A lot of game in a small wooden box

When a game arrives in a wooden box with labelling which reminds of something done by a wood-burning set – still very nice mind you – it intrigues before you even open it. There is a ‘vintage’ or ‘older’ feel to it, and for a game based on the First World War that is a good fit.

Inside the box – barely as there is a lot of stuff and it takes some careful placement to re-close this one – is a game which is a bit different. Behind the Trenches is touted as a resource management / deck builder, and of course at its core remains a war game. It is not a game trifecta one immediately thinks even exists – so points for a game approach which is a bit different than most.

Now as a preview copy this one was ‘home 3D printed’ or at least it appears that way,  so the finish might not be up to big company print standards, which in this case sort of works.

The entire ‘vibe’ of Behind the Trenches ‘feels’ a bit like something you might find in grandpa’s attic – a bit old school.

Now because you have a bit of a hybrid in terms of game mechanics here there is something of a learning curve – albeit no more than anticipated at first look.

And Behind the Trenches comes with a digital trainer that teaches players the rules and basic strategy. At this point any game that is offered up really needs to have a ‘how-to-play’ video online before the game hits the market. While experienced gamers are likely good at deciphering all but the most poorly written rulesets, watching someone well-versed in the game run through the rules is a benefit for many.

Now in Behind the Trenches you rely on a hand of cards with each country offering some unique options, that ultimately combine into a battle strategy.

The battle begins in earnest with the goal to push the front line into the opponent’s headquarters – you can think of it as a battleground tug of war.

Behind the Trenches plays two-to-four, but probably is at its best with two – it fits the theme best when you think about it.

The game’s greatest drawback might be that it can play a little long – although this one is likely to garner its greatest interest from staunch war gamers and war games tend to be rather immersive and as a result longer on the table.

In the end there is more game in the wooden box, although with a bit of a nostalgic look, which may, or may not appeal.

Check it out at behindthetrenches.com

A fresh look at Kobolds for RPG classic

In no way can I say I am a fan of D&D 5th edition. It is a homogenized creation to appease the legion of gamers who want to do it all, cast spells, carry the great sword, and do it regardless of race and its apparent limitations.

You can kit characters so they feel more like a group of clones rather than a diverse group coming together for adventure.

So when I get my hands on a supplement for D&D 5E, I am looking to see how it might wedge into an earlier incarnation of D&D when diversity and uniqueness reigned based on class and race.

That was why I was intrigued initially by The Kobolds of Frostwind Forest by Canadian Mark Charke, as it is written with 3rd edition in mind – a huge win for me.

Charke “has been writing since the early 90s. He has published over 70 works including 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Edition and Vampire the Masquerade manuals, several novels and a LARP card game,” noted his Kickstarter bio.

The writing pedigree suggests this one should be good, and that it offers up a rather different view of Kobolds was exciting.

Among the list of fairly standard RPG fantasy races Kobolds have typically been at the bottom of the list – a minor annoyance to a low level adventuring group perhaps, but from there they might be offered up as cannon fodder as a baddie escapes at some point, but otherwise you won’t see them offered up often by the Dungeon Master.

Of course one has to expect not every Kobold is an evil little coward with a pointy stick – or at least that is how Charke looks at the race.

Canadian creator 

In The Kobolds of Frostwind Forest Charke simply builds a broader vision of the race – one where the range of the good, the bad and the neutral of a more race than most associate with ‘mere Kobolds’.

Again I must turn to the Kickstarter campaign for this tome as it paints a fine picture of Charke’s effort.

“This is a story about the underdogs, the little race that has long served not as the villains but rather the pushed aside annoying minions of villains,” the campaign page details. “I suppose they haven't gotten that much better, but they are trying. In Frostwind Forest, the Kobolds have become something a little more, guided and influenced by forces beyond them and having a teacher to elevate them, they may actually become a threat in their own right. Protected by their resistance to cold, the Kobolds are hidden in the Frostwind Forest where their numbers and their might is growing. They aren't all good. Not even most of them are good. The important thing is that some of them are good and they are trying.”

Now simply slapping a more varied array of alignments on Kobolds would not in itself been worth a great deal. In an RPG alignment typically comes from how a player portrays a character through their actions anyway.

But ‘Frostwind’ goes further with a bit of everything to make Kobolds worth another look – “new spells, new races, new prestige classes, mutations, maggot therapy rules, yes you read that right and a story with many different personalities all around the forest region with their own motives and capabilities,” details the KS campaign.

There is world building here too, taking us inside this unique realm of Kobolds, with the forest being home to “three dragons, a dryad venerated by the kobolds, powerful treants, giants and even human explorers.”

There is just enough here to make one want to either roll up a Kobold from the ‘forest’ and take them adventuring, or as a GM send a party into the forest realm and have a party dealing with the mind twist that all Kobolds are not the same.

This is the kind of D&D supplement that truly enhances the game, without simply tossing all into a blender and pouring out glassfuls of ‘sameness’.

 

Going last typically a key

It’s always interesting when a game hits the table and you learn something new as a result.

HOD is one of those games.

A hod, according to an online dictionary is “a builder's V-shaped open trough on a pole, used for carrying bricks and other building materials,” something I didn’t know previously – which I suppose may allow me to know one additional clue on Jeopardy.

But back to the game. HOD is another among the many by designer David McCord, and publisher  at newventuregames.com – a combo which equates to a fine quality game.

This one is played on a 4x4-inch wooden peg board, and 64 coloured wooden pegs, all of which are very nice.

There are also a couple of dice that play a role in the set-up, so they are not influence play through random rolls once the play begins.

HOD is a peg game for two-to-four players – with our group’s experience leaning toward more interesting play with more involved.

The placement of a peg scores you points – multiples of the points on which it is placed, so 15 on the intersection of three and five.

Some holes will be blocked – that is why you roll dice so the board changes somewhat each game.

Now the game plays quick – yep another game that seems a fine ‘in the cabin for rainy day play’ option – but lacks the depth to become a regularly suggested game. That is a result to the last peg to be placed is generally going to be at the intersection of six and six, scoring 36 points which is a big swing.

Scores by the nature of HOD stay close and that 36 looms as the determining score rather often – meaning it’s positioning to get that final peg – which typically goes to the last player in rotation. In HOD going last tends to be a big benefit – so you need to play multiple games with each player going last then adding up overall scores to determine the winner – at least we feel that way.

Nice components with short term interest but not the longer term appeal of some other McCord creations.

 

Fun foray in sports by rolling dice

Roll and write games really run the gambit from superficial to highly detailed, meaning they can fill a pretty wide range of table needs.

Diceathlon is one of those ‘middle-of-the-road’ offerings – not particularly deep -- but more fun than was expected.

Like many games within the genre of R’n’W, Diceathlon by designer Chris Heaney and released in 2022, it plays solo-to-unlimited, although it plays best at three-to-five, maybe six. The reason to hold the number lower is that you roll dice equal to the number of players plus one, then you pick one dice per player, the roller getting the extra die at end of round.

You write the number on your individual score sheet in one of the six sports. Each sport has their own specific goals to how the player can win the medal at the end of the game.

For a little change of pace the same designer came out with Winter Diceathlon in 2023, the same general idea except placing die in one of five winter sports. each with its own specific goals.

I personally like this one in part – a large part actually – because of the sport theme.

Admittedly it’s a sort of ‘pasted on’ element of the game, but they make ‘sense’ on a sport-by-sport basis – golf trying to get the lowest score, hurdles needing a roll higher then three to clear each hurdle, etc.

It is also is thematically when players have access to three ‘coaches’ which allow you to influence one selected die each game. It’s a nice game element to mitigate some bad selections which will inevitably occur in a game of Diceathlon – or its sister.

Both of these are available as print ‘n play games at www.pnparcade.com, and if you like tossing some dice, and making some choices which are simple, but important to a win, it’s worth checking them out.

 

Warcrow book exudes quality

If you were to poll the members of ‘The Meeple Guild’ you would find miniature gaming would rate at or very near the top in terms of favourite category of game.

Over the years we have played and reviewed many – Warmachine, MERCs, Blackwater Gulch, Guildball and others.

Among the best are the games which survive long term – it shows players like the game and the company is dedicated to new offerings to hold interest.

One company which has done that well is Infinity.

Infinity has a pretty basic but effective philosophy in terms on mini gaming.

It starts with absolutely wonderful minis throughout what is now a rather extensive range from the company which has been around for a quarter of a century – quality really is synonymous with longevity in mini gaming.

The other aspect that has made Infinity a success is the ability to offer new things which garners attention.

In 2024 that included the release of the mini skirmish game Warcrow, which we look at today – or at least its core rulebook as an intro to the game.

So a quick explanation on the game from the publisher; “Warcrow is a miniatures game set in the fantastical world of Lindwurm. In this setting you control a small military force made up of warriors, creatures and wizards, who fight skirmishes pursuing the interests of your faction.

“Before starting the game, you must select a scenario to play. Each of the Warcrow scenarios describes the conditions and requirements necessary to achieve victory. Once you have chosen the scenario, prepare the gaming table and deploy the indicated terrain elements: hedges, forests, buildings ... Some of them will be very favourable to your faction. Once you have understood all the details of the scenario, choose your faction and create the company list that best suits your strategy and victory plans. The game begins with the deployment of the troops, following the instructions stipulated in the scenario rules.

“Warcrow scenarios have a variable length of game rounds, which continue until the end-of-game conditions are met. Each round, you and your opponent will take alternating turns activating your units. You can move them around the battlefield, attack your opponent, cast powerful spells ... until you achieve the objectives of the scenario. To win, you must have accumulated more Victory Points (VP) than your opponent at the end of the game.”

Now since the release of the core book there have been some lavish add-ons, scenarios which come with two starter factions etc. that add greatly to Warcrow, but more on those in a future review.

As for the core book, it could be described simply with a single word – that word being Wow!

The book checks in at a heft 365 glossy pages, with full colour throughout.

It starts with a stunning cover which makes it look like a coffee table book – and for a mini gamer it really is that nice.

The book is really two in one.

In part it’s a storybook. There is lots of lore and history here which immerses the reader in the world of Warcrow. For some that will be a major draw, while others may just flip through those pages to get to the meat of the game itself.

And of course that’s all here – in great detail actually.

The core rules – how minis move, how battles play out, how a scenario works, is all here as one would expect – although with this company the detail is ensured.

Factions get their due here, right down to specific characters.

Ultimately, this is one book that provides it all.

A player can really lose themselves in this one absorbing the lore and characters and game play, hours of game-associated enjoyment before ever getting a mini to the table, or rolling a die.

As for the game – more on those details in a future review – but rest assured Warcrow is a good one – this company doesn’t do bad.

Check it out at warcrow.com

First Kanare Kato creation to miss mark with this reviewer

This review needs a significant disclaimer.

It should be understood up front that I have never enjoyed the classic Hex – I find it about as boring and uninteresting as any game I have tried – even after repeated forays into trying to discover why many rave over it.

So I wasn’t expecting too much from Kanare Kato’s Borderland even though several of his games have impressed over time such as Stairs, Lines of Fixation, Meridians, Iago and RosenKreuz.

Now according to the designer Borderland is a game that combines Hex-like connective goals with Go-like territorial goals. The objective is to create a border with pieces by combination of placement and movement so that your territory occupies more than half of the board.

It was also noted Borderland was inspired by Dale Walton’s Make Muster – also published by Kanare Abstract.

So Trevor and I found the game more Hex than Go, and I suppose not surprisingly Make Muster has been our least-liked game among those from Kanare Abstract not created by Kato himself.

That all said Borderland rates well in limited ratings on Board Game Geek.

The game is played on a hexagonal board (91 hexes).

The objective is a border which is an unbroken group of same-colored pieces that connect non-adjacent sides of the board.

When the board is divided into two or more areas by the creation of your border, all but the area containing the most opponent pieces becomes your territory.

The player who has more than half of the board as his/her territory wins.

On a turn a player may perform up to two actions: placing one piece and moving one piece.

However, placement cannot be done twice in one turn. Also, a player cannot move a placed piece or move the same piece twice in the same turn.

When placing a piece, it must be at least one step away from all of your pieces and at least two steps away from all of your opponents' pieces – this makes blocking an opponent’s progress a challenge one we found more frustrating than interesting.

If one player makes a border but fails to achieve the win condition, the game moves to the Emergency Phase. In this phase, players can place their pieces one step away from the opponent's stones and can move the same piece twice in the same turn player. This all seems a tad forced into the game – although it is probably a rare situation for those who want to explore this game more than we will.

Now we have probably 20 games from Kanare Abstract if I were to count, and while Queen’s Guard might be the lowest rank it holds some interest as an historic game, pushing Borderland to the bottom for us. Now there of course has to be a last place if one were quantifying games from Kanare Abstract, and I know many will likely disagree which of course is normal as we all do not like the same thing, but alas Borderland was not for Trevor and I.

Far more fun with this connection game than most

In general connection games – those where you are trying to string a line of something from one side of the board to the other – bore this reviewer.

While many rave for example about Hex – likely the granddaddy of the game mechanic – I have never found the game of any great interest.

That said, an odd connection game climbs about the norm – Tak for example is a top shelf game being among the best abstract strategy games of this millennium, and PUNCT rises about the norm too.

So when Meteor Shower from Queensell ( queensell.com) arrived I was not exactly sure what to expect.

At its core Meteor Shower is a connection game, one that has a ‘mining mars’ theme over laid upon it which at least ticked up interest out of the box.

Inside the box this one is quite nice.

The game board is boldly coloured, and reversible with a smaller grid for quicker games as you try Meteor Showers out and a bigger offering on the other side for longer game play.

In this one players can roll dice to have a meteor fall on the hex matching the roll, or they can roll out neat little toy buggies to gather meteors then transport them back to be dumped as part of their line across the board.

On the small board a few bad die rolls dropping meteors easily within reach of the opponent – this one is a two player offering – is bad news. It happened to me and Trevor stomped me in the game.

The larger board mitigates that a bit by simply needing more pieces collected, but dice rolls do influence Meteor Showers.

The meteors once collected change to your colour – all the pieces being plastic ‘gems’ – functional and bright to match the ‘feel’ of the board.

Now the buggies move according to one of four – three hex – patterns. The patterns are right on the board so that is handy.

However, we still spent more time than was fun trying to determine if we moving correctly.

And, again on the smaller board you can get boxed in and not have a move that is frustrating way to end a game.

In the end Trevor and I have decided to ignore the pattern, allowing you must move three hexes and you cannot cross the same hex twice. It makes movement more naturally free flowing in our minds.

So first thing, ignore the small board for all but a test drive. The more expansive board simply offers more opportunity for an engaging game.

Try the given movement patterns, but if you get frustrated as we did, try our house rule.

In the end this is better than Hex – although most games are for me – but no way is Meteor Shower on the same planet of Tak either. It falls somewhere in between – inching above halfway to the point of being worth a cautious recommendation – or if connection is a mechanic of choice for you.