Brexis

Some people may dislike “luck” based games and this game is definitely not for them. The mechanic used to win the game is having the right card at the end of the game, the problem is you don’t know what that card is until the end. You can only increase the odds that you have the right card by gaining as much cards as possible.

This version of Killer bunnies is a follow up to the Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot. Follow up is not quite the right term, it’s more of a reload / remodel of the the game. Very little is different except the jokes on the cards. There are some small changes, but if you played Quest, you know how to play Conquest.

Killer bunnies is a card drawing game where you take on the role of bunnies trying to find the magic carrot. The game is simple to learn in one or two play throughs and the instructions are very easy to understand. I especially like instructions that teach you as you play as these do.

There are some definite holes in some the rules that are not explained right away and may require house ruling if no FAQ can be found. Also there are so many different mechanics in the game, some of them may never be used in an entire game if the right cards don’t show up. This can be frustrating to some players as they may be set up to defend against a certain style of play and it never happens because there opponent didn’t get the cards in the first place.

Killer Bunnies is at its core a fun, sometimes quick, filler game. There is no real stress in the game as luck plays such a major role in the end. This can be frustrating to new players as they may be used to heavy strategy, but once you accept the fact no amount of strategy will guarantee a win, the game will become more fun.

I highly recommend this game for casual, social, and some avid player due to the quick easy play style, and the different fun situations one can get in.

I don’t recommend this for the Power, or Strategy gamer as the game doesn’t reward great planning.

Family gamers may like this depending on what they find suitable for the family, if this is too adult, I would recommend KinderBunnies ( made just for family gaming )

For those who don’t know, a deck building game like Thunderstone, Dominion, Ascension, etc. is a game where you start with a small amount of cards available in your deck. As you draw these cards you can use them to purchase other cards available in a “market” of some sort or use them to defeat enemies to gain more cards. These cards are then shuffled into the deck you started with and are available to use later when you draw them. By doing this a deck of 12 cards can become a deck of 60. The strategy in this is what cards to add to your deck as your playing to make your deck as efficient as possible. Not enough cards and you cant progress as quickly as needed in the game. Too many cards and your chances of getting the card or cards you need is slim. You have to find the best balance for your strategy.

Thunderstone Advance is a jumping off point for new Thunderstone players. This is actually a continuation / redo of the original Thunderstone and its’ expansions. The story continues, but very few new elements are changes. This allows easy conversion of the original Thunderstone sets.

Those familiar with Dominion will find the Village aspect of the game very familiar as it plays almost identical to Dominion. You draw a six cards and use there gold value ( and any special powers ) to purchase other cards that increase your overall power in the game. These cards can give you more money, increase your hero’s power ( more on that in a second ) and affect the game in different ways. You can also buy heroes in the village. At this point the similarity between Dominion ends as the reason for the herons is to venture into a dungeon full of monster and defeat them to gain experience points and Victory points.

The dungeon is a deck of monster cards built at the start of the game. As the monsters are revealed they move farther up the dungeon making room for new monsters to appear. Your goal is to defeat the monsters until you reveal the Thunderstone bearer and defeat him. All the monster cards have special powers that can help / hinder at different time and there is always the darkness of the dungeon to make your fight even harder.

This game can take a bit to learn, but once the concepts are understood it moves very fluidly and usually quickly. The setup does take a while, but using the system allows unlimited re-playability.

Very fun, gives you the feel of a dungeon crawl without a board or pen an paper, and at a much quicker pace. For Dominion/Ascension players a must play. For everyone else, a must try. Enjoy.

Risk has always been a staple game placed in the same shelves as Monopoly or Life. This version of Risk just doesn’t add a fancy gimmick or use a pop culture license to try and make the game “different”. This game really is as different as it gets.

At its core this is still Risk, but barley. You still are a general maneuvering your troops through different territories trying to claim the world and wipe out the other armies in your way. However, most of the similarities stop there. This risk adds the victory point system brought on in other variants and even uses the tweaked resource card system as well, but also brings life to the board you are playing on.

Every game will be different for every copy of the game. Each gaming group will customize or “grow” their personal game board and factions to make the game completely unique. This is done by marking the board with different modifiers that change your die roll for good or bad, Destroying cards a player thinks is too powerful, adding powers and weaknesses to the waring factions, and finally by evolving a loose “quest line” that lets you open mini expansions that are part of the base game. If the game is played per the rules and as intended, the balance will work out throughout. Especially since you have options to counter most effects.

For Risk fans this is a great break from the constant rehash of the game. If you are not a fan of Risk, still give a try, the massive differences this has from base Risk may be appealing as this wont feel like classic Risk. Great game, highly recommend a try.

I have been following this game for a while and was lucky enough to be able to demo it at GenCon 2012. Got to get multiple games in and got a great feel for the game. Is this a game you should get? The short answer is; “Most Definitly”.

The game is very quick paces once you understand the cards and what they can do. Howerver with new players NOT knowing what they can do can present the oppisite effect and slow down the game. One of the beautifull things about this game is that you can stratigize your next move or just play what your gut tells you and either way you will have a great time.

The other reason I like this game is the cool combination that can set up by combining different factions, so you road to victory is changes every game you play. This also contributes to the replayablitly.