Paradice Found

Last week I finally got the chance to visit Paradice; the new board games cafe in Bromley. After bowing out of work early, my partner in crime and I jumped in the car and drove through perilous traffic to reach the cafe in time for a few games and to check the place out. As we had limited time at Paradice we only managed to squeeze in a couple of games, but we also got to meet the Managing Director, Jason Grimwood, chat to other staff members and munch on some snacks before closing.

Paradice is large, plenty of room for gaming! Downstairs is the board games cafe and shop, upstairs has a nice set up of tables and scenery for war gaming and miniatures gaming. The cafe offers a good selection of hot and cold snacks, and scrumptious cake, of course. The board games library is quite large already, even though the establishment has only been open a few months. There is a lot of choice, with many different genres of games, and I wanted to play so many games! The ground area is spacious, and it soon filled up with people of playing and laughing.  

The two games we got to play were Ghostbusters and Click Clack Lumberjack. Being a Ghostbusters fan, I had been eager to play this and was happy to finally get the opportunity. I had heard of it being compared to Zombicide, so that made me rather excited too. Ghostbusters, by Cryptozoic Entertainment, has the same levelling up system as Zombicide, they are both cooperative games, they share the same movement and point system but Ghostbusters is much lighter and more predictable than Zombicide. The set up was easy, and the rules were simple to grasp, which was a bonus. I did enjoy the nods to the movie, my favourite being the symbols on the dice and gates mirroring the cards Peter Venkman uses to test his subject's psychic abilities. 

Click Clack Lumberjack by Justin Oh was an unexpected gem of a game! A fun dexterity experience where you get to swing an axe at a log. No, you should really gently tap the log! Players take it in turns to GENTLY tap the log with the plastic axe to allow bark segments to fall out, but not enough to knock the tree core out. Knocking out the bark segments will give you one point, knocking out a bark segment with a hidden grub inside gives you an extra point, and knocking out a tree core gives you minus five points. In one clumsily fuelled swing I managed to knock down the entire thing; an instant failure in the game but maybe good Lumberjacking in the real world? This game was easy to assemble, very easy to learn and extremely fun to play. I was surprised that we played it so many times, it is addictive and perfect for a very light session. I felt quite sad packing it up, as it meant the end of our boardgames cafe excursion and a long drive home.  

Bromley is where I grew up; I had lived there my entire life up until last year. The addition of Paradice is a fantastic thing for Bromley, it needs a place like that for people to gather and enjoy quality time with friends and family. Like all boardgames cafes, it reinforces friendly socialising and using your brain to have fun. 

Thanks for reading!

Marisa xx

       

I finally finished updating my game plays of 2015 the other day, it took a rather long time as I had to log plays from December 2014 to June 2015. Yes, I have been very bad at logging plays...but I promise I will keep on top of it this year. After logging them all meticulously onto Boardgamegeek I checked the final count and I was thrilled to learn that I played 1,992 games in 2015! That is not too shabby for a relatively new gamer. Those games were an eclectic mixture of brief filler games, medium card, dice and strategy games, more robust boardgames and larger meatier games.  

It is funny to think that I was totally oblivious to this expansive and wondrous world of gaming just over a year ago, and it is interesting to see how I dove head first into the throngs of tabletop games. I was seduced by the shiny dice, the beautifully crafted boards and components but, most especially, by the unity and interaction that comes when playing a game with another person. 

To immerse oneself in a game, for me, is much like getting lost in a good book or trying out a new move in your skates - the same kind of thrill is released. You are using brain power; strategy, dexterity or even just counting your lucky stars. It is strange to say it, but being introduced to tabletop games has affected my life in a positive way. It has made me gain more confidence, given me the inspiration and the platform to start writing again, it has taken me on some great road trips around the country in pursuit of new games and experiences and has led me to make new and welcoming friends. 

So, that was my mushy little ramble! I look forward to writing a lot more, and gaming a lot more. I have lots of gaming adventures planned this year already, including more trips to new board games cafes. Quite a few fresh ones need to be checked out, and their cakes need sampling too.

Thanks for reading

Marisa xx     

The Dice Saloon

Brighton is always an exciting and unique place to visit; with it's fusion of British seaside scenery, heady bohemian atmosphere and the colourful attractions that echo the city's nightlife. The lanes are bursting with vibrancy and flavour, even in the hidden recesses there are places to delight and tempt you (yes, Choccywoccydoodah, I am talking to you!). But now there is another reason to visit, and that is the new board games café - The Dice Saloon!

This establishment boasts a sizeable area at 2,000 sq. foot whilst catering for all forms of table top gaming, and hosting tournaments and events in their extremely comfortable setting. There are designated areas for war games, RPG tables and board games in the café. There is a growing library of games to play ,that has multiplied since my first visit. There is a shop section selling a vast array of games and war gaming merchandise and materials, and of course there is the café which offers delicious snacks and homemade treats. The friendly and knowledgeable staff make the experience even more memorable, as it feels like you are in your local games shop, chilling and playing fun games. There is something most familiar and welcoming about The Dice Saloon that makes me want to do the long drive just to spend some hours in that environment. There is a good selection of games in the library that whet a variety of appetites. Ah, I could quite easily camp out all day and night in a board games café, as long as the food keeps on coming to fuel me! Constant gaming and occasional eating are top priorities in my life right now. 

During my first visit to The Dice Saloon, a shipment of new games had just arrived and I was one of the lucky ones to unbox and play Blood Rage, which was great as I am still eagerly awaiting my copy. My other favourite game of the day was Forbidden Island and that has gone on my Christmas list!

Blood Rage is an epic strategic game with the mechanics of area control and card drafting. The beautifully sculpted miniatures and fine artwork make this game aesthetically pleasing as well as very enjoyable to play. I gained points by dying and having my warriors placed in Valhalla. Points for being killed? Yes please! Very handy for fodder like myself.    

  

Forbidden Island is a co-operative game. I love this game, not just because it has fantastic artwork and great components but because it plays so smoothly and the experience feels different every time. Players draw cards to reveal which part of the land will flood, the flooded tiles are then turned over. If they draw the same card again and it has not been saved then it sinks. You must collect ancient relics before the lands they are resting in sink, and you must keep the helicopter escape pad safe. This is great fun, a race against time and water.

I made a few purchases from the shop and topped up my pretty dice collection, adding some lurid colours to the jar. I have visited this cafe twice now, and hope to go there again before Christmas to take over another table for the day. The Dice Saloon is really is an excellent venue to visit, so next time you are in Brighton why not drop by, sink into the comfy seats and enjoy some games in good company.   

Thanks for reading!

Marisa xx

Dead Man's Draw

The last few days have been a frenzy of driving around, preparing for the coming month and playing as many new games as possible in order to complete the 200 different games in one month challenge. The list is getting rather extensive now, even with the occasional interruption of a few cheeky games of Imperial Settlers and the like, I believe we have played 174 different games and there are still some days left to complete it - it shall be done! Hitting Draughts, Thirsty Meeples and Marquee Models in the past few weeks was fantastic, as I have discovered so many new games through this.

In order to play 200 different games in one month, whilst maintaining work and a home has been a challenge in itself. It has been made easier, though, by great little filler games, Such as Dead Man's Draw. This piratical push your luck card game is published by Mayday Games and was originally released as a digital game by Stardock. It is all about plundering bountiful loot, without going bust and losing it all; a game about taking risks and reaping rewards. 

Players take it in turn to draw cards from the deck. You keep flipping over cards to reveal the loot, or peril, and lay them in a row by the deck if they are safe. Some cards make you immediately go bust, causing you to lose all the cards you just drew. On your turn, you can bank as many cards as you wish, providing you have not gone bust. You stop flipping cards and declare you have stopped, taking the cards you drew and keeping them face-up in front of you. How do you go bust, you ask? If you pick up a card that you have already revealed in that suit then you go bust! If you draw the Kraken card then that forces you to draw two more cards - which puts the rest of the cards you just drew at stake! Luckily, if you draw the Anchor card then that saves you a little, as it allows you to keep all the cards you just drew before it, even if you go bust afterwards. 

Much like a pirate, you are making a gamble with your treasure if you get too greedy, and you are doing dastardly deeds to try and come out on top. The Cannon card allows you to destroy an opponent's banked card, and the Sword lets you steal a card from your opponent. You may additionally use cards to combine abilities in order to source more or destroy more cards. The game ends when the deck is depleted, and whoever has the most points after totalling up their card values wins the game.

There is a simpler version and a more advanced one, but as we were on a time limit with stacks of games to play in the cafe we stuck to this version.   

Dead Man's Draw is a fun, fast-paced card game with beautiful illustrations and fine quality cards. It is simple to play, yet still involves some careful strategic thinking. In my endeavour to play as many games as I can, I have come across numerous pirate-themed card games and board games, and this game (along with Cartagena) is one of the best I have encountered so far.

Thanks for reading

Marisa xx

Eight Minute Empire: Legends

One of the first games I played at Thirsty Meeples was Eight Minute Empire: Legends, by Red Raven Games. This is a sequel to the original Eight Minute Empire, and it is a standalone game rather than an expansion. The game focuses on building an empire by gaining territory and using strategic moves, in a fast-paced fashion. Eight Minute Empire is one of my most played games at home. I picked it up at MCM London in May and I have played it an obscene amount of times. It is wonderful how the game is so compact, with so much to offer in eight minutes - possibly longer if you deliberate over your turns like I do at times. All of the dilemmas approach; which card to choose from the row, which block to move? Do I want to start amassing a small army abroad or produce more armies in the starting base? Oh, the choices!

Eight Minute Empire: Legends, like the original, is played on a modular board that gives you options in the set-up of your map. Once the board is assembled you may select which colour you wish to be. Each player gets a number of blocks and three cities, they place four of the blocks in a central area on the board. The blocks represent armies, that you will be sending out to seize land and populate the areas with. In the two player version I played, another colour is selected to act as a third player on the map and ten more blocks are placed in random places. At the start of the game, players bid to see who goes first using the coins they are allocated, the number of coins will depend on how many players are in the game. 

The deck of cards is shuffled and six cards are laid face up in a row, at the top of the board. The deck lies nearby, ready for the players to draw again and replenish the cards taken. Players take turns to select a card and carry out the action on it, it could be to add more armies, build a city, move armies, or destroy an opposing army block. When cards are taken, the rest are shifted to the left, and a new card is revealed from the deck and placed down. The first card in the row is free, then the rest can be bought using coins from your hand. Once shifted, the older cards become slightly more affordable and the new one is the most expensive. The Legends cards have special abilities that allow you to gain extra Victory Points. To win the game your armies must control the most territory, and your collected cards can help give you bonus points. 

If you get a card that allows you to build a city then you get to place the insanely cute castle on an area of the board where you have one of your armies, and then you can spawn armies from there in future turns. This is ideal if you have a rogue block across the sea, then you can dominate more territory.          

The game ends when each player has a certain amount of cards, again, this depends on how many people are playing as Legends is a 2 - 4 player game. At the end you score points based on how many regions and islands you control, and add up any extra points that your cards have added. This is a highly enjoyable game, it is brief but it gets very heated and after one game I always want another straight after. The board and the cards are beautifully illustrated by the designer, Ryan Laukat, with legendary creatures and mythical lands. The rich artwork, quick set-up and smooth game mechanics make this one a perfect choice, building an empire in 8 minutes or so never looked so good!

Thanks for reading.

Marisa xx

Thirsty Meeples

I have just returned from a relaxing and indulgent mini break to Oxford, where I spent three days at Thirsty Meeples, the board games cafe. 

The cafe is cosy, with a vibrant and lively atmosphere. The walls are piled high with games to play, such a vast amount that some shelves are even stacked to the ceiling. The front of the cafe houses games that are available to purchase, a generous selection that tempted me greatly. The counter is adorned with mini games, card decks and colourful cakes behind the glass (keeping them safe from the likes of me). The interior of the cafe is like a gamer's dream come true; a haven for table top lovers and anyone who wishes to get engrossed in a good game whilst eating and drinking yummy things. The staff were friendly and keen to explain the rules of new games, as well as recommend some of their favourites to customers or ones they thought would appeal.   

All three days we were there, the cafe was bustling with customers, booking tables in advance was a great idea. It felt rather good to sit back, drinking delicious milk shakes whilst playing absorbing and exciting games. I like to think of myself as a milkshake connoisseur, so I was very pleased to sample the Terry's Chocolate Orange milkshake. it was just like drinking a dessert - fantastic!  

But back to the most important part of this post: The games. We played twenty-five games, lots of different genres including brief dice games, card games, set collecting, dungeon crawling, worker placement, strategy and adventure games. We arrived at the cafe armed with a handwritten list of all the games we wanted to try out, thinking we would get to play maybe half of them. We actually got to play all but three on the list and instead played four that were not even on the list. Some of the highlights for me were Waggle Dance, Five Tribes, Cartagena 2, Mai-Star and Eight Minute Empire Legends.   

Board game cafes are a brilliant idea, I have only visited two so far but I hunger for more. There are others opening in the near future, Dice is opening in Portsmouth after a successful Kickstarter, Board are in Exeter and Dice and Donuts are opening in Lancashire with a Kickstarter still in progress, and there are more board game cafes in the works that are yet to be finalised. I feel a few more road trips are in order.

Thanks for reading, go and play a game now! I shall write more about the games I played in the next post.   

Marisa xx