Age Restriction: 8 +
Cockroach Poker Royal
As in its parent game Kakerlakenpoker, Kakerlakenpoker Royal has nothing to do with poker – except that the game is all about bluffing, but with cards showing cockroaches, rats and stink bugs instead of queens, 10s and aces. To set up the game, shuffle the deck and deal the cards out to players. On a turn, a player takes one card from his hand, lays it face down on the table, slides it to a player of his choice, and declares a type of critter, e.g., “Stink bug”. The player receiving the card either:
Accepts the card, says either “true” or “false”, then reveals the card. If this player is wrong in her claim, she keeps the card on the table in front of her face up; if she is right, the player who gave her the card places it face up before him.
Or passes the card to another player, peeking at it first, then keeping it face-down and either saying the original type of critter or saying a new type. This new player again has the choice of accepting the card or passing it, unless the card has already been seen by all other players in which case the player must accept it and make a true/false claim.
The game ends when a player has no cards to pass on his turn or when a player has four cards of the same critter on the table in front of him. In either case, this player loses and everyone else wins.
To this, Kakerlakenpoker Royal adds new rules and new nasty “royal” critters to create more options for players during the game.
Read MoreKingdom Builder
Players create their own kingdoms by skillfully building their settlements, aiming to earn the most gold at the end of the game.
Nine different kinds of terrain are on the variable game board, including locations and castles. During their turn, a player plays their terrain card and builds three settlements on three hexes of this kind. If possible, a new settlement must be built next to one of that player’s existing settlements. When building next to a location, the player may seize an extra action tile that they may use from their next turn on. These extra actions allow extraordinary actions such as moving your settlements.
By building next to a castle, the player will earn gold at the end of the game, but the most gold will be earned by meeting the conditions of the three Kingdom Builder cards; these three cards (from a total of ten in the game) specify the conditions that must be met in order to earn the much-desired gold, such as earning gold for your settlements built next to water hexes or having the majority of settlements in a sector of the board.
Read MoreDragon’s Gold
In Dragon’s Gold, each player controls a team of dragon hunters (two knights, a thief, and a wizard). Like all dragon hunters, they have only one goal: gold, silver, jewels and magic objects. As for actually killing a dragon? It’s a piece of cake. But the most difficult part comes after the dragon is dead: the adventuring party has to figure out how to share the spoils.
As soon as a dragon is overpowered, then some additional gems are revealed, and the players who had participated in that hunting party start a negotiation over how to divvy up the gems. If the sixty-second sand timer runs out, then no one gets treasure. When all of the dragons have been slain and the treasure claimed or discarded, the game ends and players score for their holdings, with silver and magic objects worth 1 point each, gold worth 3, the Black Diamond worth 7, and the colored gems scoring 10-15 points for those players who hold more than everyone else. (In the Advanced game, the colored gems score 8-12 points in addition to a variety bonus of 5 points for each set of different colored gems a player holds. The Black Diamond is worth 19 points [in the 2011 edition], but negates a player’s score for all colored gems.)
Read MoreMysterium
Mysterium is a purely co-operative game for 2-7 players. One player takes the role of a helpful ghost who lives in a mysterious ancient manor. Other players are a group of psychics invited by the manor owner to solve the mystery of the place and bring peace to its residents, as any person who stays in the castle sees strange dreams.
The ancient legend says the ghost is the soul of the manor’s previous resident, who was unjustly executed for a crime he didn’t commit, more than 100 years ago. Now he tries to use the mysterious signs to tell people the truth about what really happened then, so that justice would be established and he might rest in peace for ever. The specialists in the supernatural were invited to try to understand what the ghost wants to tell and in case of success be honoured by one more victory and receive a generous reward. They have 7 days and 7 nights to reach their goal. If they succeed in time, everyone wins the game (including the ghost).
Read MoreSaboteur
Players take on the role of dwarves. As miners, they are in a mine, hunting for gold. Suddenly, a pick axe swings down and shatters the mine lamp. The saboteur has struck. But which of the players are saboteurs? Will you find the gold, or will the fiendish actions of the saboteurs lead them to it first? After three rounds, the player with the most gold is the winner.
With the help of Dwarf Cards, the players are assigned their role: either miner or saboteur. The roles are kept secret- they are only revealed at the end of the round.
Read MoreTrains: Rising Sun
Trains returns with all-new cards and strategies for you to build the best rail system in Japan. Trains: Rising Sun not only features all new cards, it includes three entirely new boards. Two of the boards are designed specifically for two-player games, while the Nagoya map is for 2 to 4 players. This standalone game can mix easily with the original Trains game for even greater replay possibilities!
Trains: Rising Sun also introduces Route Bonus Cards, allowing you to score additional points for being the first to connect specific stations. Route Bonus Cards are included for the original Trains game as well!
Finally, Trains: Rising Sun includes the Trains: Nagoya Map expansion that was first produced only by the designer for use with the original OKAZU Brand production of Trains. (This item is not linked to in the information box for database reasons.)
Read MoreSpace Cadets: Resistance is Mostly Futile
Space Cadets: Resistance Is Mostly Futile is the first expansion for the original Space Cadets game.
A variety of new missions, map obstacles, and enemies are included to challenge both novice and veteran crews. Even missions for just two players! Blast parasites, save a space station and stop the mighty Star Kraken, an enemy unlike any you have faced before.
Also Cadets, be sure to welcome your new crew mate, the Science Officer! Any difficulty can be bested with one of his helpful inventions… If only they weren’t made of parts of the ship.
Survive lasers and tentacles and the well-meaning Science Officer tearing apart your ship and prove that you deserve the title of a true Space Cadet!
Read MoreZooloretto
Each player uses small, large, wild, and exotic animals and their young to try to attract as many visitors as possible to their zoo, but must be careful. The zoo needs to be carefully planned as, before you know it, you might have too many animals and no more room for them. That brings minus points. Luckily, your zoo can expand. This is a zoo of a family game in which less is sometimes more.
Read MoreParadise Fallen
In Paradise Fallen, 2-4 players take on the role of tribes that are attempting to explore and navigate a fallen paradise through hand management to gather valuable powers that will enable them to survive and continue their journey. By drawing cards from the Exploration Deck on their turn, players gather the necessary rations and powers needed to explore. Throughout their journey, tribes will have to navigate islands with obstacles placed in their paths by others. The first tribe to successfully explore a certain number of islands for their powers wins.
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