Braeden Saucy

Martian Dice is a simple, fun, push your luck dice game, that’s great for killing time.

Gameplay:
In Martian Dice, players take on the role of martians, by rolling 13 dice in attempts to collect earthlings: humans, cows, and chickens. Players must also be aware of how many tanks they have rolled which can possibly prevent them from scoring any points. To avoid this, players must choose to collect “Death Rays” to protect themselves from the tanks.
On each roll a player may choose one of either humans, cows, chickens, or death rays to set aside (tanks are always set aside). Once the type is set aside players re-roll the remaining dice and attempt to find a different type of earthling. Once a player has collected a certain type of earthling, they may not collect that type any longer. Death rays however, may always be collected.
Should your turn end with more tanks than death rays, you score now points, and the turn moves to the next player, but players can always choose to end their turn at any point.

Fun & Jollification:
Pushing your luck is always entertaining. It provides some suspense for everyone in the game. Sometimes the most promising rolls go awry. The dice are colorful and vivid, and it’s enjoyable to simply roll them and see what happens. There is also a bit of strategy in determining ones odds of rolling certain things, and deciding when to stop, and when to push your luck.

Cons:
The game is fairly simple, and thus lacks depth, and can get stale fairly fast. It is however very small, and perfect for traveling or waiting in long line ups.

Overall:
I really enjoyed Martian Dice, and if you are looking for a fast, fun, VERY EASY filler game, then go ahead and pick this up.

If you’re already familiar with Settlers of Catan then you’ll like this expansion. In my opinion, the more the merrier!

Gameplay:
This game functions the same way as the original game, but when playing with 5 or 6 people, every player is able to build between turns. This is to decrease the chance that you will lose half of your cards to a 7 on the dice roll. Although this takes more time, I think it helps keep the game moving as players are able to accumulate points faster, and thus be in more even competition.

Pros:
Having extra people means more opportunity to trade with other players as well as having more people oppose the early power house who has been getting favourable rolls. This keeps the game more neck and neck, which I really appreciate.

Potential Cons:
As with any game, the more players you have, the longer the game takes.

Overall:
I really like this expansion, and have played it for years. The more friends you have around the table, the more enjoyable the experience!

Dixit is an enjoyable, interactive game, that will make use of your creativity and deduction skills.

The Gameplay:
All players receive 6 cards which contain intriguing, beautiful, and sometimes bizarre, artwork. On a players turn he or she will be the “storyteller” and must create a word, sentence, or phrase which describes one of their cards. All other players must pick a card from their own hand which best corresponds to the storytellers description. The cards are shuffled and then revealed. Players must now vote on which card belongs to the storyteller, in order to earn points. The objective of the storyteller must be to have some people guess correctly and some incorrectly. Thus, you cannot make your clue too vague or too obvious. Players may also earn point by deceiving other players with their card.

The Fun & Jollification:
Dixit definitely taps in to your creative side, which is a lot of fun. Clues can be hilarious, nonsensical, and the lot. Trying to guess how other players will think is really enjoyable. Aside from that, the artwork on these cards is gorgeous, and the images themselves are a ton of fun to look at. Certain cards paired with certain clues, make for a very entertaining game. This game is also easy to teach to newcomers and doesn’t require an interest in hard-core strategy games.

Potential Cons & Irritations
The game is fairly simple compared to many, and doesn’t involve a skill set typically used for strategy games, which may deter some gamers. Sometimes players can get cards which are perfect for deceiving other people, and other times none of your cards seem to make sense, so there is a slight component of luck, but it’s never dampened my experience playing.

Overall:
Creative, beautiful, and a great game for having fun with friends, even if they are not gamers. I highly recommend Dixit!

Bohnanza is fun, light, trading game, that is easy to learn, and fun to play, especially for those gregarious people who enjoy haggling and bartering.

The Mechanics:
In Bohnanza, players attempt to plant and harvest beans to gain profit. Players may always plant the first bean in their hand (the order of which cannot be changed), and have the option of planting the 2nd. They must then proceed to flip over two bean cards which must either be planted (In one of their two beans fields) or traded away to other players.

The Fun & Jollification:
The suspense of the card flip always keeps the game intriguing. When a popular bean is flipped, players often jump into action proposing trades for the current player. It’s a lot of fun to low-ball and haggle back and forth, as well as playing hard-ball when you know the other person is desperate. I suppose a fair trade can be rewarding too ;). The social interaction really gives this game its charm. If you’re not up for table-talking, laughing, and bartering, you’re not going to win.

Potential Cons & Irritations:
This game definitely has an element of luck, which for some people is a downside. There is however a lot of pre-planning type strategizing involved, which can be fun. Sometimes the overly zealous players can become annoying whilst trying to constantly manipulate and dissuade others from trading with you, but this of course is dependant on who you’re playing with.

Overall:
You have to be in a gregarious mood, but if you are: GREAT game! An excellent blend of strategy, luck, and social interaction. I highly recommend Bohnanza.