Shane C

Speaking as a person who’d not spent too much time with other deck builders, I have to say that it was the theme that first attracted me to this. And, from that standpoint, the game does carry itself proudly. However, and I would wager that this is a problem that runs throughout the entire DBG sub-genre, it is possible to build up some pretty uber-powerful combinations, which definitely weighs the game heavily in favour of the player; don’t get me wrong, it is still fun, but once you get to the point where you can pretty much clear the board of all five active villains AND the mastermind in one well-drawn go, then the game does lose a lot of its edge.

That said, there is still plenty of variety in the core deck, so having nigh-godly combinations is not a thing that will happen in every game, rather 1 in 3.

I’d love to see some mechanisms put in place to give the game an extra level of challenge, and hopefully that comes with the upcoming expansion.

The very definition of a “filler game”, Zombie Dice is quick, easy and fun. All it has, and all it needs is a couple of dice, a cup, a theme and some fun.

You are after X amount of brains, and the dice hold them. Can you roll up the number before rolling up 3 gunshots and ending up dead? As is the case, we all think “yes” – and then the game starts, and the fun begins.

Is this a game that you will build a game night around? No. But it’s one that you can pull out between games of anything else and be certain that you’ll have fun.

First of all, it is Fluxx – either you love it or you hate it. And, you’d think that, after all of the different flavours of Fluxx (and several games that take the Fluxx model to the most insane of ends), that there would be nowhere to take the game.

You’d be wrong.

And, let’s face it, for a game that pretty much trades in madness and crazy rule bendings, the Great Old Ones are a perfect, and very overdue fit. And, with the addition of Anti-Goals, there is a way for noone to win. It’s a small addition, but it adds so much extra to the game, as the Anti-Goals have caveats in which a player with X amount of the right symbol can still eke out a win, so even if you have the right Keepers in your hand, someone else could win – thus adding a small, but interesting, extra level of strategy to the game.

If you own any other Fluxx, and want to get another flavour – this is the one to get.

Every collection should have at least one UNO deck tucked away in, regardless of how much table time the game sees. It’s one of those games that, no matter the group you are with, ends up being all sorts of fun – heck, I’ve played it in backyards, dining rooms, pubs, churches, schools, the bus, planes, trains and automobiles, and it remains one fun little experience.

Is it ever going to be held in the same esteem as Agricola, Netrunner, Arkham Horror or Diplomacy? No. And it doesn’t need to be, either. UNO is what it is – easy to learn, easy to teach, fun to play.

After having a few unspectacular introductory games of the physical version a number of years ago, I set my incursions into the world of Carcassonne aside. Until this version came out. After being told that it was even easier to get into than the physical, I dropped a couple of bucks and within a week, I knew that I had to get the physical back in my hot little hands.

Pluses:
Can learn the game and its intricacies at your own pace.
Even more portable than the mini version – if you have a pocket, you have a game.
Asynchronous play. In my opinion, digital games do not lend themselves to real time.

Minuses
Unforgiving AI. Almost brutally at times. This could be my own level of skill coming through, but I am yet to win a game against the AI, at any level.
Minimal expansions. I’m sure this will change in time, but right now, it’s the base game and The River – if you want more, you are SOL.
The solitaire version. Gets really easy and really old, really fast.

Even with the minuses I have mentioned, it is still one of the best digital Boardgames adaptations that I have played, and remains money very well spent.

I may be overrating TtR, seeing as though it is the game that reintroduced me to boardgaming in general, but I honestly feel that it is one of the most perfect games on the market, regardless of your level of interest in the hobby.

It’s simple enough to learn and teach, that it works as a good family game, a fun semi-filler for a board game day/weekend/gathering, or even the central game of a fun night with you and a few friends.

It’s quick enough that it won’t run the risk of boring people who are not as into gaming as others may be, unlike some of the more “mainstream” games out there.

And, let’s face it, it’s fun enough that it will never be consigned to the “one and done” area of your library – TtR is one of those games that will always (for the forseeable future) get table time, or very solid consideration.

I don’t know what possessed the makers to add the extra steps that they did to the card game version of everyone’s favourite rail laying game, but it plays a heck of a lot quicker, and with way more fun if you dump the (quite frankly) confusing trainyard step and “dumb down” the game to a simple set collection variant, much like its full length parent. ANd that house rule variation is why I have rated it much higher than other reviews here.

However, once it exists in that form, what you get is a fun, light little filler that you can take with you pretty much anywhere, and if you have 15-30 minutes to kill, it’s a more than adequate way to fill that time.

Let’s face it, Fluxx is a formula that really doesn’t change that much (I know the recent Cthulhu version adds some new wrinkles, but I’m yet to bring it to the table) – draw and play cards until one of two things happens: someone wins according to the Goal card/s, or the rules get so convoluted that every agrees to a draw.

Sure, some of the Python flavoured aspects of this version keep the silliness and interest high, but the game will invariably end with someone curled in the foetal position crying out “how many to draw? how many to play?”