the card. The elegance of the game comes from the thoughtful design of the cards. Even though I am not familiar with many of the moons and what planet they orbit, the colored outline on the cards, and the list of all cards in the set printed on the bottom, kept me from ever feeling lost while playing.

It feels like every game we all learned as kids, with elements of rummy and go fish, but with a fresh skin that breathes life into the classics. Definitely a game for a younger audience, but I greatly enjoyed playing with my kids as well. The educational aspect is not forced at all. The information on the cards has no effect on the actual game, but offer subtle ways for kids to retain a few fun facts.

SPACE MATCH

FIRESTORM ARMADA

37

FIRESTORM ARMADA

38

The Dindrenzi are determined to avenge Dramos, but more than that, they believe they are the true heirs of star-faring humanity. They will not stop until Terra itself lies beneath the Dindrenzi heel.

FACTIONS

Though initially outnumbered, the Sorylian border fleets have proven redoubtable in fighting the Zenian League. The Alliance of Kurak will surely receive a huge boost when the full might of the Sorylian military juggernaut is unleashed on their enemies.

While the Terran Alliance is no longer the supreme power it once was, its days of glory have by no means finished. The Terrans will fight tooth and nail to defend what is theirs, and the scarred face of Dramos bears mute testimony to their awesome power.

Hated and feared in equal measure, the Directorate’s fleets have acquired the darkest of reputations within the Alliance of Kurak. They come not only to destroy, but to abduct and pillage.

Whole fleets move in graceful cohesion, shattering opponents with blistering firepower. Now roused to anger, the Aquans are lethal foes for any Zenian foolish enough to cross them.

The Relthoza favor tactics of stalking, ambush and swift, lethal strikes to cause terror in their opponents. For once the enemy are driven away their vulnerable territories will be ripe for conquest.

SHIPS AND MORE SHIPS

39

After you pick your faction you will not be disappointed with the choices of ships available to you. The ships come unpainted, but that is more of a positive since it allows you to customize the schemes and add your own personal touch to each fleet. I really can’t explain how much detail is on each design in this game. Every faction has a very unique shape and design, so confusing one for another is not likely to happen.

FIRESTORM UNIVERSE

40

On December 4th 2013 they shipped the new Firestorm Armada 2.0 Hardback Rulebook, marking an exciting milestone for a game they have been expanding and developing since 2009. But the new book is just the beginning for the exciting developments in the Firestorm Galaxy.

New models and boxed sets have been created, with their first Patrol Fleet boxed sets that arrived in December 2013. These marked an exciting enhancement to their product range as the all resin Patrol Fleets feature new models of all sizes, from Frigates to Battleships, and they also feature our new resin Fighter Tokens.

NEXT ISSUE

INTERVIEW WITH Arthur Brent Critchfield From STUDIO WOE And a sneak peek at his new project CLASH OF THE BATTLE GOATS