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Games News! 07/03/16

Paul: March is here and with it what might be THE MOST EXCITING GAMES NEWS OF THE YEAR SO FAR. Maybe. I don’t want to get your hopes up or anything, but we have a whole host of great stuff here. Let’s get started with one of the most interesting games concepts I’ve seen for long time…

Quinns: Fog of Love! Riding high on its early Kickstarter success, Fog of Love is a two-player game about trying to navigate the ups and downs of a relationship, about trying to understand your partner and about trying to get what you want both from a relationship and from life.

Hold on to your womp rats! Quinns is here with one of the biggest reviews of the year. Star Wars: Rebellion is Fantasy Flight’s forthcoming Star Wars star war.

One side plays the Empire, another the Rebellion, in a vast conflict involving more than 150 plastic miniatures and countless twists, turns and heroics.

In other words it’s about the most exciting thing imaginable. Sit back, relax, and enjoy this early review.

In a distant future, scientists were able to build small alternate Earths. The scientists programmed each of these Worlds with an individual set of laws and rules which the residents strictly follow and consider most important for their lives. These may be exploration, consumption, economics, military, etc., and each is unique. You can visit all of these 504 alternate Earths to experience how the people are living, and decide which of these worlds harbors the best civilization. On which World do you want to live?

504 is a game that creates 504 different games out of one box, from nine modules.

“None of the principal states were armed with their own proper forces. Thus the arms of Italy were either in the hands of the lesser princes, or of men who possessed no state; for the minor princes did not adopt the practice of arms from any desire of glory, but for the acquisition of either property or safety. The others (those who possessed no state) being bred to arms from their infancy, were acquainted with no other art, and pursued war for emolument, or to confer honor upon themselves.” –Niccolò Machiavelli, History of Florence Book I, Chapter VII

It is 13th century Italy. Trade flourishes between the city-states and the Levant. Venice, Florence, and Genoa are bursting with wealth. However, each city-state is also plagued with a weak national army, leaving them defenseless against invasion from their envious neighbors. Enter the Condottiere.

Condottiere is a card game with a little bit of everything. A bit of area control, a bit of bluffing, a bit of hand management, a bit of negotiation and a bit of luck. It’s like a delicious sampler platter of everything board games have to offer, and it’s a perfect game to start your collection with.

Shut Up & Sit Down has talked up this classic since the site began. Check out this review from back in 2011! It turns out this game is still available in shops and still excellent, so it’s time to do it again!

It’s been styled as an experiment, but is it more of an extravagance or perhaps even some crazed meddling with the forces of nature themselves? 504 is no simple board game, but instead a… gigantic collection of cards and components and pieces and possibilities.

Is this a revolution? This this hubris? Is this madness? This week, Paul faced down one of his greatest challenges ever…

You are an archaeologist working the dig sites of the Egyptian desert. Search for the right pieces to complete torn parchments, broken pots, and other priceless artifacts. Explore an ancient pyramid in the hope of uncovering a huge stash of treasure! Trade shrewdly at the local marketplace to increase the value of your collection. Sell your treasures to the museum at just the right time for maximum profit.

But beware, the desert also has its dangers! A devastating sandstorm can throw your expedition into disarray, and cunning thieves lurk around the dig site ready to steal your prize discovery!

Quinns: Since Matt and I reviewed the completely excellent Arboretum I’ve been filled with a fervor not seen since I started snaffling up Netrunner expansions. Arboretum, it turns out, is just one entry in a whole line of “deluxe card games” from Z-Man Games, all of which come in identical-sized boxes.

In the last two weeks I went full magpie and bought almost all of them.

Almost since SU&SD began we’ve been banging on about Catacombs, the dungeon-delving dexterity game. A team of heroes (who are discs) battling an evil villain (who’s a disc) with spells, slings and arrows (which are – you guessed it – discs).

Availability of Catacombs is a little thin right now, though, so we figured we’d do a video that lets you enjoy it through us! Pull up a stinky dungeon pew, and watch as Matt and Quinns break out a copy of Catacombs, a bottle of absinthe, and a camera that does cooool slo-mo.

Welcome back to the podcastle! Not to be outdone after listener Alex Cannon contributed a jingle for last episode, Matt’s made yet another jingle. Ready your body! Lube up your ears. It’s got a harmony. You’ve been warned. As for games, we chat about Liar’s Dice, Arboretum, the new editions of Archaeology, and Elevenses: The Card Game of Morning Tea AND new releases 504 and Power Grid: The Stock Companies. Plus our folk game of the month, of course. It’s not just Friedemann Friese who can pack a whole lot of nonsense into a small package.

Games News! 07/03/16

Review: Star Wars Rebellion

504

Condottiere

How to Play Condottiere!

Review: 504

Archaeology: The New Expedition

Review: Archaeology: The New Expedition

SU&SD Play… Catacombs

Podcast #38: 504 Ways to Eat Paper

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