This week, Paul looks at the notorious Tammany Hall, a game all about the not-entirely-pleasant, not-completely-wholesome New York political machine that was cranking its way through the second half of the 19th Century.
Is it a cynical game for cynical times? Perhaps, but the reprint was certainly a terrific Kickstarter success. The much more important question is… just how good is Tammany Hall?
Here’s your answer!
Read More
This week’s review must be one of the most colourful games we’ve tried this year. It certainly has more purple wizards than anything else we’ve ever played.
The vibrant Lords of Xidit Lords of Xidit is a game of fantasy questing, of bard songs, of wizard towers and of programming your way in front of everyone else. Does that sound like a rather strange mix of ideas? Just wait until you see what Quinns and Paul come up with when they try to put their spin on things.
This review is presented with profound apologies to David Bowie.
Read More
Oh my goodness, you’re looking sharp! Yes you, the one reading this! I don’t suppose you came here looking to buy some kind of board game, did you?
Well it just so happens we’ve got one for you. It’s called Chinatown, an absolute classic that just got reprinted. A classic, I tell you. A game all about the art of the deal set in 1960s New York. But you probably knew that already, didn’t you? A savvy shopper like you.
You’ll take two? Fantastic, fantastic. You’ve made the right choice. Who’s next?
Read More
Roll over, Zombie Dice. Zombicide? It’s history. Zombie 15′ is our game for Halloween in 2014! A real-time, co-operative 15 minute game of 15 year-olds fighting their way past restless dead across 15 missions.
The question isn’t whether Paul and Quinns like it. It’s whether they can succeed at reviewing it in a single 15 minute take. Enjoy, everybody!
Read More
The Opener returns with another game to get your friends into board gaming! This time it’s Sheriff of Nottingham. Would you like to see your mum smuggle five barrels of mead past your dad? Or watch your girlfriend get busted with a “cheese cart” full of crossbows? Of course you would.
This game’s got a history, actually. Originally a 2006 Brazilian release titled Jogo da Fronteira, it had little tin suitcases with players trying to smuggle cigars, tequila and ancient relics around South America. In 2011 it was rethemed as Robin Hood, before finally receiving yet another overhaul in this year’s Sheriff of Nottingham. The more you know!
Read More
Quinns is planning for his future this week, and for some reason two very wet games are involved. The dastardly Black Fleet, together with venerable 1982 release Survive: Escape From Atlantis. Who knew such an old game was still treading water!
Rumours that we develop our specials using a random word generator have been MODERATELY EXAGGERATED. Drunken bets are also involved.
Read More
Now for a very special “Retro” edition of SU&SD! …because we accidentally filmed it in 640×480!
Trust us to make this mistake for one of the loveliest boxes of the year, too. Steam Park is a game about building theme parks for hard-working robots. A game of teeny-tiny three-dimensional information kiosks, roller coasters and haunted houses.
That said, it’s also a game where you can build a Tunnel of Love that seats just one, and once you put a robot in there he’ll never leave and begin vomiting uncontrollably. Probably just buy it and figure out for yourself whether this is the nicest or darkest game ever.
Read More
Ooh, it’s an exciting day. Not only is Five Tribes one of the year’s prettiest and most anticipated boxes, it’s also the most Paul and Quinns have disagreed on anything. EVER.
Sit back, relax, and watch the sparks fly. Or just hit play to watch Matt furtively cover his nips. You… you’ll understand in a minute, ok.
(Bruno Faidutti’s blog post on the game’s theme can be found here.)
Read More
One of the first reviews we ever wrote was of Antoine Bauza’s Ghost Stories, back when SU&SD was little more than a twinkle on our camcorder’s four gig SD card.
Clearly we’re getting old. This year will soon see the release of Samurai Spirit, an all-new Bauza game of protecting an all-new village. What will Quinns make of it? More importantly, what will he make of that box?
Have you heard about the box? Oh dear. We have some bad news. Are you sitting down?
Read More
In one of our most anticipated reviews of the year, Paul and Quinns have hunkered down in their rubbish-strew hideaway for a spoiler-free analysis of Dead of Winter.
Like SU&SD favourite City of Horror, here’s a zombie game that isn’t about zombies. Rather, Dead of Winter wants to tell you a story of a freezing cold colony where men and women are exiled over a lost tin of beans, and the degree to which you trust your friends could save you as easily as get you killed.
Did we mention it’s the first board game we’ve reviewed with a sex scene? Oh, yes.
Read More