The Mint Works

Mint Works is an amazing little game designed by Justin Blaske for one to four players. The game does exactly what it sets out to achieve. It is portable and plays under 15 minutes The turn pacing is fast paced and it doesn't leave you bored. It took me five minutes to learn and about ten to play our first game. The table space is small and makes for the ideal travel game. The theme is light and the game, despite being simple, has an element of depth to it. While at times the choices are obvious, most of the time there is more than one viable option for you to carry out in a turn, and certainly more than one way to achieve a victory. 

The only copy I have played came from the second Kickstarter campaign, which is larger than the original and everything fits inside perfectly (which is more than I can say for Mint Delivery). Like Mint Delivery this game also boasts a solo experience. It delivers but I couldn't imagine playing it more than a handful of times, while the A.I. is tough, the game mechanics and simplicity almost don't justify sitting there and playing it on your own. Although, that being said, I found it more rewarding than a game of solitaire.   

It certainly is better than most games that play under ten minutes out there and is a great way to introduce new gamers to the worker placement mechanic. We now use it as a Water Deep lite, to warm people up to the idea before cracking out a 45 minute far deeper version of the little game they just played. I love it and have already played it over twenty times in the space of no time at all. It is a great crowd pleaser. 

For months I was unable to secure a copy as it was sold out everywhere, I am pleased that I backed the second Kickstarter run and if you like light games or want a change from the typical social deduction or push your luck fillers, then this is for you.

Anna 

The Library Pot

It is no secret that I am a boardgames cafe addict. Launching a Kickstarter and going on a mini tour has allowed me to indulge in many a cafe and gaming event. On our many travels to promote the campaign, Glori Eternia, we booked a Demo event at The Library Pot - Richmond's first board games cafe. I had wanted to visit this place as soon as I had heard about it on twitter, and the Kickstarter was a great excuse to take the trip!

We arrived totally drenched from the relentless downpour of rain, but were warmly welcomed by Rob, the owner of the cafe, and promptly seated in a comfortable booth. The Library Pot is a beautiful place, the booths and seating areas are adorned with greenery and glittering little lights. In the corner that houses the boardgames, an impressive shelving unit towers over the customers with a diverse range of games. The friendliness and hands-on attitude from the staff and owners was great, they got involved and actively encouraged people to play, allowing their customer's to enjoy themselves and get stuck into the games. There is a real sense of homeliness and comfort in The Library Pot, it is plain to see that the owners are genuine advocates of tabletop gaming and the aspects of social interaction that come with it.

Before demoing Glori Eternia we played some brief filler games with diners who were new to gaming, and had ventured in The Library Pot after hearing about it's unique appeal. We played Dobble, Pairs and Funny Farm - all very interactive games that really break the ice and let the healthy competition mount up, whilst having a laugh in the process. When it came to demoing Glori Eternia we had a lot of fun with the cafe's regulars, and even got out a funny dice game we made last year called Clench that was a rousing success with the crowd. 

The delicious menu with delectable cooked meals sets The Library Pot apart from a lot of other cafes, with the fusion of contemporary pub classics and some Japanese cuisine, it is almost like a restaurant as well as a boardgames cafe. There are lighter bites to keep hunger sated, as well as the larger and wholly satisfying meals, and most importantly - desserts! Cinnamon rolls with ice cream? Hell yes! I know I am supposed to be talking about the games, but, I cannot help myself. 

In case anyone needed further reason to visit this cafe, did I mention that there is a ball pit downstairs? Yes, you can relive those days of carefree ball pit action, just as I did! We ended up staying there very late, despite it being a weeknight and a long drive back, but it was worth it.

To sum it up, Rob and Emily were perfect hosts; both entertaining and mindful of their guest's needs. The collection of games included the classics and some hidden gems, the food was divine, the ball pit was a riot and the whole evening was unforgettable. If you want a good time in Richmond and fancy trying out some games whilst munching on some fine food then go and visit The Library Pot. I know I will be going back there very soon!

Marisa xx                 

Kickstarter Feature - Sandwich Masters by Big Punch Studios

In the realm of table top games there is a vast choice to choose from and it appears that the list keeps growing and growing! Kickstarter is a useful platform for game designers to release their creations, and Big Punch Studios are unleashing their first game through it in their new campaign. Big Punch Studios is a collective of four creatives; Nich Angell, Lucy Brown, Jon Lock and Alice White. All four imbue the talents and diverse skills needed to make their company a stonking success, they are responsible for the popular comic series of Afterlife Inc. as well as working with Titan and the BBC, and I had the pleasure of interviewing them recently about their new venture into table top territory with their game Sandwich Masters. You all know that I cannot resist a game with a food theme!

Sandwich Masters has gone live on Kickstarter recently, can you tell us a little bit about it?

Sandwich Masters is the first game that Big Punch Studios has produced. Normally, we make comics (we're the creators of Afterlife Inc., 7STRING, Cat & Meringue and Big Punch Magazine), so it's nice to exercise our love of games for a change!

Sandwich Masters is a game about sandwiches. And strategy. Oh, and sabotage. Players compete to build sandwiches, complete orders and earn noshbucks. But in the race to earn money, standards are easily forgotten. Each good ingredient has an evil counterpart. Customers won't notice the distance (is that beef or a live cow, bacon or facon?) but if someone plays a Health Inspector card, expect a hefty fine! You can also play Attack Condiments (a sneeze, broken glass) to ruin your opponents' perfectly good sandwiches.

 How long did it take you to perfect Sandwich Masters?

The original concept for Sandwich Masters came to us while stuck in a traffic jam well over a year ago. For a while afterwards we toyed with the idea on and off, coming up with random gameplay mechanics that were either adapted, adopted or discarded in later days, before dedicating a solid week where the four of us would seal ourselves away from the outside world and finalise the game. Most of the development was done in that intense session. After that, we progressed to test copies and demoing it with our local gaming community, before finally arriving at the product we have today.

 Have you always been into table top games?

For as long as we can remember! Like most people we started with family favourites such as Monopoly and Cludo, before discovering, in later life, the wealth of modern day games out there. While comics are our first love, we've all harboured dreams of making games of our own for a long time.

 What kind of games do you favour? And what are your favourites?

Games that are easy to learn but difficult to master. Games with a real visual appeal, be it a great design or something as pleasing as many, many intricate and beautiful pieces. Also, we've recently discovered and gotten into cooperative games, games where players must unite against the board.

How did the concept of Sandwich Masters come around? 

Sandwich Masters began life in that fateful traffic jam. I don't think anyone set out to create a sandwich-themed game. We were all just very hungry at the time, which I think helped. Perhaps in that delirious state of hunger we were all a little unhinged, because talk of sabotaging sandwiches seemed to make perfect sense at the time! 

Have you ever found anything untoward in a sandwich? My worst find was goatee hair.

One of the worst things we've ever found in a sandwich was probably the time Jon accidentally swallowed half a cocktail stick, which was hiding inside a particularly devilish club sandwich. It was not the best of sandwiches. 

What would be the worst thing for you to find in a sandwich?

A time paradox. Your death certificate. A black hole. Monday morning. Or possibly just too much salt. 

How long have you been a part of Big Punch Studios?

Big Punch Studios, as a company, has existed since 1 BP (otherwise known as January 2015). Before that, we operated as a collective of sorts, making comics together and exhibiting at shows. We still do that. It's just a bit more official now, what with Sandwich Masters, our business and our quarterly magazine publication, Big Punch Magazine.

Do Big Punch Studios have any more games in the pipelines?

Definitely! And maybe even some related to our comic book properties. Hint hint.

You have had a number of successful Kickstarters now, what advice would you give to newcomers?

Plan, plan and plan in advance. Consider all extra costs, such as postage and Kickstarter's administrative fees, before launching. Hit the ground running. Promote your Kickstarter well before it starts. Finally, enage with your backers. Back sure you reward them for their support and pledges any way you can. Make them feel a part of the project from Day 1.

Thank you, Big Punch Studios! You can check out the Kickstarter for Sandwich Masters here.

Thanks for reading!

Marisa xx

Button Men

As much as I adore epic table top games with great components and a playing time that absorbs you fully for an hour or two, I will always have a special place in my heart for engaging yet brief games, such as Button Men. 

Designed by James Ernest and released by Cheapass Games in 1999, this wonderful little combat dice game was one of my first experiences into the world of table top games. The game play is as simple as you want it to be, and like many dice rolling games it is short but it can be prolonged if you do as I do, and turn it into a tournament of fighters!

Button Men is a game for two players who take turns rolling their dice in order to capture each other's dice. The game was originally sold as two packs of 2.25" pin back buttons (that is badges, to all you folk from the UK), but now you can download the character's cards here for printing. The characters, or fighters, all have names, unique numbers relating to their die attacks and a little bio which usually concludes with 'and she likes to beat people up'. Essentially, the fighters are rather like street fighters or prize fighters, busting each other up for the glory.

Before the game commences players select which fighter they wish to use and collect the dice equipped to that fighter. Some fighters have the 'X' symbol, which means you can choose any die between d4 and d20 to use. Players start by rolling all of their dice, then arranging them in a row in numeric order. The person who rolls the lowest number goes first. A good game for low rollers like me. 

There are two moves you can choose from during your turn, a power attack or a skill attack. A power attack allows you to use a die of your own to capture a single die of your opponent's that is equal to or less than the number you rolled on your die. A skill attack allows you to use several of your dice to capture one of your opponents, with this attack your dice must add up exactly to the value of the die you capture. I must say, this game has really helped my poor maths skills! Once you have captured a die it is taken out of the game and into your possession, then the die you used to capture it is re-rolled and placed back into the game. This process is alternated between players until one player has had all of their dice captured. After each round you add up your score to see who has won, each captured dice is worth its size in points and each of your own dice remaining is worth half its size. The first player to win three rounds is the champion!

Just to heat things up a bit and add some extra carnage, there are some special dice rules that were introduced in various expansion packs. I tend to play with speed dice and poison dice in games, they are less complicated than some of the others and quite useful. You can use one speed die to capture any number of your opponents dice, as long as the value of your speed dice adds up exactly to the captured dice. Poison dice are tricksy as they worth negative points at the end, if you keep it you must subtract its full value from your score and if you capture it then you subtract half of the value. I like to pick a lurid green colour die to represent my poison.

This intense little game becomes so addictive, and the more you play the more strategies you discover. I would always try to take out my opponents high numbers using my rolled high numbers but I have learnt that it is worth leaving your high rolls as they are, unless your opponent can use a Skill attack to combine dice! I love seeing a stupidly low number on a d20 and capturing it with a d4 - how very satisfying. Another great thing about this inexpensive game (it is by Cheapass Games, after all) is that it is really compact, you only need a handful of buttons and an assortment of dice. I have taken this to hotels and on long journeys without any fuss, just be careful rolling. you do not want to lose dice on the train! It is also available as an app on the iphone, and it makes a pleasing dice roll sound. 

Button Men is fast, furious, cheap and fun. There are loads of fighters to choose from by various popular artists and there are several expansions, even a cute Sailor Moon one. It really is an excellent duelling game that keeps me occupied for a while.

Thanks for reading

Marisa xx

        

         

Get Lucky

A grey and wet Sunday in August means no outdoor skating or frolicking on the beach, it means indoor time, which means game time (although, any kind of weather forecast means game time at the moment!). Today's morning game was Get Lucky by Cheapass Games. Get Lucky is the card game adaptation of Kill Doctor Lucky, the classic board game and first game by Cheapass Games. You can still fully appreciate the card game even if you are yet to play the classic, and I think it is a nice way to introduce it to people. 

Doctor Lucky certainly lives up to his name, he has managed to sail through life angering everyone he has met along the way and has lived to a ripe old age...so far. Now it is time for his enemies to seek revenge, their lust for his blood has built up and one of them will be victorious tonight and succeed in killing him. We hope. 

Like most evenings that end in vengeful bloodshed, it begins with a dinner party. Doctor Lucky is hosting an elegant soiree at his mansion and has decided to invite every person who wants him dead. Every dinner guest has a reason for killing him, which is printed on the beautifully illustrated guest cards. The flavour text is witty and fun, all ending with the same reasoning: that Doctor Lucky must die!

The set up of the game is simple, I have been playing the two player version which involves an imaginary player called Howard, I shall elaborate on Howard later. Each player starts with three characters and a hand of 8 cards from the deck. Three additional characters are placed in the Drawing Room, laid out on the table in a row, with the main deck of upgrade cards face-down nearby and the other guest cards at the other end. Doctor Lucky is represented by the pawn, he moves from character to character on every turn, in numeric order. When he is on your character this signals it is your turn to play. I like to imagine him shmoozing around the room, drifting around party guests and leaving once he has delightfully insulted them enough.

On your turn you may equip a card to a character, draw a card from the deck, swap the character whose turn it is for one in the Drawing Room or make an attempt on Doctor Lucky's life. Luckily there is no hand limit in this game, which is great because if you play like me you may end up with quite a few cards! The upgrade cards in the deck are Weapon, Motive and Opportunity cards. There are also some dubious looking Spite cards in the deck that can be used to weaken your opponent's characters, but they can be used to weaken yours too so be prepared! You can equip the upgrade cards to your characters to make them more powerful and give them points that can be used to kill Doctor Lucky. The points to kill him are counteracted by luck points, these can also be found on the cards and will be used by your opponents when you make attempts to murder him. You do not want to let anyone beat you to the killing, your character wants to be the one to kill him because that is how you win the game!

There are specific upgrade cards for your character in the deck that share their name and number, if you equip these to your character then you get extra points, this helps build up your character's strength for the slaying and helps out if you are stung by a Spite card. Spite cards are used to stop a murder, they are worth one luck point and are attached to the murderer permanently, giving them -1 points. This is when the swapping of your characters with characters in the Drawing Room can come in handy, you may want to do that if one of your characters is bombarded with Spite cards. The swap also comes in handy if you have a nice stash of upgrade cards in your hand for someone in the Drawing Room and your current people are milling about with no weapon, motive or opportunity to kill. 

So, now I shall talk about Howard; the imaginary player. He comes into the game to help you out if your opponent makes an attempt on Doctor Lucky's life and you are running low on luck points to halt the murder. To counteract the murder attempt you produce luck points from your hand that correspond to the points the murderer has. If you use an upgrade card with their number on it then they immediately cease the attempt. You can also use any card that has luck points, depicted by lucky clovers on them. But when you do not have the relevant cards you must call upon Howard. He takes the reins and plays from the top of the deck, he may play up to the amount of luck that was passed to him. Any spite cards revealed are attached to the murderer whilst others are tossed onto the discard pile. Howard has been my saviour quite a few times in the past, it was rather like we were in sync, he knew the gravity of the situation and rushed to my aid like a gallant knight on his trustworthy steed, until this morning. He screwed me over big time, and our relationship will be forever strained; thanks for nothing, Howard!

Get Lucky creates a great atmosphere and is a wonderfully balanced game. The simplicity of the game play makes it appealing, and it still feels exciting even after multiple games. I find this is the case with a lot of games designed by James Ernest, such as Brawl and Button Men, which are two games that helped start my gaming obsession last year. I recommend giving Get Lucky a play soon, I think I will give it another play tonight to let Howard try to redeem himself.

Thanks for reading! I am off to Oxford tomorrow so wish me table top fun :)

Marisa xx