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 

Skull

Skull (or Skull & Roses, as it is also known as) is the perfect bluffing game for parties, drinking, travel and just casual late night chats. We have mentioned it briefly before when this blog was first set up, and it is still a firm favourite in the household. I have played this game abroad, on trains, in restaurants and over dinner. It's portable, easy to teach and pick up and fast to play. I have even taught it to people using playing cards, just 3 hearts and a spade per player. 

In this 3+ player game, each player starts by playing a card face-down, then each player in turn adds one more card to their stack, unless they feel cocky enough to challenge. The challenge consists of the player saying how many roses they think they can reveal from what has been laid down on the table without revealing a skull. Other players can outbid them, aiming to reveal even more roses. The highest bidder must then turn over the coasters starting with their own stack first. If they reveal only roses they win, if they reveal a skull they lose, sacrificing one of their cards at random and putting it out of play. Two successful challenges will win you the game, or if you are the last player left with cards. 

The base set comes with six sets of coasters but it is possible to play with more if you buy extra sets. If you have played Liars Dice aka Perudo, then you will already be familiar with the set up, as both games tread similar territory. I highly recommend this, I truly believe it is a must-have for all households.

Anna

Relic Hunters

Sometimes I get the urge to plan themed boardgame sessions, which is usually influenced by watching a certain film or by significant factors in my surroundings. Last month, watching California Man and hearing the background noise of Farcry Primal on the X-Box inspired me to get out a few (loosely) prehistoric themed games such as Stone Age and Dino Hunt Dice. This week I was reading about a new exhibit at the British Museum and it spurred me to set up an evening of treasure and relic hunting games; Temple Run: Danger Chase, Lost Cities and Forbidden Desert.

An evening of hunting for and procuring precious artefacts ensued. We would be risking our lives ransacking temples, and still be home in time for dinner. The very frantic Temple Run: Danger Chase was first on the table. The game starts after you have already entered the sacred temple and ransacked it, probably making a mess and a lot of noise. You have taken the Golden Idol and are now being pursued by the freaky demon monkey creature! The object of the game is to outlast your opponent through a series of dice rolls against the clock, the dice dictate how far you will move and how far the demon monkey will move after you. The board lengthens to allow continuous play, and the game will go on for as long as you can stay ahead of the freaky creature chasing you. Oh, relentless demon monkey, just let me take this idol - it belongs in a museum!

Lost Cities is a two player card game where hand management and set collecting come into play. Both players are launching expeditions to discover the lost and forgotten cities of the past. So, we are not just searching for treasure or relics here, we are searching for entire cities! Cities that will, undoubtedly, contain treasure and relics. The locations are represented by different coloured cards, each with number values 2 -10, and with special investment cards that can increase your success or penalise you if the expedition does not go as planned! Players take it in turns to either lay an expedition card in ascending order or discard one, then take one from the draw pile. When the draw pile runs out the game ends and the maths confusion begins for me. Being terrible at maths, I rely on calculators or my opponent's brain to do the scoring. The creator of the game, Reiner Knizia, is a doctor of Mathematics, and he uses this skill well to create amazing balanced games. 

Forbidden Desert was one of my birthday presents that I have already mentioned here. The cooperative game for adventurers searching the sun-scorched desert for a legendary flying machine, rumoured to be buried under the ruins of a forgotten city. Working against the clock and events such as sandstorms, an ever-changing board and lack of water you must move and flip over the tiles to uncover the lost machine parts, and do so before you are buried in the sand or die of thirst. This game is fast-paced and fun, it really set the theme of the treasure hunting evening and was a good one to end on, especially as we were victorious! We found that legendary flying machine and flew it the heck out of there. 

The treasure and relic hunting evening was a success, even though we did not leave the room we felt as frazzled and elated as two adventurers who had escaped nasty booby traps or some freaky demons. This weekend I have been watching a string of Arnold Schwarzenegger films, so perhaps they will inspire me to theme another evening. What games would you associate Arnie with?

Thanks for reading, have a good week!

Marisa xx                   

Dinner With The Dark!

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to dine in a darkened room, surrounded by glowing decorations, whilst playing a strategic party game with a group of strangers? Well, the option is now available!

Dinner With The Dark will take place on 25th March 2016 in Antwerp, and it will be quite an evening of surprises and fun! Guests will be invited into a dim room that will be lit up by various glow in the dark decorations, then throughout the meal they will be participating in the party game DEER LORD. Each guest will receive five glow sticks and five 'do something' cards that tell them what to perform during the meal. These things could be as subtle as scratching your head, making up a story or as blunt as banging your head on the table. The guests must act out what is on their cards without getting caught, if they do then they lose a glow stick to their accuser. But, if the accuser is wrong...then they lose a glow stick to the accused! The dinner guest with the most glow sticks at the end of the meal is the winner. The game is all about deceiving and being coy; a bluffer's dream come true.    

This unique and unforgettable event is being organised by Nebulous Dinners, a group of BBA students from KU Leuven in Brussels. Their combined passion for gaming and helping others brought them together for a school project that has led to Nebulous Dinners being formed, with the proceeds going to the charity Restos Du Couer. They have set up an impressive campaign on Indie gogo for funding and so far have received over 21% of the goal.

Board games can liven up any party and break the ice. Adding the extra elements of having the room eerily lit and playing a game that is all about outfoxing each other in subtle ways makes for a very interesting night.          

Dinner tickets are available here. If you can't make it to the meal, like myself, but fancy playing the game and helping out, then you can pledge for the PnP of Deer Lord and other merchandise. You could then host your own crazy dining experience with friends and family! 

Thanks for reading.

Marisa xx

Christmas Card Exchange on BoardGameGeek

Do you love receiving Christmas cards? Have you ever fancied participating in a Christmas card exchange with folks from all over the world? Then head on over to BoardGameGeek, and sign up for the Ninth Annual Christmas Card Exchange! 

I have signed up already, as I just love getting cards through the post. Having the internet is brilliant and sending instant messages is efficient and sometimes vital but there is something special about receiving snail mail.  

If you want to join in the card fun then sign up before November 21st! I must dash as I have neglected my plays on BGG and must log them like a good little gamer.

Thanks for reading!

Marisa xx

Interview with Jeff Dehut - Pocket Dungeon Quest

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jeff Dehut, the creator of the dungeon crawling game Pocket Dungeon Quest. Jeff's background in graphic design and photography has helped steer him in his current roles as Game Designer, Artist and Animator - he is a busy man and is even busier since launching the first expansion to PDQ on Kickstarter, Don't Go Alone. Have a look at the interview below!     

When did you start working as a Games Designer? Did you start freelance or for a company?  

I started working in Games as an Artist and Animator for a small company who was just getting started in the industry. After about a year and a half they were really struggling and let a bunch of people in their App Dept go, I was one of them. So it was at that point that I started working freelance as a Game Designer and Artist.

Have you always had a passion for table top games?

Oh yes. I have always loved games of all kinds. I was probably more influenced by video games though. I had an original Gameboy and played Tetris quite often. I used to draw ideas I had for board games and video games in my sketchbooks.

How did you come up with the concept for PDQ?

The idea came from thinking about the differences between tabletop games and video games. Since I had just come from designing levels and characters for mobile games I wondered if it was possible to bring video game concepts to a tabletop. It turns out that you can, and it is very enjoyable in my opinion. Also, I have always loved fantasy, and I love drawing cute, cartoony characters. So naturally, when it came time to make a theme for my game that is the direction I chose.

'Don't Go Alone' is your first expansion for PDQ, tell us a little about it.

The whole idea behind Pocket Dungeon Quest is making a play on video game concepts and converting them to work on a tabletop. So, with Don’t Go Alone I wanted to continue that theme. What this expansion is all about is equipping the Heroes of PDQ with better Gear that will aid them as they crawl through the Dungeon in search of the three Relics. Don’t Go Alone also opens up some new gameplay mechanics which will allow me to expand the Pocket Dungeon Quest universe even more in future updates. I have a lot of ideas and I hope I get a chance to implement them!

Your illustrations for PDQ are great, did you have any artistic influences when you studied as a Graphic Designer that inspired you to create these images? 

Growing up I loved comic books and cartoons. Batman was my all-time favorite hero, so I was definitely influenced by those types of things. I wouldn’t really nail down a specific artist that I always looked to. I had a lot of really great teachers going through Highschool and College that really helped shape my technique and style. I think my education in Graphic Design really helped me to see my illustrations in their most simple forms and really brought out the cartoony aspects even more.

Do you have a favourite hero to play as in PDQ or a favourite monster?

I love playing PDQ with all of the Heroes for different reasons. My favorite Hero to draw is by far the Warrior, though the Archer is a close second. I love their costumes in particular and usually play around with drawing them in different ways. Haha, my favorite Monster is one that isn’t in the game…yet. He is coming in Don’t Go Alone as an added Monster Pack. He is a play on the Beholder from DnD and he’s just so cute!

What are your favourite games of all time?

Oh boy. There are so many. Tabletop games; Smallworld, Catan, 7 Wonders, Power Grid, King of Tokyo, then classics like Water Works, Chinese Checkers, many Playing Card games. As far as video games go; Minecraft, The Elder Scrolls games, Borderlands 2, Diablo 3, and I could go on because I am always finding new games that are great for different reasons.

How was your experience at Gen Con 2015?

GenCon was amazing. I got to meet the team from AdMagic who are my manufacturers. They are a great bunch of cool people, and very helpful to someone just getting started in the Indie Board Game industry. I was demoing my game pretty much the whole time so I didn’t get to walk around and see too much, but what I did see was very impressive. Lots of great cosplay costumes, lots of great games, and just a bunch of great people having a good time playing great games.

If you had to go delving in a dungeon, what three items would you bring along, and why?

A torch to see by, a sword to swing at all those monsters, and a nice leather purse for all the precious gems I would find. (:

Jeff  Dehut

Thanks, Jeff! You can check out the Kickstarter for Don't Go Alone here

Looney Labs Holiday Gift

I know it is a little early, but if you are a fan of Looney Labs games (creators of Fluxx and Just Desserts) then you should get onto their website for a special festive treat! 

Looney Labs are generously sending a limited amount of secret items out to their fans over Christmas. They have been doing this for many years, and I think they rather enjoy playing Santa!

So head over to the Looney Labs website, fill in the webform to qualify and see if you make it onto the Nice list :D   

Thanks for reading! Keep checking back as I am working on a creepy blog list.

Marisa xx

Food, Glorious Food!

I like to eat, I like to eat a lot. I also like to cook and spend hours looking through recipe books for the perfect dish. Finding games with a food theme always gets me excited, before I became rather obsessed with table top games I played Nintendo's Cooking Mama and Cake Mania to death. The Food Network channel would be on constantly, and whether it was Nigella Lawson cooking up a calorific treat or Adam Richman taking on insane food challenges, I would be consumed by it for a spell. So I was pleased to find many games that tantalise the taste buds and allow you to get creative without making a mess in the kitchen or ruining your appetite. Here is my list of food themed games that I have enjoyed.

1. Fish Cook

This is a Euro-style game about top chefs in Paris competing to have the best recipes by earning the most money and prestige. It is a game of strategy and dice rolling. The dice rolls determine the amount of ingredients available in the markets and players must choose which items to buy in order to make their desired dishes. You must choose wisely, as once an ingredient is out of stock then that round is over and you must cook up your dishes to earn money. There are three rounds, you may cook up as many of your recipes as you can after the market phase is over, and perhaps even steal a recipe from an opponent in the process. This is a really fun game, the dice rolls gave the luck element but you can use your initiative to make sure you gather the vital ingredients.

2. Sushi Dice

I have already gone into detail about the excellent game of Sushi Dice here. Frantic dice rolling to match the ingredients on the cards and frenzied bell ringing which alerts the neighbours that you either have a very unresponsive servant or you are, in fact, just playing Sushi Dice.

3. Fungi/Morels   

This beautifully illustrated card game is all about gathering delectable mushrooms and frying them in the woods by moonlight. As a set collecting game for two players, you must forage the forest for mushrooms using tools or aides that you acquire though the deck. The mushrooms have two values; what they sell for and what they are worth if you cook them. You may cook three or more of the same kind at a time, and the rarer the mushroom, the more value it has. Adding butter or cider to the sizzling pan of mushrooms increases your points, and adds to the flavour. Whoever has the highest points at the end of the game is the champion forager.

4. Just Desserts

Now this card game just makes me hungry for desserts, I have a real sweet tooth anyway so it is hard to play this without raiding the kitchen afterwards. Players must serve customers at a cafe, they must be the best waiter there by serving up what the customers crave. You can combine card symbols in your hand to win over customers, unless you have their favourite dish in your hand which not only gets you their card but you get a tip (which is drawing an extra dessert card, very handy). To win, you must have three customers in a matching colour or five customers in different colours. This set collecting game is delicious to look at, and each card is unique. I need more dessert games!

5. Sushi Go!

Another sushi game. Sushi is tasty and aesthetically pleasing, and these sushi morsels are as cute as buttons! The setting for this card drafting game is a fast food sushi restaurant, where dishes zoom by on a conveyor belt and you have to grab the best combination that you can. Players choose a card from their hand and pass the cards over to another player, collecting sets that will win them the most points. Combining wasabi with nigiri triples the value of the nigiri, so wasabi is a sough-after card. Also, keep an eye out for pudding, as whoever finishes the game with the most pudding gets bonus points and whoever has the least gets penalised. Sushi Go is very enjoyable and simple to play. There are three rounds of the game, and I am sure you will want to go again and again. 

6. Elevenses

Such an elegant looking game! But beware; elegant socialites hosting morning tea can be highly conniving. In Elevenses, you are creating the perfect spread of sandwiches, biscuits, cakes and tea. Each player starts with eleven morning tea cards, and each card has a point value and special action. For instance, the Tea card has a value of 1 (the teaspoon icon in the right is the value) and the special action states 'Choose a player, flip one of tablecloth cards valued 2 - 9 face-down' Ouch! The special actions on the cards make things interesting as cards are passed back and forth, flipped over, peeked at and stolen. The round ends when a player plays the Elevenses card. Whoever has the most points is rewarded two sugar cubes and the others get one, rounds then continue until someone wins by getting seven sugar cubes. That is a lot of sugar! 

7. Lord of the Fries

This game looks quite different from the last eatery-based game. Welcome to Friedeys, a fast-food establishment where your server is a decaying zombie, but at least he is wearing the appropriate diner attire complete with the classic cap. One can only hope that he has gained the basic food hygiene certificate. This game is really simple to play and extremely fun. Players choose orders from the menu, either through dice rolls or by picking something they think their opponent will struggle to make, and try to make the order with cards from their hand. When one player plays their last card then the round is over, points are totalled and any leftover cards in hand are worth minus points. There are four rounds of menu madness, and you may still feel peckish at the end. 

8. Fishfry

This is one of my favourite filler games, it is very quick to play but it has lots of replayability. Fishfry is a dice rolling game that consists of five custom dice. Players may roll the dice up to three times, trying to catch the largest fish to fry. You must roll a head and a tail to score points, and various sized fishy body bits to add to the score. If you roll a small panfish then you may not re-roll that and it counts as one point. If you roll five panfish then you shout 'FISHFRY!', you have fried up all your fish and instantly win. Mini Fishfry tournaments happen at my place regularly, usually before Dino Hunt Dice, whenever the mood for constant rolling and re-rolling hits.

So that is my list of foodie games. Are there any food themed games that you enjoy playing? I would love to hear about them.

Thanks for reading!

Marisa xx

                           

Breakneck Blitz

I have been absent from blogging for a bit as life has been rather crazy this month. Aside from the usual work, I have been involved in the artwork design and play testing of Breakneck Blitz; a new game by British Briefs that was Kickstarted in August. I created guest artwork for a few characters and many arena maps, using my favourite techniques of lino-cutting and watercolours for the characters, and pen and digital colour for the arenas. As I type this, Breakneck Blitz arenas are scattered all over my place, I have been playing it a lot to make sure the obstacle placement works. Masquerading as a freelance artist can be rewarding, especially when you get given an exciting brief to work from such as this. This was my first venture into game illustration and I hope I will do more in the future, as combining my love for drawing and gaming was so much fun.

Two of the many arenas available, Ginger Dread design (Left) and Retro Rumble (Right)

Breakneck Blitz is played on a square grid, players draw out their movement line for the character they select and try to outlast their opponent in the arena. The game is rather like a futuristic gladiator arena combined with Rollerball. Players act as Blitzers, which are cybernetically-enhanced skaters, and they face each other off in an endurance skate to the death, keeping skating whilst throwing a few tricks out there to impede their opponents. It was inspired by old school Roller Derby. In the 1930s it was more of an endurance skate, but it was still just as vicious, if not more!

A selection of some of the Blitzers. My little dude, Axolotl Trouble, is hiding in there.

Each Blitzer has three special abilities that can be used only once. These abilities vary and could be a boost in speed, turning 90 degrees, causing an explosion behind your opponent, escaping death, jumping etc. The list goes on! The special moves are vital as movement on the grid is not straighforward when your opponent is trying to trap you.

To start, players agree on a starting point and draw a line up to one grid in length, at opposite ends of the arena. The first player then moves into any of the eight neighbouring points on the grid, then their opponent makes a move. Players may move up, down, left or right from their starting move and then may choose to move to any point within their trajectory. You build up speed by gradually moving two or more points at a time, and slow down at the same rate. If you hit any walls, obstacles, each other's lines or your own lines then you are out of the game. Of course, some of these end game scenarios can be prevented if your Blitzer has certain special abilities that allow you to rapidly increase speed, brake abruptly or cheat death!

After playing obscene amounts of my arena maps, I ended up developing a few strategies to outlast my opponents. Holding back on using your special abilities unless it is an emergency (I'm heading straight towards a wall - argh!) and not heading directly towards my opponent but allowing them to chase me were good moves. That is probably something I would do in real life too, skate away from the danger! This game requires a fair amount of strategy and second guessing your opponent's moves, as well as picking the character with skills you know you will utilise effectively. The All-star move, which is a wild card, is a nice all-rounder.

The original game artwork is slick and it looks pretty cool. It has a 1980s/early 1990s nostalgic feel to it, especially with Blitzers like 'Basket Casey' paying homage to The Breakfast Club. Several different artists (including meeee, shameless gloating wheeeee!) were involved in character and arena creation, but the game was designed and implemented by the man behind British Briefs, Lewis Terry. It is an enjoyable and intense game that can be played quickly or be drawn out into a longer and more epic fight if you get a number of people involved, as it can take up to eight players. You can play in teams or as individuals, and things can get very heated quickly! Breakneck Blitz was available as a print and play on Kickstarter, it has just been sent out to all the backers but it will be available to purchase online in the near future. In the meantime, come to my place - I have printed out and laminated nearly every arena available!

Thanks for reading

Marisa xx

                     

Ninja Bowling by Odd Hackwelder

I always get excited when a package arrives at the door, it is going to be something I kickstarted or something shiny from Amazon. Yesterday it was Ninja Bowling by Hacko Games, and I dived straight in for some good old fashioned bowling fun - with a twist. Ninja Bowling is a dexterity card game, picture traditional bowling pins being decimated by ninja throwing stars and you have got the idea. It is easier than actual bowling for me, and there is no need to wear the musky rental shoes. 

The game was designed and published by Odd Hackwelder, the man who created Monster 55 and M80, an assortment of fun and light card games that are simple to learn but also challenging (in a good way!) if you are a little clumsy and slow to react like me. 

To begin, players set up six pins in a triangle formation, almost like they would be set up in a alley. Players then take it in turns to throw three stars at their opponents pins. When you throw the stars, your hand can not go past the front of your own pins. If a star lands on a pin, or multiple pins, then those pins are swept to the side and removed. After one round, count up the pins that were knocked out and whoever got the most gets a Spare card. If your stars managed to touch all of the pins then you get a Strike card. In the two player game, if a player gets a Spare and then wins the next round too then their Spare becomes a Strike! The winner is the player who gets three Strikes. 

The two versions I ordered were the two player version and the mini multi player version. The two player version is a normal playing card size and the mini version is for two - six players. The mini version is very similar to the normal one, with the exceptions that you are collecting your opponent's cards when you achieve a Spare or a Strike and you may target any player during your turn. 

The game is simple to pick up, easy to assemble and quite fun. It gets a bit competitive as you hurl the stars across the table at each other. It was looking good for me at one point as I had two Strikes and my swinging wrist action seemed unusually coordinated. But, alas, victory was swiped from me as I threw some stars too hard and they slid off the table. I had polished it earlier in the day, I blame my loss on that.

I imagine a ninja would go bowling this way, but would they wear the rental shoes that squeak awkwardly and unstealthily when you trip up trying to administer an under-arm bowling action?         

Thanks for reading!

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

Top Ten of the Two Hundred

Last month I completed the 200 different games challenge, it was intense but so much fun. It was great to go through all of the unplayed games in my home and explore new ones. August seemed to be the longest month, which was good because we had a lot of ground to cover. Here is my round-up of the top ten games from this challenge.

1. Imperial Settlers

A Fantastic civilisation building card game for 1 - 4 players. Players are settling in to a new world, erecting buildings, gathering resources and maybe even trading with other factions. Imperial Settlers is totally addictive and hugely enjoyable, every different faction has unique abilities and with the added bonus of the expansion pack Why Can't We Be Friends things get even crazier. Everyone must play this game!

2. Five Tribes

This is a very unique game for 2 - 4 players that blends elements of worker placement, area control, bidding, set collecting and strategy; all wrapped up in a beautifully designed package that is Arabian themed. There are so many different ways to score points in this game that you cannot judge who the winner will be until the scoring sheet comes out at the end.

3. Splendor

A card drafting and set collecting game for 2 - 4 players that is so shiny! You take on the role of a merchant trying to acquire gem mines, transportation and shops in order to boost your prestige and attract attention from wealthy nobles. I do love this kind of genre, collecting and saving up my gems in order to purchase pricier items; a buyer's paradise!

4. Waggle Dance

A worker placement and dice rolling game for 2 - 4 players, with different stages involved in each round, and it is all about making the most honey in your hive. You may build up your hive, lay eggs to be hatched into more worker bees, collect various kinds of nectar, then return the nectar to the hive and make the honey. I have never had so many dice to roll in a game before, my little hands were bulging with them! A great game, one I need for my collection. Oh, Santa...

5. Arcadia Quest

This is a miniatures fantasy campaign-based game. Players control a guild of three heroes throughout each scenario, battling against Monsters and each other, whilst completing quests. It is so much fun and probably my favourite game of this genre that I have played so far, those damn cute heroes and their special abilities make it extra cool. The added bonus is that when a hero dies they can return to the game after resting and pick up a Death Curse for the next Scenario. This is good for me to have heroes that resurrect as mine die constantly! 

6. Machi Koro

A city building and dice rolling game that is completely addictive and very simple to learn. Players take on the role of Mayor and take it in turns to develop their small cities, choosing which landmark to build carefully, what will help you reap profits and what will hinder your opponents? This game is a good one to introduce to people who are new to table top games.

7. Tokaido

I consider this game to be my relaxing and soothing hour, it is great to play after a tough day as I find it very calming. Players are travelling across the 'East Sea Road' and taking in the sights, the smells and the entire experience of the journey. Each character has unique qualities and you can use these to your advantage to gain extra points. Whether it is meeting new people, visiting a spa, earning money at the farm or purchasing lavish souvenirs; you can leisurely stroll across the road or pick up the pace. This game plays really smoothly and is rather serene.

8. Cartagena 2: The Pirate's Nest

This is very similar to my beloved Cartagena, players are racing their escaped pirates to the safe haven of a Pirate's Nest in Tortuga, but who will get there first? This time there are two islands to get through and instead of moving pieces backwards to gain extra cards, you must move your opponents pieces forwards. Oh dear, this is tricksy! But it is jolly good, me hearty.

9. Bohnanza

A fantastic card trading and set collecting game for 3 - 5 players. Players earn coins by planting fields of beans and harvesting them, whilst trading with others. You may plant a maximum of three fields and cannot rearrange the order of cards in your hand. Trading comes in useful when you have to lay a bean and your fields are full of beans that do not match the one in your hand! This game has been widely recommended to me and I can see why, it is very absorbing and engaging.

10. Mai-Star

This is a strategic card game with a Japanese Geisha theme. Players are competing to be the most powerful and popular Geisha by attracting guests, preferably wealthy ones, and by increasing their stature and skills through the means of advertisements. This impresses the guests and slowly you can build a higher rank of clientèle, whilst sneakily sabotaging your opponent's chances. This attractive and exciting game is unpredictable and brutal at times, you never know what is coming your way. Play it, and see what I mean!

So, those games were my absolute top picks of the challenge. I did enjoy many more but I fear listing every one of them would send you all to sleep. Perhaps one day I shall do it, one cold autumnal evening I will wrap up in a blanket and plough through the long list in intricate detail. Perhaps.

Thanks for reading!

Marisa xx